The 95 Margaux is a wine I have come across numerous times but I have never liked it. Its no exception tonight. The wine was tannic and medicinal. It certainly lacked the first growth charm.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Bordeaux first-growth lunch: Didn't realise I had this wine before but similar impressions to before. Elegant and classy without hitting fifth gear. Had a slightly distracting iron note (but wasn't as bad as the '79 HB).
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This Margaux, in common with so many '95s remains something of an enigma. Tasted 3 hours after decanting, it is still very dark with barely a hint of copper at the edge. After 5 hours, interestingly earthy fruit emerged from the tannin, not highly concentrated but it is encouraging that tears are very prominent. I sense this could emerge as a great wine in the style typifying the 1960s & 70s if the fruit holds up to the tannin, which is notably softer than 6 years ago. 10 years from now, I guess we will know one way or the other.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted for 1.5hrs. Slightly disappointed when drinking. Margaux has been one of my favorite Boredaux producers due to its very balanced and notable nose/taste. This particular bottle was not bad in any way; but it just lacks that "click" when drinking it.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Wine Workshop: Chateau Margaux (Gabriel Kreuther): Wow - young and intense and really needs a lot more time to be ready. This is a wine that would have benefited from quite a long decant. Esp as we are coming from some of the older wines this was the first one that made one take notice that these are wines that are meant to age for many many years. Lots to like in the future.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Agree with other tasting notes that there’s a thinness and lack of complexity - decanted 2 hours and still tons of tannin and not much fruit coming through.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
From an absolutely perfect bottle. Decanted and drank over four hours. Very nice, but seemed thin and slightly tannic. Pleasant black fruit, asphalt, and nice texture, but was not at expansive as I would have thought.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Light to medium red color. Mineral, berry bouquet. Light elegant style Margaux. Smooth and mature, it’s soft and perfect drinking now. Mild tannins in finish. Modest length. I would drink it over the next 2 years.
Tasted this at Mark’s yearly Bordeaux tasting. Sampled 12 vintages each of Château Haut Brion and Château Margaux. Great wines and comradeship, what an exceptional event to be part of! Thanks to our host for his generosity in presenting a once in a lifetime Bordeaux tasting experience. Tasted blind.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
drinking along with 1976 Mouton, 1982 Margaux and 2002 Latour. A good and regular performance. Mouton takes it all, aroma and taste. 1982 Margaux.....still too early to show it all. 2002 Latour is way too young, pity.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Cork was fully dried out and crumbled. While I found hints of the elegance tasted in bottles of the '83 and '96 that were shared by a generous friend, this bottle showed too much oxidation. As they say, no great wines, only great bottles. Bummer.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted for 1 hour. Beautiful nose but it didn’t live up to expectations - a bit thin. Waited another two hours to see if it opened up - it softened a bit but still seemed a bit thin and lacked complexity. A little disappointed.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Smoke, flint, and slightly herbal on the nose. On the palate, leather, tangerine, and strawberries. Heavy acidity, smooth tannins. Nice long finish. I've been looking forward to this for a while. Had the perfect evening with the perfect company.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Nose: metallic, Blueberry violet Notes: Still a very solid palate. This wine seems quite far from ready. Very alcoholic in general even at this age and its very difficult to appreciate or even rate right now. Rating: 88 Drink: 2035+
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Bordeaux/Cabernet with Special Guest Lail (Orsay): From a magnum and this was just much too young. Red velvet in the glass but all still very primary. Maybe opened up a touch but not as much as I would have expected. Had been decanted for ~2.5 hours before rebottling and brought to the restaurant. If we had another one I would hold.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted 3 hours. Beautiful color, nice cedar nose. Firm texture and balance, long finish. Finished second to Lafite and ahead of Mouton in a 1995 threesome tasting.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Beat the '90 La Chapelle: Ripe plummy fruit, surprisingly there were no hard 1995 tannins. Very elegant and classy wine, but less complete than the 1985 Cheval or 1990 Margaux which is doing it a disservice as it would have been WOTN easily on another night. Haven't had Margaux before and this might be my favourite Bordeaux producer now. Needs more time to come together but will not hit the heights of the other wines tonight.
Showing much better initially with expressive floral nose and bright acidity, drinking very well from get-go, definitely ready for consumption. By the end of the 2nd hour, this was showing a bit lean though next to the ‘90 Margaux and ‘85 Cheval Blanc. Nevertheless a very good Margaux.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Mixed this up with 85 Cheval on the single blind. Ripe, concentrated but elegant and not overbearing at all. Very right bank and almost nothing in common with the 90 Margaux next to it. Drinking extremely well, tannins resolved and good to go from the first pour. Magnificent wine.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
This is in its early drinking window, but you would hope it has years of development ahead of it, and I am puzzled by some reviews suggesting that this needs to be drunk up. I suspect that deadline is half a century away. It has all the potential to be a Margaux great, but it is dragging its heels and possibly will never quite get there. The nose is a delight of delicate floral notes with cherry and raspberry. Surprisingly the small quality of Cabernet Franc is making its presence felt with faint background hints of bell pepper on the palate. The depth of the palate and finish is excellent with the latter pushing 60 seconds. However, the tannin is enamel stripping. Interestingly many of the top left bankers from 1995 are starting to dramatically shed their tannin, but will it happen with the Margaux.
Dégusté avec Latour 1996 et 1998. Assez beau nez, bouche puissante et plutôt fermée, je doute que cela s’ouvre beaucoup plus, pas caractéristique de Margaux. 90-91
Tasted with Latour 96 and 98. Nice nose, powerful and closed palate, i doubt it will open up, not very characteristic of Margaux unfortunately.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Popped and poured at a restaurant. A bit of lightening at the rim. Rich Margaux nose. Drank very well with an extended long finish. Would have been nice to have a one hour decant but still very nice. I think it is time to drink up.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Black cherry, blueberry, pomegranate?, nose is all cedar, cigar/tobacco, light touch of green pepper, touch of chocolate. This is really nice. Still my least favorite first growth, great by any other standard. At peak, drink up
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
During a blind tasting dinner. Expressive nose with lots of barnyard and horse sweat, a bit too much so for my taste. On the palate fresh and light on its feet without being diluted. Good but not as strong as I remember it. The 1996 is the safer bet for Chateau Margaux in the 90ies
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Firm, masculine, hard style of Margaux with ample, ripe, fruits, great aromatics, but the tannic spine will take at least another decade to soften, that is if it does. The finish has a touch of greeness in the endnote. I own some, but I am not sure this is going to change much, we will have to wait and see, which is a lot to ask, considering it is already 27 years old!
5 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
One hour decant at the restaurant but could have used more. Overall good but slightly lacking in balance at this stage. This isn’t anywhere near its prime drinking window. Revisit 2025.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Color/App: moderately deep ruby core -> light ruby rim. Reticent bouquet of cherries, forest floor and a little tobacco. Palate fairly angular and ungiving for a Margaux. Is it the vintage? Or just too soon to drink or perhaps needed to be open for a few (more) hours?? Still a nice wine but not knocking anybody's socks off in the group. Surprisingly suffered by comparison next to a forward and delicious 2003 Monbousquet. Group consensus was to wait a few more years and retry to see if that hard exterior fades.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Wine Tasted at Acker Auction (Ci Siamo - New York NY): Small glass, walk around tasting. Very enjoyable, but not showing classic "Margaux" style to me and not as good as the vintage. But I've liked this wine as much as almost everybody else.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Elegant black currant and pine Forrest floor, in a lineup with an 1988 Pichon baron and 1996 cos. Really remarkable because of its acid and balance. The most poised and fresh of the lineup, with remarkable red fruit character. Delicious now, I’m sure it could get better but it’s hard to imagine how
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
This smelled and tasted relatively advanced. Leafy and tobacco in profile but still retained that FG fruit, length and intensity. Quality evident. I'd say drink up in next 5 years to catch it at its best
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted 3 hours before serving. Deep ruby to garnet color. Wonderful nose of leather intermixed with some floral elements and cherry. Medium body with medium grainy tannins and medium acid. Really lovely mouthfeel with red-blue fruit on the front along with perhaps some cola and blood orange through the finish and picking up some chalkiness as well with additional time in the glass. Elegant, balanced, and beautiful wine, but perhaps not as beautiful as $600 looks in my wallet.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted 3.5 hours and drank over 1.5. Didn’t show much evolution whilst drinking. Not as much on the nose as the 94 drank alongside but nonetheless classic claret and some clear finesse and pedigree to the perfume. On the P was really lovely - excellent balance and very linear from start to finish. Graphite / pencil and dark fruit with hint of sweet red fruits. Some hints of violet and a little leather and cigar box. Elegant. Really enjoyed it, but this was a treat and isn’t my price point / didn’t give me the bang for my buck that I was expecting. I can see why others would wait on this for development but was delicious now and I don’t regret drinking it!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
elegant and smooth. not showy but greatly composed wine with an attractive nose, a little Lafite in style, and a good body. only hints of tertiary aromas yet.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Opened night before and decanted in AM. Little nose at first but soon began wafting up a seducing bouquet of what struck me as toffee, reflecting the aging. First taste at dinner table luscious. Decanted again into cut crystal serving decanted probably unnecessarily and after second glass wine further evolved away from what I thought was peak. After two glasses perhaps best to save remaining for fresh tasting next day, and finish dinner with with table wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Excellent richness and a deep middle palate with tightly-wound tannins. Needs 10 years to reach peak drinking window. A more exotic and rustic style of Margaux with great depth. 93+
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
From half bottle with excellent level and provenance.
12.5%abv. Bright ruby pale garnet rim. Regal and alluring scents of dried violets floral, black fruit, graphite, cool soil, dried plum, cloves, sweet & cedary oak and tobacco, leather with enchanting hints of farmyard and undergrowth tertiary complexities. All mingling and ever-changing with a refined and precise weightless sensation on the medium bodied palate. A lifting finish leaving seductive floral, dried fruits and savoury minerals notes. So satisfying.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Not decanted, this Margaux seemed a bit shy and could have maybe shined much more with more air. Still quite pleasurable but without the depth and concentration to excite.
TN: A bit muted nose with dark fruits, tobacco, wet earth and wet stones. On the palate the wine is so soft, round and harmonious in typical Margaux fashion. But it doesn‘t have the power, density and depth to truly excite. Dark berries, a few red berries, a tad of coffee and hints of minerality and tertiary aromas. All a bit shy but overall quite enjoyable and full of finesse.
Decanting: Not decanted, maybe it would have been more expressive with 3 or more hours of air.
Glass: Gabriel
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Wow, this is back in the zone! So expressive and perfumed. Initially more tobacco, leather, earth and then after another 15 mins in the glass an explosion of lily “Margaux” perfume that just takes your breath away. Softer and seductive on the palate, yes not a blockbuster or as powerful as the 96 but i wanted to drink more of the 95 so that makes it the better wine tonight. Great length, balance and integration on the finish and lasts 45+ seconds. 3 bottles over dinner for 12 with old family friends. Very special and worth seeking out.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Magnum rarities tasting; 7/2/2021-7/3/2021 (Zunfthaus zur Waag, Zurich): Magnum rarities tasting hosted by a merchant and collector. The headline line-up of the main event featured 18 aged red wines from magnum which was preceded by warm-up tasting of a dozen aged reds. The highlights across both days were Chris Ringland 1998 (99), Montrose 1990 and Yquem 1948 (both 98). Also strong were Palmer 1989 (97), Cheval Blanc 1985 (97) and Léoville Poyferré 1990 (96). None of the wines were decanted prior to serving.
Tasting note: Ripe and concentrated fruit, some aging notes, but otherwise limited complexity and couldn't compete with the peers in terms of precision, especially when contrasted with the Cheval Blanc 1995. Slightly unbalanced palate with a pretty severe acidity overhang and you are also left with lots of mouth-coating tannin. Judging by this I think this will definitely be more ready in 5-10 years' time, but not entirely sure if it will also be better… This sounds harsh and I should add that by itself this was an absolutely fine wine, but against the competition present clearly falling behind.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dégustation Open Dreamer Style chez Simon B: Servi côte à côte avec le 1996 celui-ci s'est montré plus ouvert et expressif. Grand vin d'émotions le bouquet est sublime et n'est pas loin de réprésenter la perfection pure d'un grand Bordeaux. Classique. Bouche remplie de plusieurs couches soyeuses. Il rempli mes attentes qui étaient élevées.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
I’ll start by saying we need to try wines like this more often to get a better feel/comparison of where they’re at. Tonight we tasted splits of three 1995 1st growths - Lafite, Margaux & Mouton. All were opened 1.5 hours ahead of time. Then we poured a taste of each prior to double decanting. All three notes below.
1995 Lafite - purple hues with red raspberry, beef carpaccio and wet truffle followed by cherry liqueur, subtle violet and some dusty, earth flavors. Red currant with some warm carmel and pretty vanilla oak. Bright, young and light on the palate, but still showcasing firm structure. Was our favorite of the three midway.
1995 Margaux - light, clear ruby color. Somewhat of a muted nose at the beginning, but evolves to subtle coffee, rose petal, black fruit and vanilla cherry. Interesting notes of roasted chicken skin with herbs followed by tart plum on the nose that turns ripe on the palate with some astringency. Initially the palate was not very expressive, but with time in the glass the wine gets soft and silky on the palate and bigger fruits come forward. This wine took some time to open Our favorite at the end of the tasting, but started in 3rd place.
1995 Mouton - clear, bright garnet color. Light perfume, black fruits, anise and tart red fruits followed by layers of blueberry, wet leather, earth and rhubarb. Big and expressive palate with a long finish. One of the more expensive moutons we’ve had. Layers of flavor and complexity that eventually turned more jammy at the end. This wine was initially our favorite, but fell off toward the end.
p.s. pot roast with roasted potatoes.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
This continues to evolve and there is no problem to enjoying a bottle at present. Typically of 1995 it is at first impression light on the nose and palate, but this is deceptive and it builds subtly to something very special culminating in a finish of excess of 60 seconds. Along with typical dark berry fruits, with plum and cedar, there are notes of raspberry and floral overtones which add a real freshness to the wine. The depth and balance are truly exceptional, and the only barrier to another point or even two is the tannic wall on the final stages of the finish. So typical of the vintage, it will be interesting if further time can tame this. 96+
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Blind, Deep ruby, notes of cassis, barn yard, minerals, vanilla, graphite, forest floor and mocha. Extremely complex, aromatic and silky yet very powerful, this is a monster. Once unveiled, I recalled how underwhelmed I was with this wine when I had last tried it in 2009. How things turned around. This Margaux was drinking beautifully tonight and will hold until 2040. It is ready to enjoy but there is literally no rush.
It doesn’t need more words to praise this great bottle. Explosive elegant aroma, lots of fruit, dried flower, extremely long finishing! Decant for around 2 hours, right at its peak. A credit to the restaurant because they use an extra large Bordeaux wine glass, let the wine evolve its full power!
A nose at the beginning still very fruity, diffuse, then which will evolve with a lot of power towards leather and dried flower.
The mouth is very fine without thunderous substance, but the juice is there, and fills the mouth well with an acidity which offers a nice balance. The whole is still very fruity, it is surprising for a wine of 25 years old. The tannins are melted and perfectly integrated, a feeling of nobility, of race. But the main attraction of this wine lies in its finish and its length, quite simply impressive and intense.
Excellent.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Virtual Tasting: Open Something You've Been Saving (Home): Very dark red/purple color. PNP at 4pm and poured into jars for transport. Poured into glass at 7:30 pm. and drank a glass plus over 3 hours. This was damp and earthy on the nose, but not as giving, liqueurish black fruits, anise, olive tapenade. The palate is pretty, with very nice purity and focus; nice fruits with a mix of black berry fruits, cassis, and black cherry, olive tapenade, full bodied and balsamic infused blackberries. Excellent, but not the best showing we've had of this wine. In this case, some air may have helped. 93(+)pts.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Clearly a bordeaux nose and palate, with perfumed red fruit. The Margaux balance is evident. This is the 3rd time I've had this wine, and this one was not nearly as expressive as the first two experiences. It still drinks with elegance, it doesn't seem to be firing on all cylinders. Such are the pitfalls of vintage wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
The following wines were featured in this showdown, and all performed admirably:
2008 La Grand Dame (Starter) 2016 SQN Deux Grenouilles (Starter) 1991 Spottswood Cabernet 2000 Pichon Lalande 1995 Ch. Margaux 2001 Shafer Hillside 2009 Smith Madrone Cook Flats Res.
Wine Prep: Margaux decanted at 3 pm, Smith Madrone opened and splashed at 3 pm. All other wines PnP at 4:pm into jars for transport, and transferred to wine glasses for consumption beginning at 6:30 pm.
Voting: 2000 Pichon Lalande was unanimous WOTN, 1995 Margaux was #2, and 2001 Shafer was #3. My voting was in line with the group.
1995 Ch. Margaux: What can I say, I love Margaux! This is the second time I have had this wine, and it did not show as well as the previous bottle, but was still a stellar wine, nonetheless. Margaux is always a treat, and this bottle was certainly no exception! This wine was very tightly wound when I decanted it, and I definately would not recommend PnP for this wine. It also has years still left in it before it even peaks. Having said that, it is still delicious now, and opening a bottle with a 3 hour decant should still be glorious! Nose had that sweet Margaux perfume, paired with red and black fruit, and some leather and graphite nuances. On the palate, sweet nectar with plenty of red currant, blackberry and pencil lead, along with some notes of leather, dark chocolate and toasted oak. Finish was medium long. Easy 95.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted about 4 hours. Nose was subdued from the time it was decanted and never really came around. Palate was quite fresh with nice fruit and enjoyable for the 2 hours following, perhaps a bit lighter than a typical Bordeaux.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Enjoyed over Independence Day weekend. Paired with medium rare fillets. Seemed closed and over the hill at first. After 30 minutes in the decanter it really started to open up. Followed over the next three hours and it continued to improve with air.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
This is definitely ready to start drinking, with the previous harsh tannins now tamed. At this stage of its life it has a wonderful freshness and vibrancy. The nose is ripe with blackcurrant, raspberry, and cedar with a prominent floral background. The balance on the palate and finish is faultless, and the tannin has sufficiently sweetened on the palate, but still is a little too dominant on the finish. However, the latter is 60+ seconds. This is at last showing its first growth pedigree, and if the tannic aftertaste is resolved, I would have no hesitation in giving this an extra point or two in the future. 96+
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
My first bottle of this, the first Margaux I had ever tasted, was in December 2017. It gave nothing away, an opinion shared by my Wine Merchant, and I decided to wait at least 2 years before trying it again. In the meantime, an ugly duckling has transformed itself into a very fine swan. I will not go into detail, simply to say that it was one of the most enjoyable wines I have ever experienced, so much so that I abandoned any thought of drinking it with dinner. It was too good to allow anything get in the way.
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Coronavirus Denial; 3/1/2020-5/31/2020: Pristine bottle, excellent provenance, showed best after a couple hours in a decanter. This looks its age in the glass, pure garnet, medium depth of color. The nose shows faint hints of Margaux perfume and black cherry, muddied by notes of rotting vegetation and ethanol. It's a bit fresher on the palate, with a tart berry character, juicy acidity, sticky tannins and an overall lightness if not elegance. But again the ethanol notes obtrude and gain the upper hand. The long finish is quite pleasant, the best part of the experience. My score may be generous because its hard to ignore the label here, but then again it may be unduly harsh because the wine was well below my expectations, not inconsistent with other 1995 vintage disappointments. If I owned more of these, I'd hold for a very long time and cross my fingers.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Very tannic bottle that was decanted 2 hours in advance but felt like it needed 5 more hours. Thickly-textured with deep blackberry fruit and wonderful hints of violet spice, black licorice and Asian spices. Grippy and tannic on the finish but the great floral purity of Margaux Is apparent underneath. 93+
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
lovely medium red young color, classic Margaux nose of violets and cassis, hints of cherry, pretty cedar notes, on the palate a beautiful and pure delectable fruit, almost punchy, joyous, cherries, red berry, cassis, open on the mid-palate and starting to develop, all that said- it quickly leads into a long dry finish which is not yet astringent but appears to be moving in that direction, time will tell but I think the next 5 years will be critical- by then the back end will have either opened to some extent or will continue down the path toward the wine drying out without ever developing thoroughly, the fruit is still primary enough to allow for time and an open mind- though I confess I am not optimistic, I would drink soon and enjoy them as they are or be prepared to wait a very long time to see if a good balance emerges.
