Bordeaux 2014 at Two Years: Margaux
There is no doubt that there were good wines made in the 2014 vintage in Bordeaux. But it is not a vintage in the vein of 2010, or 2005, where you could find delicious and cellar-worthy wines everywhere. The summer rains, which hit some appellations harder than others, made sure of this. Within appellations, terroir also added to this complex melting pot. I feel that, tasting from one domaine to the next, the determination of the technical director and his (or her) team has also made a difference.
Looking to the rain first, especially in August, Margaux did not get away unscathed, although it was a long way from being a contender for the wettest appellation. The cumulative rainfall from April to August was lower than a number of other notable appellations, although conditions were a long way from anything you could describe as ‘dry’. There is also considerable variation in terroir in this appellation; there is a world of difference between the gravel heartland where we find Château Margaux, Château Palmer, Château Rauzan-Ségla and Château d’Issan, and the more peripheral corners of the appellation. Especially if we remind ourselves that, unlike the single-commune appellations of St Estèphe, Pauillac and St Julien, the appellation of Margaux is spread out over five communes, with 1,400 hectares eligible, making this appellation about 50% larger than its cousins to the north. And, of course, as I have hinted at above, there is certainly variation in experience, energy and enthusiasm when looking at so many different châteaux.
During the primeurs, it seemed clear that some wines showed strong potential, especially those that ticked the ‘terroir box’ alluded to above. Now the wines are in bottle, I have been able – for many but not all of the wines – to reappraise my initial thoughts.
