Margaux
About Château Margaux
Château Margaux is one of five 1éme Grand Cru Classé (First Growth) wines from the original 1855 Classification of Bordeaux (along with Latour, Lafite, Mouton Rothschild and Haut-Brion).
This estate has an unbelievable history, dating back almost 1,000 years to the 12th Century when it was called “La Mothe de Margaux”. The vineyards were established in the 1600s. In 1705 the London Gazette conducted the first sale of leading Bordeaux wines which included 230 barrels of ‘Margoose’. Thomas Jefferson, US Ambassador to France wrote of the 1784 Margaux “there cannot be a better bottle of Bordeaux wine”.
Château Margaux was sold in 1977 to Andre Mentzelopoulos, whose daughter Corinne Mentzelopoulos took over in 1980. Paul Pontallier was the long-time director of Château Margaux who did so much to establish the fantastic reputation the estate has today. His tragic death in March 2016 is commemorated on the label of the 2015 vintage (a true collector’s item). Fittingly, the Château building at Margaux is one of the grandest and most imposing in all of Bordeaux, nicknamed the Versailles of the Medoc. It is perhaps Bordeaux’s most recognisable symbol.
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Wine Advocate (95)
The 1999 Chateau Margaux has been the standout First Growth since I first tasted the wine from barrel. Now reaching its plateau of maturity, it has an understated nose at first, armed with impressive mineralité with a gorgeous graphite seam. The definition and precision here is top class. The palate is medium-bodied and smooth in texture, very harmonious and assured, surprisingly with some new oak still to be fully assimilated into the wine. The signature Margaux traits of crushed black cherries and violets comes through towards the finish, suggestions of raspberry reserve and desiccated orange peel enhancing the long finish. Perhaps I might temper my initial enthusiasm for the 1999 Château Margaux...but only slightly. It comes highly recommended. Tasted May 2016.Inc. VAT£2,115.23 -
Decanter (100)
Violet and iris aromatics curling out of the glass, starting to reach their full expression at 20 years old. Beautifully finessed and elegant, with hints of black truffle, cloves and rich blackberry fruits, this is a vintage that showcases the best of Margaux. It took its time to reach this point but it has been worth the wait, and the wine just gets better and better over a few hours in the glass. Highlights the success of the partnership between owner Corinne Mentzelopoulos and director Paul Pontantallier, with this château delivering some of the most memorable wines of the turn of the century years in Bordeaux.Inc. VAT£5,832.83 -
Wine & Spirit Magazine (96)
Tasted from barrel in 2005, this wine showed the freshness of the vintage in its bright woodland-berry scent before settling into tannins that felt mineral, powerful and black. Directeur général Paul Pontallier commented at the time, "I consider this to be typical, absolutely, of Château Margaux." Two years on, the wine is definitively Margaux, from the fashionable scent of new oak, to the musculature and vinous strength of the fruit. The sweetness of the fraises des bois and plum seems improbable in the context of a completely dry, concentrated yet ethereal taste that doesn't stop. The wine will taunt you with its delicate, silken power whether you drink it in ten, 20 or 30 years.Inc. VAT£2,243.63 -
The Wine Cellar Insider (100)
The perfume teases you with its depth and intensity of what’s to come with its aromas of violets, smoky oak, licorice, earth, vanilla and mélange of dark berries. From the first sip, the wine coats your palate and taste buds with pure, fresh, rich, thick, polished blackberries, silky tannins and a finish that builds and expands for close to 60 seconds! The wine continued to build and expand in the glass for the two hours we spent with the wine over lunch.Inc. VAT£3,831.83 -
Wine Advocate (100)
The 2018 Château Margaux is composed of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot, representing 36% of the crop this year. The wine has a pH of 3.8 and 14% alcohol. Deep purple-black in color, it slowly unfurls to reveal tantalizing scents of crème de cassis, wild blueberries and Black Forest cake with hints of redcurrant jelly, rose oil, dark chocolate and cedar chest plus a touch of star anise. The medium to full-bodied palate bursts with opulent black fruit, fragrant earth and floral layers, supported by a rock-solid structure of exquisitely ripe, finely grained tannins and seamless backbone of freshness, finishing with fantastic length. This is classic Margaux at its most seductive, although it is, rather amazingly, approachable and absolutely delicious right now. But, to enjoy its full glory, you will want to cellar it for at least 6-8 years and then watch it metamorphize over the next 40+ years.Inc. VAT£2,667.23
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Wine Advocate (95)
The 1999 Chateau Margaux has been the standout First Growth since I first tasted the wine from barrel. Now reaching its plateau of maturity, it has an understated nose at first, armed with impressive mineralité with a gorgeous graphite seam. The definition and precision here is top class. The palate is medium-bodied and smooth in texture, very harmonious and assured, surprisingly with some new oak still to be fully assimilated into the wine. The signature Margaux traits of crushed black cherries and violets comes through towards the finish, suggestions of raspberry reserve and desiccated orange peel enhancing the long finish. Perhaps I might temper my initial enthusiasm for the 1999 Château Margaux...but only slightly. It comes highly recommended. Tasted May 2016.In Bond£1,752.00 -
Decanter (100)
Violet and iris aromatics curling out of the glass, starting to reach their full expression at 20 years old. Beautifully finessed and elegant, with hints of black truffle, cloves and rich blackberry fruits, this is a vintage that showcases the best of Margaux. It took its time to reach this point but it has been worth the wait, and the wine just gets better and better over a few hours in the glass. Highlights the success of the partnership between owner Corinne Mentzelopoulos and director Paul Pontantallier, with this château delivering some of the most memorable wines of the turn of the century years in Bordeaux.In Bond£4,850.00 -
Wine & Spirit Magazine (96)
Tasted from barrel in 2005, this wine showed the freshness of the vintage in its bright woodland-berry scent before settling into tannins that felt mineral, powerful and black. Directeur général Paul Pontallier commented at the time, "I consider this to be typical, absolutely, of Château Margaux." Two years on, the wine is definitively Margaux, from the fashionable scent of new oak, to the musculature and vinous strength of the fruit. The sweetness of the fraises des bois and plum seems improbable in the context of a completely dry, concentrated yet ethereal taste that doesn't stop. The wine will taunt you with its delicate, silken power whether you drink it in ten, 20 or 30 years.In Bond£1,859.00 -
The Wine Cellar Insider (100)
The perfume teases you with its depth and intensity of what’s to come with its aromas of violets, smoky oak, licorice, earth, vanilla and mélange of dark berries. From the first sip, the wine coats your palate and taste buds with pure, fresh, rich, thick, polished blackberries, silky tannins and a finish that builds and expands for close to 60 seconds! The wine continued to build and expand in the glass for the two hours we spent with the wine over lunch.In Bond£3,182.50 -
Wine Advocate (100)
The 2018 Château Margaux is composed of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot, representing 36% of the crop this year. The wine has a pH of 3.8 and 14% alcohol. Deep purple-black in color, it slowly unfurls to reveal tantalizing scents of crème de cassis, wild blueberries and Black Forest cake with hints of redcurrant jelly, rose oil, dark chocolate and cedar chest plus a touch of star anise. The medium to full-bodied palate bursts with opulent black fruit, fragrant earth and floral layers, supported by a rock-solid structure of exquisitely ripe, finely grained tannins and seamless backbone of freshness, finishing with fantastic length. This is classic Margaux at its most seductive, although it is, rather amazingly, approachable and absolutely delicious right now. But, to enjoy its full glory, you will want to cellar it for at least 6-8 years and then watch it metamorphize over the next 40+ years.In Bond£2,212.00