**** right now for the nose and front half of the palate, (***)+/- overall for the future, 2025 should confirm once and for all what to expect.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Astonishing nose of roses, cherries, raspberries and classic cassis notes. Palate a bit tense at first but over several hours opened up to show,red fruit, cinnamon, cassis, with an excellent vibrancy, balance and very long finish. By the end of the night some tannins were breaking out - next bottle shouldn’t be for 5 or more years. Still, this Margaux was showing youthful exuberance, depth, intensity and delicacy all wrapped together. A show off.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dinner with the wine group (Zazie, SF): High intensity aromatics, black fruits, slight spice, forest floor, slight bell pepper; palate is full bodied, still plenty of black fruits, medium-plus acidity throughout; medium-long finish. Very nice Bordeaux, still actually seems a bit youthful, though slightly further along than the '96 LLC. 93-94
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Wow, tremendous intensity and depth, deep dark purple fruit, strong acidity, more so than tannic structure, long, long finish. Intricate complexity is showing, but I'm sure will develop even more as it ages for many, many years. Fabulous.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Drunk at China Tang - Hong Kong - Rich & luxurious wine that lives in the shadow of the '96. Extremely approachable now but with decades in the tank. Not that I expected to be disappointed by this in anyway but it is certainly an exception to the 'Left Bank in '96, Right Bank in '95' rule.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Firm style of Chateau Margaux, that seems like its a modern-day version of their 1986. As time evolved in the decanter and glass, the wine filled out, softened, gained in aromatics and generosity. Full-bodied, powerful and concentrated, this is still quite tannic. Give it another decade and the wine should be markedly better, else allow it 3-4 hours of air, so it can flesh out and open.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
I won’t rate this wine because it isn’t near ready yet, IMHO. We had two bottles decanted 4 hours before tasting, and this deeply ruby red wine had black fruit on the nose, with graphite, violets, and a slightly funky earthy scent that muted as time went on. It had a velvety texture, and was somewhat more fuller in body than other Ch. Margaux I’ve tasted. It was delicious on the palate with dark red and black fruit, along with a bit of saddle leather and minerals. The finish was long, with prominent tannins, so I think it will last a good long while. I think I’ll wait another 5 years to open another bottle. A very, very special wine that will be a stunner with more age!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Deep ruby. Very brooding and closed. Not very attractive at the moment. Lots of herbal, licorice notes going on. No perfume, fruit seems to be hiding. Don’t think this is affected but no joy or fun here compared to previous bottles all purchased on release. I will give it the benefit of the doubt given my previous high praise and enjoyment of this wine. Leave this for a year and hopefully it is back awake and rocking again.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Last tasted nearly two and half years ago, at the time it was challenging. However, it has moved forward considerably since, and is a joy to drink. I gave this 7 hours in the decanter and it paid dividends. The nose is deep and perfumed with blackcurrant and cedar with background floral hints. It has developed sufficiently on the palate to be fully appreciated, with an outstanding depth. The finish is lengthy but still a little dominated by the tannin. As with the year as a whole, it has turned a corner and is starting to justify its original accolades upon release. More time will undoubtedly improve this, but it is starting to be highly enjoyable now. 96+
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Thanks to Bucky for sharing this. First time drinking wine together and he pulls this out. Talk about setting the bar high. This was really nice. It has that lovely Margaux crunchiness and texture, deep garnet fruit, cassis, cedar, a hint of sweet paprika, and a hint of dog fennel. It is full, and showing 1995 vintage traits. It is large and lovely at the same time.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Lovely nose of cedar, mushrooms and dark berries. Furry tannins and quite heavy bodied. Quite a bit of fruit coming through but also earthy and savoury. Great length. Quite delicious now but still quite young and lacking elegance and finesse...Colour is that of dark garnet with no signs of bricking.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted for 90 minutes to let it open up. The tannins are still strong, but softened over time, and the dark fruit and cedar flavors were the most pronounced. This is a subtle wine that will likely reward longer cellaring.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
This wine has really not impressed. I suppose it could be too young as I haven’t had much positive experience with young Margaux. But, it’s 23 years old now. Come on already! Rather austere noise with pencil lead notes, red fruit, and violets. On the palate, the red fruit is there but more herbal ness shows, with oak and a tannic finish. It doesn’t have the elegance, perfume, or silliness I’d like in a Margaux. I could see it coming around as it’s better than 5 years ago.
My third encounter of this wine. The wine has finally entered its early drinking window. The tannins have softened a bit. Classic cedar, mushroom, black currant, espresso and earth. Palate is still primary with a lot of power and first growth regalness but the finish is bitter, let alone it is one dimensional at this stage, lacking silkiness and first growth finesse. In 95 vintage, I prefer Latour and Haut Brion a lot more. I could be totally wrong on this wine as it might just be too young?!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Château Margaux vertical dinner (Taberna Del Alabardero): In his notes for the vintage, Paul Pontallier compares the 1995 to the 1986: "a true great vintage of power, depth, richness and complexity" he wrote. It was amazing how this first wine from the 1990s that we tried for dinner differentiated itself from the 1980s: far more youthful in aspect and while similar to the 1986 in tannic profile, the tannins seem to be accompanied by more roasted fruit. They are firm tannins, and even hard, as compared to the (superior) 1996, which came next. Could the heat of August have made the tannins a bit too hard, in terms of the fresher year 1996 - whose Indian summer permitted a better "hang time" for the Cabernets? Perhaps. In any case, the 1995 should evolve well, but I am not convinced that the tannins will ever calm down enough to shed their somewhat harder aspect.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Chateau Margaux dinner with Thibault Pontallier (Taberna del Alabardero, Washington D.C.): Comparing the 95 and 96 Bordeaux is always fascinating for me. The 95 nose always displays a hint of roasted fruit/espresso. The tannins are always a bit coarse. The 96 is always noble and classic. Expressive nose displaying intense ripe blue and black fruit, crème de cassis, crushed wild blueberry, ink, licorice, incense, roasted nuts, mint, dark milk chocolate, leather and earth. Excellent concentration, concentrated black and blue fruit, good acidity, earthy mineral, still strong presence of slightly rough tannins and a long crème de cassis and lead pencil driven finish. This is drinking beautifully but can improve for another two decades.
4th Annual Wild Game Dinner (Chateau de le Shane aka Shane's house in New Jersey): Paired with Pigeon 3 Ways at Shane's 4th Annual Wild Game Dinner. The wine was decanted at about 4pm and tasted at about 7pm. It is a dark opaque garnet with no appreciable bricking. The nose has some barnyard/brett that blew off fairly quickly and left a very earthy undertone. The flavors included anise, blackberry, blueberry and a lot of graphite and iron minerality especially with the pigeon breast meat. Compared to most of the other wines tonight the finish was a little short. I think I have found that some of the 1995 Bordeaux which got so many accolades after a long stretch of poor vintages from 1991-1994 have not aged as well as expected or at least don't compare as well to some of the 1990, 1986 and 1982 vintages from the same château.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Château Margaux Vertical (Chef's Club NYC): Nose is comparable to that on the ‘96 with blue and blackberry fruits and violet floras. Prefer the ‘96 as it has greater projection and expression, as has been the case every time I've tested the two side-by-side. Palate has all the same red, black, and blue berry fruits as that on the ‘96, just a touch tighter and tougher, although not an inelegant wine by any stretch. Bigger tannin too. Supple, but never seems to match the integration and balance of the ‘96 for me.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
My absolute favorite of this 1995 Big Five set. Deep and elegant wine, full of graphite, pencil shavings, currant and cassis, licorice, cedar, slightly earthy.
The lightest in the set, elegant and weightless, it still has young pointy tannin, not too astringent, but with mileage to go further.
Kept its ground over an hour and half in the glass, getting just a notch simpler after. A helluva wine, very harmonious.
WS 97, RP 95, ST 94+, JR 17.5/20
The Big Five 1995 at Mechta / 6 March 2018
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
A nice wine but underwhelming next to the 95 Mouton and 95 Lafite tasted alongside it. The Margaux was far and away the most evolved of the 3. Not quite fully mature, but on its way. The wine was elegant but lacked in depth and saturation.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted for 1 hour. The fruit is starting to blend nicely with the tannins and this is avery nice Margaux. its not fair to compare to the 90 or 83 and doubt it will reach those heights but it will drink nicely for a long time
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Going Big at Dan's (Dan's House): Decanted 1 hour. Classic Bordeaux nose of funk, decaying earth, cherry and leather. The palate remains a bit austere. This was Wine of the night with stiff competition.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
I can't add a whole lot to La Cave D' Argent's 10/21/2017 TN except one more rating point :). His note is pretty spot on. Tom's btl tonight at Dan's place. Thank you Tom! THis was my WOTN if for no other reason then the perfect maturing BDX nose. This is one of the best 95s I've had bar none and drinking quite well. With a couple glasses of wine in him Tom also revealed he has several more blts. He never promised to share the next one with me but it was implied:). Great to drink a btl purchased on release locally! Elegance, finesse and ethereal all the way with a weightless palate. Only possible improvement will likely be the further integration of the tannin and perhaps a little more fleshing out of the palate. Loved it!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
2017 New York Wine Experience Trip; 10/16/2017-10/25/2017 (New York City, NY): This opaque red/garnet Margaux is a blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot and 3% Cabernet Franc. The wine's big, black, plummy fruit is now breaking through its austere tannins. Accented with wild berries, lavender, sage, leather and pickling spice, it is full-bodied, fresh, plump on the mid-palate and long on the finish. This is very early in its drinking window and should last for decades. Drink now-2050.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Lots of flavor and bright young fruit. Decanted for four hours and tasted each hour until full glasses were poured. Frankly, a bit disappointed after buying en primeur and cellaring this long. I felt it was missing some of the superlative complexity one would expect. Finally after five hours the tannins became ultra fine and satiny with the palate opening up a bit more as well.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
The 1995 Margaux is still quite youthful, with a big nose of cassis, earth, cedar, and graphite. Fairly tannic and drying, benefiting from a decant, the promise of greatness is there. This is very nice today but should develop more nuance and complexity with another half decade rest.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Initially I would have guessed this as a right bank wine--seemingly Merlot based. Rich, opulent, and sexy dark cassis and chocolate. With extended air became more classic Margaux (just a hint of the floral note) and cab sauv, with the tannins becoming increasingly present with air. Great to drink with bone in lamb loin chops.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Had tonight with a 2 hour decant over a 3 hour dinner. Wine kept evolving but was always elegant, powerful, young and with a long finish. This was a perfectly preserved bottle and an excellent example of a rolls royce of wines. Drinking well now and has another 10 years. Notes of mushroom, espresso, pepper, just every sip a surprise and lots of glycerin to prolong the finish. What a wine!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Opened by Jcubed. This was the best Margaux I have ever had (although I've only had the 1995, 1996, 1998 and 1999). It was also probably the best Bordeaux I have had. Decanted just before the dinner. I had this wine once before in 2004 (also courtesy of Jcubed) and man has this progressed in the last 13 years. Ruby purple color. Complex nose. So smooth and elegant. Like drinking liquid velvet. Notes of ripe red berries, saddle leather, raw meat and tobacco leaf. Drinking very well. Silky tannins with a long finish. This just kept getting better as the night went on. 98 points.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Opened by J3 at Adelle's with some of the CWM. First Margaux that I can remember having, and it was pretty nice. Typical Bordeaux profile on the nose with graphite and tobacco, along with some red fruits. I'm not really a Bordeaux fan, so take this score with a grain of salt as others will enjoy this much more than I. As a comparison, I recently had some '90 Latour and couldn't even finish a glass. This is much better to my mind.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Consistent with previous tasting but going through it slightly wild teenage years. Still has phenomenal quality and potential. This bottle a little leaner than before but cork was pristine and no trace of cork taint.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
An old fashioned Bordeaux with 12.5% alcohol and big tannin. Beautifully coloured, the wine has a somewhat reluctant nose but is beautifully perfumed with cassis, blueberry and cedar with deep flavours of blackcurrent and liqourice on the palate. The flavours are intensely deep but with rigid tobacco like tannin giving an abrasive edge to the wine. The finish is unbelievably long and intense. However, it is marred by a residual sourness at this stage. The wine just kept developing complexity as it sat in the glass and although very enjoyable at present, it is in rapid evolvement and has the potential to develop into a maximum scoring wine in the not too distant future.
Zachys Holiday - Dec 2016 (Smith & Wollensky (48th & 3rd Ave)): Small pour that we shared so didn't have a lot, but this wine just jumps out of the glass at you. Leather, sweat, earth, saddle. There's an excellent balance and multitude of flavor here that I found quite compelling.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Let me make two things clear. One, I loved it. Two, you should stay away from this for another 5 years. At various points, glorious Margaux notes poked out but it's still quite primordial. Very fine nose of raspberry, white flowers, violets, Margaux pencil-lead, cedar, mineral. Tight on the palate. Long finish. Sit tight, ok? I promise it'll be good.
Not enough aeration. Good acidity with bright blue and dark fruit. It is less appealing than the 95 and 96 haut brion for me tonight. But i think it will improve with time. Still too young.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dark garnet/purple coloring with no signs of lightening. Dark berries, raisins and baking spice on the nose. Deep with refreshing acidity and an irony finish, this has a nice complexity and tension to it. Things can integrate further but the tannins are softening and it's drinking very well now
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
First Growths at Capital Grille (Capitalle Grille, Mpls, MN): Very deep dark purple red color. This was a worthy replacement to the corked '95 Lafite. PNP, drank 1 glass over 45 minutes. The notes were slipping at this point, but this was great. Spices, wood notes, mineral, red and black fruits, and graphite as the nose opens. The palate is full bodied, powerful and intense, dark fruits, round tannins, great fruit, very long, spices and oak on the finish. Still needs time, but really great and showing its stuff on a PNP.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
SLDS Backups and Blowouts: Lifted, perfumed nose of earth, redcurrant, iron and graphite. The palate is singing, with that perfumed fruit showing as layered and deep, while the structure keeps it all propped up. Very long in length, with the texture consistently excellent throughout. Exciting wine to drink.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Puissance et subtilité cobinés. Aromes profond mais cependant délicats Mures, confiture de framboises, violette, truffes. Tanins soyeux Finale super longeuse Exceptionnel
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dark core with some discolouration towards the rim. Floral, lots of dark berry fruit, tobacco, earth, herbs, spices and a hint of cocoa on the nose. Still quite grippy and even a little tight on the palate. Amazing purity of fruit, mineral, earthy, so layered and so incredibly elegant. Lovely ripeness to the tannins. Fresh and perfectly balanced. Superb length and intensity to the finish. Wonderful. Drink or (even better) hold. 97-99
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
6th of 12, decanted an hour, perfect cork and level, big step up from July 13 note, now very lovely with wonderful complex Margaux bouquet complete with violets and very long, complex silky fruit wrapped around an iron core, more pleasure packed than last week's 86, still fresh and youthful. Very fine plus (19).
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Bought at auction so can be sure of the provenance; drank before and during a prime rib dinner the day after Christmas; drank at the same time as a bottle of '85 Margaux. Tasted at opening, 30, 60 and 120 mins after decanting; it improved a fair amount after 30-60 mins, but wasn't much better at 2 hours. The '85 was smoother, don't know if that's an aging or vintage issue. Notes of pencil lead, new leather, plum; tannins were still a little harsh. I am still moving toward the conclusion that the emperor has no clothes: ie, that the cost of these vintage first growth bordeauxs can't be justified by their quality
Opened a few hours before dinner. After tasting, decided not to decant. Beguiling nose or red and black fruit, licorice, new leather. Palate is a bit less impressive, clean, nice, but not especially long finish. Medium weight. Might improve with time, but drinking fine now. No hurry at all.
A very fine wine, but not one of the all time greats.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dark brick red. Cork in excellent shape. Removed from Eurocave and consumed over four hours. Not decanted. Had tobacco leather, spice, menthol and minerals on the nose. Tart red cherries, blackberry, grilled herbs, and initially fairly thin in the mid palate. At three hours this improved some with more subtle fruit flavors developing. Very good wine, has aged well, but mildly disappointing given its pedigree . I enjoyed this more ten years ago when I had my first bottle of this vintage.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
plum, tart red cherry, herbs, autumn leaves, leather, cedar, going into secondary fruit characteristics. Slight bricking, liked it better a few years ago. In decline, which is surprising for 1st growth. Margaux still gets my vote for bottom of the 1st growths. Elegant and restrained. Do like it.
Update: After being open for 2-3 hours this really started singing and hit its stride. Became worthy of being called a first growth.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Disappointing. Stored at 57 deg. since purchase at time of release. Cork looked good and smelled OK. The wine seemed weak with minimal nose. No obvious flaw, but about what you would expect from a much lesser Bordeaux.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
A Margaux & Pauillac tasting (Wine Watch, Fort Lauderdale, Florida): Perhaps the disappointment of the night, considering its pedigree. Shy on the nose, but had a nice mix of dark fruits, spice, and floral. Full-bodied and mouth-filling on the palate. Structured as can be. Very long finish. So why a disappointment? It’s very far from showing its true colors, so it was hard to be too excited about it tonight.
From my cellar and taken to La Trompette in Chiswick. Short 30 min decant which probably wasn't enough as continued to improve throughout the meal. Fantastic left bank nose. Less fruit on the palate than I expected but a lovely savoury finish which made it the perfect match for my main course of grouse.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Sexy, very soft crème de cassis and crushed Faber Castell pencils slowly shifting to dried aged European firewood. Tenderly velvety mouthfeel that lasts forever. Evolving in the glass, impossibly getting more seductive by the minute. Double decanted and Vinturi aerator utilized. Not quite at its pinnacle, maybe try again in 5-7 yrs? Could be world changing at its peak.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
A reduced version of the '96 tasted alongside. An unfortunately ungenerous nose that didn't really shout Margaux. Tasty cherry cola on the palate with red liquorice follow up. Liquorice root, fennel, and bamboo shoots towards the end, culminating in a wine that feels older without being commensurately developed. Still a great bottle.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Beautiful color. And palate wasn't bad -- fair amount of nice fruit. But the nose had a musty cork note to it, and although I never quite got the cork on the palate...ultimately I felt the bottle was off. Expensive loss. )-:
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Give this deep garnet wine some time in decanter, as three hours were required for this well-cellared bottle to fully strut its expansive bouquet of lavender, wild berries, sage, saddle leather and pickling spice. Full-bodied, freshy acidic, seamlessly alcoholic and with medium-weight, fairly approachable tannins, it delivers flavors commensurate with the nose and stays solid in the middle. The back end is lengthy with a bit of tannic bite. Unlike many 1995 Bordeaux offerings, this wine has enough fruit to ensure that it will not succumb to the tannins. Drink now-2035.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
°°° Bordeaux 1995 °°°: Deep garnet in color. Nose shows red berries, ripe cherries (Kirsch) and slight hints of leather. The wine had plenty of power, is long and very balanced. Nice sweetness and smooth tannins. A superb Margaux. Drink now - 2040.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
At 20 years of age, the wine is starting to wake, although it still needed the help of 2-3 hours of air. The nose offers a floral, fruit filled perfume. Medium/full bodied, the wine has more of a softness than lush quality to its texture. The wine is fresh, ripe and youthful. If you have a bottle, I'd wait another 5 years, hoping for more development.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Incredible nose with sense of deep volume. Very expressive. Still a very big wine. Open up after 1.5 hours. It seems it's in the drinking windows as not much primary left. Smooth. Tabacacco, cassis with good balance of acidity. The bottle is in perfect shape since release and the only negative is a bit too much vanilla with a certain flatness at the finish; maybe it will be better in few years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Opened from a magum without decanting. The wine was very reserved with some cassis, pencil shaving, red fruits and herbs. The wine is still very young. I believe that with sufficient decanting, the wine will be great.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Verticale du Château Margaux: Un nez plus discret que les autres à l'ouverture, beaucoup plus expressif vers la fin, j'ai encore noté des notes de cèdre, de prunes, de cuir. La texture est crémeuse, avec beaucoup d'élégance et de finesse dans sa structure, une belle concentration. Un vin plein, rond et élégant, épicé, le plus austère au niveau des arômes (cuir, poivron), il s'impose par sa classe, quoique dans un style moins charmeur. Superbe. 95 pts
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
disappointed . perhaps this had not been kept in the best conditions prior to our purchase a few years back . all the structure of the wine was there but it lacked the power and richness of Margaux at its best .
