Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
Checking in as a blend of 47% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot, and 3% Cabernet Franc aged 12 months in 35% new French oak, the 2023 Château Labégorce is a rocking little gem in the vintage. Red, blue, and black fruits, spring flowers, graphite, and tobacco all shine on the nose, and it's medium to full-bodied on the palate, with a round, supple, seductive mouthfeel, soft tannins, and a great finish. It will keep for 20 years or more.
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James Suckling
Berries, plums, cassis, minerals and hints of roasted spices, white pepper and paprika on the nose. Medium- to full-bodied and fine-boned, with juicy red berries and an evenly packed finish. Long, structured and quite poised.
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Vinous
The 2023 Labégorce has a well-defined nose that leans slightly more toward red than black fruit. It's understated at first but soon coheres and gains intensity. The palate is medium-bodied with very pliant tannins. Satin-like in texture and very cohesive, with a touch of spice on the finish, this is a classy Margaux that will give a great deal of pleasure over the next 15 to 20 years. Warning through: it will be difficult to resist in its youth. –Neal Martin
Barrel Sample: 92-94 -
Decanter
Great aromatics, herbal raspberry leaf, plums and red cherries. Smooth and supple, nice tension and vibrancy to this, lovely juiciness but not too overt acidity with a slightly chalky creaminess. I like the mixture of all the elements, clean and clear on the finish like licking stones. Nice balance, feels like they've done a good job of getting ripeness, keeping acidity and getting fine tannins to give a sleek structure. Slightly crushed velvet in texture. I like this a lot and I love the cool mint freshness on the finish. Very charming and approachable. 3% Cabernet Franc completes the blend.
Barrel Sample: 93 -
Wine Spectator
An inviting style, with aromatic violet, cherry and pomegranate preserves allied to a bright, almost breezy frame. A potpourri hint lingers on the finish. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.
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.