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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Drinking window: Drink between 2008 and 2016 (based on 11 user opinions) |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 88.7 pts. and median of 89 pts. in 59 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by ChairmanKao on 9/1/2023 & rated 93 points: ABV: 13.0%. Syrah & Cabernet Sauvignon. Upon opening, the nose is showing a lot of earthy notes of hay and barnyard (possibly brett?), but as it blows off over the next hour, a gorgeous bouquet of roasted Herbes de Provence appears in the foreground with hints of red and black fruits in the background. There's ample acidity on the mid-palate, keeping everything intact, and the tannin level could use some more years in the cellar. This wine is still very tight so I'm hoping that it'll open up and get better tomorrow.
9/2/2023 - Raised the score by three points (from 90 to 93). The earthy and herby notes have blown off on the nose, revealing dark red fruits and some cassis from the Cab. Lots of raspberry and cherry tones on the mid-palate, supported by good acidity that pushes the profiles to the finish. There's a lot of potential in this wine and I think it can easily cellar for another 5-10 years. If you're planning to open your bottle, decant it for at least an hour. (220 views) | | | Tasted by David Paris (dbp) on 6/3/2016 & rated 90 points: This bottle is really good... the best I've had. It starts out a bit awkward but then gets quite good after just 15 minutes in the glass. The aromas show some wood spice, pepper, lovely spiced bramble berries. Absolutely lovely and luscious notes. Palate texture is quite soft, but tannins do immediately attack on the palate and build as its held in the mouth. Flavors are dark fruited and mellow, not too strong or deep. Finish has lovely acid, then 2 seconds later tons of tannins. These subside after 10 seconds to reveal mid toned dark red fruit and lots of herbal components that are lovely. Honestly this wine could continue to go on another 5+ years, based on this showing. If I knew this would have wound up here I wouldn't have stopped buying the new vintages years ago, when those early bottles weren't all that impressive. (3174 views) | | | Tasted by vegasoenophile on 2/8/2016 & rated 89 points: Retains plenty of density and power. On the nose, black currant, black cherry, damson plum, hints of fennel and a iron edge with suggestions of white pepper. Nice mouthfeel with velvety tannins and good balance. Rich flavors of dark berries, black plum, licorice, roasted clove, bay leaf, herbs de Provence, touches of black olive and ending on nice mouth-watering acidity and a lengthy finish. Would be a lovely wine with a meal. (3079 views) | | | Tasted by Neecies on 10/26/2015 & rated 88 points: A much better bottle than the last two opened within the last couple months. More color, more body, more flavor, with good balance between the cab and syrah. So happy at last, but disturbing bottle variation. (3288 views) | | | Tasted by Neecies on 9/22/2015 & rated 85 points: Needed an hour to fully wake up, but the cabernet component was out in front with bright cherry fruit along with some actual tannins--soft, but they were there unlike last month's dullard bottle. (3310 views) | | | Tasted by Neecies on 9/15/2015 & rated 83 points: Soft and devoid of tannins. Maturing but not old flavors, pleasantly drinkable but not especially interesting with little typicity from it's two components, cabernet sauv and syrah. In fact, could be any old nero d'avola. (3158 views) | | | Tasted by gzim on 9/4/2014: flabby, unremarkable (1773 views) | | | Tasted by jacktball on 4/20/2014 & rated 88 points: Very cherry tasting. Could be a good sipping wine. Probably not big enough for red meat. (968 views) | | | Tasted by pnwsun on 12/8/2013: when opening was greeted with nice fragrance; upon pouring, it was smooth with nice finish. This continued on through the night. a great wine was the hit of the party. (2072 views) | | | Tasted by David Paris (dbp) on 10/20/2013 & rated 90 points: This one is quite a bit better than the bottle I had last year, and similar to the bottle 2 years ago. Aromas are very seamless and complete, offering cherry compote, graphite, and a sexy, soft, subdued elegance to it while still offering some nice juice. Palate is soft and medium bodied, offering smooth fruit, nice tannins, and a grittiness that deepens as it's held. Finish is gritty and tannic still, with nice dark cherry flavors and a bit more graphite. This is definitely killing it on the nose today, but I suspect it could continue to unfold a little more. I'll try to hold my last bottle for 2 more years. Again, what a different experience from my previous bottle. Amazing how these have changed, and not in a linear direction. (2113 views) | | | Tasted by SadofskyDS on 9/30/2013: herbaceous and deep. drank another bottle on 11/14/13 (still drinking). Very well integrated. Mid weight, hints of tobacco but not strong. Some fruit upon first entering the mid-palate. Delicious! (2168 views) | | | Tasted by gzim on 6/26/2013 & rated 85 points: deep brooding dark profile, not giving up much. Shows some wood, and lots of herbs de provence, but either the fruit is fading, or the 30 minutes of air was not enough.