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Absolutely brilliant from the first pour. Lovely glossy ruby colored fruit. The perfume of Margaux immediately seduces, so beguiling, so hard to put into words. Wonderful mid weight mouthful which is totally in balance, coats the mouth with its heathy and gloss fruit with such good length. Perhaps not quite as dense as the greatest years for Margaux but it never gets too big here and it is always about the velvet and cashmere tannins and texture and of course the nose that no other Bordeaux wine can reproduce. A pleasure over Sunday lunch for Mothers' day.
Beautiful ruby red, high glycerin, touch of earth and rosemary. Reserved yet beautiful.
Red fruit, dried cherry in midpalate. Great length. Smooth, well balanced, broader wine. Has all the bases covered. Margaux? Nose is now exploding.
Hit it stride after 10-30 mins open. Don't see this getting much better than it is now, at peak for my taste. '03 Latour was better (from memory). Flirting with perfection. WOTN.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
First Growths, Yquem, 100+Madeira (John V.'s): My WOTN. Such a pretty wine. Everything you hope for in Margaux. Vibrant purple coloring. The nose is sweet perfume with cherries, cassis and some red licorice. On the palate, this shows a bit of age and is probably at peak IMO. Cassis, and dried cherries with slight earthiness. Nice balance. Long finish. No hurry but won't get better.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Pure Bordeaux elegance... delicious from the first sip, enjoyed over a 3 hour multi course dinner tonight in Atlanta (Restaurant Eugene). Just an elegant lady of a wine, with a long lasting impression. We commented we didn't need any food, this was companion enough. The terroir expression was pure silky, chalky old world Bordeaux. Highly recommend. Open it and drink it , and drink again in 10 years and compare.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Slight sign of age - but it still has quite a bit of life. Big aroma of cigar box with pencil lead. Found it hard to find the fruit. Allowed to decant for about 5 hours - slightly changing flavor profile. Decent finish - which was long at times and short at others. Glad I drank this wine - finally, but I think I had bigger expectations.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
The nose is really good with pencil lead, soy, and a hint of beef. The oalat is lithe and a bit acidic with some earth and soy sauce. A bit short on the finish. Just ok to me.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Monopole 1st Growth Tasting: Dark fruits of blackberry, cassis, dark cherry up front with licorice, iron, and underbrush notes. I got a little blueberry sweetness somewhere in there as well. This is somewhat soft and plush and chewy, but with huge tannins! this turns the finish slightly bitter and will required at least another decade to resolve.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This is finally starting to drink now which is exciting. Very beautiful dark ruby with not hint of age for this 19 year old wine. Immediately open on the nose from the outset, this got more and more seductive as it sat in the glass. The first growth balance and poise just comes through on the palate- cassis, caramel, touch of nut, a nice spice, just all wonderfully in balance and so poised. Great length and we whipped through 2 bottles fairly easily with 3 Bordeaux chateaux owners who seemed to enjoy it too!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
This wine was opened and consumed over 2 evenings, more as a technical tasting than a bottle for dinner.
DAY 1 - Decanted for 3.5 hours. Slight bricking on the edges with a very thin meniscus. Nose was powerful with dark fruit, mineral and hints of cold coffee. Very well balanced, acids are medium and the Tannin is very well intact. This wine is still young with cassis, gravel and stone fruits on the palate,
DAY 2 - The nose has settled some and I got more oak than the previous evening. Still a smooth mouth feel and the fruits are still showing well. The finish on day 2 was not as long as day 1 and a little light and short. I expected day 2 to show better but that was not the case.
I have more that I will open several years down the road but in my opinion, this is a great wine that will not disappoint but I don't think further aging will add more than what she has going right now... We'll see,
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
I have sat on this wine forever and opened for our 25 anniversary today. Had with cornish hens and drank in Riedel bord. glass. Although i have had thousands of bottles of wine, i am not qualified to rate this wine. I guess i am not old enough, at 59, to know how a great wine will develop over the next twenty years. All i know is it was not as GREAT and would like to think it was worth the $300+ I paid years ago. Anniversary was great, wine was acceptable. I think it needs about five to fifteen years. Ps. Opened a 2003 ch. Prieure Lichine as a back up and it was great. Timing is everything, the Margaux will undoubtedly be better in a few years. Note added 2016: in retrospect, this may have been a forged bottle. I bought it in So. Cal about the time counterfeit wines were around and later the guy got busted.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Served from Magnum during a pre-Xmas dinner with friends. Medium garnet, very little brick in sight. Elegant nose of cloves and other spices, red fruit intermixed with cedar wood and a touch of forest floor. On the palate medium bodied with excellent balance and drinkability. Typical Margaux elegance. A very good Margaux all be it not completely at the level of the top vintages in this decade (The improvements in vini/viticulture in the past 10 years were too substantial for that). Drink now and before 2020.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
AMAZING... Great balance, wonderfull smell and a unique, subtle taste that lasts for minutes. Unique in Margaux. All time favourite estate. Magnifique.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Big Bordeaux Event VI (Kevin's House (Minneapolis)): Still a baby. Decanted 4 hours which certainly helped open it up. Cassis, chocolate, gravel and plums. Nice fruit showing through the oak/vanilla. Should balance out really well in a decade so hold! 93 to 96.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Big Bordeaux VI: Margaux; 11/2/2013-11/3/2013 (Kevin's house): A 4 hour decant. Not as nice as the 1985 Margaux, but cut from the same cloth. A leaner palate, slightly more vegetal. I'd like to try this with a little more age because I felt that this wine had not completely come together yet. I kept swirling and sipping my tasting pour trying to figure this wine out, and I failed.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Big Bordeaux VI: Stars of Margaux including '85 & '95 Margaux, '85 & '96 Palmer, Plus 1988 d'Yquem & More (Rocknroller's (Kevin & Vicki's Place)): Purple red color. Decanted for 4hrs, 2oz pour. This was really tightly coiled to start and had to truly be coaxed out over 30-60 minutes more in glass. Gradually you could see where this impressive, but young wine is heading. Nose starts off very brooding, cassis, black plum, deep and damp earth that slowly gives way to the Margaux perfume. The palate is intense, dense, elegant, underbrush, oak, silky smooth, rich and layered with black fruit and minerals, long finish. This wine is intriguing and frustrating at the same time, so much there, but difficult to get to it. In a perfect world give this at least a couple more years; this will drink for 20+yrs.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
My wine of the night; the nose, rich, complex, and elegant, with layers and layers of cherries, green peppers, fragrant roses, mint leaves, and black truffles; the palate, very complex, creamy, juicy, and vibrant, showing baskets of dark fruits with caramel, yellow flowers, and white truffles on top; the finish, so juicy and long almost like the 2005 vintage; overall, 95-96 points; rather drinkable and enjoyable in tonight's tasting event, yet could be cellared for 2 decades at least without breaking a sweat.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Cassis, lovely violet, cedar and black cherry. Long finish with velvety tannins. As close to perfection as possible. Drink or hold. It still has plenty of life, but hard to resist right now. I'd hold my last bottle for another 5 years.
Really perfect color for an 18-yr old wine. Gorgeous perfumed nose of black currants, violets and minerals. A very fine and very young Margaux with beautiful black cherry and blackberry fruit flavors. Medium-bodied and shows a full mid-palate which I find a positive quality of the vintage. This is regal in the glass and fairly austere with a fine coarseness to the texture that provides real grip. The finish is very minerally with violet and dark cherry notes and no real secondary flavors yet. My bottles have been stored perfectly since release and this wine needs time to show its stuff but can be drunk now due, I think, to the superb mid-palate. 95+
second from case, deepish garnet, still purple rimmed, aristocratic, primary blackcurrant fruit, violet tinged, iron core, fullish, excellent grip and class obvious, but hard work and closed today, more accessible a year ago, look again on twentieth birthday. Should ultimately deserve better rating than fine plus (18/20).
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Great wine that was quite tight on opening. After an hour started to show it's beautiful side. This wine has plenty of time to go and I regret not having more in my cellar.
Heady nose of dark fruit, minerals and flower. Medium-bodied with generous dark fruit flavors -- blackberry, currant, black cherry, with minerals, violets and a bit of spice. Gorgeous mouthfeel with fine acidity, round tannins, and a lingering finish. Very nicely balanced and just so smooth and plush. Not sure I agree that this is a 100 pt wine, but it is pretty phenomenal.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
1995 Bordeaux Tasting: popped cork 2 hrs before drinking over 3 hours: lovely wine, elegant and feminine style, slightly overshadowed by other wines with more robust fruit. drinking beautifully but will go another 10 for sure. 93-95. tied for #2 w/1995 dunn hm, 1995 lafite #1, 1995 LLC #4.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Opened and decanted a little less than two hours before tasting. Red currant and plum with tobacco, cedar, and a touch of cigar box on the nose. A well structured palate with the same red fruit coming through. Drying tannins. Full bodied with a lot of grip.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Quite forbidding and tannic but the nose already tells what the future be holds. Beautiful aromas of dark berries, full-bodied, beautiful and with style. On the palate dense and closely knit, black fruit. needs time.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Lunch celebration of my wife's birthday. Spectacular! Elegant, silky tannins, very balanced and an enormous aftertaste finish. This is so ready to drink. Still purple colour and very clear. Decanted for 30 minutes with almost no sediments left. Smells os plum, red fruits in general and some chocolate. Earthy. Very seductive and feminine wine. Balanced. Gives great pleasure. Its worth the price! This is a distinguished type of wine. Can be cellared for another 10 years but its ready to be drunk right now!
HDH auction tasting at Tru (Chicago, IL): Tart red fruits on the nose, something that just seems unthinkable for me from a Bordeaux. Very gentle and perfumed, this is the oenophilic version of elegance. Everything is silky smooth and in perfect balance, with notes of tart red cherry and plum, as well as a spicy green peppercorn note. Tannins are at an excellent stage where they're noticeable but not sticking out. Think Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
A perfect wine. Outstanding! Great nose. Perfectly balanced. Smooth and silky entry yet good tannins and acidity. Amazing ripe fruits that build and build. Complex. Finish lasts forever. 100 points Wine Spectator and I agree. My wife and I recently went to Chateau Margaux and I've never seen more care put into the winemaking. Chateau Margaux sources the oak for the barrels from a specific forest that they know creates the silkiest tannins. They even have their own cooperage to make some of their own barrels.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Light weight, a bit disappointing, aromatics under-deliver. It seemed a bit closed and probably needs much more time to be fully enjoyable. Great colour though. If it stays as such, it would not worth its price tag!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Drank my first bottle from my half case. Decanted for 3 hours. Was still slightly closed at first but opened up beautifully in the glass. I'd say it just entered it's drinking window but would improve slightly with a couple more years in the cellar. Such a beautiful feminine quality synonimous with Chateau Margaux. Cassis plus some red fruit from the high % of merlot in the blend this vintage. Then a savoury earthiness which gives a wonderful balance. Superb.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted for 90 minutes prior to drinking with a Kobe sirloin. Absolutely wonderful wine that is still young. Tannins softened nicely as the wine drank in the fresh air. Nose was alluring and finish deep.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Early Mar 2012, Chateau Margaux tasting (22 different vintages) at the Rheingau Gourmet Festival: rubin red color; intense red fruit bouquet, mulberry plus vanilla and coffee and other aromas/flavors; medium/full body; satin-like texture accompanied by silky tannins; long finish.
Blockbuster wine. And this one isn't fully developed yet: it'll even get much better. Buying recommendation!
Flight III: 1994 - 1995 - 1996 - 2000
Monster flight: 1995, 1996 and 2000 Margaux performed on the same quality level and it's very hard to pick a flight winner. However, I would choose the 1995, simply because he's the most mature one.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dinner at Quinns in South Beach with four beautiful ladies (Meryl, Karen, Joyce, MARGAUX) and me. The time is now for this glorious wine. Yes , also for the next generation, but now, you will be rewarded. I last drank and rated 4/4/2009. Again, we decanted our Margaux for two hours while we grank a Philippe Colin 2008 Chassagne Montrachet and a 2000 Chave Hermitage (incredibly beautiful). Our beautiful lady, Margaux, is full bodied and gloriously complex. Her black licorice merges with the currants, almonds, rich coffee, and black Nabali olives to a caressingly smooth, yet chewy and delicious delight. Platinum Perfection.Marry her. Go on your honeymoon today and cherish her forever.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Friday after Thanksgiving (FAT) (Palm Beach Gardens FL): Really good fruit but a bit rough around the edges. Of course it is tough to compare to the 90 Margaux just tasted, and also tough to evaluate after a night of amazing Grand Cru Burgundy.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Ooof, this wine was incredible! Insomnia due to thinking how exceptional this wine was. Paired with some nice bloody as hell ribeye steaks...unbelievable. The pungency and silky-ness was off the charts! Don't have much experience with French wine, but this has opened my senses.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
@ Eleven Madison. First wine of the night. PnP into a decanter. My first thought was that this needs 5-10 more years. Somewhat closed both on the nose and the palate. Tannins are definitely there, albeit quite fine. Good power and elegance. Very earthy, very dark palate. I liked it, but over the hour or so we had this in the glasses, I think I only caught a glimpse of the potential here. Comes across as very very polished. Medium plus finish. No oomph though. It was outshined by the 1995 Lafite and 1964 Lopez de Heredia tonight. A great way to start a memorable night though. 92-93+
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Clear deep ruby, purple black core with ruby edges. Clean intense aromatics: Cassis, ink, violets, ripe plums, even roses, ash, charcoal. With further time in the glass leather, earth, vegetal herbaceous aromas emerged and a hint of lead pencil too. Dry, silky entry, medium body, despite the big firm tannins and high acidity on the palate (this wine still feels quite young) there are great ripe black fruits (bordering on compote) that just build in flavour and complexity in the mouth. Wow! This wine has an amazing blend of elegance, finesse and hidden power too.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Oinotrapeza December tasting. Very dark colour, almost opaque with ruby highlights. Nose was a little bit heavy with "black" aromas. Olive, tar, ink and ash and even coal. Super-ripe fruit also black, some meaty tones, leather and a herbal and balsamic lift. Very dark and brooding nose for a Margaux, this was more like 'the black wine of Cahors". In the palate it was dense with inky and plummy notes, overripe fruit and hard tannins. At the moment the wine's structure is unbalanced yet the fruit seems almost burned. There is a discrepancy between the youthfull tannic structure and its fresh texture and some almost aged-burnt flavours and aromas.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Very dark ruby. Fantastic nose with cedar, berry fruit, olive, ash, tar, graphite, tobaco, herbs, leather and ink. The nose indicates that the wine is quite evolved, so the impression on the palate is quite schocking: very aggressive tanins and high acidity leaving little space for the fruit to show. This wine is at its infancy and long cellaring is required before it will be able to offer real drinking pleasure. Long but dry aftertaste. Maybe a future classic.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Julian's MNSC (Wagyu Kaiseki Den): maybe unfairly overwhelmed when put side by side with the stunning 1990. notes of sweet plum, leather and hints of game. feels somewhat tight and not reaching its full potential yet.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
EP Tasting at Armit. Aromatic fruit nose, lovely - deep red fruits. Tannin and acid well balanced and still holding a firm grip. Still very young and a long way to go. Score will definitely increase from here...
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
What a wine ! by the color, intensive ruby/purple colour; by the nose, a balance of cedar,light tobacco and black fruis; by the taste,even if tannins are there, we have been amazed by its freshness/acidity after fifteen years; by its lenght in mouth,warm and smoky. Elegance is the word that would summarize the best this wine. Has been decanted two hours before and was at its best at the end.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Element’s: Earthy, tabacco, prune, cassis; opened up the next day: pure, firm, elegant w/strucure and soft t’s. Really nice, and still a bit young, but showing very well. W/Boeuf Bourgignan, then w/Pizza next night.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dinner at home with my friends George, Vassilis, Manos and Costas, without our spouses. Vertical tasting of Ch. Margaux. Wine Spectator rates it 100 points. This wine is a classical Ch. Margaux, with deep garnet color and blue hues. Attractive nose with scents of gentle oak, prunes and black forest fruits. Medium to full bodied with still vibrant tannins and flavors of raisins, charcoal, graphite and pencil shavings. Very spicy aftertaste with some hints of pink peppercorns. The finish lasts about 35-40 sec. Still a baby, needs decanting for at least 1 hour prior drinking. It was perfect with lamb cooked with margaux wine (I used Ch. Desmirail 2003) and morels. Unforgettable combination!!!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
There is no doubt this wine needs WAY more time but it was an experience nonetheless. The dark black colour leads you into a beautiful perfumed nose of flowers hinting at what is underneath. Decanted for about 2 hours, the wine is a monster with excellent structure and a huge backbone of tannin. The fruit is there, with only some hints of pencil shavings and coffee and cassis but they are mere drops in the bucket compared to what this wine will be like when ready to drink. Long finish with very fine tannins. For structure and elegance alone, 94 points.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
decanted about an hour. beautifully perfumed, opening up a bit, no harsh edges, just a rose in bloom. i was impressed, and this is going to evolve into an excellent wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted for 4 hours before tasting, the 1995 Margaux was still very tight. Nose of saddle leather, tobacco and smoke. Dark color. Still very tannic. As the wine had more time in the glass it started to come around more with a nice mouth of chewy dark fruit. However standing next to the 1990 Margaux, this wine was outclassed. Probably better off in 10 more years. Very good wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
I have a hard time drinking this next to the '96. Like many of the '95's, I find it too light for my palate. I just don't see how this is going to get better either, does not seem to have the structure. Will gladly drink a glass if handed to me, but would trade my '95's for '96's.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Young, but very drinkable. Dark red fruits, graphite, and soft tobacco character. Pure, seamless palate, with tannins that are far finer than a number of '95s are showing. Cassis. Softened, but can last a long time. Delicious.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Earth, oak, caramel, blackberry, violet and black cherry scents are found in the perfume. Very tannic with a slight austerity to the style. This young, concentrated wine needs a lot of time before fleshing out.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Drank at Zachy's auction at Daniel - This is a quality wine, but I much prefer the '96, '90 and '00. This was clearly the best bottle of '95 Margaux that I have had, but I still found myself searching for fruit and tasting a lot of drying tannins. I find it is a great food wine, but for me a really great wine needs to stand on its own.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
The contrast between this '95 and the '96 was extreme - surely this was a off bottle. Fairly unpleasant nose of mineral water and rhubarb and the color is far more advanced than the one year difference in age would suggest. There's good density on the palate but ultimately it falls flat.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Absolutely beautiful wine!!! So well balanced....beautiful terroir dark black fruit....this wine absolutely has it all.....did I mention it was balanced? Soft, supple tannins......definately ready to drink...decant a few hours....but so damn tasty.....
