Chateau Margaux Tasting - 1983-2006 - With Paul Pontallier

Wine Society Tsting, introduced and compered by Sebastian Payne and Paul Pontailer.

• 2006 Pavillon Blanc du Château Margaux

  France, Bordeaux

  Very pale, almost water-white. Creamy oak, citrus, very slightly grassy. Lovely floral notes, oak is really very well done. Youthful, fresh, intense, slightly smoky. Medium/full bodied on the palate, lovely vibrant acidity contrasting nicely with generosity/plumpness of texture. Creamy oak and lemony fruit on a lingering finish. Lovely. ****

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• 2004 Pavillon Rouge du Château Margaux

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

  Medium/deep ruby core, some rim showing. Creamy dark fruit, attractive perfume, nice purity, hints of toasty oak. Medium intense. Medium/full bodied on the palate, creamy bilberry and cassis fruit, long creamy finish with notable toasty oak notes. Fine tannins. In balance, attractively crisp, fresh and appetising. ***1/2

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• 2000 Pavillon Rouge du Château Margaux

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

  A little closed on the nose compared to the 2004, but oak is more integrated. Slightly more red fruited on the nose. Attractive creamy red and black berry fruit on the initial attack but the mid-palate does seem a little hollow before the fruit makes a re-appearance on the lingering finish. May just be in a phase. ***1/2

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• 2005 Château Margaux

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

  Deeper, slightly brighter appearance, but certainly not totally opaque. Intense, complex, brooding dark fruit on the nose, vanilla, hints of toasty oak and smoke. Tremendous purity, elegance and length across the palate, seamless even at this young age. Dense, a mouthful but perfectly balanced. Very, very long. For the very long haul. *****

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• 2004 Château Margaux

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

  Markedly lighter/less intense than the 2005, but very fragrant, pure fruit and floral notes. Hints of toasty oak. Lovely fragrance. Has more depth and darker fruit than the 04 Pavillon. On the palate shows youthful, pure, cassis fruit, toasty oak and lovely fresh acidity which carries the finish well. Longers nicely though obviously not as long as the 2005. Showing quite well already though. ****1/2

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• 2001 Château Margaux

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

  Really quite closed on the nose compared to the 2004. More integrated though with more obvious sweetness. Again that lovely freshness on the palate, some strawberry fruit to go along with the cassis. Still quite youthful, does seem to lack a littl density and length compared to the 2005 and even the 2004, but may just be in a stage. ***1/2

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• 1999 Château Margaux

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

  Noticeably less intense on the nose than the previous 3 wines, although more developed and fragrant with slightly earthy, gravelly fruit, and a slight hint of tobacco. Less deep and intense on the palate also, not exactly dilute per se but definitely comes across that way in this company with some firm, even slightly harsh tannins showing on the finish. ***

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• 1996 Château Margaux

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

  Wow - this has a lovely complex, fragrant almost ethereal bouquet. Floral, classy, perfumed. On the palate this shows elegant, fresh strawberry fruit and is already quite approachable. Lovely, sweet lingering fnish. Elegant, lithe and harmonious. Gorgeous wine. *****

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• 1995 Château Margaux

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

  Less open and intense on the nose than the 96. Certainly less fresh and fragrant, a more serious wine with brooding dark fruit, smoke and a slight pruney note. The palate is certainly better than the nose, showing mainly black berry fruit, hints of tobacco, a more masculine and substantive (not necessarily in a good way) wine than the 96, not as approachable at ths stage. ****

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• 1990 Château Margaux

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

  Complex, fragrant bouquet, shows slightly baked and tobaccoey red fruit. Very sweet on the nose. Sweet, ripe fruit on the initial attack, that 1990 baked fruit again but also showing complexity and freshness. Harmonious, mature, no harsh tannic edge on this bottle. ****1/2

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• 1986 Château Margaux

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

  Darker fruited, more serious nose. Very diiferent to the 1990, more masculine, old fashioned claret with a certian pleasing austerity and even a (welcome) hint of green. The same attractive austerity applies on the palate, with dark fruit, tobacco, firm acidity and a noticeable (and again not unwelcome) tannic bite on the finish. Structured, classic claret, will still improve with more time. I liked this but it was a bit too classic for some. ****

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• 1983 Château Margaux

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

  Complex, tobaccoey dark fruit. Spice, hints of fruit cake. Fragrant if perhaps lacking a little intensity. Attractive on the palate, without perhaps the depth and intensity of the previous few wines. Fully integrated tannins. A little short on the finish. ***1/2

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