Will revisit tomorrow (2202 views) | | | Tasted by gzim on 4/18/2013 & rated 87 points: A bit over ripe, more cali then french, but ok for an everyday wine.
The round cab fruit dominates. (1795 views) | | | Tasted by David Paris (dbp) on 7/8/2012 & rated 87 points: Very dark aromas, and this is beginning to smell a little mature. Smells like mashed dark berries mixed with wet fall leaves that have begun to ferment. There's also a dark plum skin component that's very rich and thick. The palate is fairly large in size offering some pretty heavy notes of wood that I never got in previous bottles when younger. This is also coupled with the plum flavors. The finish hits with some bitter tannins and acid, and this old dark berry/plum thing continues on a while. In reading my previous notes this wine has jumped all over the place... stylistically it reminds me most of my note from 2008, as this does remind me of a warm climate new world wine, but this time with some age on it. Still enjoyable, but not sure where this is going, but I'm tending towards drink up? Similar after 24 hours. (1966 views) | | | Tasted by zzj on 6/2/2012: Brilliant! (2129 views) | | | Tasted by ctbob on 5/28/2012: last of the bunch; solid mid-weight red (1734 views) | | | Tasted by cbbrown3 on 2/11/2012 & rated 91 points: I didn't take a good note on this wine. Three of us killed it off over a couple hours while working. From memory, initially lots of fruit with some background spice and a bit of earthiness. After some air, the upfront fruit settled down a bit and the wine showed a bit more restraint and subtlety. The fruit element was still there, just not as in your face. More new world styled than old world. Nice ripe fruit and the low, 13%, alcohol made it an easy drinker. I'm glad I still have a few bottles to enjoy over the next few years. (1879 views) | | | Tasted by ctbob on 10/23/2011: Not quite tasty... ready (2310 views) | | | Tasted by cbbrown3 on 10/22/2011 & rated 91 points: Decanted about an hour. A nice garnet color. Cherries, garrigue, licorice, eucalyptus, smoke, meat juices, and cedar on the very nice nose. Medium body with solid, ripe tannins and very nice acidity. Some distinct minerality adds nice complexity to the fruit and herbs on the palate with meaty notes coming in underneath. Very nice length on the finish with the eucalyptus note and minerality coming in on top of the fruit. Very solid and in a nice drinking window. Should be prime for drinking over the next few years. (1948 views) | | | Tasted by ctbob on 9/5/2011: Full, complete red, took about a half hour to open into a v. nice bottle; solid QPR at $15 (1944 views) | | | Tasted by David Paris (dbp) on 8/17/2011 & rated 89 points: Opened 4 hours ago, and this glass was poured two hours ago. The boquet is not quite as expressive as it was on initial pour, but it has softened a bit (less aggressive). Right now it's showing aromas of menthol cherry cough drops, charcoal, briar, and some yeast. Nice earthy feel here, with decent balance. A large size is felt, but extract is not detected on the nose. The palate is fairly large, with very quickly building tannins. Full bodied and drying, this shows rocky hints. Some pretty juicy dark fruit on the finish, but it's immediately annihilated by a wall of tannins that slap it down. This definitely seems to be mellowing on the nose, but the structure on the palate and finish are definitely keeping this from being fully open for business. Interestingly, after reading my note from 3/10/2010, this seems to be more closed down at present than it was a year and a half ago. I do prefer the aromas at present, though. 24 hours later with the bottle uncorked, this smoothed out dramatically. Almost all of the harsh tannins on the palate and finish were completely gone. Very surprising, but it was much more enjoyable, and quite smooth throughout, with the additional time. (2027 views) | | | Tasted by sadofsky on 6/18/2011 flawed bottle: Corked. (2362 views) | | | Tasted by Easter Everywhere on 12/1/2010: Semmed tasty, tar, funk, earth (875 views) | | | Tasted by Easter Everywhere on 7/1/2010: Intense mineral, road tar, black fruit, smoke, spice, intriguing, tasty (858 views) | | | Tasted by jacktball on 3/15/2010: Good wine (882 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| By Richard Jennings
RJonWine.com (1/4/2010)
(Château Margüi Côteaux Varois) Dark red violet color; melange of red plum, raspberries, lavender and light Provence herbs on nose; tart baked plum, raspberry, herbs and graphite palate with soft tannins, drinking fine now; medium finish (70% Syrah, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon) 91 points | By Jon Rimmerman
Garagiste (4/24/2008)