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
elegant, forceful nose, tannic, tight, should be wonderful many years downstream. Big and structured, open 4 hours befoe drinking, most like the 85. DO NOT DRINK for 10 yearsr
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Anniversary dinner at the Raven and the Peach. Full-bodied black purple, textured and full in the mouth with silky smooth mid palate and finish.Currants, black raspberry, licorice and nuts merge into a effortless balance that clues you into how a great wine should be and is made. Good for thirty years plus, but with decanting two hours up to eight, your wine will vary like a beautiful starlight evening- sparkling and ever changing -always a delight. The Heels won too! Maybe an 82 Las Cases Monday evening!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
The most unbelievable chocolate, coffee nose I have ever smelled on a wine. Very perfumed: cherries, carnations, medical tape. Gripping tannins....BUT ready to drink. The flavors are still too jumbled up to unique. I tasted with about 12 people including a MW and almost all thought this wine was not ready yet.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
LdC Palmer vs. Margaux Dinner (Primehouse): Full purpule color. Big canned black fruit nose with hints of paint thinner. A bit austere black fruit on the palate. Not sure how I got to this score re-reading my note?!?
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dark Color with an ever so slight fade towards the edge. Sublime aromatics of black cherry, currant, a touch of underbrush, tobacco, and cedar with a bit of chocolate in the background. Lush palate with excellent grip on the backend. Showing fantastic this evening, but not near ready. Looking forward to opening my other bottles 10 years + in the future.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Chateau Margaux Tasting - 1983-2006 - With Paul Pontallier (Merchant Taylors' Hall, Threadneedle Street, London EC2): 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. ****
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Amazing how many people have tasted this wine. This one was bought as the price for a bet lost re the outcome of the 2008 election. Boy where to begin. Wine was opened and decanted. First taste 45 minutes in revealed nothing extraordinary on the nose or palate, but wisps of something trying to escape. An hour later the explosion began. Like a top Burgundy, this was mostly a "feminine" wine with elegance and grace. Nose began with a cascade of wonderful sensations...floral (lilacs and violets), porcini mushrooms, big licorice, and dark candied bing cherry. Perfectly seamless...nothing dominated, unbelievable balance or equilibrium. Tannins in perfect harmony, and when they began to smooth, the wine simply became more of itself, with those amazing aromas and tastes just growing and growing. And yet, never did this wine become a monster...no raw two by four in the face that the big Pauillacs possess. An incredibly "intellectual" wine that mandated intense study, reflection and deconstruction of the experience. Bottle was consumed over three hours with due reverence. Did it taste like $500? No way to answer that. Was there zero doubt one was tasting something singular that stood apart from a great 2nd wine from a top chateau? Absolutely. NOT a beginner's wine, and not a wine for those who don't have the patience and the interest to really spend some time with it. I wish all posters and readers they very best of luck and hope and good fortune that they drink a wine like this someday. Not having "the wallet for it" as Miles remarked, I doubt I'll ever taste a wine like this again. Without question one of the top 3 tasted in my life.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Chateau Margaux dinner (Au Jardin Les Amis, Singapore Botanic Gardens): This wine had a great sense of terroir, on one hand clearly Margaux and on the other clearly 1995. I thought it was outperformed by the 1989 and the 1999 on the night, but this will probably go on to best the other two in another decade or so. Nose was really feminine, with fresh cut flowers, green bell peppers, earth and a hint of leather and meat. All rather bright and high-toned, and absolutely hedonistic. More of the same headiness on the palate as well, almost like drinking perfume, with rich cherry and sweet berry flavours, sandlewood, flowers, a super sense of minerality and the lightest touch of cheese and a sprinkling of pepper, all swaddled in a rather tight package of super fresh acid and nicely coiled tannins. The finish was long, as would be expected, and a lot fresher than the 1999, but I found it the shortest of the three vintages of the grand vin that we had. A beautiful wine no doubt, but with a bit of 1995 harshness and angularity at the moment. This will need some time to really blossom.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
We consumed two bottles of the 1995 Margaux at one dinner - one from my cellar and one from my friend's cellar. Both bottles were outstanding - great fruit with limited tannins (but enough to demonstrate that the wine had a lot of further ageing potential).
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Young, dark color. Red and black fruits, coffee, graphite, and earth nose - textbook Margaux seamless, elegant profile. Really wrapped up on the palate. Medium weight, classic flavors, but a wall of tannins takes over and dominates the finish. Very patrician, graceful profile, just needs to round out some. Probably a decade plus before it should even be considered. Very promising.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
1285 Avenue of the Americas: Opaque purple with flowers in air and on the nose. Licorice,toasty oak with integrated tannin on the palate. Full bodied and fruity both black and raspberry. Layered and lovely!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Pebble Beach Food and Wine; 3/27/2008-3/30/2008 (Pebble Beach Resort, CA): Rather closed nose with some raspberry, cassiss, and currant. Palate very tannic and structured, but fine tannins. Long finish with earth and flint with good complexity. Still drinks as though it's very young, needs more time, but has a very promising structure and balanced to be something spectacular.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Hart Davis Hart Wine Co Comparative Bordeaux Tasting Vintages 1995 & 1996 (Newberry Library, Chicago IL): First time tasting this famed wine. I was impressed how Parker seemed to really nail the notes on this one. Some personal impressions: Licorice, Jammy, toasted Oak and candied nuts. Great spice component. Really well balanced. Could not get over the nice taste - again the overall impression of a very nice taste. I noticed that on the last sip, there seemed to be a hint of acidity.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
taste: very nice and silky. Quitnessential Chateau Margaux. Nice helping of black currant, tobbacco, cranberry, and some cedar
overall: this is excellent. wonderful structure and balance on this wine. THe finish doesn't last as long as I'd like, but this is why this wine is a first growth
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dinner at Eleven Madison Park (New York, NY): Reticent. Vitamin pill moving to cedar. This is really holding back. Tannic, firm and powerful with loads of minerals. Salty, powerful and reticent. Exceptionally young.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Chateau Margaux vertical (11 Madison Park in NYC): Funky barnyard nose. Tannic with good dense dark fruit and some high tones. This is not yet ready to drink and I think it will turn into an excellent wine with very solid fruit if not the polish of some of the others. A-
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Jeroboam Club: Ch. Margaux Vertical (Bordeaux Quay, Bristol): Bright purple, darker than the 96. Initial hit of roasted coffee beans on the nose, with round, sweet, ripe fruit; some funky cola baby notes, sherberty; hints of toffee and caramel. On the palate, larger scale than the 96, a bit heavier, but something green underneath so not as classy. Still, the ripe sweet fruit does come through in the mouth, and there's a good mid-palate and finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
drank with dvg and manlin, very advanced, likely stored in extreme conditions. hard to assess the acidity or tanning because there was none. have a hunch that well stored bottles have alot to offer!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
The nose was strangely muted and almost entirely absent, but what this wine lacked on the nose, it more than made up for on the palate. Notes of blackberry are most apparent, but a subtle tart blueberry note is most interesting. This wine is very similar to the 1996, but the 1995 vintage seems more willing to soften with exposure to air. The tannins are quite powdery, but the finish is very, very long. Drink 2015-2030. 94-95
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Bordeaux Tasting, Dallas, Texas (IL Sole Restaurant & Wine Bar): Awesome dark falu maroon red with the scent of black currants, earthy mushrooms and raspberries. Very refined tannins that mellowed over an hour (decanted for an hour as well). Wine definitely lingered on the palate with a finish that went on and on—I stopped timing at 45 seconds because I was distracted by some food. Amazing wine and my WOTN. 94-98
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Oaky nose showing profound notes of espresso. The palate has a very full feeling in the mouth, like the wine is about to give birth. Notes of espresso follow through onto the palate, which also shows lots of dark fruit notes.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
The Wine Summit; 6/2/2006-6/3/2006 (The Post Hotel in Lake Louise): Dark ruby colour – great depth; aromas filled with black currant and red currant fruit, sweeping through the nostrils along with spice and some cedar; full and rich on the palate, but nothing aggressive here – the parts just seemed in perfect harmony; great structure, acidity and soft tannins lying beneath the fruit; a touch of coffee and hazelnut mixed with the black currant fruit; lengthy finish that continued to cry out for another sip.
A great match with the cheese dish, where we were able to concentrate on the versatility of this wine to rise up with each of the different cheeses.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Wine Spectator Bordeaux First-Growth Tasting (New York Marriott Marquis): Dark red, transparent wine. Nose of cedar and cherries. Thinner wine than the rest in the flight. Nice mouthfeel and flavor structure. Very delicate. Cherries, cedar on the palatel. Nicely balanced. Not what I expected but very nice.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Black coffee red. Medeium/forward arom a of zingy spicey briar red fruit with a hint of bubble gum? Lovely rich ripe red spicy fruit on a firm but round tannic frame and a long finish. 94+ pts. NYWE 05 10/05
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Blair's Burgundy and Bordeaux Blowout: Bright deep ruby. The glass erupts with red and black berries. Big, full bodied with currants and a long seamless finish. This wine is still a baby but approachable and delicious now with about 4 hours in the decanter.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
A 98 point dinner at Steve Cramer's (West Seattle, WA, USA): This was not a popular wine with the table as a whole, but I thought it was elegant and gorgeous for such a young wine. The nose dances with white flowers, cassis and graphite with the minerals dominating right now. The palate shows hints of cedar and that pencil lead character. Great acidity. This is clearly pretty closed for business right now but I suspect it will unfold gorgeously in a decade.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Closed nose, very unctious and rich on the palate. While drinking it last night it was obvious that it was years too early for consumption. I only rated it low as the wine wasn't giving much. At maturity, this wine will be 97+.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
2004 WS Wine Experience: Ch. Margaux Vertical (Hyatt Regency, Chicago): Fabulous nose, showing more fruit than the other vintages in the bouquet. A different story on the palate. Dense and long, with chewy tannins. A powerful, forceful style with great balance and masculinity. Extremely impressive and one of my favorites of the tasting. JS like the ’95 better than ’96. Pontallier preferred the ’96, while saying of the ’95: “It would be a pity to drink now, since it has so much to prove in the years to come.” $300
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
WS CWE 2004 - Margaux Vertical (Marriott Marquis): Deep coffee red color. Subtle sweet aroms of briar and cherry fruit. Deep ripe black cherry flavors with tannins down 1 notch. Quite concentrated. 94 pts. 11/04
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dark red with a hint of browning at the rim. Scents of tar and plums. This wine had a near-mature flavour profile with a soft feel. Figs, prunes mixed with tobacco combined to make up what was a surprisingly evolved taste with a first glance at secondary nuances - both in flavour and bouquet. Very elegant and classy with a wonderfully long, and balanced aftertaste.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
A very lovely low key old world wine. Tried this a Jcubeds house. I found it to be smooth and earthy. The tannins were solid and firm. This wine obviously needs time but is not nearly as tannic as you would expect. I guessed this correctly. 93+ points.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dark red, fairly young in appearance. Classic (at least to me) Margaux cherry licorice, roasted herbs, limestone and cedar sensations backed with chocolate, fudge, ripe fruit, and intense, yet subtle tannins. Can only be ...
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
2/21/2024 - Burgnick wrote: 91 Points
The 95 Margaux is a wine I have come across numerous times but I have never liked it. Its no exception tonight. The wine was tannic and medicinal. It certainly lacked the first growth charm.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/2/2024 - melvinyeowq wrote: 94 Points
Bordeaux first-growth lunch: Didn't realise I had this wine before but similar impressions to before. Elegant and classy without hitting fifth gear. Had a slightly distracting iron note (but wasn't as bad as the '79 HB).
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/27/2023 - Horichdaslicht Likes this wine:
This Margaux, in common with so many '95s remains something of an enigma. Tasted 3 hours after decanting, it is still very dark with barely a hint of copper at the edge. After 5 hours, interestingly earthy fruit emerged from the tannin, not highly concentrated but it is encouraging that tears are very prominent. I sense this could emerge as a great wine in the style typifying the 1960s & 70s if the fruit holds up to the tannin, which is notably softer than 6 years ago. 10 years from now, I guess we will know one way or the other.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/25/2023 - tjcarlson4 Likes this wine: 97 Points
Wonderful treat for Christmas Day. Aged beautifully.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/2/2023 - d.f.c Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanted for 1.5hrs. Slightly disappointed when drinking. Margaux has been one of my favorite Boredaux producers due to its very balanced and notable nose/taste. This particular bottle was not bad in any way; but it just lacks that "click" when drinking it.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/13/2023 - dan@mpeconsulting.com Likes this wine: 95 Points
Lots of life still
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/8/2023 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
Wine Workshop: Chateau Margaux (Gabriel Kreuther): Wow - young and intense and really needs a lot more time to be ready. This is a wine that would have benefited from quite a long decant. Esp as we are coming from some of the older wines this was the first one that made one take notice that these are wines that are meant to age for many many years. Lots to like in the future.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/14/2023 - Fauman wrote: 88 Points
Agree with other tasting notes that there’s a thinness and lack of complexity - decanted 2 hours and still tons of tannin and not much fruit coming through.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/5/2023 - johnh1001 wrote: 92 Points
From an absolutely perfect bottle. Decanted and drank over four hours. Very nice, but seemed thin and slightly tannic. Pleasant black fruit, asphalt, and nice texture, but was not at expansive as I would have thought.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/25/2023 - VinhoVerde Likes this wine: 91 Points
Light to medium red color. Mineral, berry bouquet. Light elegant style Margaux. Smooth and mature, it’s soft and perfect drinking now. Mild tannins in finish. Modest length. I would drink it over the next 2 years.
Tasted this at Mark’s yearly Bordeaux tasting. Sampled 12 vintages each of Château Haut Brion and Château Margaux. Great wines and comradeship, what an exceptional event to be part of!
Thanks to our host for his generosity in presenting a once in a lifetime Bordeaux tasting experience. Tasted blind.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/19/2023 - Eric wrote:
Haut-Brion and Margaux courtesy of Mark Taylor; 3/18/2023-3/19/2023 (Atlanta, GA): Very light color. Seemingly older. Much more graphite on the nose. So much mineral, it crackles, lovely, singing, nice acidity. It is clearly older.
My 5th pick and the group 6th. I guessed the 2002 but should have been further out of the box, as this was the 1995.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/8/2023 - onboisduvin Likes this wine: 92 Points
drinking along with 1976 Mouton, 1982 Margaux and 2002 Latour. A good and regular performance. Mouton takes it all, aroma and taste. 1982 Margaux.....still too early to show it all. 2002 Latour is way too young, pity.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/7/2023 - JCGuthrie wrote: flawed
Cork was fully dried out and crumbled. While I found hints of the elegance tasted in bottles of the '83 and '96 that were shared by a generous friend, this bottle showed too much oxidation. As they say, no great wines, only great bottles. Bummer.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/6/2023 - Ndm73 wrote: 86 Points
Decanted for 1 hour. Beautiful nose but it didn’t live up to expectations - a bit thin. Waited another two hours to see if it opened up - it softened a bit but still seemed a bit thin and lacked complexity. A little disappointed.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/14/2022 - castle.rob@gmail.com Likes this wine: 98 Points
Smoke, flint, and slightly herbal on the nose.
On the palate, leather, tangerine, and strawberries.
Heavy acidity, smooth tannins.
Nice long finish.
I've been looking forward to this for a while. Had the perfect evening with the perfect company.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/21/2022 - TWSA Does not like this wine: 88 Points
Nose: metallic, Blueberry violet
Notes: Still a very solid palate. This wine seems quite far from ready. Very alcoholic in general even at this age and its very difficult to appreciate or even rate right now.
Rating: 88
Drink: 2035+
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/13/2022 - steinersing wrote: 95 Points
classic style Margaux
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/5/2022 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
Bordeaux/Cabernet with Special Guest Lail (Orsay): From a magnum and this was just much too young. Red velvet in the glass but all still very primary. Maybe opened up a touch but not as much as I would have expected. Had been decanted for ~2.5 hours before rebottling and brought to the restaurant. If we had another one I would hold.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/9/2022 - Hanover Likes this wine: 96 Points
Decanted 3 hours. Beautiful color, nice cedar nose. Firm texture and balance, long finish. Finished second to Lafite and ahead of Mouton in a 1995 threesome tasting.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/9/2022 - melvinyeowq wrote: 94 Points
Beat the '90 La Chapelle: Ripe plummy fruit, surprisingly there were no hard 1995 tannins. Very elegant and classy wine, but less complete than the 1985 Cheval or 1990 Margaux which is doing it a disservice as it would have been WOTN easily on another night. Haven't had Margaux before and this might be my favourite Bordeaux producer now. Needs more time to come together but will not hit the heights of the other wines tonight.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (2)
9/9/2022 - pclin wrote: 95 Points
Showing much better initially with expressive floral nose and bright acidity, drinking very well from get-go, definitely ready for consumption. By the end of the 2nd hour, this was showing a bit lean though next to the ‘90 Margaux and ‘85 Cheval Blanc. Nevertheless a very good Margaux.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/9/2022 - Dibbs Likes this wine: 96 Points
Mixed this up with 85 Cheval on the single blind. Ripe, concentrated but elegant and not overbearing at all. Very right bank and almost nothing in common with the 90 Margaux next to it. Drinking extremely well, tannins resolved and good to go from the first pour. Magnificent wine.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/7/2022 - djhammond Likes this wine: 95 Points
This is in its early drinking window, but you would hope it has years of development ahead of it, and I am puzzled by some reviews suggesting that this needs to be drunk up. I suspect that deadline is half a century away. It has all the potential to be a Margaux great, but it is dragging its heels and possibly will never quite get there. The nose is a delight of delicate floral notes with cherry and raspberry. Surprisingly the small quality of Cabernet Franc is making its presence felt with faint background hints of bell pepper on the palate. The depth of the palate and finish is excellent with the latter pushing 60 seconds. However, the tannin is enamel stripping. Interestingly many of the top left bankers from 1995 are starting to dramatically shed their tannin, but will it happen with the Margaux.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
7/29/2022 - Mario17 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Dégusté avec Latour 1996 et 1998. Assez beau nez, bouche puissante et plutôt fermée, je doute que cela s’ouvre beaucoup plus, pas caractéristique de Margaux. 90-91
Tasted with Latour 96 and 98. Nice nose, powerful and closed palate, i doubt it will open up, not very characteristic of Margaux unfortunately.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/22/2022 - olioli wrote: 95 Points
Dégustation Dreamer 2022: Salon 2002 (4e) , Rougeard Bourg 2010 (6e) , Margaux 1995 (7e), Latour 96 (1er), Latour 98 (8e), Guigal Landonne 2001 (5e), Grange 1997 (3e), Cristal 2008 (2e).
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/31/2022 - Sonoma Duck Likes this wine: 94 Points
Popped and poured at a restaurant. A bit of lightening at the rim. Rich Margaux nose. Drank very well with an extended long finish. Would have been nice to have a one hour decant but still very nice. I think it is time to drink up.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/20/2022 - andrewdodd86 Likes this wine: 97 Points
Black cherry, blueberry, pomegranate?, nose is all cedar, cigar/tobacco, light touch of green pepper, touch of chocolate. This is really nice. Still my least favorite first growth, great by any other standard. At peak, drink up
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/20/2022 - rustyRudy Likes this wine: 94 Points
Deep red. Big nose, cedar, grilled meat, maple, and grilled herbs. Tart cherry, tea, grilled meat, black cherry and cola , tobacco and crisp finish
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/2/2022 - beatles wrote: 95 Points
Rich, firm, manly; notes of tobacco, black berries, chocolate, this is coming around.
#Sonne
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/23/2022 - soyhead wrote:
nose - mint, dirt
mouth - lighter than expected, quite feminine. good balance. tannic finish. a wine of harmony more so than power or concentration
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/22/2022 - Collector1855 wrote: 94 Points
During a blind tasting dinner. Expressive nose with lots of barnyard and horse sweat, a bit too much so for my taste. On the palate fresh and light on its feet without being diluted. Good but not as strong as I remember it. The 1996 is the safer bet for Chateau Margaux in the 90ies
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/5/2022 - Jeff Leve wrote: 94 Points
Firm, masculine, hard style of Margaux with ample, ripe, fruits, great aromatics, but the tannic spine will take at least another decade to soften, that is if it does. The finish has a touch of greeness in the endnote. I own some, but I am not sure this is going to change much, we will have to wait and see, which is a lot to ask, considering it is already 27 years old!
