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Château Margaux

Of all the first growths Margaux is certainly a strong contender for being the most splendidly presented, its imposing 19th-century château which peers over the chai, barrel cellars and other buildings easily visible from the D2, the road that snakes up the Médoc past the front doors of many of the classed growths. It stands proud, surrounded by several broad sweeps of vines, the only visual challenge being from Château Palmer which is visible in the distance, its witches-hat turrets stretching skywards in marked contrast to the more reserved style of the château at Margaux. It is a regal château indeed, and certainly fitting in view of the quality of the wines that have been made here over the last couple of decades.

Château Margaux: Early History

The very ancient history of Château Margaux is quite sketchy, only natural if we remind ourselves that we are looking back as far as nine centuries here. This is because the history of Margaux stretches back to the 12th century, although this predates the construction of the building that we see today by about seven hundred years. As with many estates at this time the land was in the ownership of French nobility, and was known La Mothe de Margaux; 'La Mothe' comes from motte, meaning a small rise in the land, yet another example of the seemingly infinite different number of words that describe such hillocks on the Médoc. At this time there would have been no vines planted here, the area being largely marshland, with just a few areas - such as that at Margaux - rising above the water table. These areas were suitable for planting, but the crops were more likely to have been arable - wheat, or sugar beet in more recent years - than the vine.

Writing in Grands Vins (University of California Press, 1995) Clive Coates gives us a few of the earliest names associated with the property. He states that the land came from an old French family named d'Albret who passed it to two seigneurs named Montferrand and Durfort during the 15th century. From here it came to Jean Gimel, a wealthy merchant from Bordeaux, subsequently passing from him to the Lory family. It was not until Guy de Lestonnac took possession of the estate from his cousin, Jean de Lory, in the latter years of the 16th century that it began to develop into the Château Margaux that we know today. The estate was enlarged, new plots of land acquired through exchange or purchase. Instrumental in these developments was Pierre Lestonnac who put in place many of the changes between 1572 and 1582.

The Lestonnacs & d'Aulèdes

The estate subsequently passed by marriage from this family to the d'Aulèdes, following the marriage of Jean d'Aulède to Françoise de Lestonnac in 1582. They acquired the property when Pierre Lestonnac died, it passing to their son Pierre d'Aulède de Lestonnac at this time. By this time the estate at Margaux covered an impressive 265 hectares, of which one third was devoted to viticulture, Pierre Lestonnac having anticipated the large-scale shift of the Médoc away from more general agriculture. Not quite five hundred years later the estate has changed very little in terms of size or layout since that time. The Lestonnac and d'Aulède families essentially defined the Margaux we know today.

The estate was inherited by Pierre's son, Jean-Denis, who went on to marry Marie-Thérèse de Pontac in 1654. Thus some part of the estate came under the dominion of the Pontac family, who are perhaps better known for the early development of Haut-Brion than anything they achieved at Margaux. Nevertheless the d'Aulèdes maintained control over half the estate, this responsibility passing from Jean-Denis to his son Pierre-François in 1694. Pierre-François lived to a ripe old age, and although a widower he took a second wife in his dotage, and upon his death she managed to gain full control of the estate. Perhaps this was her aim all along?

Berlon Puts an End to Rosé

While the estate was inherited and coveted by the wealthy noblemen and merchants, the process of development in the vineyard continued unabated. The early 18th century saw more improvements of considerable significance at Château Margaux, led principally by the estate manager Berlon. These changes may at first seem surprising, as today they sound like common sense, but at the time these were brave new ideas. Berlon counselled against picking wet grapes, so as to avoid dilution; he recognised that certain plots produced better fruit than others, recognising the varied terroir of his estate; and he began to vinify red and white grapes separately - they had previously all been vinified together, which must have made for a rather interesting rosé. Unsurprisingly the wine improved in quality dramatically, as demonstrated in 1771 when it was the first claret to ever be sold at Christie's. In addition, Thomas Jefferson, the American ambassador, oenophile and later President, was an acolyte and purchased the 1784.

Margaux was on a high, and successive owners kept quality to the fore at Margaux. The widow of Pierre-François, Marie-Antoinette-Charlotte de Lenoncourt died without an heir, and the estate was passed to Comte Joseph de Fumel and, through the marriage of Joseph's daughter Marie-Louise-Elizabeth to Elie du Barry, but his good fortune was short-lived. Having acquired a stake in this fine property, and having taken on the grand title of Comte d'Agricourt after his mother-in-law, his grandeur was such that his life was ended under the guillotine during the Revolution. The estate came to the citizen Miqueau who paid it little attention, and it fell into disrepair. It was subsequently rescued from total dilapidation by Laure de Fumel, Joseph's niece, but she was soon forced to sell, and in 1801 the estate was purchased by the Marquis de la Colonilla, Bertrand Douat.