(MARGUI) Magnum Dear Friends, I just talked with Phillipe at Domaine de Margui and he’s agreed to bottle his “reserve” wine from 2005 in magnum for us. I need to let him know tomorrow so I have to send this out now. Those that follow this estate know Phillipe doesn’t make a reserve but what he does do is make small markings on the side of each barrel, the more marks, the better the barrel or those that are his most accurate and reflective achievement in each vintage. This set of magnums will come from that group of barrels - more precisely, the one cask that he believes is the very best in 2005 - the deepest core of fruit with the most obvious breed. I’ve tasted it and it borders on amazing for Provence. It’s more like 2005 Bordeaux with the grape skins of the Varois and a sneaky femininity of something like Montevetrano (although medium in weight - this is not a bruiser). Whatever it is - I believe you will find the price of a magnum to be almost laughable. When a magnum of this is less than 750ml of something like Trevallon, something is amiss in the wine-trade. Take advantage. This magnum of estate wine is 100% hand-picked, hand bottled and hand-made in the Coteaux Varois with the passion of a man that has your dinner table as his ultimate prize (not your stock portfolio) . It is like economic relief for the big bottle enthusiast. Keep in mind this is Margui’s very best wine, in magnum; See below for all the 750ml verbiage from past offers: Only one limited run of magnums for 2005 - directly from the hand of Phillipe at Margui: EXTREMELY LIMITED 2005 Domaine de Margui Coteaux Varois en Provence 1.5lt (special lot) - Jon Rimmerman ********************** (original verbiage – from earlier in the year and last fall) Margui Redux Dear Friends, Those of you that have already tried this wine will attest to its standing as one of the wine-world’s more serious bargains. It just won the Gold Medal at the 2008 Concours as the finest red wine in Provence (not a surprise but, in 2005, that is a major statement as the vintage produced some very long-ageing examples). I went back to the well this morning (after I heard about the Gold Medal) as my experience tells me that scarcity, higher prices, etc are coming next vintage. As one of the good guys in the wine trade, Philippe Guillanton is giving us first dibs before he releases the remainder of the 2005 to the hordes. You supported the wine before the acclaim so now it is time to to reap the benefit. This wine was already very hard to find so I took everything he would give me - I don’t think you will be disappointed. The original offer from last winter is below. If you have any interest in this wine, please let us know at your very earliest convenience (I had to raise the price slightly but we still have a price that is lower than the cellar door and lower than in Europe). I don’t remember if I mentioned this in the offer below but this wine is also produced with 100% organically grown and raised grapes with no additions of any kind in the cellar - it’s pretty special wine, down to the beautiful label: 2005 Domaine de Margui “Coteaux Varois” en Provence (rouge) - SOLD OUT in 750ml (MDO/CVI) (this is not the Vin de Pays du Var which is a white) Please give us your maximum number up to 12/person and we will allocate accordingly ********************************* (original offer from 12/07): Holiday Special #5 – Chateau Margui Dear Friends, If you like the NoWat (no watt) we offered last year, this is for you...at half the price. Is it possible to make Chateau Lafite Rothschild in the Coteaux Varois (en Provence)? Philippe Guillanton of Chateau Margui is set to find out. This is without question one of the top discoveries of the past few years and I’ve been saving it for a major Holiday Special (and until the deal was iron-clad). If nothing else, the bottle and label are one of the most beautiful in the South and this wine is set to be a major force to be reckoned with. Our NoWat offer last year propelled Dupere Barrera to great acclaim and they now have been “discovered” by Kermit-Lynch as one of his new national stars - I’ve asked for a commission from Kermit but still haven’t had a return phone call - if we ever see any residual from this, I'll donate it to charity (I’ll keep you posted on the new “Garagiste discovers wine for other importers” fund). The Margui is going down one of those few and far between roads of greatness and it’s only a matter of time before they receive the acclaim coming their way simply from having mouths open and taste buds intrigued. What is Chateau Margui? Margui is the result of one man’s vision and his vision of an emerging region in Europe, the Coteaux Varois - one of the oldest growing districts in Provence. Where old-school methods and federal bureaucracy have held this region back for years, a new generation of would-be stars have taken up residence in this area and the wine-world better watch out. Tired of high prices in Bordeaux and Chateauneuf du Pape, they are intent on producing wine with one leg in the 1940s, the other circa 1990 and the will power to make it happen at prices that would make the above mentioned regions