Nose is open for busyness, with toffee, earthy and floral aromas alongside noble barnyard. Medium-bodied, soft and balanced with a long aftertaste.

A surprisingly good Chateau Margaux given the reputation of the vintage, and very enjoyable at this stage. Complex, refined, with cedar, earth, graphite and cassis on the nose. Medium-bodied with soft tannins, balanced and long. Shows what first growths can be like even in lesser vintages.

A majestic wine, and my choice if I had to open a bottle for New Year's Eve. Knock-out, etheral nose of pronounced florality, noble barnyard scents, cedar, damp earth and cassis. Med+ bodied, balanced, refined, very complex with textbook structure and length. Liquid poetry.

A historic vintage, since it is the first of the Mentzelopoulos era. Low key nose, evolved and past its best, with fading fruit and somewhat drying tannins, yet still drinking nicely.

Elegant nose, cleaner but less characterful compared to the 1996, with less intensity. Florals and coffee. Full-bodied with textbook tannins and a perfect combination of elegance and power. Long aftertaste. Still youthful compared to the 1996. Huge potential.

Coffee on the nose alongside the floral/earthy/animal aromas for which this chateaux (and the eponymous appelation) is famous for. Medium-bodied, velvety-textured, balanced and long. Drinks nicely with very good potential.

This was the most monolithic (relatively speaking) of the 9 with pronounced moccha, chocolate and caramel alongside dark berries. Medium-bodied, with soft tannins and good length. Seemed quite lean in comparison to the monstrous 2005.

This is a sleeping beauty at this stage. Focused, very concentrated, dense, rich and extremely young. The signature Margaux elegance is here, combined with power in a unique way. Very long aftertaste. The only one among the 9 vintages that will require very long cellaring.

Expressive nose with pronounced florality and noticeable green scents. Medium-bodied, balanced, elegant and long. Drinks beautifully right now.