The Marquis de Colonilla Builds a House

Colonilla had little interest in wine or Margaux, and lived in Paris rather than Bordeaux. He was a Basque, and arrived in France having already made his fortune; for him, ownership of such a grand property was intended to assist his social advancement. To that effect, the manor house which had already replaced the original fortified building was deemed inadequate, and it was torn down and replaced with the grand château, as designed by the leading architect of the day, Louis Combes. This building, which still stands today (pictured below), was the Marquis de Colonilla's only major contribution to Margaux, and it is one that he saw little of himself. Work began in 1810, when he was already in his eighth decade, and he died 26 years later, before the château was completed. His death once again prompted the sale of the estate, as his descendants had little interest in taking it on. The new owner this time was the Marquis de la Marismas, Alexandre Aguado, who although Spanish by birth worked as a banker in Paris. Unlike Colonilla, Aguado regarded Margaux as a residence and he had a deep interest in the estate and its wines. Aguado and his family saw the estate through the powdery mildew crisis of the 19th century, and the 1855 classification, when it should go without saying that Margaux was comfortably ranked as a first growth.

The Aguado family subsequently sold Château Margaux to Frédéric Pillet-Will, and it was he who was in charge when Phylloxera ravaged the estate, not to mention the rest of Bordeaux and all French vineyards, in the late 19th century. The solution was to replant on American rootstock which, when this became widely accepted, was a task Pillet-Will undertook. The quality of the wine thereafter, for many possible reasons, was not always as good as might be expected, and it was at this time that a second wine, the forerunner of today's Pavillon Rouge de Château Margaux, was introduced. Frédéric's good intentions meant little to his children, however, as after his death the estate suffered serious neglect. Nevertheless a group led by Pierre Moreau, a trusted friend of the late Pillet-Will, formed a committee of purchasing shareholders in order to take over the ownership and running of Margaux. This arrangement worked well, and they tended the estate through the first half of the 20th century, their most significant contribution to the Margaux of today being the introduction of château bottling, contemporaneous with the exact same change being implemented by Baron Philip de Rothschild at Château Mouton-Rothschild. This era of committee-led ownership came to a gradual end in the first half of the 20th century, however, as Fernand Ginestet and his son, Pierre, gradually acquired more and more of the available shares in Margaux; finally, with the financial backing of Boylandry, Mayor of Saigon, they purchased the property outright in 1949. Sadly for the Ginestets, however, they had taken on too much. Château Margaux was trading on its reputation, and the intrinsic quality of the wines fell off dramatically during the 1960s and 1970s. They held onto the reins here for a little over two decades, but the Bordeaux crisis of the early 1970s, with several disastrous vintages, forced them to sell Château Margaux. This is the point at which the Mentzelopoulos family enters the fray.

The Mentzelopoulos Era

Greek by birth, André Mentzelopoulos travelled far, and he became a wealthy man on the back of trading cereals in India, Pakistan and the Far East. Upon arriving in France in 1958 he purchased a small chain of grocery stores, and he proceeded to build the company into the Félix Potin supermarket chain, with more than 1600 outlets. In 1977, when Margaux had already been languishing on the market for two years, he bought it from the Ginestet family. In a time of economic depression for Bordeaux it was testament to Mentzelopoulos' commitment that he invested heavily with no expectation for short-term reward. He installed new drainage and replanted vines, reintroduced the use of a second wine to aid quality, constructed a new underground cellar, a remarkable achievement in the flat landscape of the Médoc where few cellars are truly subterranean, and purchased new oak barrels. The château was also renovated. What a tragedy then that André Mentzelopoulos, whose arrival in the region as an outsider had caused mutterings of controversy only for him to be gladly accepted into the Bordeaux fold, died in 1980, so soon after he had set Margaux on the road to recovery and before he could even take a taste of the full fruits of his labours.

The family business, and Château Margaux, came to his daughter, Corrine Mentzelopoulos (above left), at a very tender age. With the aid of general manager Philip Barré, and esteemed consultant Professor Emile Peynaud, she and the Margaux team continued with the programme of improvements. In 1983 they were joined by Barré's replacement, Paul Pontallier (above right), who has also been instrumental in the quest for even greater wines from the hallowed terroir that surrounds the château. He does not shy away from extreme effort to gain even the smallest iota of extra quality, pushing harder and harder for the tiniest of gains, making modern Margaux one of the most elegant wines of the Médoc. Working with him today is Thomas Dô Chi Nam, previously of Pichon-Lalande, who joined the team in 2011. Paul's son, Thibaud, also looks set to join the team, although for the moment he works in Hong Kong as Château Margaux's ambassador to Asia. The reward for wine drinkers has been exceptional; today, Margaux is no longer an under-achiever, and to my mind now frequently vies for the position of wine of the vintage alongside the likes of Ausone and Latour. Corinne has also been amply rewarded; in 2003 she was able to purchase the majority stake in Margaux held until that time by the Agnelli Group, and thus she became the sole owner of a very successful first growth estate.

