critic reviews
Château Margaux in 1855 was owned by the Aguado family, bought in 1835 by Spanish banker Alejandro María Aguado. This was my wine of the night at the Bern's tasting, just utterly delicious and at a perfect moment to drink but will clearly keep delivering. I love this vintage on the Left Bank generally, and Margaux captures exactly why it is so special. Still so fresh, focused, long draw out, crushed roses, tobacco, violet, dried flowers, blackberry, saffron, fine tannins. 100% new oak, Paul Pontallier director for this vintage.
Medium garnet in color with a touch of brick, the 1996 Chateau Margaux prances out with the most gorgeous perfume of violets and rose bud tea, leading to a core of red currant jelly, raspberry preserves, tar, and fragrant soil, with a touch of cinnamon stick. The light to medium-bodied palate has an enticing silkiness to the texture with great tension framing the delicate red berry flavors, finishing long and perfumed. The blend is 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, 4%Petit Verdot, and 2% Cabernet Franc.
When I used to drink this wine as a student, it generally left me a bit cold, but several recent bottles of the 1996 Chateau Margaux lead me to think that I must have had bad luck with a poorly stored batch of bottles. Along with Haut-Brion, Margaux is the most forward of the 1996 first growths, offering up an expressive bouquet of creamy cassis fruit mingled with cigar wrapper, sweet spices, espresso roast and loamy soil. Medium to full-bodied, suave and fleshy, with melting tannins and a long, expansive finish, it's in a beautiful place today.
The 1996 Château Margaux stands as one of the pinnacles during Paul Pontallier's illustrious tenure. I remember it dazzling out of barrel, perhaps my first memory of tasting wine at that prenatal stage. It has retained the fabulous tension and freshness on the nose, every atom infused with mineralité, subtle pressed flower/violet scents unfurling with aeration. The palate has unerring symmetry, perfectly balanced with filigree tannin and lovely acidity. It's a wine where everything seems to be in its right place. Blackberry, crushed stone at the front of the mouth and a touch of spice toward the finish show supreme control. This is a Margaux that seems to light up the senses. It was outstanding in its youth...something that has not changed one bit over the intervening two decades. This may well turn out to be the Left Bank pinnacle of the 1990s. Tasted July 2016.