Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Ripe cassis and morello-cherry aromas pour from the glass. As seductive as the fruit of this wine is, there’s also serious concentration and a major tannin structure that means it packs quite a punch on the long, rather complex finish.
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Wine Enthusiast
Showing the richness of the vintage behind firm tannins, this wine is tough and solid at the moment although that will change as it matures. The hint of bitter over-extraction is the sole blemish on a wine that otherwise highlights the many improvements at this estate. Drink from 2025.
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Jeb Dunnuck
One of the more structured wines in the vintage is the 2015 Chateau Rauzan-Gassies. Deep ruby/purple colored with a fabulous bouquet of currants, charcoal, black cherries and crushed rocks, it is a full-bodied, incredibly pure, concentrated Margaux that has integrated tannin and a focused, chiseled feel.
Rating: 92+
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The Left Bank of Bordeaux subscribes to an arguably outdated method of classification but it is nonetheless important in regards to history of the area.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.