5 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/30/2022 - N.Bonaparte wrote: 93 Points
One hour decant at the restaurant but could have used more. Overall good but slightly lacking in balance at this stage. This isn’t anywhere near its prime drinking window. Revisit 2025.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/27/2022 - BVal wrote: 91 Points
Color/App: moderately deep ruby core -> light ruby rim. Reticent bouquet of cherries, forest floor and a little tobacco. Palate fairly angular and ungiving for a Margaux. Is it the vintage? Or just too soon to drink or perhaps needed to be open for a few (more) hours?? Still a nice wine but not knocking anybody's socks off in the group. Surprisingly suffered by comparison next to a forward and delicious 2003 Monbousquet. Group consensus was to wait a few more years and retry to see if that hard exterior fades.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/11/2022 - Burgundy Al wrote: 90 Points
Wine Tasted at Acker Auction (Ci Siamo - New York NY): Small glass, walk around tasting. Very enjoyable, but not showing classic "Margaux" style to me and not as good as the vintage. But I've liked this wine as much as almost everybody else.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/9/2022 - vintage_whine wrote:
Elegant black currant and pine Forrest floor, in a lineup with an 1988 Pichon baron and 1996 cos. Really remarkable because of its acid and balance. The most poised and fresh of the lineup, with remarkable red fruit character. Delicious now, I’m sure it could get better but it’s hard to imagine how
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/5/2022 - Andice wrote: 93 Points
This smelled and tasted relatively advanced. Leafy and tobacco in profile but still retained that FG fruit, length and intensity. Quality evident. I'd say drink up in next 5 years to catch it at its best
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/24/2021 - timothynbond Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted 3 hours before serving. Deep ruby to garnet color. Wonderful nose of leather intermixed with some floral elements and cherry. Medium body with medium grainy tannins and medium acid. Really lovely mouthfeel with red-blue fruit on the front along with perhaps some cola and blood orange through the finish and picking up some chalkiness as well with additional time in the glass. Elegant, balanced, and beautiful wine, but perhaps not as beautiful as $600 looks in my wallet.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/23/2021 - Macdog Likes this wine:
Decanted 3.5 hours and drank over 1.5. Didn’t show much evolution whilst drinking.
Not as much on the nose as the 94 drank alongside but nonetheless classic claret and some clear finesse and pedigree to the perfume. On the P was really lovely - excellent balance and very linear from start to finish. Graphite / pencil and dark fruit with hint of sweet red fruits. Some hints of violet and a little leather and cigar box. Elegant.
Really enjoyed it, but this was a treat and isn’t my price point / didn’t give me the bang for my buck that I was expecting.
I can see why others would wait on this for development but was delicious now and I don’t regret drinking it!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/27/2021 - steinersing wrote: 94 Points
elegant and smooth. not showy but greatly composed wine with an attractive nose, a little Lafite in style, and a good body. only hints of tertiary aromas yet.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/13/2021 - Sacramento Geezer Likes this wine: 95 Points
Opened night before and decanted in AM. Little nose at first but soon began wafting up a seducing bouquet of what struck me as toffee, reflecting the aging. First taste at dinner table luscious. Decanted again into cut crystal serving decanted probably unnecessarily and after second glass wine further evolved away from what I thought was peak. After two glasses perhaps best to save remaining for fresh tasting next day, and finish dinner with with table wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/9/2021 - dream Likes this wine: 93 Points
Excellent richness and a deep middle palate with tightly-wound tannins. Needs 10 years to reach peak drinking window. A more exotic and rustic style of Margaux with great depth. 93+
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/25/2021 - snaff wrote: 88 Points
May have had oxygen exposure. Rustic, minerals, a bit tired.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/12/2021 - wineappellation Likes this wine: 97 Points
From half bottle with excellent level and provenance.
12.5%abv. Bright ruby pale garnet rim. Regal and alluring scents of dried violets floral, black fruit, graphite, cool soil, dried plum, cloves, sweet & cedary oak and tobacco, leather with enchanting hints of farmyard and undergrowth tertiary complexities. All mingling and ever-changing with a refined and precise weightless sensation on the medium bodied palate. A lifting finish leaving seductive floral, dried fruits and savoury minerals notes. So satisfying.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/15/2021 - Cailles wrote: 93 Points
Not decanted, this Margaux seemed a bit shy and could have maybe shined much more with more air. Still quite pleasurable but without the depth and concentration to excite.
TN: A bit muted nose with dark fruits, tobacco, wet earth and wet stones. On the palate the wine is so soft, round and harmonious in typical Margaux fashion. But it doesn‘t have the power, density and depth to truly excite. Dark berries, a few red berries, a tad of coffee and hints of minerality and tertiary aromas. All a bit shy but overall quite enjoyable and full of finesse.
Decanting: Not decanted, maybe it would have been more expressive with 3 or more hours of air.
Glass: Gabriel
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/10/2021 - dchain wrote: 95 Points
Wow, this is back in the zone! So expressive and perfumed. Initially more tobacco, leather, earth and then after another 15 mins in the glass an explosion of lily “Margaux” perfume that just takes your breath away. Softer and seductive on the palate, yes not a blockbuster or as powerful as the 96 but i wanted to drink more of the 95 so that makes it the better wine tonight. Great length, balance and integration on the finish and lasts 45+ seconds. 3 bottles over dinner for 12 with old family friends. Very special and worth seeking out.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/2/2021 - sirpat00 wrote: 92 Points
Magnum rarities tasting; 7/2/2021-7/3/2021 (Zunfthaus zur Waag, Zurich): Magnum rarities tasting hosted by a merchant and collector. The headline line-up of the main event featured 18 aged red wines from magnum which was preceded by warm-up tasting of a dozen aged reds. The highlights across both days were Chris Ringland 1998 (99), Montrose 1990 and Yquem 1948 (both 98). Also strong were Palmer 1989 (97), Cheval Blanc 1985 (97) and Léoville Poyferré 1990 (96). None of the wines were decanted prior to serving.
Tasting note:
Ripe and concentrated fruit, some aging notes, but otherwise limited complexity and couldn't compete with the peers in terms of precision, especially when contrasted with the Cheval Blanc 1995. Slightly unbalanced palate with a pretty severe acidity overhang and you are also left with lots of mouth-coating tannin. Judging by this I think this will definitely be more ready in 5-10 years' time, but not entirely sure if it will also be better… This sounds harsh and I should add that by itself this was an absolutely fine wine, but against the competition present clearly falling behind.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/2/2021 - G_H wrote: 91 Points
This was good but not really singing the right tune tonight. Bread crust, dark berries, licorice but somehow just on the light side for this wine.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/21/2021 - BROpus One Likes this wine: 94 Points
This is the 3rd bottle of this vintage and all have been really nice 93-95 pts. Seems to be best with 3-5 hour decant to round out.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/4/2021 - jee27 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Dégustation Open Dreamer Style chez Simon B: Servi côte à côte avec le 1996 celui-ci s'est montré plus ouvert et expressif. Grand vin d'émotions le bouquet est sublime et n'est pas loin de réprésenter la perfection pure d'un grand Bordeaux. Classique. Bouche remplie de plusieurs couches soyeuses. Il rempli mes attentes qui étaient élevées.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/28/2021 - Jmwestiv Likes this wine: 95 Points
Pure expression of Margaux with the classic perfume and terroir this wine is known for.
Needs at least a 5-6 hour decant and seemingly in a shut down phase. No rush to open. Will improve with time.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/27/2021 - fcxj wrote: 90 Points
No issues but no excitement either.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/27/2021 - dkentaustin Likes this wine: 95 Points
I’ll start by saying we need to try wines like this more often to get a better feel/comparison of where they’re at. Tonight we tasted splits of three 1995 1st growths - Lafite, Margaux & Mouton. All were opened 1.5 hours ahead of time. Then we poured a taste of each prior to double decanting. All three notes below.
1995 Lafite - purple hues with red raspberry, beef carpaccio and wet truffle followed by cherry liqueur, subtle violet and some dusty, earth flavors. Red currant with some warm carmel and pretty vanilla oak. Bright, young and light on the palate, but still showcasing firm structure. Was our favorite of the three midway.
1995 Margaux - light, clear ruby color. Somewhat of a muted nose at the beginning, but evolves to subtle coffee, rose petal, black fruit and vanilla cherry. Interesting notes of roasted chicken skin with herbs followed by tart plum on the nose that turns ripe on the palate with some astringency. Initially the palate was not very expressive, but with time in the glass the wine gets soft and silky on the palate and bigger fruits come forward. This wine took some time to open Our favorite at the end of the tasting, but started in 3rd place.
1995 Mouton - clear, bright garnet color. Light perfume, black fruits, anise and tart red fruits followed by layers of blueberry, wet leather, earth and rhubarb. Big and expressive palate with a long finish. One of the more expensive moutons we’ve had. Layers of flavor and complexity that eventually turned more jammy at the end. This wine was initially our favorite, but fell off toward the end.
p.s. pot roast with roasted potatoes.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/21/2021 - djhammond Likes this wine: 96 Points
This continues to evolve and there is no problem to enjoying a bottle at present. Typically of 1995 it is at first impression light on the nose and palate, but this is deceptive and it builds subtly to something very special culminating in a finish of excess of 60 seconds. Along with typical dark berry fruits, with plum and cedar, there are notes of raspberry and floral overtones which add a real freshness to the wine. The depth and balance are truly exceptional, and the only barrier to another point or even two is the tannic wall on the final stages of the finish. So typical of the vintage, it will be interesting if further time can tame this. 96+
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/8/2021 - Ara Kafafian Likes this wine: 97 Points
Blind, Deep ruby, notes of cassis, barn yard, minerals, vanilla, graphite, forest floor and mocha. Extremely complex, aromatic and silky yet very powerful, this is a monster. Once unveiled, I recalled how underwhelmed I was with this wine when I had last tried it in 2009. How things turned around. This Margaux was drinking beautifully tonight and will hold until 2040. It is ready to enjoy but there is literally no rush.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (3)
3/6/2021 - Ballballsheep Likes this wine: 94 Points
It doesn’t need more words to praise this great bottle. Explosive elegant aroma, lots of fruit, dried flower, extremely long finishing! Decant for around 2 hours, right at its peak. A credit to the restaurant because they use an extra large Bordeaux wine glass, let the wine evolve its full power!
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
2/11/2021 - joshabramson Likes this wine: 96 Points
3 hour decant. Deep, rich fruit. Showing secondary notes, but still quite spry and youthful. Beautiful wine with many years ahead of it.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/29/2021 - Benoit Hardy Likes this wine: 94 Points
A nose at the beginning still very fruity, diffuse, then which will evolve with a lot of power towards leather and dried flower.
The mouth is very fine without thunderous substance, but the juice is there, and fills the mouth well with an acidity which offers a nice balance. The whole is still very fruity, it is surprising for a wine of 25 years old. The tannins are melted and perfectly integrated, a feeling of nobility, of race. But the main attraction of this wine lies in its finish and its length, quite simply impressive and intense.
Excellent.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/7/2021 - King Julien wrote: 96 Points
Decanted 1 hour.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/24/2020 - rocknroller wrote: 93 Points
Virtual Tasting: Open Something You've Been Saving (Home): Very dark red/purple color. PNP at 4pm and poured into jars for transport. Poured into glass at 7:30 pm. and drank a glass plus over 3 hours. This was damp and earthy on the nose, but not as giving, liqueurish black fruits, anise, olive tapenade. The palate is pretty, with very nice purity and focus; nice fruits with a mix of black berry fruits, cassis, and black cherry, olive tapenade, full bodied and balsamic infused blackberries. Excellent, but not the best showing we've had of this wine. In this case, some air may have helped. 93(+)pts.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/24/2020 - galewskj wrote: 92 Points
This is the occasion to open up that red or white you were waiting for an occasion to open (Zoom): Decanted 1 hour, poured into single-serve jars, sealed and then poured into glass 2 hours later.
Clearly a bordeaux nose and palate, with perfumed red fruit. The Margaux balance is evident. This is the 3rd time I've had this wine, and this one was not nearly as expressive as the first two experiences. It still drinks with elegance, it doesn't seem to be firing on all cylinders. Such are the pitfalls of vintage wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/24/2020 - I'd Rather Be Drinking Wine Likes this wine: 95 Points
Zoom Tasting: Bring It On!: Bring It On! Zoom Tasting.
The following wines were featured in this showdown, and all performed admirably:
2008 La Grand Dame (Starter)
2016 SQN Deux Grenouilles (Starter)
1991 Spottswood Cabernet
2000 Pichon Lalande
1995 Ch. Margaux
2001 Shafer Hillside
2009 Smith Madrone Cook Flats Res.
Wine Prep: Margaux decanted at 3 pm, Smith Madrone opened and splashed at 3 pm. All other wines PnP at 4:pm into jars for transport, and transferred to wine glasses for consumption beginning at 6:30 pm.
Voting: 2000 Pichon Lalande was unanimous WOTN, 1995 Margaux was #2, and 2001 Shafer was #3. My voting was in line with the group.
1995 Ch. Margaux: What can I say, I love Margaux! This is the second time I have had this wine, and it did not show as well as the previous bottle, but was still a stellar wine, nonetheless. Margaux is always a treat, and this bottle was certainly no exception! This wine was very tightly wound when I decanted it, and I definately would not recommend PnP for this wine. It also has years still left in it before it even peaks. Having said that, it is still delicious now, and opening a bottle with a 3 hour decant should still be glorious! Nose had that sweet Margaux perfume, paired with red and black fruit, and some leather and graphite nuances. On the palate, sweet nectar with plenty of red currant, blackberry and pencil lead, along with some notes of leather, dark chocolate and toasted oak. Finish was medium long. Easy 95.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/2/2020 - King Julien wrote: 95 Points
Decanted about 4 hours. Nose was subdued from the time it was decanted and never really came around. Palate was quite fresh with nice fruit and enjoyable for the 2 hours following, perhaps a bit lighter than a typical Bordeaux.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/8/2020 - hprphf wrote: 93 Points
Bordeaux Left Bank First Growth BYO (Grand Hyatt Hong Kong): Blind. Magnum. High acid, some smoke and tea, dark fruit, very good balance and sweetness. Tight and a little thin. 93-94
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/6/2020 - CabIPA Likes this wine:
Enjoyed over Independence Day weekend. Paired with medium rare fillets. Seemed closed and over the hill at first. After 30 minutes in the decanter it really started to open up. Followed over the next three hours and it continued to improve with air.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/5/2020 - djhammond Likes this wine: 96 Points
This is definitely ready to start drinking, with the previous harsh tannins now tamed. At this stage of its life it has a wonderful freshness and vibrancy. The nose is ripe with blackcurrant, raspberry, and cedar with a prominent floral background. The balance on the palate and finish is faultless, and the tannin has sufficiently sweetened on the palate, but still is a little too dominant on the finish. However, the latter is 60+ seconds. This is at last showing its first growth pedigree, and if the tannic aftertaste is resolved, I would have no hesitation in giving this an extra point or two in the future. 96+
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/5/2020 - Horichdaslicht Likes this wine: 96 Points
My first bottle of this, the first Margaux I had ever tasted, was in December 2017. It gave nothing away, an opinion shared by my Wine Merchant, and I decided to wait at least 2 years before trying it again. In the meantime, an ugly duckling has transformed itself into a very fine swan. I will not go into detail, simply to say that it was one of the most enjoyable wines I have ever experienced, so much so that I abandoned any thought of drinking it with dinner. It was too good to allow anything get in the way.
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/9/2020 - merlot78 Likes this wine: 95 Points
An almost perfect wine. At this age, it was really fresh.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/2/2020 - petitblanc wrote: 90 Points
Coronavirus Denial; 3/1/2020-5/31/2020: Pristine bottle, excellent provenance, showed best after a couple hours in a decanter. This looks its age in the glass, pure garnet, medium depth of color. The nose shows faint hints of Margaux perfume and black cherry, muddied by notes of rotting vegetation and ethanol. It's a bit fresher on the palate, with a tart berry character, juicy acidity, sticky tannins and an overall lightness if not elegance. But again the ethanol notes obtrude and gain the upper hand. The long finish is quite pleasant, the best part of the experience. My score may be generous because its hard to ignore the label here, but then again it may be unduly harsh because the wine was well below my expectations, not inconsistent with other 1995 vintage disappointments. If I owned more of these, I'd hold for a very long time and cross my fingers.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/14/2020 - dream wrote: 93 Points
Very tannic bottle that was decanted 2 hours in advance but felt like it needed 5 more hours. Thickly-textured with deep blackberry fruit and wonderful hints of violet spice, black licorice and Asian spices. Grippy and tannic on the finish but the great floral purity of Margaux Is apparent underneath. 93+
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/10/2019 - Elpaninaro Likes this wine:
lovely medium red young color, classic Margaux nose of violets and cassis, hints of cherry, pretty cedar notes, on the palate a beautiful and pure delectable fruit, almost punchy, joyous, cherries, red berry, cassis, open on the mid-palate and starting to develop, all that said- it quickly leads into a long dry finish which is not yet astringent but appears to be moving in that direction, time will tell but I think the next 5 years will be critical- by then the back end will have either opened to some extent or will continue down the path toward the wine drying out without ever developing thoroughly, the fruit is still primary enough to allow for time and an open mind- though I confess I am not optimistic, I would drink soon and enjoy them as they are or be prepared to wait a very long time to see if a good balance emerges.
