Château Margaux, 1er Cru Classé, Margaux, 2009
According to the beautiful brochure we were presented with at Chateau Margaux, 2009 is perhaps the greatest young Chateau Margaux we have tasted over the last 30 years. It's a bold statement given the wonderful 1990, 2000 and 2005, but who are we to disagree; this is a magnificent wine and a serious contender for wine of the vintage. Produced from 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot, the 2009 Margaux possesses a wonderfully perfumed bouquet of cool compote berries, floral notes, scorched earth, crème de cassis and red roses; a classical and feminine Margaux. The fruit is so refined and uplifting, with wonderful transparency and detail; polished, svelte, alluring and delicate, yet so powerful. A glorious Margaux, which possesses a haunting weightlessness and immaculately forged tannins. Sensational.
critic reviews
A benchmark wine at Château Margaux, velvet tannins, exuberant, confident, deftly weaving between fruits and spices. Full of vibrant energy, grilled woodsmoke, crayon, pomegranate, cassis, violet flowers, sandalwood, incense, so generous and frankly so gulpable. It is deceivingly open and welcoming already, but has decades ahead and plenty of hidden depths to reveal with a little patience. Paul Pontallier director. 100% new oak for ageing, 31% of production.
A blend of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot, the 2009 Chateau Margaux has a deep garnet color. It comes barrelling out of the glass with bold notions of black cherry compote, warm cassis, vanilla, sassafras, star anise, and unsmoked cigars, with emerging wafts of violets and smoked meats. The medium-bodied palate delivers tantalizing tension with velvety tannins and generous black fruits, finishing long with lingering baking spice and mineral nuances. It is delicious right now but has many, many years of cellaring to go!
The 2009 Château Margaux is blessed with a stunning nose that delivers intense blackberry and cranberry scents, crushed rose petals and touches of slate. The palate is medium-bodied with very fine tannin, taut and quite linear with an effortless and precise finish that is a pure joy. You have the sense of a Château Margaux that is only beginning to show what it can do. Brilliant. Tasted at BI Wines & Spirits' Ten Year On tasting.