Vineyard and Vinification

Today the estate is spread over 262 hectares, with 87 hectares entitled to the Margaux appellation; 82 hectares are under vine. Many of the vines lie on gravelly terroir, although there are also patches of sand and small seams of limestone and clay in some areas. The areas of this extensive estate committed to the vine have changed little since the 18th century (Paul Pontallier has a map in his possession that verifies this), so unsurprisingly many of them surround the château in a large walled vineyard. There are other patches though, including some to the south opposite the cellars, a plot on the right of the D2 as you drive north away from Margaux, and also a 12-hectare plot further inland which is given over solely to white grapes and which is notable for the anti-frost system installed there. All four common red Bordeaux varieties are planted, these being Cabernets Sauvignon (75%) and Franc (about 3%), Merlot (20%) and Petit Verdot (about 2%), whereas the white vineyards are planted solely with Sauvignon Blanc. The vines average 36 years of age, although the range of ages is wide, with some vines having more than twice this number of vintages under their belts. The age is moderated by a mixture of planting within a vineyard to replace lost vines and also a programme of systematic replanting, replacing a small plot of vines each year. The soils are gravelly, although there are also small areas of sand and also some areas of clay, with a limestone subsoil known as Calcaire de Plassac.

Although a grand estate with a long heritage, Pontallier does not shy away from new developments in both vineyard and chai, although with any change he makes he will undoubtedly be looking to preserve the combination of finesse and grandeur that is the core feature of Margaux. New practices in the vineyard are being developed all the time. There is nothing striking about green-harvesting and deleafing, nor a shift towards organic methods, as these are techniques and philosophies that can be found all over Bordeaux these days. But changes in canopy management in response to warmer temperatures and rising potential alcohols in the wines, as Pontallier described to me when I met him in early 2010, is certainly not something you will hear discussed at many estates. The changes Pontallier put into place in the vineyard were largely a response to alcohol levels in the white wine, which in 2008 and 2007 was 14% and 15.5% respectively, whereas in the considerably warmer 2009 vintage this was controlled more effectively in the vineyard, the result being a Pavillon Blanc with a final alcohol level of 13.9%.

The wines are handled as little as possible, the winemaking traditional, Pontallier preferring to focus his work on the vineyard. The fruit is fermented in large 150-hectolitre oak vats, with the very recent addition of a range of stainless steel vessels in a range of sizes to facilitate fermentation of smaller plots on an individual basis. After fermentation the wine is then run off into barrels, the latter being constructed on-site in the Margaux cooperage (pictured above) which is situated next to the barrel cellars in the buildings that surround the château. The red wines see an élevage of between 18 and 24 months in oak, the whites up to six months, and they are fined using egg whites prior to bottling, the bottles subsequently laser etched to act as a marker of authenticity and traceability. There are generally 12500 cases of the grand vin, Château Margaux, produced each year. The second wine Pavillon Rouge du Château Margaux has a greater production, typically 16500 cases, although in some recent years these figures have been even more remarkable, with the grand vin accounting for just one-third of the production in some vintages. As for Pavillon Blanc du Château Margaux, which is harvested at about 30 hl/ha, this very admirable wine has a typical production of just 2750 cases. In addition there is some lesser wine which is sold off in bulk.

Margaux: Tasting and Drinking

To sum up, Château Margaux is an estate clearly worthy of its position as a first growth. The grand vin has bounced back from a period of under-performing in the 1970s, brought out of this era with great effect by André and then Corinne Mentzelopoulos, and of course their consultants and assistants, not least the skilful Paul Pontallier. No other château has demonstrated such a convincing turn-around in such a short space of time, I feel.