**** right now for the nose and front half of the palate, (***)+/- overall for the future, 2025 should confirm once and for all what to expect.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/10/2019 - Richard P Howden Likes this wine: 97 Points
Astonishing nose of roses, cherries, raspberries and classic cassis notes. Palate a bit tense at first but over several hours opened up to show,red fruit, cinnamon, cassis, with an excellent vibrancy, balance and very long finish. By the end of the night some tannins were breaking out - next bottle shouldn’t be for 5 or more years. Still, this Margaux was showing youthful exuberance, depth, intensity and delicacy all wrapped together. A show off.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/10/2019 - aagrawal wrote: 93 Points
Dinner with the wine group (Zazie, SF): High intensity aromatics, black fruits, slight spice, forest floor, slight bell pepper; palate is full bodied, still plenty of black fruits, medium-plus acidity throughout; medium-long finish. Very nice Bordeaux, still actually seems a bit youthful, though slightly further along than the '96 LLC. 93-94
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/9/2019 - alanr wrote: 96 Points
Wow, tremendous intensity and depth, deep dark purple fruit, strong acidity, more so than tannic structure, long, long finish. Intricate complexity is showing, but I'm sure will develop even more as it ages for many, many years. Fabulous.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/19/2019 - Doctor Koulodare Likes this wine: 95 Points
Dark plums and currants, leather, earthy. Mature, medium tannins, jammy. Could go on for years, but drinking beautifully now.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/2/2019 - KoalaHK wrote:
Drunk at China Tang - Hong Kong - Rich & luxurious wine that lives in the shadow of the '96. Extremely approachable now but with decades in the tank. Not that I expected to be disappointed by this in anyway but it is certainly an exception to the 'Left Bank in '96, Right Bank in '95' rule.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/14/2019 - petitblanc wrote: flawed
Corky.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/27/2019 - Jeff Leve wrote: 95 Points
Firm style of Chateau Margaux, that seems like its a modern-day version of their 1986. As time evolved in the decanter and glass, the wine filled out, softened, gained in aromatics and generosity. Full-bodied, powerful and concentrated, this is still quite tannic. Give it another decade and the wine should be markedly better, else allow it 3-4 hours of air, so it can flesh out and open.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/21/2019 - DickMull Likes this wine:
I won’t rate this wine because it isn’t near ready yet, IMHO. We had two bottles decanted 4 hours before tasting, and this deeply ruby red wine had black fruit on the nose, with graphite, violets, and a slightly funky earthy scent that muted as time went on. It had a velvety texture, and was somewhat more fuller in body than other Ch. Margaux I’ve tasted. It was delicious on the palate with dark red and black fruit, along with a bit of saddle leather and minerals. The finish was long, with prominent tannins, so I think it will last a good long while. I think I’ll wait another 5 years to open another bottle. A very, very special wine that will be a stunner with more age!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/15/2019 - dchain wrote: 91 Points
Deep ruby. Very brooding and closed. Not very attractive at the moment. Lots of herbal, licorice notes going on. No perfume, fruit seems to be hiding. Don’t think this is affected but no joy or fun here compared to previous bottles all purchased on release. I will give it the benefit of the doubt given my previous high praise and enjoyment of this wine. Leave this for a year and hopefully it is back awake and rocking again.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/14/2019 - Robert.Ettlin wrote:
Maggie- und Gemüsenote, wie es selten gesehen habe! Aber eine wunderschöne Trinkreife.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/7/2019 - djhammond Likes this wine: 96 Points
Last tasted nearly two and half years ago, at the time it was challenging. However, it has moved forward considerably since, and is a joy to drink. I gave this 7 hours in the decanter and it paid dividends. The nose is deep and perfumed with blackcurrant and cedar with background floral hints. It has developed sufficiently on the palate to be fully appreciated, with an outstanding depth. The finish is lengthy but still a little dominated by the tannin. As with the year as a whole, it has turned a corner and is starting to justify its original accolades upon release. More time will undoubtedly improve this, but it is starting to be highly enjoyable now. 96+
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/30/2019 - hprphf wrote: 92 Points
Zachy's Lafite Auction (Le Bernardin Prive): Woody, toasty, dark fruit, herbal, sweet licorice, primrose. Slightly tired and finish is short. 92
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/24/2019 - cubswinws Likes this wine: 93 Points
Lovely mature wine nice but lacked the depth I would have expected. Out shown by the 1996 Ducru.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/27/2019 - Charlie Carnes Likes this wine: 96 Points
Thanks to Bucky for sharing this. First time drinking wine together and he pulls this out. Talk about setting the bar high. This was really nice. It has that lovely Margaux crunchiness and texture, deep garnet fruit, cassis, cedar, a hint of sweet paprika, and a hint of dog fennel. It is full, and showing 1995 vintage traits. It is large and lovely at the same time.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/22/2019 - Chaochao Likes this wine: 91 Points
Lovely nose of cedar, mushrooms and dark berries. Furry tannins and quite heavy bodied. Quite a bit of fruit coming through but also earthy and savoury. Great length. Quite delicious now but still quite young and lacking elegance and finesse...Colour is that of dark garnet with no signs of bricking.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/15/2018 - feerjfk Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decanted for 90 minutes to let it open up. The tannins are still strong, but softened over time, and the dark fruit and cedar flavors were the most pronounced. This is a subtle wine that will likely reward longer cellaring.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/12/2018 - Bordeaux_Jon wrote: 92 Points
This wine has really not impressed. I suppose it could be too young as I haven’t had much positive experience with young Margaux. But, it’s 23 years old now. Come on already! Rather austere noise with pencil lead notes, red fruit, and violets. On the palate, the red fruit is there but more herbal ness shows, with oak and a tannic finish. It doesn’t have the elegance, perfume, or silliness I’d like in a Margaux. I could see it coming around as it’s better than 5 years ago.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
9/24/2018 - Burgundy Al wrote: 91 Points
Pausing for the Cause (S.K.Y. Restaurant - Chicago IL): Small glass, brief note. Black cherry with savory spice. Good+ weight and length. Still firm and tannic, but the fruit is rich and accessible.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/23/2018 - dream wrote:
Corked
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comments (1)
5/11/2018 - Burgnick wrote: 91 Points
My third encounter of this wine. The wine has finally entered its early drinking window. The tannins have softened a bit. Classic cedar, mushroom, black currant, espresso and earth. Palate is still primary with a lot of power and first growth regalness but the finish is bitter, let alone it is one dimensional at this stage, lacking silkiness and first growth finesse. In 95 vintage, I prefer Latour and Haut Brion a lot more. I could be totally wrong on this wine as it might just be too young?!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/10/2018 - PanosKakaviatos Likes this wine: 94 Points
Château Margaux vertical dinner (Taberna Del Alabardero): In his notes for the vintage, Paul Pontallier compares the 1995 to the 1986: "a true great vintage of power, depth, richness and complexity" he wrote. It was amazing how this first wine from the 1990s that we tried for dinner differentiated itself from the 1980s: far more youthful in aspect and while similar to the 1986 in tannic profile, the tannins seem to be accompanied by more roasted fruit. They are firm tannins, and even hard, as compared to the (superior) 1996, which came next. Could the heat of August have made the tannins a bit too hard, in terms of the fresher year 1996 - whose Indian summer permitted a better "hang time" for the Cabernets? Perhaps. In any case, the 1995 should evolve well, but I am not convinced that the tannins will ever calm down enough to shed their somewhat harder aspect.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/9/2018 - dcwino wrote: 95 Points
Chateau Margaux dinner with Thibault Pontallier (Taberna del Alabardero, Washington D.C.): Comparing the 95 and 96 Bordeaux is always fascinating for me. The 95 nose always displays a hint of roasted fruit/espresso. The tannins are always a bit coarse. The 96 is always noble and classic. Expressive nose displaying intense ripe blue and black fruit, crème de cassis, crushed wild blueberry, ink, licorice, incense, roasted nuts, mint, dark milk chocolate, leather and earth. Excellent concentration, concentrated black and blue fruit, good acidity, earthy mineral, still strong presence of slightly rough tannins and a long crème de cassis and lead pencil driven finish. This is drinking beautifully but can improve for another two decades.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
4/6/2018 - oldwines Likes this wine: 95 Points
4th Annual Wild Game Dinner (Chateau de le Shane aka Shane's house in New Jersey): Paired with Pigeon 3 Ways at Shane's 4th Annual Wild Game Dinner. The wine was decanted at about 4pm and tasted at about 7pm. It is a dark opaque garnet with no appreciable bricking. The nose has some barnyard/brett that blew off fairly quickly and left a very earthy undertone. The flavors included anise, blackberry, blueberry and a lot of graphite and iron minerality especially with the pigeon breast meat. Compared to most of the other wines tonight the finish was a little short. I think I have found that some of the 1995 Bordeaux which got so many accolades after a long stretch of poor vintages from 1991-1994 have not aged as well as expected or at least don't compare as well to some of the 1990, 1986 and 1982 vintages from the same château.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/6/2018 - The Vines That Bind wrote: 93 Points
Château Margaux Vertical (Chef's Club NYC): Nose is comparable to that on the ‘96 with blue and blackberry fruits and violet floras. Prefer the ‘96 as it has greater projection and expression, as has been the case every time I've tested the two side-by-side. Palate has all the same red, black, and blue berry fruits as that on the ‘96, just a touch tighter and tougher, although not an inelegant wine by any stretch. Bigger tannin too. Supple, but never seems to match the integration and balance of the ‘96 for me.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/6/2018 - ve23 Likes this wine: 97 Points
The Big Five/Six 1995 on March 6, 2018 (Mechta, Moscow): 97/100. FINESSE
My absolute favorite of this 1995 Big Five set. Deep and elegant wine, full of graphite, pencil shavings, currant and cassis, licorice, cedar, slightly earthy.
The lightest in the set, elegant and weightless, it still has young pointy tannin, not too astringent, but with mileage to go further.
Kept its ground over an hour and half in the glass, getting just a notch simpler after. A helluva wine, very harmonious.
WS 97, RP 95, ST 94+, JR 17.5/20
The Big Five 1995 at Mechta / 6 March 2018
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/19/2017 - nywine68 wrote: 92 Points
A nice wine but underwhelming next to the 95 Mouton and 95 Lafite tasted alongside it. The Margaux was far and away the most evolved of the 3. Not quite fully mature, but on its way. The wine was elegant but lacked in depth and saturation.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/8/2017 - ricknat1 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanted for 1 hour. The fruit is starting to blend nicely with the tannins and this is avery nice Margaux. its not fair to compare to the 90 or 83 and doubt it will reach those heights but it will drink nicely for a long time
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/1/2017 - galewskj wrote: 95 Points
Going Big at Dan's (Dan's House): Decanted 1 hour. Classic Bordeaux nose of funk, decaying earth, cherry and leather. The palate remains a bit austere. This was Wine of the night with stiff competition.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/29/2017 - chablis28 wrote: 97 Points
I can't add a whole lot to La Cave D' Argent's 10/21/2017 TN except one more rating point :). His note is pretty spot on. Tom's btl tonight at Dan's place. Thank you Tom! THis was my WOTN if for no other reason then the perfect maturing BDX nose. This is one of the best 95s I've had bar none and drinking quite well. With a couple glasses of wine in him Tom also revealed he has several more blts. He never promised to share the next one with me but it was implied:). Great to drink a btl purchased on release locally! Elegance, finesse and ethereal all the way with a weightless palate. Only possible improvement will likely be the further integration of the tannin and perhaps a little more fleshing out of the palate. Loved it!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/27/2017 - hargy Likes this wine: 91 Points
wonderful bouquet but a surprisingly gentle wine, almost light - perhaps in a quiet phase?
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/21/2017 - La Cave d'Argent Likes this wine: 96 Points
2017 New York Wine Experience Trip; 10/16/2017-10/25/2017 (New York City, NY): This opaque red/garnet Margaux is a blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot and 3% Cabernet Franc. The wine's big, black, plummy fruit is now breaking through its austere tannins. Accented with wild berries, lavender, sage, leather and pickling spice, it is full-bodied, fresh, plump on the mid-palate and long on the finish. This is very early in its drinking window and should last for decades. Drink now-2050.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/18/2017 - Tismith Likes this wine: 93 Points
Lots of flavor and bright young fruit. Decanted for four hours and tasted each hour until full glasses were poured. Frankly, a bit disappointed after buying en primeur and cellaring this long. I felt it was missing some of the superlative complexity one would expect. Finally after five hours the tannins became ultra fine and satiny with the palate opening up a bit more as well.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/8/2017 - dkentaustin Likes this wine: 96 Points
drinking great..
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/1/2017 - danielbleier Likes this wine: 97 Points
The dominant aroma was of eucalyptus, and the flavors were plum, currant and sweet spice. Plenty of energy in this old boy as well
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/27/2017 - rlove wrote: 94 Points
The 1995 Margaux is still quite youthful, with a big nose of cassis, earth, cedar, and graphite. Fairly tannic and drying, benefiting from a decant, the promise of greatness is there. This is very nice today but should develop more nuance and complexity with another half decade rest.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/20/2017 - ATBridge wrote:
Initially I would have guessed this as a right bank wine--seemingly Merlot based. Rich, opulent, and sexy dark cassis and chocolate. With extended air became more classic Margaux (just a hint of the floral note) and cab sauv, with the tannins becoming increasingly present with air. Great to drink with bone in lamb loin chops.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/26/2017 - George C ATLANTA Likes this wine: 98 Points
Had tonight with a 2 hour decant over a 3 hour dinner. Wine kept evolving but was always elegant, powerful, young and with a long finish. This was a perfectly preserved bottle and an excellent example of a rolls royce of wines. Drinking well now and has another 10 years. Notes of mushroom, espresso, pepper, just every sip a surprise and lots of glycerin to prolong the finish. What a wine!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/8/2017 - Vino Me wrote: 98 Points
Opened by Jcubed. This was the best Margaux I have ever had (although I've only had the 1995, 1996, 1998 and 1999). It was also probably the best Bordeaux I have had. Decanted just before the dinner. I had this wine once before in 2004 (also courtesy of Jcubed) and man has this progressed in the last 13 years. Ruby purple color. Complex nose. So smooth and elegant. Like drinking liquid velvet. Notes of ripe red berries, saddle leather, raw meat and tobacco leaf. Drinking very well. Silky tannins with a long finish. This just kept getting better as the night went on. 98 points.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/7/2017 - thelostverse wrote: 92 Points
Opened by J3 at Adelle's with some of the CWM. First Margaux that I can remember having, and it was pretty nice. Typical Bordeaux profile on the nose with graphite and tobacco, along with some red fruits. I'm not really a Bordeaux fan, so take this score with a grain of salt as others will enjoy this much more than I. As a comparison, I recently had some '90 Latour and couldn't even finish a glass. This is much better to my mind.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/5/2017 - Sip&Swish Likes this wine: 95 Points
Consistent with previous tasting but going through it slightly wild teenage years. Still has phenomenal quality and potential.
This bottle a little leaner than before but cork was pristine and no trace of cork taint.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/18/2016 - djhammond Likes this wine: 95 Points
An old fashioned Bordeaux with 12.5% alcohol and big tannin. Beautifully coloured, the wine has a somewhat reluctant nose but is beautifully perfumed with cassis, blueberry and cedar with deep flavours of blackcurrent and liqourice on the palate. The flavours are intensely deep but with rigid tobacco like tannin giving an abrasive edge to the wine. The finish is unbelievably long and intense. However, it is marred by a residual sourness at this stage. The wine just kept developing complexity as it sat in the glass and although very enjoyable at present, it is in rapid evolvement and has the potential to develop into a maximum scoring wine in the not too distant future.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (2)
12/3/2016 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
Zachys Holiday - Dec 2016 (Smith & Wollensky (48th & 3rd Ave)): Small pour that we shared so didn't have a lot, but this wine just jumps out of the glass at you. Leather, sweat, earth, saddle. There's an excellent balance and multitude of flavor here that I found quite compelling.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/30/2016 - Sultanrocks wrote:
Absolutely gorgwous,full of rich ripe fruitty flavours with a lasting finish,well balanced tanin with hint of smoky leathery oak
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/16/2016 - aquacongas Likes this wine: 94 Points
Drank blindly with all 5 Premier Crus and another pirat from the same vintage, the only one I guessed right, the silkiest one with cassis and violets
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/30/2016 - SchumannMW wrote: 97 Points
Complex nose / ethereal / dark fruit / great focus and purity / medium body / lot of energy / shows real depth and greatness / now - 2045
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/8/2016 - englishman's claret wrote: 96 Points
Let me make two things clear. One, I loved it. Two, you should stay away from this for another 5 years. At various points, glorious Margaux notes poked out but it's still quite primordial. Very fine nose of raspberry, white flowers, violets, Margaux pencil-lead, cedar, mineral. Tight on the palate. Long finish. Sit tight, ok? I promise it'll be good.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (2)
10/5/2016 - Burgnick wrote: 92 Points
Not enough aeration. Good acidity with bright blue and dark fruit. It is less appealing than the 95 and 96 haut brion for me tonight. But i think it will improve with time. Still too young.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/23/2016 - kr522 wrote: 95 Points
Dark garnet/purple coloring with no signs of lightening. Dark berries, raisins and baking spice on the nose. Deep with refreshing acidity and an irony finish, this has a nice complexity and tension to it. Things can integrate further but the tannins are softening and it's drinking very well now
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/11/2016 - rocknroller wrote: 95 Points
First Growths at Capital Grille (Capitalle Grille, Mpls, MN): Very deep dark purple red color. This was a worthy replacement to the corked '95 Lafite. PNP, drank 1 glass over 45 minutes. The notes were slipping at this point, but this was great. Spices, wood notes, mineral, red and black fruits, and graphite as the nose opens. The palate is full bodied, powerful and intense, dark fruits, round tannins, great fruit, very long, spices and oak on the finish. Still needs time, but really great and showing its stuff on a PNP.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/3/2016 - CamWheeler wrote: 96 Points
SLDS Backups and Blowouts: Lifted, perfumed nose of earth, redcurrant, iron and graphite. The palate is singing, with that perfumed fruit showing as layered and deep, while the structure keeps it all propped up. Very long in length, with the texture consistently excellent throughout. Exciting wine to drink.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/1/2016 - FrancoisD Likes this wine: 97 Points
Puissance et subtilité cobinés.
Aromes profond mais cependant délicats
Mures, confiture de framboises, violette, truffes.
Tanins soyeux
Finale super longeuse
Exceptionnel
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/14/2016 - SlimShaney wrote: 91 Points
Candy green apple nose. Consistent zesty apple palate.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comments (2)
6/11/2016 - rossi.wine wrote: 98 Points
Dark core with some discolouration towards the rim. Floral, lots of dark berry fruit, tobacco, earth, herbs, spices and a hint of cocoa on the nose. Still quite grippy and even a little tight on the palate. Amazing purity of fruit, mineral, earthy, so layered and so incredibly elegant. Lovely ripeness to the tannins. Fresh and perfectly balanced. Superb length and intensity to the finish. Wonderful. Drink or (even better) hold. 97-99
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/23/2016 - liber Likes this wine: 97 Points
6th of 12, decanted an hour, perfect cork and level, big step up from July 13 note, now very lovely with wonderful complex Margaux bouquet complete with violets and very long, complex silky fruit wrapped around an iron core, more pleasure packed than last week's 86, still fresh and youthful. Very fine plus (19).
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/7/2016 - woody57 Likes this wine: 89 Points
Bought at auction so can be sure of the provenance; drank before and during a prime rib dinner the day after Christmas; drank at the same time as a bottle of '85 Margaux.
Tasted at opening, 30, 60 and 120 mins after decanting; it improved a fair amount after 30-60 mins, but wasn't much better at 2 hours.
The '85 was smoother, don't know if that's an aging or vintage issue.
Notes of pencil lead, new leather, plum; tannins were still a little harsh. I am still moving toward the conclusion that the emperor has no clothes: ie, that the cost of these vintage first growth bordeauxs can't be justified by their quality
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
12/31/2015 - Ibetian wrote: 94 Points
Opened a few hours before dinner. After tasting, decided not to decant. Beguiling nose or red and black fruit, licorice, new leather. Palate is a bit less impressive, clean, nice, but not especially long finish. Medium weight. Might improve with time, but drinking fine now. No hurry at all.
A very fine wine, but not one of the all time greats.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/25/2015 - rustyRudy Likes this wine: 96 Points
Dark brick red. Cork in excellent shape. Removed from Eurocave and consumed over four hours. Not decanted. Had tobacco leather, spice, menthol and minerals on the nose. Tart red cherries, blackberry, grilled herbs, and initially fairly thin in the mid palate. At three hours this improved some with more subtle fruit flavors developing. Very good wine, has aged well, but mildly disappointing given its pedigree . I enjoyed this more ten years ago when I had my first bottle of this vintage.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/25/2015 - andrewdodd86 Likes this wine: 99 Points
plum, tart red cherry, herbs, autumn leaves, leather, cedar, going into secondary fruit characteristics. Slight bricking, liked it better a few years ago. In decline, which is surprising for 1st growth. Margaux still gets my vote for bottom of the 1st growths. Elegant and restrained. Do like it.
Update: After being open for 2-3 hours this really started singing and hit its stride. Became worthy of being called a first growth.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/18/2015 - Didman wrote: 90 Points
Disappointing. Stored at 57 deg. since purchase at time of release. Cork looked good and smelled OK. The wine seemed weak with minimal nose. No obvious flaw, but about what you would expect from a much lesser Bordeaux.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/4/2015 - DrinkBordeaux wrote: 93 Points
A Margaux & Pauillac tasting (Wine Watch, Fort Lauderdale, Florida): Perhaps the disappointment of the night, considering its pedigree. Shy on the nose, but had a nice mix of dark fruits, spice, and floral. Full-bodied and mouth-filling on the palate. Structured as can be. Very long finish. So why a disappointment? It’s very far from showing its true colors, so it was hard to be too excited about it tonight.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comments (1)
10/28/2015 - Miceri Likes this wine: 95 Points
Bordeaux 1995 tasting. Great wine with very nice fruit
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/28/2015 - jamie24 Likes this wine: 94 Points
From my cellar and taken to La Trompette in Chiswick. Short 30 min decant which probably wasn't enough as continued to improve throughout the meal. Fantastic left bank nose. Less fruit on the palate than I expected but a lovely savoury finish which made it the perfect match for my main course of grouse.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/17/2015 - Sip&Swish Likes this wine: 98 Points
Sexy, very soft crème de cassis and crushed Faber Castell pencils slowly shifting to dried aged European firewood. Tenderly velvety mouthfeel that lasts forever. Evolving in the glass, impossibly getting more seductive by the minute.
