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Oh how we all loved this wine! I noted back in 2006 about this great cuvee, “A wine which possesses the hallmarks of greatness”, and that is most definitely the case. For many it was their wine of the night. Deep opaque in colour, hints of iodine and striking Black Forest fruits on the nose. This wine is almost perfect in its texture. The fruit is generous and rich, without excess. There is breadth and sweetness and the ripe tannic content sits beautifully underneath. A wine all about pleasure and possesses that wonderful feminity for which great Margaux is famed. Stunning.
Oh how we all loved this wine! I noted back in 2006 about this great cuvee, “A wine which possesses the hallmarks of greatness”, and that is most definitely the case. For many it was their wine of the night. Deep opaque in colour, hints of iodine and striking Black Forest fruits on the nose. This wine is almost perfect in its texture. The fruit is generous and rich, without excess. There is breadth and sweetness and the ripe tannic content sits beautifully underneath. A wine all about pleasure and possesses that wonderful feminity for which great Margaux is famed. Stunning.
Known as the most elegant and aromatic First Growth due to its Cabernet-friendly, sandy soil, Ch Margaux is owned by Corinne Mentzelopoulos and managed by the dynamic Paul Pontallier. The vineyard holdings amount to almost 200 acres, though a much smaller percentage is selected for the grand vin to ensure exceptional concentration.Their 2005 was by far the most fleshy, hedonistic and upfront of all the First Growths. According to the château, 2005 provided excellent levels of everything – acidity, sugar, fruit and tannin. Its undeniable structure is swept up in its velvety palate making the tannins virtually undetectable. This is a wine which will be approachable relatively youngbut has amazing stuffing and will last and last. Incredible. 2015 - 2040+.
he 2005 Château Margaux is a stupendous wine. It has a multi-faceted bouquet with a mélange of black and red fruit, pressed flowers, cedar and graphite. A blue fruit hint emerges with time. It is still backward at the moment. The palate is intense for this First Growth with vivid flavors: blackberry, cedar, damson and a touch of cassis borrowed from up in Pauillac. It fans out remarkably on the mineral-driven finish, and despite its attractiveness, I reckon this is still a few years away from its drinking window. Patience is required. Tasted at the château. 2030-2055
From the moment it is opened, the 2005 Margaux takes things to another level. The bouquet alone is breathtaking in its beauty. Bright, delineated but also explosive, the 2005 takes hold of all the senses and never lets up. The flavors are vibrant and focused, with gorgeous lift and precision. The 2005 is a riveting, aristocratic Margaux that will drink well for several decades. Today the flavors are still remarkably youthful. The wine drinks well because of its magnificent balance, but readers who prefer more aromatic and flavor complexity will want to wait for at least another five years. No matter how you look at it, the 2005 Margaux is pure magic.
The first-growth 2005 Château Margaux (85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot), a lavish fragrance of blackcurrants, velvety new saddle leather, spring flowers and spice soars from the glass. The wood is already totally concealed beneath the cascade of fruit in this medium to full-bodied, pure and majestic wine. This concentrated, dense, but nevertheless strikingly elegant, multi-layered wine has a finish of 45+ seconds. It builds incrementally to a crescendo and finale. This is a stunner that can be approached already, but promises to be better in another 5-10 years and last at least 25 or more years.
Another celestial effort from Paul Pontallier and Corinne Mentzelopoulus, the 2005 Margaux, a blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Merlot, boasts a dense opaque blue/purple color as well as an extraordinary bouquet of spring flowers, blueberries, black raspberries, creme de cassis, licorice, and, despite its having spent two years in 100% new wood, only a subtle touch of toasty oak. Although full-bodied, the wine seems light on its feet because of the silky tannins as well as the great gravel terroir from which it comes. Beautiful purity, length, and nobility define this modern day classic. Is it better than the 2000, 1996, 1990, or some of the vintages from the decade of the eighties? Who knows, but it is unquestionably one of the all-time great wines made at Chateau Margaux. This estate has produced only exceptional wines over the last three decades. The seamlessness of the 2005 suggests it will perform well early, but it should last for a half century or more. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2050+.
A fabulous effort, the dense purple-tinged 2005 Margaux (85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Merlot) possesses an ethereal lightness reminiscent of the 1996 Margaux and 2005 Lafite-Rothschild. Beautiful aromas of flowers as well as blue and black fruits, silky tannin, full-bodied power, laser-like precision, and superb purity and length are found in this wine of extraordinary integrity and class. While it is one of the few 2005 first-growths that will be approachable within a decade, it should prove to be uncommonly long-lived (even by Bordeaux standards), lasting 50-60+ years. Drink 2017-2067
This is another superb vintage from this grand dame estate. Administrator Paul Pontallier has overseen the production of so many great Margaux, it is senseless to say 2005 is better than all its predecessors, but it is an extraordinary effort. A blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Merlot, it is a gorgeously pure, intense, deep purple/ruby-tinged effort offering exquisite, surprisingly nuanced and complex aromatics for such a young Chateau Margaux. The mouthfeel is one of opulence, silk, purity, full-bodied concentration, terrific intensity, unbelievable freshness and vibrancy, and sweet tannin. The tannin levels are the highest ever measured at this estate, but the alcohol is only around 13%, not particularly high by this vintages standards. Yields were 43 hectoliters per hectare. This powerful effort is built along the lines of the 1996, but is seemingly even more impressive, layered, and potentially grand. It is a candidate for 50+ years of evolution. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2060+.
Very deep, polished purplish crimson right out to the rim. Wonderful lift on top of the amazing depth and richness of the fruit. Great, almost marine, freshness. Opulent is not quite the word because this is not rich and flashy - it's more quintessential Margaux than that - so lifted and truly airborne. Great, great harmony. Truly LOVELY on the nose and then follows this up on the palate - just gorgeous. You really could swallow this with enormous pleasure already because the tannins are so ripe. Wonderfully neat finish. So fresh and refreshing. No heat on the finish. Paul Pontpallier, referring to the level of phenolics, describes this as 'the densest Margaux ever - even more than 2003'. Thirteen per cent alcohol. Very very Cabernet and very fine. Just eight per cent Merlot. Plus six per cent Petit Verdot. Very clean and palate cleansing. Really lovely texture. Drink 2018-35.
Unbelievable nose already. Incredible complexity of aromas, from wild raspberries to flowers and fresh mushrooms. Violets, currants. Love it. Full-bodied, with ultrarefined tannins. Long, long finish. It lasts for minutes on the palate. A wine with classic beauty. May well be 100 points.
Plump, silky and seductive are the words often used to describe wines from Margaux. Because of their style, they tend to be user friendly and more approachable when young. This is in part due to its terroir which is comprised of the thinnest soil as well as the highest proportion of chunky gravel in all of the Médoc. It drains well but also is it more susceptible to vintage variation. Margaux wines tend to have the highest proportions of Merlot within the core of the Médoc further adding to their ample roundness and openness. Margaux is home to the largest number of classified growths including its namesake first growth, Château Margaux, as well as third growths, Palmer and d'Issan.