Look back to the wines that were being made just a few decades and it would be rather more difficult to make such a kind statement; there is no doubt that, pre-Mentzelopoulos, there was a period of lacklustre under-performance here. But today (and over the last twenty to twenty-five years) the wines that bear the distinctively elegant label of Château Margaux are without doubt some of the greatest wines of all Bordeaux, showing finesse, perfume, concentration and longevity. A brief look through my notes below will only serve to confirm this; there are superlative wines in every vintage, with the 1996, 2004 and 2006 being some of my most recent favourites, although the wines produced in more famous vintages such as 2005 and 2009 are not exactly slouches. What I admire most in these wines is the delicate balance coupled with an intensity of aroma that seems to be a Margaux hallmark now, even in supposedly 'lesser' vintages. The wines are expensive, but for once such prices may be justified. (24/8/04, updated 9/1/07, 9/12/10, 25/1/12)

Contact details:
Address: Château Margaux, 33460 Margaux
Telephone: +33 (0) 5 57 88 83 83
Fax: +33 (0) 5 57 88 31 32
Internet: www.chateau-margaux.com
GPS: 45.044394, -0.668734

Château Margaux - Tasting Notes

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Château Margaux (Margaux) 2010: This year's Margaux is 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot and 1.5% each Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc, with 13.5% alcohol. Yield 39 hl/ha. The pH is 3.65, slightly lower than in 2009. In the glass this barrel sample has a rather dark, black plum hue, with an equally deep plummy rim. A very different style of fruit on the nose here, very polished with a sweet plum aroma, opening out into creamed cherry nuances. It is intense, concentrated, but fresh and not in any way dried. There is a cassis seam to it as well, adding an appealing, dark and concentrated edge. This is beautifully reserved on the palate, with a seamlessly concentrated fruit character here, the plum fruit matched very nicely by tingling acidity and tannins that just melt away as quickly as they can be perceived within the body of the wine. Whereas Margaux makes me think of elegance, and this wine has that, there is undeniable build and substance underpinning this wine. This is one of the most concentrated examples of Margaux I have tasted in recent primeur assessments, and yet the tannic structure sits so beautifully within the confines of the wine. A sample of remarkable clarity, of effortless concentration, and it is so elegantly poised with a remarkably balanced and integrated character. This is just stunning. From my Bordeaux 2010 primeur assessment. 19-20/20 (April 2011)

Pavillon Rouge du Château Margaux (Margaux) 2010: The second wine of Margaux, this is 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 4% Petit Verdot. It has a dark hue, claretty with a black-plum colour, and a brighter rim. I find polished plum fruit on the nose. It is pretty intense and linear on the palate, very polished, defined, fresh and certainly most elegant. There is quite a silky edge to the tannins, although there is a firm and grainy substance to it. Grippy, really quite tight towards the end in fact, with a reserved fruit character. Plenty of vigour here, a feeling helped by the fresh acidity. It culminates in a supple, tannic finish. Really fine potential. From my Bordeaux 2010 primeur assessment. 16.5-17.5/20 (April 2011)

Pavillon Blanc du Château Margaux (Bordeaux) 2010: This is a Bordeaux Blanc, but as usual I include it here for the sake of completeness. Alcohol 13.8%, and only 37% of the crop has been included. Ethereal fruit purity on the nose, pure and defined, albeit with an exotic twist, backed up by some lovely citrus elements. There are minerally overtones too, fresh and lifted. Rather a bright style on the palate, although there is definite extract and substance here. Notes of lychee, polished limestone minerality, and pear fruit, all backed up by lovely acidity, add plenty of interest. Just 1000 cases produced. They have worked hard in the vineyard, and in the selection, to get the freshness in this. From my Bordeaux 2010 primeur assessment. 17-18/20 (April 2011)

Château Margaux (Margaux) 2009: Cabernet Sauvignon 87%, 9% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot, this is 36% of the harvest. Alcohol 13.3%, restrained for the vintage. A glossy, darker wine, with a cherry-blue rim. A slightly darker fruit style than Pavillon too, sweet and rounded, less crystalline but more polished. Notes of damson and plum. A remarkable entry, well-defined creaminess, building and building in the midpalate, pouring out fruit elements in a supple and seductive fashion. What makes it so seductive is the tannin profile, ripe and gently honed, sweet and totally in keeping with the rest of the wine. And yet, with all this supple fruit and creamy dark tannin there is acidity too. The finish is poised, fine, and very, very long, with rolling raspberry fruit. What a superb wine, flattering from the nose and right through the midpalate to the finish. Its soft appeal makes this delicious now, never mind in 20 years time - with which it should cope with ease. Certainly one of the greatest and most elegant young wines from Margaux I have tasted. From my 2009 Bordeaux primeur assessment. 18.5-19.5+/20 (March 2010)

Pavillon Rouge du Château Margaux (Margaux) 2009: The second wine of Margaux, accounting for 41% of the harvest. A glossy hue, not too dark, dark cherry, blue-pink rim. Fine purity of fruit here, crystalline red plum, just a little black cherry coming in, sweet-edged but not extravagantly so. Beautifully clear, fruit essence, compact with a savoury shell. Moderate weight on entry, then starting to broaden out, showing beautifully balanced fruit and texture on the palate. Finely ripened tannins, softly caressing the palate. Fine, crystalline again, fresh. Tannins are very nicely covered by the gentle, supple fruit. Fairly good length too. A stonking Pavillon Rouge. From my 2009 Bordeaux primeur assessment. 17-18+/20 (March 2010)