Double decanted and Vinturi aerator utilized.
Not quite at its pinnacle, maybe try again in 5-7 yrs?
Could be world changing at its peak.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/14/2015 - The Vines That Bind Likes this wine: 93 Points
A reduced version of the '96 tasted alongside. An unfortunately ungenerous nose that didn't really shout Margaux. Tasty cherry cola on the palate with red liquorice follow up. Liquorice root, fennel, and bamboo shoots towards the end, culminating in a wine that feels older without being commensurately developed. Still a great bottle.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/3/2015 - rcg62 wrote: flawed
Beautiful color. And palate wasn't bad -- fair amount of nice fruit. But the nose had a musty cork note to it, and although I never quite got the cork on the palate...ultimately I felt the bottle was off. Expensive loss. )-:
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/27/2015 - La Cave d'Argent Likes this wine: 95 Points
Give this deep garnet wine some time in decanter, as three hours were required for this well-cellared bottle to fully strut its expansive bouquet of lavender, wild berries, sage, saddle leather and pickling spice. Full-bodied, freshy acidic, seamlessly alcoholic and with medium-weight, fairly approachable tannins, it delivers flavors commensurate with the nose and stays solid in the middle. The back end is lengthy with a bit of tannic bite. Unlike many 1995 Bordeaux offerings, this wine has enough fruit to ensure that it will not succumb to the tannins. Drink now-2035.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/23/2015 - Wine_lvr Likes this wine: 95 Points
°°° Bordeaux 1995 °°°: Deep garnet in color. Nose shows red berries, ripe cherries (Kirsch) and slight hints of leather. The wine had plenty of power, is long and very balanced. Nice sweetness and smooth tannins. A superb Margaux. Drink now - 2040.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/22/2015 - Jeff Leve wrote: 95 Points
At 20 years of age, the wine is starting to wake, although it still needed the help of 2-3 hours of air. The nose offers a floral, fruit filled perfume. Medium/full bodied, the wine has more of a softness than lush quality to its texture. The wine is fresh, ripe and youthful. If you have a bottle, I'd wait another 5 years, hoping for more development.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/26/2015 - cartmanmyass Likes this wine: 94 Points
Incredible nose with sense of deep volume. Very expressive. Still a very big wine. Open up after 1.5 hours. It seems it's in the drinking windows as not much primary left. Smooth. Tabacacco, cassis with good balance of acidity. The bottle is in perfect shape since release and the only negative is a bit too much vanilla with a certain flatness at the finish; maybe it will be better in few years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/14/2015 - Burgnick wrote:
Opened from a magum without decanting. The wine was very reserved with some cassis, pencil shaving, red fruits and herbs. The wine is still very young. I believe that with sufficient decanting, the wine will be great.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/6/2015 - steinersing wrote: 96 Points
Great finesse, open, balanced. Would drink 1996 now and keep 1995 a bit longer
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/22/2015 - d'Artagnan wrote: 95 Points
Verticale du Château Margaux: Un nez plus discret que les autres à l'ouverture, beaucoup plus expressif vers la fin, j'ai encore noté des notes de cèdre, de prunes, de cuir.
La texture est crémeuse, avec beaucoup d'élégance et de finesse dans sa structure, une belle concentration. Un vin plein, rond et élégant, épicé, le plus austère au niveau des arômes (cuir, poivron), il s'impose par sa classe, quoique dans un style moins charmeur. Superbe. 95 pts
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/10/2015 - sphBacchus wrote: 90 Points
disappointed . perhaps this had not been kept in the best conditions prior to our purchase a few years back . all the structure of the wine was there but it lacked the power and richness of Margaux at its best .
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/10/2015 - dchain wrote: 96 Points
Absolutely brilliant from the first pour. Lovely glossy ruby colored fruit. The perfume of Margaux immediately seduces, so beguiling, so hard to put into words. Wonderful mid weight mouthful which is totally in balance, coats the mouth with its heathy and gloss fruit with such good length. Perhaps not quite as dense as the greatest years for Margaux but it never gets too big here and it is always about the velvet and cashmere tannins and texture and of course the nose that no other Bordeaux wine can reproduce. A pleasure over Sunday lunch for Mothers' day.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (2)
4/24/2015 - andrewdodd86 Likes this wine: 98 Points
Beautiful ruby red, high glycerin, touch of earth and rosemary. Reserved yet beautiful.
Red fruit, dried cherry in midpalate. Great length. Smooth, well balanced, broader wine. Has all the bases covered. Margaux? Nose is now exploding.
Hit it stride after 10-30 mins open. Don't see this getting much better than it is now, at peak for my taste. '03 Latour was better (from memory). Flirting with perfection. WOTN.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/22/2015 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 97 Points
First Growths, Yquem, 100+Madeira (John V.'s): My WOTN. Such a pretty wine. Everything you hope for in Margaux. Vibrant purple coloring. The nose is sweet perfume with cherries, cassis and some red licorice. On the palate, this shows a bit of age and is probably at peak IMO. Cassis, and dried cherries with slight earthiness. Nice balance. Long finish. No hurry but won't get better.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/18/2015 - dlcass Likes this wine: 96 Points
Amazing night tasting first growths. A very good wine with great balance, texture and finesse. Subtle aromatics of lead pencil, cassis. Soft tannins.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/31/2015 - George C ATLANTA Likes this wine: 100 Points
Pure Bordeaux elegance... delicious from the first sip, enjoyed over a 3 hour multi course dinner tonight in Atlanta (Restaurant Eugene). Just an elegant lady of a wine, with a long lasting impression. We commented we didn't need any food, this was companion enough. The terroir expression was pure silky, chalky old world Bordeaux. Highly recommend. Open it and drink it , and drink again in 10 years and compare.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/21/2015 - BradE wrote:
This was very good, and is one of the 95's that are showing well.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/20/2014 - clayfu wrote:
loads of dirt and bright sweet fruit. Super clean and precise on the palate and still very primary. Really giving a lot on the palate. Delicious.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/17/2014 - Whinojb wrote: 94 Points
Slight sign of age - but it still has quite a bit of life. Big aroma of cigar box with pencil lead. Found it hard to find the fruit. Allowed to decant for about 5 hours - slightly changing flavor profile. Decent finish - which was long at times and short at others. Glad I drank this wine - finally, but I think I had bigger expectations.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/14/2014 - Vinterest Angus Likes this wine: 95 Points
Ole girl has legs! Long, lush, meaty but with the agility you'd expect from this producer and this vintage. Pretty good
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/8/2014 - Uglypinga wrote:
The nose is really good with pencil lead, soy, and a hint of beef. The oalat is lithe and a bit acidic with some earth and soy sauce. A bit short on the finish. Just ok to me.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/24/2014 - mavericksane Likes this wine: 94 Points
Oh so young still! Decanted an hour before serving - needed closer to three hours. Colour just starting to turn but the palate is all there.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/26/2014 - peternelson wrote: 93 Points
Monopole 1st Growth Tasting: Dark fruits of blackberry, cassis, dark cherry up front with licorice, iron, and underbrush notes. I got a little blueberry sweetness somewhere in there as well. This is somewhat soft and plush and chewy, but with huge tannins! this turns the finish slightly bitter and will required at least another decade to resolve.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/9/2014 - dchain Likes this wine: 95 Points
This is finally starting to drink now which is exciting. Very beautiful dark ruby with not hint of age for this 19 year old wine. Immediately open on the nose from the outset, this got more and more seductive as it sat in the glass. The first growth balance and poise just comes through on the palate- cassis, caramel, touch of nut, a nice spice, just all wonderfully in balance and so poised. Great length and we whipped through 2 bottles fairly easily with 3 Bordeaux chateaux owners who seemed to enjoy it too!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/8/2014 - cellar designer wrote: 96 Points
From the 1st taste and over the course of 5 hours the evolution was amazing, the complex and lush tannins go on forever.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/25/2013 - brouigu1 Likes this wine: 94 Points
This wine was opened and consumed over 2 evenings, more as a technical tasting than a bottle for dinner.
DAY 1 - Decanted for 3.5 hours. Slight bricking on the edges with a very thin meniscus. Nose was powerful with dark fruit, mineral and hints of cold coffee. Very well balanced, acids are medium and the Tannin is very well intact. This wine is still young with cassis, gravel and stone fruits on the palate,
DAY 2 - The nose has settled some and I got more oak than the previous evening. Still a smooth mouth feel and the fruits are still showing well. The finish on day 2 was not as long as day 1 and a little light and short. I expected day 2 to show better but that was not the case.
I have more that I will open several years down the road but in my opinion, this is a great wine that will not disappoint but I don't think further aging will add more than what she has going right now... We'll see,
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/23/2013 - Les Kangas Likes this wine: 90 Points
I have sat on this wine forever and opened for our 25 anniversary today. Had with cornish hens and drank in Riedel bord. glass. Although i have had thousands of bottles of wine, i am not qualified to rate this wine. I guess i am not old enough, at 59, to know how a great wine will develop over the next twenty years. All i know is it was not as GREAT and would like to think it was worth the $300+ I paid years ago. Anniversary was great, wine was acceptable. I think it needs about five to fifteen years. Ps. Opened a 2003 ch. Prieure Lichine as a back up and it was great. Timing is everything, the Margaux will undoubtedly be better in a few years.
Note added 2016: in retrospect, this may have been a forged bottle. I bought it in So. Cal about the time counterfeit wines were around and later the guy got busted.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/23/2013 - Collector1855 wrote: 95 Points
Served from Magnum during a pre-Xmas dinner with friends. Medium garnet, very little brick in sight. Elegant nose of cloves and other spices, red fruit intermixed with cedar wood and a touch of forest floor. On the palate medium bodied with excellent balance and drinkability. Typical Margaux elegance. A very good Margaux all be it not completely at the level of the top vintages in this decade (The improvements in vini/viticulture in the past 10 years were too substantial for that). Drink now and before 2020.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/19/2013 - tbuysse wrote: 99 Points
AMAZING... Great balance, wonderfull smell and a unique, subtle taste that lasts for minutes. Unique in Margaux. All time favourite estate. Magnifique.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/3/2013 - 3daywinereview.com wrote: 93 Points
Big Bordeaux Event VI (Kevin's House (Minneapolis)): Still a baby. Decanted 4 hours which certainly helped open it up. Cassis, chocolate, gravel and plums. Nice fruit showing through the oak/vanilla. Should balance out really well in a decade so hold! 93 to 96.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/3/2013 - galewskj wrote: 93 Points
Big Bordeaux VI: Margaux; 11/2/2013-11/3/2013 (Kevin's house): A 4 hour decant. Not as nice as the 1985 Margaux, but cut from the same cloth. A leaner palate, slightly more vegetal. I'd like to try this with a little more age because I felt that this wine had not completely come together yet. I kept swirling and sipping my tasting pour trying to figure this wine out, and I failed.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/2/2013 - rocknroller wrote: 94 Points
Big Bordeaux VI: Stars of Margaux including '85 & '95 Margaux, '85 & '96 Palmer, Plus 1988 d'Yquem & More (Rocknroller's (Kevin & Vicki's Place)): Purple red color. Decanted for 4hrs, 2oz pour. This was really tightly coiled to start and had to truly be coaxed out over 30-60 minutes more in glass. Gradually you could see where this impressive, but young wine is heading. Nose starts off very brooding, cassis, black plum, deep and damp earth that slowly gives way to the Margaux perfume. The palate is intense, dense, elegant, underbrush, oak, silky smooth, rich and layered with black fruit and minerals, long finish. This wine is intriguing and frustrating at the same time, so much there, but difficult to get to it. In a perfect world give this at least a couple more years; this will drink for 20+yrs.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/25/2013 - CWang wrote: 96 Points
My wine of the night; the nose, rich, complex, and elegant, with layers and layers of cherries, green peppers, fragrant roses, mint leaves, and black truffles; the palate, very complex, creamy, juicy, and vibrant, showing baskets of dark fruits with caramel, yellow flowers, and white truffles on top; the finish, so juicy and long almost like the 2005 vintage; overall, 95-96 points; rather drinkable and enjoyable in tonight's tasting event, yet could be cellared for 2 decades at least without breaking a sweat.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/1/2013 - DoktaP wrote: 99 Points
Cassis, lovely violet, cedar and black cherry. Long finish with velvety tannins. As close to perfection as possible. Drink or hold. It still has plenty of life, but hard to resist right now. I'd hold my last bottle for another 5 years.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
8/3/2013 - dream Likes this wine: 95 Points
Really perfect color for an 18-yr old wine. Gorgeous perfumed nose of black currants, violets and minerals. A very fine and very young Margaux with beautiful black cherry and blackberry fruit flavors. Medium-bodied and shows a full mid-palate which I find a positive quality of the vintage. This is regal in the glass and fairly austere with a fine coarseness to the texture that provides real grip. The finish is very minerally with violet and dark cherry notes and no real secondary flavors yet. My bottles have been stored perfectly since release and this wine needs time to show its stuff but can be drunk now due, I think, to the superb mid-palate. 95+
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comments (2)
7/26/2013 - liber Likes this wine: 94 Points
second from case, deepish garnet, still purple rimmed, aristocratic, primary blackcurrant fruit, violet tinged, iron core, fullish, excellent grip and class obvious, but hard work and closed today, more accessible a year ago, look again on twentieth birthday. Should ultimately deserve better rating than fine plus (18/20).
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/10/2013 - SteveHoch wrote: 95 Points
Great wine that was quite tight on opening. After an hour started to show it's beautiful side. This wine has plenty of time to go and I regret not having more in my cellar.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comments (1)
5/11/2013 - MeToo wrote:
Heady nose of dark fruit, minerals and flower. Medium-bodied with generous dark fruit flavors -- blackberry, currant, black cherry, with minerals, violets and a bit of spice. Gorgeous mouthfeel with fine acidity, round tannins, and a lingering finish. Very nicely balanced and just so smooth and plush. Not sure I agree that this is a 100 pt wine, but it is pretty phenomenal.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/25/2013 - bonedoc wrote:
1995 Bordeaux Tasting: popped cork 2 hrs before drinking over 3 hours: lovely wine, elegant and feminine style, slightly overshadowed by other wines with more robust fruit. drinking beautifully but will go another 10 for sure. 93-95. tied for #2 w/1995 dunn hm, 1995 lafite #1, 1995 LLC #4.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/23/2013 - MatthewF wrote:
Opened and decanted a little less than two hours before tasting. Red currant and plum with tobacco, cedar, and a touch of cigar box on the nose. A well structured palate with the same red fruit coming through. Drying tannins. Full bodied with a lot of grip.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/20/2013 - mwanasheria wrote: 94 Points
Quite forbidding and tannic but the nose already tells what the future be holds. Beautiful aromas of dark berries, full-bodied, beautiful and with style. On the palate dense and closely knit, black fruit. needs time.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/21/2013 - Flamengo wrote: 97 Points
Lunch celebration of my wife's birthday. Spectacular! Elegant, silky tannins, very balanced and an enormous aftertaste finish.
This is so ready to drink. Still purple colour and very clear. Decanted for 30 minutes with almost no sediments left.
Smells os plum, red fruits in general and some chocolate. Earthy. Very seductive and feminine wine. Balanced. Gives great pleasure. Its worth the price! This is a distinguished type of wine. Can be cellared for another 10 years but its ready to be drunk right now!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
2/2/2013 - acyso wrote: 98 Points
HDH auction tasting at Tru (Chicago, IL): Tart red fruits on the nose, something that just seems unthinkable for me from a Bordeaux. Very gentle and perfumed, this is the oenophilic version of elegance. Everything is silky smooth and in perfect balance, with notes of tart red cherry and plum, as well as a spicy green peppercorn note. Tannins are at an excellent stage where they're noticeable but not sticking out. Think Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/1/2013 - jditter Likes this wine: 95 Points
Lovely wine. Fruity
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/27/2012 - crmcbrid wrote: 100 Points
A perfect wine. Outstanding! Great nose. Perfectly balanced. Smooth and silky entry yet good tannins and acidity. Amazing ripe fruits that build and build. Complex. Finish lasts forever. 100 points Wine Spectator and I agree. My wife and I recently went to Chateau Margaux and I've never seen more care put into the winemaking. Chateau Margaux sources the oak for the barrels from a specific forest that they know creates the silkiest tannins. They even have their own cooperage to make some of their own barrels.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/10/2012 - dcwino wrote: 93 Points
Chateau Margaux vertical dinner with great whites and 2007 Rayas (Ruth Chris Tysons Corner, VA): This tasting is interesting in that the wines clearly demonstrate the vintage characters. Primary and tight, cassis, lead pencil, earth and a hint of flower. The palate is primary and tight with still noticeable tannins. A bit angular and noticeable structure.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/2/2012 - Niagara wrote: 92 Points
Seems like a faded flower.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/5/2012 - CyroW wrote: 89 Points
Light weight, a bit disappointing, aromatics under-deliver. It seemed a bit closed and probably needs much more time to be fully enjoyable.
Great colour though.
If it stays as such, it would not worth its price tag!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/27/2012 - jamie24 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Drank my first bottle from my half case. Decanted for 3 hours. Was still slightly closed at first but opened up beautifully in the glass. I'd say it just entered it's drinking window but would improve slightly with a couple more years in the cellar. Such a beautiful feminine quality synonimous with Chateau Margaux. Cassis plus some red fruit from the high % of merlot in the blend this vintage. Then a savoury earthiness which gives a wonderful balance. Superb.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/21/2012 - Michaeladamsmith wrote: 96 Points
Decanted for 90 minutes prior to drinking with a Kobe sirloin. Absolutely wonderful wine that is still young. Tannins softened nicely as the wine drank in the fresh air. Nose was alluring and finish deep.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/3/2012 - Fatty Cat Likes this wine: 95 Points
Early Mar 2012, Chateau Margaux tasting (22 different vintages) at the Rheingau Gourmet Festival: rubin red color; intense red fruit bouquet, mulberry plus vanilla and coffee and other aromas/flavors; medium/full body; satin-like texture accompanied by silky tannins; long finish.
Blockbuster wine. And this one isn't fully developed yet: it'll even get much better. Buying recommendation!
