2021 シャトー・マルゴー、マルゴー
Only the vineyards that produce Margaux’s third wine were affected by frost. Mildew pressure was constant, but managed. The berries weighed in at two grams each – 100% bigger than normal. The team performed saignée on both Merlot (20%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (10%), though the Merlots from their best terroirs were superb. The biggest surprise was the phenolic content, pretty much the same as in 2018-’20. This is certainly one of the wines of the vintage.
There’s nothing lightweight, yet the wine has a luminosity. The bouquet is complete and dense, but with freshness peeking through with notes of mocha and pure cassis. The palate harks back to more cerebral examples of the past. Only 13.1% alcohol, this is properly three-dimensional, whilst also hinting at the sense that it also has yet another dimension.
Our score: 19.5/20
Berry Bros. & Rudd
-
Colour
Red -
Sweetness
Dry -
Vintage
2021 -
Alcohol
13% -
Maturity
Not ready -
Grape
カベルネ・ソーヴィニヨン -
Body
Medium Bodied -
Producer
Château Margaux
Fragrant and floral with violet and peony notes. Clean and direct on attack, mid-palate weight and drive on the finish. Low-key but refined tannic frame. Super-length and persistence. Discreet but elegant, if less substance than a wine scoring 18 or higher. Drink 2030 - 2050
The 2021 Château Margaux, aged in 100% new oak as usual, is clean and precise on the nose, much more discrete than the outgoing Pavillon Rouge and unfolds like a temptress in the glass. Intense dark cherries, hints of blueberry and trademark crushed violets then start to billow, all exquisitely defined. The palate is medium-bodied with a silky smooth veneer that does a good job disguising the structure underneath. Surprisingly plush given the growing season, the concentration is very impressive with no hard edges. It's a very Margaux-like Château Margaux insofar that it could not come from any other appéllation. Drink 2027 - 2060
The 2021 Château Margaux is clearly one of the finest wines of the vintage. Offering up a deep bouquet of raspberries, wild blueberries and plums mingled with sweet spices, violets, licorice and hints of cigar box, it's full-bodied, layered and multidimensional, with terrific depth at the core and beautifully refined, powdery tannins, concluding with a long, floral finish. Combining the vibrant flavors and moderate alcohol 13.1%) of a vintage of the last century with all the precision of the present in extraction and élevage, it is a timeless classic; and lest that be mistaken for a euphemism for a lack of concentration, note that the wine is analytically as high in polyphenols as the brilliant 2019. Representing only 36% of the estate's production, the 2021 is a blend of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot.
Vivid fruit, raspberries and bilberries, cassis bud, saffron and graphite, full of energy and classicism, showcasing what can be achieved in the vintage. Harvest through to October 14. 36% of the overall production. 3.64ph, Tannic index of 73, the same level as in 2019 and a little less than 2018 and 2020. Philippe Bascaules director, Eric Boissenot consultant. Drink 2028 - 2044
A Margaux with beautiful depth and grace and wonderfully well-placed, refined tannins, showing presence and a soft texture. They caress your palate. Full-bodied, yet tight and extremely long. Seamless. 87% cabernet franc, 8% merlot, 3% cabernet franc and 2% petit verdot.