Pavillon Blanc du Château Margaux (Bordeaux) 2009: I know this is Bordeaux Blanc, but as usual I include it here for the sake of completeness. An elegant hue. A beautiful nose, pithy and rich, with great fruit density. The character is very fresh, with passion fruit and the crisp brightness of citrus fruits alongside crunchy yellow plum. Very supple on entry, with good grip around it, lots of substance and body here. It has a powerful grip, richly flavoured with more passion fruit and cream. Good acidity. It has less alcohol than in previous years at just 13.9% (over 15% has not been unknown), principally through work in the vineyard and strict selection (only 32% of the harvest in this wine), yet this is no shrinking violet. Exotic yet restrained, balanced and vigorous. The fine acids and lower alcohol in this vintage no doubt brings the wonderful lift and freshness this wine possesses. Quite long too. Very good indeed. From my 2009 Bordeaux primeur assessment. 17.5-18.5+/20 (March 2010)

Château Margaux (Margaux) 2008: This year the grand vin accounts for 36% of the harvest, slightly more than in 2007, and is 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 1.5% Cabernet Franc and 1.5% Petit Verdot. A richer character then Pavillon Rouge (tasted first) on the nose. Broader, more generous, with a little perfume and gravel. Gentle but nicely defined on entry, but then it shows more austerity, with a firm grip building in the middle. The texture is rather subtle, overall elegant, but underneath a rather firm character. There is violet and redcurrant perfume, with a pure and lifted style. Good length, but in this vintage the quality lags behind Lafite, Latour and Haut-Brion. Certainly a good wine though. From my 2008 Bordeaux primeur assessment. 17.5-18.5+/20 (April 2009)

Pavillon Rouge du Château Margaux (Margaux) 2008: The second wine of Margaux, accounting for 47% of the crop, this is 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot and 1% Cabernet Franc. This is less Merlot than usual. The nose has attractive, smoky, gravelly, gently perfumed fruit. Pure and cool in character, with a firm midpalate structure. There is a slightly biting character to the tannins, giving an austere and dry structure. It gently builds in style on the palate, and will need time to show its best. From my 2008 Bordeaux primeur assessment. 16-17+/20 (April 2009)

Pavillon Blanc du Château Margaux (Bordeaux) 2008: The white wine of Margaux, which has the Bordeaux Blanc appellation. The alcohol is 14% this year, down from last year's 15.5%. A fabulous nose, both creamy and flinty. Fresh and defined on the palate, rich, quite broad and textured, structured too. A lovely polished style, tangible weight, with a moderately rich midpalate. There is great potential here. From my 2008 Bordeaux primeur assessment. 17-18+/20 (April 2009)

Château Margaux (Margaux) 2007: A really appealing nose here, full of black bean, green tea and olives, this wine has such an appealing and exotic perfume it is hard not to be sucked into the glass. This is why I love Margaux! The palate is very restrained and reserved, showing the softness that so many others show, but with a tannic seam running down the middle of it, and a bright acid backbone too. It has a supple character, but sits on the slightly firmer side of elegant integration, and as such although it seems remarkably convincing within the context of the commune it does not stand up so well to the first growths from further north in my opinion. From a 2007 Bordeaux tasting at four years of age. 16.5/20 (November 2011)

Château Margaux (Margaux) 2007: Rather oaky on the nose, but also showing some good cherry stone fruit, tinged with very floral characteristics, like violet. This is looking very open for business today. The palate is more substantial than expected at the start, as it is broad and elegantly rich, but there is a firm, midpalate tannic structure. Very gentle, almost silky, fine-grained tannins. More substance than I recall from last year, although this remains an aromatic middleweight with a stony violet perfume. A very good wine; not a great Margaux, but it certainly has appeal. 17-18+/20 (April 2009)

Château Margaux (Margaux) 2007: This year the grand vin accounts for just 32% of the harvest, and at 87% Cabernet Sauvignon predominates, with 11% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc. Alcohol 13.2%. There is a great concentration of fruit on the nose, a spicy and elegant style, with a fresh and stony lift. Full, balanced, with a good backbone of tannin, fine acids and a lovely balance, but there is also substance and style. It opens out in the glass to reveal some peppery perfume. Impressive stuff; not a truly great Margaux by a long shot, but in the context of this vintage, really very good indeed. From my 2007 Bordeaux en primeur assessment. 16.5-17.5+/20 (April 2008)

