Bordeaux 2016 at Two Years: Margaux
The 2015 vintage was particularly successful in Margaux, more so than it was in the left-bank appellations situated further up the Médoc peninsula. This means, with 2016 Margaux true to the high-quality character of the vintage, we have here two excellent back-to-back vintages for this appellation. Bearing in mind that this is an appellation which I feel often lags behind a little on the left bank, this is a very exciting time to be a fan of the Margaux style.
I shall begin with the big guns, which in this appellation means Château Margaux and Château Palmer. I always enjoy the opportunity to taste these two wines in any one vintage, to pit one against the other, and to see which I prefer. Of course, it isn’t actually possible to taste the wines side-by-side, as the wines can only be tasted upon visiting the respective châteaux, and so to facilitate my comparisons I always make consecutive appointments at these two properties. This makes logistical sense too, as they are neighbours, and you can walk from one château to the other almost as quickly as you can drive.
The reception at both châteaux is always warm, cheery and welcoming, and I am always impressed by the insights Thomas Duroux at Château Palmer, and Philippe Bascaules and Sébastien Vergne at Château Margaux, have to offer on the most recent vintages and their wines. Sometimes I find I prefer the wine of the first growth, and sometimes I prefer the third growth; both are frequently stunning, and where my favour falls depends on the vintage, and how I see the wines on the day. This is one in the eye for the anti-Bordeaux ‘critics of critics’, who profess there is little point in tasting Bordeaux because first growths always have the highest score, super-seconds next, and so on. If they were to get out of their armchairs and visit the region for themselves, and actually taste the wines, I like to believe it is possible that the scales could be lifted from their eyes.
