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Tasted twice with consistent notes, the 2006 Margaux is a great success. Produced with 90% CabernetSauvignon, the highest ever for this château, it offers a deep and rich palate of crunchy red cherry, dark chocolate and lightly roasted cinnamon. Its structure is present but velvety and ample. Wine Spectator's description, "What a wine" surely sums it up. James Suckling furthercompares it to their 1995 which received 100 points.
Tasted twice with consistent notes, the 2006 Margaux is a great success. Produced with 90% CabernetSauvignon, the highest ever for this château, it offers a deep and rich palate of crunchy red cherry, dark chocolate and lightly roasted cinnamon. Its structure is present but velvety and ample. Wine Spectator's description, "What a wine" surely sums it up. James Suckling furthercompares it to their 1995 which received 100 points.
It is worth noting that when the bottled 2006 Chateau Margaux, which appeared closed and less impressive than I had predicted from barrel, was retasted alongside the remarkable 2008, I elevated my score to 94+. It does not possess the size or power of the 2008 or 2005, but the 2006 exhibits impressive density, a deeper color, and the beautifully textured, pure style that is a hallmark of this estate. Moreover, it is relatively precocious, and can be drunk now or cellared for 25+ years. Drink: 2009 - 2034
I was hoping the 2006 Chateau Margaux would turn out along the lines of the 1996, but that is not the case. It appears to be the least of the first-growth Medocs in 2006. The color is a medium dark ruby that lightens at the rim, and the bouquet offers classic, but evolved Margaux aromas of sweet currants, licorice, forest floor, and earth. Medium-bodied with dry tannin in the finish, it does not possess the profound concentration found in the truly sublime vintages of Chateau Margaux (i.e., 2005, 2000, 1996, 1990, 1983, and 1982). This mid-weight effort requires 5-7 years of cellaring, and should age for 20-25 years. Drink: 2014 - 2039
The strictest selection ever instituted at this estate resulted in only 36% of the crop being utilized for the blend of 2006 Chateau Margaux. Composed of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Merlot, it is similar to the 1996, but with sweeter, more seductive fruit in the nose. A big, tannic, dense effort displaying terrific purity, power, elegance, and a distinctive mineral/flower component, it is a medium to full-bodied wine of great nobility that should be at its finest between 2017-2050+.
36% of total crop went into this grand vin, with just 4% Merlot. The strength is 13% (we never want to make more alcohol than this according to Paul Pontallier.) 3.37 TA, 5 in tarartic, pH 3.7, IPT 71 (IPT in 2000 was 70). Mid crimson. SO much riper and more appetising and fuller than the Pavillon Rouge on the nose! Pretty complete already with lovely balance and lift, though the acidity is certainly notable, even if the tannins are wonderfully mellow. Very polite and unforced. Dancing reminds Paul Pontallier of 1996 with a little less density but just as much charm. Very Margaux. This is the Cabernet of Margaux (not of Pauillac NB) Graceful though only for certain palates. Follows through. Great line, as the Australians would say. Quite distinctive and much much more delicate than the early vintages of Margaux from the new regime here in the 1980s. Very fresh and elegant quite a gamble in a way. Very, very fine tannins. Bone dry. Will always be in elegant idiom.
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.