Pavillon Rouge du Château Margaux (Margaux) 2007: The second wine, this is 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot. Alcohol 13.2%. There is a lovely aromatic character here, pure and elegant, and lifted. Nice flesh on entry, gentle tannins which are nicely covered, and fresh acids. A lovely balance and freshness, but there is some substance here too. Fleshy, with some grip at the finish. Just a little green peppercorn edge. Nice. From my 2007 Bordeaux en primeur assessment. 15-16+/20 (April 2008)

Pavillon Blanc du Château Margaux (Bordeaux) 2007: This is 100% Sauvignon Blanc, fermented in oak, one-third new, and 50% of the wine underwent bâtonnage on the lees. The alcohol is a whopping 15.5%, although you would not think it quite this high on tasting. Fresh and aromatic on the nose, pure and rather green in style. Full rather peppery, with an inordinate amount of grip on the palate reflecting the use of oak I think. Very structured, and despite that high alcohol level very good. From my 2007 Bordeaux en primeur assessment. 16-17+/20 (April 2008)

Château Margaux (Margaux) 2006: A very savoury style to the nose here, a very broad character too, very reminiscent of iron and stone, gravel with a very light perfume. Aromatically it does very much remind me of the barrel sample I met in early 2008 when it was tasted alongside the just-fermented 2007. There is some appealing fruit behind the stony perfume. A very supple start, elegant as Margaux should be, very relaxed but composed, with a little fleshy substance hiding the tannins and acidity quite nicely here, although the structure does make its presence known, giving the wine life and definition. A very composed and restrained effort, very true to Margaux, a feminine rather than robust style. Impressive, but set against its first growth peers in this vintage it struggles a little I think. From a 2006 Bordeaux tasting at four years of age. 18+/20 (November 2010)

Château Margaux (Margaux) 2006: A much more convincing perfume here than the 2007, tasted alongside. Very open, with a deep, gravelly character; this is classic Margaux, spiced up with little notes of violets and cherries. Firm, broad, polished stone style on the palate, with fine but firmly done tannins, firm acids and overall good harmony. It has great aromatic Margaux style, good depth, lovely integration of substance and a fine, structured finish. An elegant wine brimming with potential. 18-19+/20 (April 2009)

Château Margaux (Margaux) 2005: A glorious Margaux perfume here, so typical of the modern-day wines of the château, and defining what the rest of the appellation should aspire to. Wonderful, grainy, oak-wrapped fruit, great purity and lifted definition. There are streaks of darkness running through it, like perfumed soot, beautiful and yet brooding. Pure, quite cool and stony, gripping very firmly through the middle of the wine, with great substance and powerful tannins here. Behind this there lies a layer of slightly cool and stony fruit, but through the middle it shows more sweetness and generosity, still wrapped around those monumental but ripe tannins. This is a fine, pure but prodigious effort which will need decades to show its best. From a 2005 Bordeaux tasting at four years of age. 19.5+/20 (November 2009)

Pavillon Blanc du Château Margaux (Bordeaux) 2005: A vibrant, yellow-gold wine which has obvious youth. This is also evident on the pungently impressive nose, which is vibrant with herby, green Sauvignon character, although with the suggestion of richness and good delineation. Full palate, broad and firm, with a fine, grippy-pithy structure, layered with a coating of elegant fruit and a little texture. There is finesse, but also the untamed power of youth here. Excellent potential. 17.5+/20 (November 2006)

Château Margaux (Margaux) 2004: My first though here is simply "beautiful". The nose has a toasted character, with exotic spices and a lovely perfume to the fruit. The oak is still evident, as we might expect, but the wine clearly has great style. The palate begins with an elegant but creamy nature, gentle but with fine substance and vigour, and a great grip underneath. This is full, but delineated and certainly stylish. Wow! This is a stupendous wine, fine and harmonious in composition, yet full of vigour and life and is for me, on the day, the wine of the tasting. From a 2004 Bordeaux tasting at four years of age. 19+/20 (November 2008)

Château Margaux (Margaux) 2002: A deep and glossy hue on inspection. Unsurprisingly there is much in common with the 2000 Pavillon on the nose here; this young wine also shows lots of toffee-toast-oak character, with a burnt sugar, marshmallowy feel, over some pure black fruits beneath. Nicely restrained texture on entry though, the palate showing very good definition and a fine structure with a gentle coating of fruit. It opens up through the midpalate, showing more warmth and texture, but never losing that fine, grippy structure. Good freshness. This should be fine, but needs much time a decade as a bare minimum. 17.5-18+/20 (November 2006)

