2019 - Margaux, Margaux

A blend of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot, the 2019 Chateau Margaux is deep garnet-purple in color. Classic scents of cassis, plum preserves, pencil shavings, and wild sage leap on the nose, followed by suggestions of underbrush, truffles, and iron ore. The medium to full-bodied palate is elegant and fresh, with firm, grainy tannins and an amazingly long savory finish. Forget this in the cellar for 6-8 years, then watch it produce fireworks for the following 40-years+.

A wine that you sink into, drink in the aromatics before taking a sip. You can sense the velvety texture from the first moment. There is so much density here, and yet each tannin plays its part with skill, holding the perfumed black and blue fruits in place without restricting their expression. A signature Château Margaux, with so many different elements lending momentum and energy, and a feeling of effortless balance. 37% of total production, 100% new oak. Loved En Primeur, but this is an upscore.

The 2019 Château Margaux possesses off the charts richness to go along with plush contours and mind-blowing balance. All the elements are so wonderfully woven together. It's as if all the Château Margaux signatures are dialed up to eleven, but without losing any of the classic Margaux character. The purity of the red-toned fruit is just breathtaking. The Merlot was picked early, but then rain during harvest delayed the ripening of the Cabernets, which turned out to be a huge advantage. Estate Manager Philippe Bascaules and his team turned out two spectacular wines in 2019. Bascaules describes 2019 as an easy vintage. Flowering was normal and set was good. Yields came in at a healthy 47 hectoliters per hectare, more than 2017 or 2018, the summer heat spikes notwithstanding. Bascaules opted to pick the Merlot early and gave those lots very gentle extractions at low temperatures, whereas the Cabernet Sauvignon vinifications were a much more typical 20-22 days at 28-30 degrees Celsius. In tasting, the 2019s have more tannins than any other vintage, with the exception of 2018, and yet the wines don't show that at all. The bottled wines are every bit as impressive as the barrel samples.

The 2019 Château Margaux, bottled in July 2021, is absolutely divine on the nose. It unfurls to reveal exquisitely defined black fruit infused with graphite, Japanese nori and just a hint of potpourri and crushed stone. This is supremely well focused, refined and correct, so much so that you would think it comes from a cooler growing season. The palate is medium-bodied with pliant, filigreed tannins that envelop the senses. Flavors of blackberry and bilberry, tinged with sea salt and black pepper, merge into a slightly more sensual finish that is still quintessentially Margaux. I used the word "effortless" in my note from barrel, and that rings true in bottle, though maybe there is now even more persistence. Quite stunning.