WINEMAKER NOTES:
Margaux du Château Margaux 2012 is more open today than the 2011. It is a very dense wine that blossoms after a few moments, revealing complex aromas of spice, black fruits and flowers. Following this very pure nose, it is fresh and smooth on the palate, with balance and finesse. Although the tightly-knit tannins are present, their silkiness is so remarkable that they are forgotten, even in such a young wine. It does not have the depth and complexity of the Pavillon Rouge, but this wine is no less a reflection of our terroir, which has the ability to produce wines that combine softness and power, freshness and maturity; wines that are delicious to drink young, but that can be kept for several decades.
CRITICAL ACCLAIM:
96 Points, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Tasted blind at the 2012 Southwold tasting, the 2012 Château Margaux has a taut, linear, pencil lead-infused bouquet with pure blackberry and boysenberry scents, an undercurrent of tobacco that surfaces after five minutes in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, crisp acidity, a life-affirming sense of balance with well-integrated new oak towards the finish. I concur with Robert Parker that his has become more structured and masculine in bottle, yet there is pedigree here from start to finish, a sense of effortlessness that is seductive. This is a top-class wine from the late Paul Pontallier and his team. Tasted January 2016.
95 Points, Wine Spectator
Bay leaf and menthol hints lift a core of crushed plum and warm cherry confiture notes while the background fills steadily with black tea, singed alder and iron elements. Turns a little darker on the finish, with a coating of bittersweet cocoa powder and roasted vanilla bean accents, while the minerality stays buried for now. Remarkably dense and packed, yet refined. Needs some time to unwind. Best from 2018 through 2030.
95 Points, Wine Enthusiast
This elegant wine is very much in the classic style of Margaux. Although the wood is still showing, the wine has fresh black currant fruits along with an underlying firm, long-lived tannic structure. The aftertaste with its dryness and acidity confirms that. Drink from 2025. Cellar Selection