Château Margaux (Margaux) 2001: A lovely colour here, and a really attractive nose, smoky and yet perfumed, certainly rather gravelly. very classic, and showing very well considered its age. cassis fruit, just a little tobacco, and showing great potential. Very cool entry, showing a firm structure but with an elegant texture through the midpalate. Very nicely composed indeed, quite harmonious, with a lot of structure showing at the end (which is fine) and a very persistent finish. Good, fresh style of fruit. Excellent potential. 17.5+/20 (December 2006)

Pavillon Rouge du Château Margaux (Margaux) 2000: This is dark and glossy, with a deep core showing good concentration out to a claretty-pink rim. Still showing its youth on the nose, with barrel-derived aromas of toffee and toasted oak which dominate the fruit. Clearly this remains very embryonic. Full and unsurprisingly sweetly creamy on entry, smothered in toasty oak, but with lots of structure beneath this superficial layer. Deep, slightly brawny fruit character, very high quality, with a tannic finish. Still so young, but with great potential. 17.5+/20 (November 2006)

Château Margaux (Margaux) 1999: Quite a deep colour at the core here, leading out to a pink-red rim. Quite fine on the nose, well defined black fruit, with subtle gravelly perfume and iodine, and even a little roasted herb. It flatters with a rich entry but thins out a little on the midpalate; it maintains a good texture but the structure is a little naked. It has a classic body of tannin, and is very well composed, but lacks the charm that many of the other wines demonstrate. Nevertheless, it has very good potential, but needs a decade-plus in the cellar. 16.5+/20 (November 2006)

Pavillon Rouge du Château Margaux (Margaux) 1998: Another vibrant and youthful coloured wine. A lovely nose, plainly different from the other wines in this flight. This is the ringer! Notes of toffee, caramel and tar. More toffee like notes on the palate, with good fruit and huge tannins, showing especially on the finish. Found hiding in a Château Rauzan-Ségla blind tasting. 16+/20 (November 2001)

Château Margaux (Margaux) 1996: An interesting vintage for Paul Pontallier, who became a father this year but regretfully informed his wife partway through the year that it was not to be a great vintage. Then the weather changed, and the results were fabulous. This shows a little more maturity than the preceding two wines, but also more depth, with a deep, dark core with just a little oxblood-pin at the rim. The nose is fine and very, very impressive. There is definition and maturity, with wonderful, classic aromatics of iron, mineral and rose petal Margaux character. On the palate, this wine has the classic composition that I associate with the left bank wines of 1996; pure, rounded now maturing fruit, finely structured and very delineated. Wonderful grip and style, the major change being a yielding to the pure black fruits of youth to a more mature style. Broad and brilliantly balanced, but still displaying much tannin. Needs ten years at least, but this is truly a great. 19+/20 (November 2006)

Pavillon Rouge du Château Margaux (Margaux) 1996: This wine is losing a little intensity at the rim, especially when compared to the 2000 poured alongside. Deep and maturing at the core. The nose also shows good maturity, with a lovely, forward, open, stylish character rich in notes of iron, blood, iodine and quintessentially perfumed, gravelly minerals. Quite creamy on entry, obviously fine, showing lovely maturity, although still with some peppery tannins. Iron and mineral streaked flavours supported by good acidity. Ultimately it does not have the concentration of a first growth through the midpalate, but this is the second wine. And the quality is very good. Approachable, but will be better in five years and more. 17+/20 (November 2006)

Château Margaux (Margaux) 1993: This has less concentration than the other vintages, perhaps unsurprisingly and also forgivably. Not so expressive on the nose at first, but soon opens up to reveal a nice, stony, mineral character that carries a nice perfume and a little liquorice. Quite some finesse but perhaps not the depth we might hope for. Elegantly textured and composed, fading tannins mean that this wine is much more approachable than those that precede. Lacks a little brightness of flavour though. Can be appreciated now, but not the most attractive style and it would benefit from a further year or two in the cellar. 16.5/20 (November 2006)

Pavillon Blanc du Château Margaux (Bordeaux) 1993: Sampled from two different bottles. An interesting nose here, rather smoky, with notes of iodine, mineral and fresh surf with a little green-edged fruit. This all hints at full maturity for this wine which is after all from a lesser vintage. It has good freshness on the palate, although is not the most expansive of wine. But it has a broadness, and an appropriate structure with a nicely grippy finish. In truth it lacks the concentration of even the second wine of a first growth, an although intrinsically it is merely good, I suspect for the vintage it is an excellent effort. 16.5/20 (November 2006)

Pavillon Rouge du Château Margaux (Margaux) 1990: A dark, maturing hue. This is quite distinct from the other wines, with a floral, elegant nose, like rose-petals edged with toffee. Full flavoured palate, with a creamy, fat texture. Plenty of structured to underpin this, with spicy tannins which show especially on the finish. Some elegance is apparent. This is very typical of the commune, and extremely good wine. From a Bordeaux 1990 blind horizontal tasting. 18.5/20 (May 2003)

