Bordeaux 2011 at Four Years: Margaux
Margaux is distinctive in Bordeaux in that it seems to swing wildly in terms of quality, more so than any of the other left-bank appellations in my opinion, perhaps more so than anywhere else in the entire region. In many vintages I feel on the whole (and these are very general comments – there are of course both over- and under-performing châteaux in the mix) the region under-performs. Being more diplomatic, and maybe even more truthful, it is probably more that the over-arching style, especially that found in wines made some distance away from the gravelly heart of the commune, just doesn’t appeal to my palate in the way the style of many wines made in Pauillac and St Julien does.
But then, in some vintages, all of a sudden Margaux explodes with confident fruit, substance and texture. The wines of 1983 were perhaps like that, but – and please trust me on this – if you haven’t bought anything from the 1983 vintage for the cellar yet I am afraid you have probably missed the boat (on the primeur prices, for certain!). You should perhaps look to a more recent vintage.
That vintage is surely 2010, another in which the region seems to have been blessed. The aromatics were full of dark and confident fruit, black and yet fresh, perfumed with the scents of flowers rather then nettles and weeds and less appealing nuances, some of which make an appearance in this motley collection of wines. The textures were elegant, balanced and yet also showing a touch of weight, not the wispy, cherry-stone substance that some vintages give us. The 2010 vintage was definitely one to buy, especially as many of the more peripheral châteaux in the appellation still offer good value.
