Château Margaux (2019)

The Margaux estate dates from the 16th century. During the 18th century the wine of Château Margaux turned up at auction in London. The revolution saw the owner of the property guillotined and the estate sold at auction. In the early 19th century the property was owned by a Basque called Colonilla and it was he that built the chateau we see today. The modern history of Château Margaux begins in 1977 and its purchase by André Mentzelopoulos. The new owner had made his fortune trading in the Far East and Pakistan, then through grocery shops in France. He had the wherewithal to invest heavily in his new vineyards, forming the springboard for the great successes he was never to see, dying as he did in 1980. It was his daughter Corinne who ushered in the modern story of the estate and its gold-standard global reputation.

"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." Neal Martin

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