Château Margaux (Margaux) 1989: A wine from a remarkable vintage, at the time the earliest harvest since 1893. This has a mature appearance, a little tawny at the rim. Ah, but what a delightful nose! Deep, minerally, meaty, iron filings, stylish and in possession of depth, and yet light and lifted at the same time. Evolved and very seductive, fine and displaying great balance on the palate. Very complete, still showing a firm tannic backbone but with a lovely composition of mature fruit and acidity. A touch creamy, really very fine, but also upright and rather aloof. This is divine, and yet has so much to offer still. It will improve over another five to ten years yet I think. 19+/20 (November 2006)

Pavillon Rouge du Château Margaux (Margaux) 1989: A good colour here. Another fruit laden wine, much more evident on the nose here. A touch of caramel oak (just a touch), some good ground coffee notes and a hint of sooty tannins. Another big wine on the palate. Very tannic, rich, with loads of fruit. More fresh coffee, some fragrance developing, leading into a big, tannic finish. A good length. Overall a serious wine. Needs another five years. This wine was from a Bordeaux 1989 blind horizontal tasting. 17.5+/20 (May 2000)

Château Margaux (Margaux) 1988: Not quite the mature appearance of the 1989, and on the nose there is more restraint. Very classic, but rather more reticent, but what aromas it does release are very appealing. Very finely composed, broad and expressive on the palate. Clearly this is of very high quality, but it does not have the evolution and open approachability that the preceding wine possesses. There is a finely balanced presence of acidity and tannin, and good freshness, but really this needs cellar time, and a bare minimum of a decade is required I think. With that, it should be magnificent. 18.5+/20 (November 2006)

Pavillon Rouge du Château Margaux (Margaux) 1988: Again an attractive red-caramel hue in the glass. The nose is less intense, with nuances of fruit, violets, and a herbaceous element. On the palate tannins are soft, acidity likewise not strongly apparent. Has a soft and rounded mouthfeel. Some pleasant fruit, spicy oak overtones, and a sweet fruit finish. This wine was from a Bordeaux 1988 blind horizontal tasting. 16/20 (May 2000)

Château Margaux (Margaux) 1986: A remarkable colour here, this wine is not hugely concentrated but has a fine, claretty hue. The nose is firm and rather sooty, a characteristic I have noted before in many other wines of the 1986 vintage, and have come to associate with the tannins in these wines. Otherwise there are some appealing, minerally notes. Sweetly elegant on entry, with a beautiful, light-footed dance across the midpalate. This is remarkable. Only at this point to the tannins that come with this vintage make an entrance, but they are still coated with plenty of fruit and a worth y texture. Not as evolved as the 1989, or even the 1988, and will benefit, like those, from more time in the cellar. One can only hope those tannins will fade. 18+/20 (November 2006)

Château Margaux (Margaux) 1983: A deep, concentrated but mature appearance with a very attractive hue. The nose is lovely, not particularly showy or evocatively seductive in the manner of the 1989, and in fact is a little high-toned, but still very attractive. It has an iodine-meat minerality and a typical perfume, giving the wine a very feminine feel. On the palate, beautiful balance and yet a firm composition with a lovely structure. A very good vintage for Margaux, and although this is delightful to drink now there is no rush; more time will just bring more complexity at this stage. Gravelly grip with a feminine touch is what the wine offers at the moment though, and very appealing it is too. Very stylish and cleanly snapped finish. Lovely. 19+/20 (November 2006)

Château Margaux (Margaux) 1981: A dense purple wine. Austere blackcurrant and mineral aromas, quite sexy and powerful. A touch curranty. This is a delightful wine to open the second flight. Near perfect balance on the palate, There are still some dry tannins, but these lie with a layer of sweet and luscious fruit. Finishes well, with a length that goes on and on and on. This wine has plenty of life in it yet. Surely a first growth. From a Bordeaux 1981 horizontal blind tasting. 18.5+/20 (September 2001)

Château Margaux (Margaux) 1961: This undoubtedly has more depth than the other wines so far, it has maturity, and just a slight lack of clarity which may be related to decanting. On the nose there are notes of roasted meats, with rather bright fruit despite its maturity. There is also undeniably a mustiness to it, although later this disappeared leaving some cinder toffee and honeycomb notes. A full, sweet and rounded palate, with much more texture and grip than some preceding wines. This wine has a little more to give than any other from this commune, but this musty note makes it difficult to believe this wine is in tip-top condition and other bottles may be much better. From a 1961 Bordeaux tasting. 17?/20 (June 2007)