Winemaker Notes
A third growth in the 1855 classification, Desmirail is the fruit of an exceptional terroir in the Margaux appellation, of which its elegance and finesse offer a perfect representation.
Blend: 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 50% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot, 5% Cabernet Franc
Professional Ratings
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Decanter
Richly scented and evocative on the nose, crystalline and pure, with fragrant and floral blue fruits and cool stoney touches. Feels well worked, tannins are beautifully integrated, plump, plush, velvety giving a serious and well-built frame but with enough freshness and acidity to keep things moving and lifted. I like this a lot, especially the florality and the juicy core. Elegant and refined with a lovely minty finish. Clearly concentrated and powerful with richness and body but with focus and such a seductive flavour and texture. 5% Cabernet Franc completes the blend. Harvest 8-23 September.
Barrel Sample: 94 -
James Suckling
Smoke, berries, ripe plums, currants, roasted spices and a touch of citrus on the nose. Fluid, poised and nimble on the palate, showing well-judged extraction and fine-grained tannins. Chalky, juicy and pretty long. A bit more approachable than many, but give it one more year.
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Jeb Dunnuck
Spicy oak, ripe black cherries, and floral nuances emerge from the 2022 Château Desmirail, a medium-bodied, elegant, seamless Margaux offering polished tannins, just about flawless balance, and a great finish. It's beautifully done and well worth seeking out, The 2022 is 50% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the balance Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Rating; 92+
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2022 Desmirail confirms my expectations for it during the en primeur tasting. Revealing a complex, elegant bouquet of flowers, dark wild berries, mulberries and spices mingled with delicate notes of sweet berries, it's medium to full-bodied, layered and enrobing with velvety, delicate tannins and a long, ethereal and violet-inflected finish. This blend of 50% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Petit Verdot and 5% Cabernet Franc is a real success and retains enormous appeal.
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.