Winemaker Notes
It is often said that "Margaux wines rekindle the stomach without tiring the head." This is confirmed during tasting, when their impressive finesse and elegance is revealed.
Château d’Arsac wines have excellent ageing potential but can also be enjoyed young, depending on the vintage.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Good depth on the nose, showing blackcurrants, graphite and a touch of fresh herbs and flowers. This shows obvious potential with its tight-grained tannins providing a muscular but complete structure to the full-bodied palate. Still, quite lively and al dente. Tightly wound, long and youthful in the finish. 72% cabernet sauvignon and 28% merlot.
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Wine Enthusiast
One of the vineyards away from the Gironde estuary has produced a richly structured wine. It has dense tannins and layers of black fruits and structure. Blackberry and black coffee aromas and juicy black fruits give a wine that has space to develop. Drink from 2028.
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Decanter
Clean and clear, a lovely crystalline purity to this, fleshy and chewy but still strict and tense with firm, grippy and wet stone textured tannins that give the frame and the slightly serious nature. Nothing harsh, just lean and focussed but with lovely underlying sweet and sour strawberry acidity and juiciness so once the tannins settle this should make for lovely drinking. HVE certified. Tasted twice.
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Vinous
The 2022 Château d'Arsac has a well-defined and focused bouquet. The oak is well integrated, allowing the blackberry, cedar and violet notes to flourish. The palate is medium-bodied with crisp tannins, graphite-infused black fruit tones and an elegant finish that is uncommon at this level for this vintage. This is a well-crafted and satisfying Margaux that should give 15 or more years of pleasure.
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
Silky, seductive and polished are the words that characterize the best wines from Margaux, the most inland appellation of the Médoc on the Left Bank of Bordeaux.
Margaux’s gravel soils are the thinnest of the Médoc, making them most penetrable by vine roots—some reaching down over 23 feet for water. The best sites are said to be on gentle outcrops, or croupes, where more gravel facilitates good drainage.
The Left Bank of Bordeaux subscribes to an arguably outdated method of classification but it is nonetheless important in regards to history of the area. In 1855 the finest chateaux were deemed on the basis of reputation and trading price—at that time. In 1855, Chateau Margaux achieved first growth status, yet it has been Chateau Palmer (officially third growth from the 1855 classification) that has consistently outperformed others throughout the 20th century.
Chateau Margaux in top vintages is capable of producing red Cabernet Sauvignon based wines described as pure, intense, spell-binding, refined and profound with flavors and aromas of black currant, violets, roses, orange peel, black tea and incense.
Other top producers worthy of noting include Chateau Rauzan-Ségla, Lascombes, Brane-Cantenac, and d’Issan, among others.
The best wines of Margaux combine a deep ruby color with a polished structure, concentration and an unrivaled elegance.