Margaux 2019 (375ML)

99-100 JS / 98-100 VM / 98-100 WE / 97-100 JD / 97-100 WA / 98 DE

The fantastic quality of the cabernet sauvignon really comes through here with black currant, blueberry and raspberry character. It’s full-bodied with such tightness. It’s so beautiful in the center palate. The tannins are wonderfully blended into the wine and flow across the palate. Rather leaner and racy. Ethereal. 37% of the production and 90% cabernet sauvignon, 7% merlot, 2% cabernet franc and 1% petit verdot.- James Suckling

The 2019 Margaux is a total showstopper. A thrilling wine that melds together the textural intensity of the year with striking vibrancy, Margaux is just stunning. All the classic Margaux signatures are amplified in such dramatic fashion. The 2019 is a wine of pure and total sensuality. A second sample that arrived very late after having been stuck in customs was shockingly vibrant when I tasted it out of curiosity. I couldn't help myself. In the early going, Margaux is shaping up to be one of the wines of the vintage. Don't miss it.

Estate Manager Philippe Bascaules and his team turned out two spectacular wines in 2019. Note: I did not taste the Pavillon Blanc, as the estate thought it was too fragile to ship. 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 a 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.- Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

This wine, packed with Cabernet Sauvignon, is dense but shows a majestic structure. By contrast and equally stunning, it has such perfumed fruits that are poised between power and elegance. The balance of this magnificent wine is there, bringing together black currant fruit and rich, sumptuous tannins. There is amazing aging potential here. - Roger Voss, Wine Enthusiast

 The 2019 Château Margaux is another inky hued beauty from this estate that does everything right. Incredible notes of blackcurrants, blueberries, sandalwood, cedar, and loads of floral tones all dominate the bouquet, and this beauty hits the palate with full-bodied richness, flawless integration in its tannins, acidity, and fruit, building structure, and an almost “iron fist in a velvet glove” like mouthfeel. Reminding me of the 2016, yet with even more density, it's a quintessential Château Margaux that will benefit from a decade of cellaring and keep for 50 years or more.- Jeb Dunnuck

The 2019 Château Margaux is a blend of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot, accounting for 37% of the crop. The alcohol came in at 13.9%, the IPT was 75, and the pH was 3.66. Deep garnet-purple in color, the nose begins with intense scents of crushed blackberries, warm cassis and plum preserves before fanning out into a whole array of floral, exotic spice and earth scents: iris, red roses, star anise, cassis, tilled soil, moss-covered bark and black truffles, with an emerging waft of crushed rocks. The medium-bodied palate quivers with energy, emitting loads of mineral sparks, featuring bold freshness and fantastically ripe, finely grained tannins to support the delicate, perfumed layers, finishing very long and wonderfully poised. The juxtaposition between the acidity and the richness in this Château Margaux is just extraordinary!- Lisa Perroti-Brown, Wine Advocate

This expands sideways, vertically and downwards, with a creamy mid palate and a rose petal, peony, raspberry and cassis collision on the nose. This is chewy in its tannic structure, full on and yet delicate and sappy. Fresh, elegant, perfumed and concentrated - clearly will age for decades. This is close in character to the 2009 or 2015, two exceptional vintages at Margaux and classic to the graceful yet concentrated signature of the property. 1% Petit Verdot to complete the blend, 100% new oak although barely discernible already. 37% of overall production in the 1st wine this year.- Jane Anson, Decanter