blush. Margui is one of the new first growths of this area and we are excited for you to make their acquaintance... Already lauded by the Guide Hachette, CGA, CVI and others (which means the price will go up), this is a wine that succeeds due to a confluence of nature, nurture and vintage climate. The site makes the difference and it cannot be duplicated (like Galardi). The location is very rare for Provence, very high in elevation with brisk winds and very cold temperatures at night followed by crystal clear deep sunshine by day - ideal for perfumed varietals. This estate has gorgeous topography and vineyards in a conical bowl filled with old vine Syrah and a quirky parcel of Cabernet that holds the tannic key. They make one red wine - Chateau Margui and the result is all the better for it (instead of making 2-3 red wines and splitting up the best components). It is a classic situation for singular grape growing and what all of the small furry elements do gathered together in a cave grooving with a pict is magical. Margui’s visionary, Philippe Guillanton, is on what a famous US critic would call a “meteoric rise” but he’s doing it the right way, the new “modern” way - with traditional methods, hands-off winemaking and vineyards that are certified organic. I just got off the phone with him an hour or so ago and he spent the day entertaining three Michelin starred chefs and their sommeliers who made the four drive from the north on their own nickel to obtain his wines (that is not the norm in France - you go to the best chefs and restaurants, they don’t come to you) - in France, that is all the evidence you need that your star has achieved new heights. The Syrah, which makes up 70% of the cepage has teeth like a Northern Rhone (not a Southern Syrah) and the Cabernet is like Left Bank Cabernet in a vintage like 1982 or 1990 - ripe and seductive with a fine tannic bite that only Cabernet skin tannins can provide. Mix the two together and you have a cool-climate/warm-climate dichotomy from a great vintage (2005) that drinks like a much more expenseive wine - no wonder the restaurants are lining up to buy this (can you imagine what the mark-up will be from a Michelin starred venue?). With only 12.5-13.0% natural alcohol and fascinating levels of balanced natural extract, the glowing red fruit, mineral-dipped flavor has an uncanny Bordelaise edge that is magnified by the meaty, floral capacity of the Syrah. Basically, it’s a great effort and EXTREMELY LIMITED (only 50 cases of the 2005 for the US). VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED for outstanding value, deep-toned cerebral quality and discovery of a new star that will get his due very shortly. ONE SHIPMENT ONLY with perfect provenance directly from the winery cellar: We have an exceptional price on this item, about the same as at the cellar door and roughly half price of slated US retail - Happy Holidays! 2005 Domaine de Margui “Coteaux Varois” en Provence (rouge) - SOLD OUT in 750ml (this is not the Vin de Pays du Var which is a white) Please give us your maximum number up to 12 and we will allocate accordingly Thank you, Jon Rimmerman Garagiste Seattle, WA SOFR8950 |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of RJonWine.com and Garagiste. (manage subscription channels) |
| Château Margüi Producer website2005 Château Margüi Côteaux VaroisWinemaker's Note:
The 2005 RED (13% vol) : AOC Coteaux Varois. Syrah 70% Cabernet 30% Stalking, light pressing and vatting for 3-week fermentation. Daily remuage with light oxygenation. Complete malolactic fermentation. 25% oak-barrel aging over 5 to 8 months (ongoing). No other filtration than the one at bottling.
Very strong nose potential, where a healthy structure of round and silky tanins provides strong backing for a complex bouquet of black cherries, red-fruit jam, liquorice and torrefaction. Barrel ageing will add a grilled vanilla flavour, to turn out a long and well-keeping wine.
Concours général agricole, Paris 2005, Paris 2006 and Paris 2008, gold medal; Concours des Vignerons indépendants de France, 2005, gold medal. International Vinalies 2006, Silver Medal ; Mâcon Contest 2007, Bronze Medal ; Hachette Guide 2008, 1 star ; Gilbert & Gaillard Guide 2009, 82/100. Red Blend.France Vins de France (Office National Interprofessionnel des Vins ) | Pages Vins, Directory of French Winegrowers | French Wine (Wikipedia)
Wine Scholar Guild vintage ratings
2018 vintage: "marked by a wet spring, a superb summer and a good harvest"
2019 vintage reports
2021: "From a general standpoint, whether for white, rosé or red wines, 2021 is a year marked by quality in the Rhône Valley Vineyards. Structured, elegant, fresh and fruity will be the main keywords for this new vintage."
2022 harvest: idealwine.info | wine-searcher.comProvence Conseil Interprofessionnel des Vins de ProvenceCôteaux Varois Coteaux Varois en Provence |
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