| Region | |
|---|---|
| Subregion | France > Bordeaux > Left Bank > Margaux |
| Colour | Red |
| Type | Still |
Since the early 1980s Château Margaux has produced many excellent vintages. It is always impressive, whilst remaining fine and elegant. This is where we most often find the "Iron Fist in a Velvet Glove". Margaux is certainly the most stylish, charming and sophisticated of the First Growths. Quality is maintained here by a rigorous selection process and, since 2009, there has been a third wine (Margaux de Margaux) produced as well as the popular second wine Pavillon Rouge. There is also a 4th wine sold off in bulk.
The 2023 Margaux is 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Cabernet Franc, 5% Merlot and 2% Petit Verdot. 41% of the vineyard's fruit made it into the grand vin with 30% in Pavillon Rouge and 29% in Margaux de Margaux or sold off in bulk as generic Margaux. Winemaker Philippe Bascaules compares this vintage to 1996 - or a less concentrated version of 2016.
The 2023 Château Margaux, which contains 15% vin de presse, is quintessential Château Margaux. It immediately blossoms in the glass with irresistible crushed violets on the nose, instantly demanding attention—you will gladly give it. Exquisitely defined and very focused with supremely well integrated oak, this is blessed with laser-like precision. The palate is silky smooth on the entry, perhaps a little feistier than expected thanks to a liberal sprinkling of black pepper. Quite structured (like the Pavillon Rouge) and gentle, you can almost overlook its grip. It finishes with a concentrated, graphite-tinged finish that lingers long in the mouth. This First Growth will require ten years in bottle to really show what it is capable of.
The 2023 Château Margaux shows considerable promise, unfurling in the glass with aromas of cassis, violets, spring flowers and sweet tobacco, framed by a deft touch of new oak. Medium to full-bodied, deep and layered, it's taut, concentrated and classically structured, with sweet, refined tannins and lively acids, concluding with a long, mouthwatering finish. It's a blend of 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot that attained 13% alcohol.
A glossy purple colour in the glass, this is a measured, but intense, black-fruited wine with real refinement. The nose shows dewy blackcurrant fruit, together with glossier black cherry, subtle savoury pepper and sweeter nutmeg and clove. The palate has real depth, a vertical streak of cassis fruit forming the core. Lipsmacking, saline acids rush over the fruit, but the intensity and depth means this only serves to lift and feather the riper notes here. The wood management is perfect - the spice is always present but never dominant, complementing the fruit. The tannins are seamless but plentiful and mouthcoating, ripe and ultra-refined. This is a wine of effortless intensity, ethereal yet profound. Very well done.
The aromas in this young Margaux are so primary, reminding me of grape must fermenting in the vat, then turning to perfumes and flowers. Violets and roses. Full-bodied but it comes across as so agile and bright, with vivid acidity that makes the wine crunchy and linear. As Alexis, one of the owners of Margaux said, this really shows the DNA of the estate. Weightless. One of the wines of the vintage. 3.6 pH. Blend of 89% cabernet sauvignon, 5% merlot, 4% cabernet franc and 2% petit verdot.
The 2023 Chateau Margaux, accounting for 41% of this year's crop, is deep garnet-purple in color. A little shy to begin, it needs some swirling before notes of black cherries, blackcurrant pastilles, and anise emerge from the glass, leading to suggestions of fragrant soil, lilacs, and cardamom with a touch of iron ore. The medium-bodied palate is elegantly crafted, with fabulous tension creating an exhilarating sense of energy in the mouth, offset by firm fine-grained tannins to support the vibrant red and black berry layers, finishing long and perfumed. So fragrant and graceful, this could only be Chateau Margaux! The blend is 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot, with pH 3.60. "There is a little more Cabernet Franc this year. More and more has been making it into the First Wine. We have been grafting over some vines to Cabernet Franc and planting more."
Vibrant peony and ruby red colour, this hums with movement and energy through the palate, a complex bloom of lavendar and white rose flowers, fresh and dense at the same time. Classical Margaux, with the savoury quality of the best wines of the year, a ton of fine tannins with a reserved sculpted architecture. The drinkability of this vintage is such a welcome return, and this is exceptionally good quality, and a real pleasure to taste. Superb winemaking from Philippe Bascaules. 41hl/h yield (compared to 25hl/h last year), 41% of the production in this 1st wine.
The 2023 Château Margaux is fabulous. Sensual, silky and exceptionally polished, the 2023 Château Margaux is shaping up to be a classic. Seamless, silky tannins wrap around a core of dark red/purplish fruit. Hints of spice, new leather, menthol, licorice and rose petal fill out the glass. There's a bit of new oak peeking through today, but that won't be an issue in a few years' time. Only Bordeaux can produce wines that offer so much flavor intensity at a low alcohols. Margaux is the least showy of the First Growths, but it is often the most refined. The 2023 is sublime.
89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot. 41% of the production. Cask sample.
Energy and intrigue but more reticent than Pavillon. Lots of charm on the palate with attractive fruit, silky tannins and freshness. A certain drive and persistence but perhaps not quite the depth of top years. (JL) 13%
Drink 2032 – 2050
