Winemaker Notes
Blend : 65 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
A perfumed wine, floral and flowery. The spices come from wood tannins that are very present. But there are also friendly berry fruits, plum skins and final acidity.
Barrel Sample: 90-92 -
Wine Spectator
Blackberry and licorice aromas follow through to a full-bodied palate, with a solid core of fruit and supersilky tannins. Very well done.
Barrel Sample: 88-91 Points -
Decanter
Aromas of earth, minerals, flowers, herbaceous and crushed berry. Well balanced and tightly knit on the long and distinguished palate. It has proper Margaux elegance and finesse. Very concentrated and intense.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
A sleeper of the vintage, this is a pure sexpot of a Margaux with lots of spring flower, jammy black cherry, black currant, graphite and smoky characteristics. With loads of fruit, a round, opulent texture and outstanding purity, this up-front, evolved, classic, medium to full-bodied Margaux can be enjoyed now and over the next 10-15 years.
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The Left Bank of Bordeaux subscribes to an arguably outdated method of classification but it is nonetheless important in regards to history of the area.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.