Bordeaux 2014 Primeurs: Margaux
Key to understanding the Margaux appellation (and this is true of all the Médoc communes I suppose, although each has its own peculiarities) is that it is the terroir that really matters, and in particular the combination of gravel and drainage. Not all Médoc estates are created equal in this respect, especially so in Margaux, as this is a rather sprawling appellation compared to St Estèphe, Pauillac or St Julien. There are five eligible communes, of which the omost significant is the commune of Margaux itself. Here, gathered together in a tight-knit cluster, are four of the top domaines of the appellation. First is naturally Château Margaux, the figurehead for the appellation, which like so many of the great châteaux of the Médoc sits on the cusp between vineyards, which lie on the gravel mounds to the west, and the palus, the flat, marshy, silty grassland to the east that runs down to the edge of the Gironde. Right nextdoor are two leading third growths in the appellation, Château d’Issan enjoying a similar position, sandwiched between the vines and the palus, while just inland sits Château Palmer. Finally, just a few hundred metres further in can be found the fourth estate of note, Château Rauzan-Ségla.
A morning tasting in Margaux is therefore one that does not required too much travelling. My routine would usually be Château Margaux first, followed immediately by Château Palmer and followed up with Château d’Issan. Château Rauzan-Ségla can come next, or perhaps squeezed between two of the others, depending on timings. This quick series of appointments does more than make life easy though; moving straight from one tasting to the next allows some degree of comparison of one wine with another, while the memory is still fresh. It has allowed me to see, for example, the superb performance put in by Thomas Duroux (pictured) at Château Palmer in recent years, a wine which for me has been the most impressive in the appellation in several recent vintages.
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