Flight III: 1994 - 1995 - 1996 - 2000
Monster flight: 1995, 1996 and 2000 Margaux performed on the same quality level and it's very hard to pick a flight winner. However, I would choose the 1995, simply because he's the most mature one.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/11/2011 - gsquireh wrote: 100 Points
Dinner at Quinns in South Beach with four beautiful ladies (Meryl, Karen, Joyce, MARGAUX) and me. The time is now for this glorious wine. Yes , also for the next generation, but now, you will be rewarded. I last drank and rated 4/4/2009. Again, we decanted our Margaux for two hours while we grank a Philippe Colin 2008 Chassagne Montrachet and a 2000 Chave Hermitage (incredibly beautiful). Our beautiful lady, Margaux, is full bodied and gloriously complex. Her black licorice merges with the currants, almonds, rich coffee, and black Nabali olives to a caressingly smooth, yet chewy and delicious delight. Platinum Perfection.Marry her. Go on your honeymoon today and cherish her forever.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/4/2011 - mvkajsk wrote: flawed
So sad - my favorite wine but something was clearly off with the bottle - not corked but slightly oxidized/metallic.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/25/2011 - psmith wrote: 95 Points
Friday after Thanksgiving (Palm Beach, FL): Shows very similar to the '90. Characteristic Margaux, but good power to the fruit and aggressive tannins. Young. Nice.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/25/2011 - Burgundy Al wrote: 90 Points
Friday after Thanksgiving (FAT) (Palm Beach Gardens FL): Really good fruit but a bit rough around the edges. Of course it is tough to compare to the 90 Margaux just tasted, and also tough to evaluate after a night of amazing Grand Cru Burgundy.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/12/2011 - jkline wrote: 96 Points
gorgeous....can't justify ever buying it. but it is a beautiful balanced wine
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/5/2011 - Tiborones wrote:
Ooof, this wine was incredible! Insomnia due to thinking how exceptional this wine was. Paired with some nice bloody as hell ribeye steaks...unbelievable. The pungency and silky-ness was off the charts! Don't have much experience with French wine, but this has opened my senses.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/14/2011 - brynmair wrote: 95 Points
I didn't catch as much on the nose as in the past but still a very nice bottle of wine. It was a smooth, integrated flavor and that highly enjoyable.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/13/2011 - njm wrote:
complex but too much tobacco
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/11/2011 - pifcho wrote: 92 Points
@ Eleven Madison. First wine of the night. PnP into a decanter. My first thought was that this needs 5-10 more years. Somewhat closed both on the nose and the palate. Tannins are definitely there, albeit quite fine. Good power and elegance. Very earthy, very dark palate. I liked it, but over the hour or so we had this in the glasses, I think I only caught a glimpse of the potential here. Comes across as very very polished. Medium plus finish. No oomph though. It was outshined by the 1995 Lafite and 1964 Lopez de Heredia tonight. A great way to start a memorable night though. 92-93+
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/25/2010 - KostaKats wrote: 96 Points
Clear deep ruby, purple black core with ruby edges. Clean intense aromatics: Cassis, ink, violets, ripe plums, even roses, ash, charcoal. With further time in the glass leather, earth, vegetal herbaceous aromas emerged and a hint of lead pencil too. Dry, silky entry, medium body, despite the big firm tannins and high acidity on the palate (this wine still feels quite young) there are great ripe black fruits (bordering on compote) that just build in flavour and complexity in the mouth. Wow! This wine has an amazing blend of elegance, finesse and hidden power too.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/21/2010 - Stefanos T. wrote: 93 Points
Oinotrapeza December tasting. Very dark colour, almost opaque with ruby highlights. Nose was a little bit heavy with "black" aromas. Olive, tar, ink and ash and even coal. Super-ripe fruit also black, some meaty tones, leather and a herbal and balsamic lift. Very dark and brooding nose for a Margaux, this was more like 'the black wine of Cahors". In the palate it was dense with inky and plummy notes, overripe fruit and hard tannins. At the moment the wine's structure is unbalanced yet the fruit seems almost burned. There is a discrepancy between the youthfull tannic structure and its fresh texture and some almost aged-burnt flavours and aromas.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/16/2010 - Yiannis wrote: 93 Points
Very dark ruby. Fantastic nose with cedar, berry fruit, olive, ash, tar, graphite, tobaco, herbs, leather and ink. The nose indicates that the wine is quite evolved, so the impression on the palate is quite schocking: very aggressive tanins and high acidity leaving little space for the fruit to show. This wine is at its infancy and long cellaring is required before it will be able to offer real drinking pleasure. Long but dry aftertaste. Maybe a future classic.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/10/2010 - Lord Rayas wrote: 93 Points
Julian's MNSC (Wagyu Kaiseki Den): maybe unfairly overwhelmed when put side by side with the stunning 1990. notes of sweet plum, leather and hints of game. feels somewhat tight and not reaching its full potential yet.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/17/2010 - kwaky Likes this wine: 94 Points
EP Tasting at Armit. Aromatic fruit nose, lovely - deep red fruits. Tannin and acid well balanced and still holding a firm grip. Still very young and a long way to go. Score will definitely increase from here...
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/6/2010 - Lady Chatelaine wrote: 95 Points
What a wine ! by the color, intensive ruby/purple colour; by the nose, a balance of cedar,light tobacco and black fruis; by the taste,even if tannins are there, we have been amazed by its freshness/acidity after fifteen years; by its lenght in mouth,warm and smoky. Elegance is the word that would summarize the best this wine. Has been decanted two hours before and was at its best at the end.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/1/2010 - peternelson wrote: 93 Points
Element’s: Earthy, tabacco, prune, cassis; opened up the next day: pure, firm, elegant w/strucure and soft t’s. Really nice, and still a bit young, but showing very well. W/Boeuf Bourgignan, then w/Pizza next night.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/25/2010 - WildeMeeuw wrote: 89 Points
Verticaal Margaux (Chalet Royal): 1995 Château Margaux (Frankrijk, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux) Kleur: Opvallend felrood Aroma / bouquet: Niet heel uitgesproken of heel complex, donker fruit, in de verte theeblaadjes, subtiel hout, iets aan kruidigheid. Smaak / Afdronk: Uitgesproken vol en krachtig, veel concentratie, veel van alles Algemeen / potentieel: Lekker, niet overtuigend. 50 + Kleur: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 10 + Smaak / Afdronk: 17 + Algemeen / potentieel: 7 = 89/100
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/22/2010 - balassis wrote: 96 Points
Dinner at home with my friends George, Vassilis, Manos and Costas, without our spouses.
Vertical tasting of Ch. Margaux.
Wine Spectator rates it 100 points.
This wine is a classical Ch. Margaux, with deep garnet color and blue hues.
Attractive nose with scents of gentle oak, prunes and black forest fruits.
Medium to full bodied with still vibrant tannins and flavors of raisins, charcoal, graphite and pencil shavings.
Very spicy aftertaste with some hints of pink peppercorns.
The finish lasts about 35-40 sec.
Still a baby, needs decanting for at least 1 hour prior drinking.
It was perfect with lamb cooked with margaux wine (I used Ch. Desmirail 2003) and morels.
Unforgettable combination!!!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/31/2010 - mimik wrote: 94 Points
There is no doubt this wine needs WAY more time but it was an experience nonetheless. The dark black colour leads you into a beautiful perfumed nose of flowers hinting at what is underneath. Decanted for about 2 hours, the wine is a monster with excellent structure and a huge backbone of tannin. The fruit is there, with only some hints of pencil shavings and coffee and cassis but they are mere drops in the bucket compared to what this wine will be like when ready to drink. Long finish with very fine tannins. For structure and elegance alone, 94 points.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/28/2010 - jeff nowak wrote: 94 Points
decanted about an hour. beautifully perfumed, opening up a bit, no harsh edges, just a rose in bloom. i was impressed, and this is going to evolve into an excellent wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/8/2010 - rthun wrote: 96 Points
Decanted for 4 hours before tasting, the 1995 Margaux was still very tight. Nose of saddle leather, tobacco and smoke. Dark color. Still very tannic. As the wine had more time in the glass it started to come around more with a nice mouth of chewy dark fruit. However standing next to the 1990 Margaux, this wine was outclassed. Probably better off in 10 more years. Very good wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/10/2009 - JJL wrote: 91 Points
I have a hard time drinking this next to the '96. Like many of the '95's, I find it too light for my palate. I just don't see how this is going to get better either, does not seem to have the structure. Will gladly drink a glass if handed to me, but would trade my '95's for '96's.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/29/2009 - psmith wrote:
Young, but very drinkable. Dark red fruits, graphite, and soft tobacco character. Pure, seamless palate, with tannins that are far finer than a number of '95s are showing. Cassis. Softened, but can last a long time. Delicious.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/30/2009 - Jeff Leve wrote: 95 Points
Earth, oak, caramel, blackberry, violet and black cherry scents are found in the perfume. Very tannic with a slight austerity to the style. This young, concentrated wine needs a lot of time before fleshing out.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/13/2009 - JJL wrote: 93 Points
Drank at Zachy's auction at Daniel - This is a quality wine, but I much prefer the '96, '90 and '00. This was clearly the best bottle of '95 Margaux that I have had, but I still found myself searching for fruit and tasting a lot of drying tannins. I find it is a great food wine, but for me a really great wine needs to stand on its own.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/24/2009 - sdr wrote: 79 Points
The contrast between this '95 and the '96 was extreme - surely this was a off bottle. Fairly unpleasant nose of mineral water and rhubarb and the color is far more advanced than the one year difference in age would suggest. There's good density on the palate but ultimately it falls flat.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/23/2009 - wine_junkie wrote: 99 Points
Absolutely beautiful wine!!! So well balanced....beautiful terroir dark black fruit....this wine absolutely has it all.....did I mention it was balanced? Soft, supple tannins......definately ready to drink...decant a few hours....but so damn tasty.....
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/13/2009 - Margauxguy wrote: 98 Points
elegant, forceful nose, tannic, tight, should be wonderful many years downstream. Big and structured, open 4 hours befoe drinking, most like the 85. DO NOT DRINK for 10 yearsr
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/4/2009 - gsquireh wrote: 98 Points
Anniversary dinner at the Raven and the Peach. Full-bodied black purple, textured and full in the mouth with silky smooth mid palate and finish.Currants, black raspberry, licorice and nuts merge into a effortless balance that clues you into how a great wine should be and is made. Good for thirty years plus, but with decanting two hours up to eight, your wine will vary like a beautiful starlight evening- sparkling and ever changing -always a delight. The Heels won too! Maybe an 82 Las Cases Monday evening!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/3/2009 - www.westconcordliquors.com wrote:
The most unbelievable chocolate, coffee nose I have ever smelled on a wine. Very perfumed: cherries, carnations, medical tape. Gripping tannins....BUT ready to drink. The flavors are still too jumbled up to unique. I tasted with about 12 people including a MW and almost all thought this wine was not ready yet.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/3/2009 - JJL wrote: flawed
Corked
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/27/2009 - winefool wrote: 92 Points
LdC Palmer vs. Margaux Dinner (Primehouse): Full purpule color. Big canned black fruit nose with hints of paint thinner. A bit austere black fruit on the palate. Not sure how I got to this score re-reading my note?!?
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/24/2009 - MatthewF wrote: 98 Points
Dark Color with an ever so slight fade towards the edge. Sublime aromatics of black cherry, currant, a touch of underbrush, tobacco, and cedar with a bit of chocolate in the background. Lush palate with excellent grip on the backend. Showing fantastic this evening, but not near ready. Looking forward to opening my other bottles 10 years + in the future.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/19/2009 - Paul D wrote:
Chateau Margaux Tasting - 1983-2006 - With Paul Pontallier (Merchant Taylors' Hall, Threadneedle Street, London EC2): 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. ****
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/8/2008 - ProfessorHTF wrote: 96 Points
Amazing how many people have tasted this wine. This one was bought as the price for a bet lost re the outcome of the 2008 election. Boy where to begin. Wine was opened and decanted. First taste 45 minutes in revealed nothing extraordinary on the nose or palate, but wisps of something trying to escape. An hour later the explosion began. Like a top Burgundy, this was mostly a "feminine" wine with elegance and grace. Nose began with a cascade of wonderful sensations...floral (lilacs and violets), porcini mushrooms, big licorice, and dark candied bing cherry. Perfectly seamless...nothing dominated, unbelievable balance or equilibrium. Tannins in perfect harmony, and when they began to smooth, the wine simply became more of itself, with those amazing aromas and tastes just growing and growing. And yet, never did this wine become a monster...no raw two by four in the face that the big Pauillacs possess. An incredibly "intellectual" wine that mandated intense study, reflection and deconstruction of the experience. Bottle was consumed over three hours with due reverence. Did it taste like $500? No way to answer that. Was there zero doubt one was tasting something singular that stood apart from a great 2nd wine from a top chateau? Absolutely. NOT a beginner's wine, and not a wine for those who don't have the patience and the interest to really spend some time with it. I wish all posters and readers they very best of luck and hope and good fortune that they drink a wine like this someday. Not having "the wallet for it" as Miles remarked, I doubt I'll ever taste a wine like this again. Without question one of the top 3 tasted in my life.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/27/2008 - Paul S wrote: 94 Points
Chateau Margaux dinner (Au Jardin Les Amis, Singapore Botanic Gardens): This wine had a great sense of terroir, on one hand clearly Margaux and on the other clearly 1995. I thought it was outperformed by the 1989 and the 1999 on the night, but this will probably go on to best the other two in another decade or so. Nose was really feminine, with fresh cut flowers, green bell peppers, earth and a hint of leather and meat. All rather bright and high-toned, and absolutely hedonistic. More of the same headiness on the palate as well, almost like drinking perfume, with rich cherry and sweet berry flavours, sandlewood, flowers, a super sense of minerality and the lightest touch of cheese and a sprinkling of pepper, all swaddled in a rather tight package of super fresh acid and nicely coiled tannins. The finish was long, as would be expected, and a lot fresher than the 1999, but I found it the shortest of the three vintages of the grand vin that we had. A beautiful wine no doubt, but with a bit of 1995 harshness and angularity at the moment. This will need some time to really blossom.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/8/2008 - ivan.chittenden@gmail.com wrote: 95 Points
We consumed two bottles of the 1995 Margaux at one dinner - one from my cellar and one from my friend's cellar. Both bottles were outstanding - great fruit with limited tannins (but enough to demonstrate that the wine had a lot of further ageing potential).
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/23/2008 - psmith wrote:
Young, dark color. Red and black fruits, coffee, graphite, and earth nose - textbook Margaux seamless, elegant profile. Really wrapped up on the palate. Medium weight, classic flavors, but a wall of tannins takes over and dominates the finish. Very patrician, graceful profile, just needs to round out some. Probably a decade plus before it should even be considered. Very promising.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/1/2008 - gsquireh wrote: 96 Points
1285 Avenue of the Americas: Opaque purple with flowers in air and on the nose. Licorice,toasty oak with integrated tannin on the palate. Full bodied and fruity both black and raspberry. Layered and lovely!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/18/2008 - noppakit s. wrote: 94 Points
Nice clean and medium-bodied, delicious...good wine but I prefer Mouton 2004. Margaux is the most boring 1st Growth to me.
I hate young Margaux. Silly delicious. Is it too easy ?
So bad, I just got a bottle of 2005...for what ?
Drink 2012 - 2025...wait for the miracle...such as drinking 1989 at this moment !!!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/18/2008 - loverboy wrote: 95 Points
Dinner at Ember (Ember, Bangkok): Clearly my wine of the night !!!
Medium dark red. milk, pencil wood, mint, minerals. very very fine . still very young though !!! I love Margaux
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/29/2008 - Nutty08 wrote: 95 Points
Pebble Beach Food and Wine; 3/27/2008-3/30/2008 (Pebble Beach Resort, CA): Rather closed nose with some raspberry, cassiss, and currant. Palate very tannic and structured, but fine tannins. Long finish with earth and flint with good complexity. Still drinks as though it's very young, needs more time, but has a very promising structure and balanced to be something spectacular.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/2/2008 - shakedown wrote: 94 Points
Kept getting better and better. I really enjoyed the tobacco, lead nuances of the wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/27/2008 - Burgundy Al wrote: 91 Points
Margaux vs. Palmer Dinner, served in single blind flights (Primehouse - Chicago IL): Single blind 95/99 Margaux/Palmer flight. big and burly wine on the nose. Same fruit on the palate with fair amount of tannic structure. hold for a while.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/1/2008 - Claudio161 wrote: 95 Points
Hart Davis Hart Wine Co Comparative Bordeaux Tasting Vintages 1995 & 1996 (Newberry Library, Chicago IL): First time tasting this famed wine. I was impressed how Parker seemed to really nail the notes on this one. Some personal impressions: Licorice, Jammy, toasted Oak and candied nuts. Great spice component. Really well balanced. Could not get over the nice taste - again the overall impression of a very nice taste. I noticed that on the last sip, there seemed to be a hint of acidity.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/1/2008 - KeithAkers wrote: 94 Points
HDH 95/96 Comparative Tasting (Newberry Library, Chicago IL): nose: nice nose that has some good depth to it. Filled with cedar, black currants, dark fruit, and a good amount of tobbacco
taste: very nice and silky. Quitnessential Chateau Margaux. Nice helping of black currant, tobbacco, cranberry, and some cedar
overall: this is excellent. wonderful structure and balance on this wine. THe finish doesn't last as long as I'd like, but this is why this wine is a first growth
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/11/2008 - GA wrote: 95 Points
Margaux vertical: The '95 was a big dark full-bodied with strong brooding tannins - well-balanced and young.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/23/2007 - Eric wrote: 93 Points
Dinner at Eleven Madison Park (New York, NY): Reticent. Vitamin pill moving to cedar. This is really holding back. Tannic, firm and powerful with loads of minerals. Salty, powerful and reticent. Exceptionally young.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/18/2007 - MRichman wrote:
Chateau Margaux vertical (11 Madison Park in NYC): Funky barnyard nose. Tannic with good dense dark fruit and some high tones. This is not yet ready to drink and I think it will turn into an excellent wine with very solid fruit if not the polish of some of the others.
A-
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/8/2006 - wineamateur wrote: 92 Points
Jeroboam Club: Ch. Margaux Vertical (Bordeaux Quay, Bristol): Bright purple, darker than the 96. Initial hit of roasted coffee beans on the nose, with round, sweet, ripe fruit; some funky cola baby notes, sherberty; hints of toffee and caramel. On the palate, larger scale than the 96, a bit heavier, but something green underneath so not as classy. Still, the ripe sweet fruit does come through in the mouth, and there's a good mid-palate and finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/21/2006 - mdlazar wrote:
drank with dvg and manlin, very advanced, likely stored in extreme conditions. hard to assess the acidity or tanning because there was none. have a hunch that well stored bottles have alot to offer!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/29/2006 - D. Fulton wrote: 95 Points
The nose was strangely muted and almost entirely absent, but what this wine lacked on the nose, it more than made up for on the palate. Notes of blackberry are most apparent, but a subtle tart blueberry note is most interesting. This wine is very similar to the 1996, but the 1995 vintage seems more willing to soften with exposure to air. The tannins are quite powdery, but the finish is very, very long. Drink 2015-2030. 94-95
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/19/2006 - win wrote: 97 Points
Bordeaux Tasting, Dallas, Texas (IL Sole Restaurant & Wine Bar): Awesome dark falu maroon red with the scent of black currants, earthy mushrooms and raspberries. Very refined tannins that mellowed over an hour (decanted for an hour as well). Wine definitely lingered on the palate with a finish that went on and on—I stopped timing at 45 seconds because I was distracted by some food. Amazing wine and my WOTN. 94-98
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/20/2006 - Eric wrote:
An unreal tasting of Château Palmer and Château Margaux with Thomas Duroux of Palmer (Los Angeles, CA): Mmm, a nice initial impression: powerful with good minerality. However, ultimately this was very closed and tight, not very rewarding.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/12/2006 - D. Fulton wrote: 93 Points
Oaky nose showing profound notes of espresso. The palate has a very full feeling in the mouth, like the wine is about to give birth. Notes of espresso follow through onto the palate, which also shows lots of dark fruit notes.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/3/2006 - Hank Gillespie wrote:
The Wine Summit; 6/2/2006-6/3/2006 (The Post Hotel in Lake Louise): Dark ruby colour – great depth; aromas filled with black currant and red currant fruit, sweeping through the nostrils along with spice and some cedar; full and rich on the palate, but nothing aggressive here – the parts just seemed in perfect harmony; great structure, acidity and soft tannins lying beneath the fruit; a touch of coffee and hazelnut mixed with the black currant fruit; lengthy finish that continued to cry out for another sip.
A great match with the cheese dish, where we were able to concentrate on the versatility of this wine to rise up with each of the different cheeses.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/22/2005 - trankin wrote:
Wine Spectator Bordeaux First-Growth Tasting (New York Marriott Marquis): Dark red, transparent wine. Nose of cedar and cherries. Thinner wine than the rest in the flight. Nice mouthfeel and flavor structure. Very delicate. Cherries, cedar on the palatel. Nicely balanced. Not what I expected but very nice.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/1/2005 - winefool wrote: 94 Points
Black coffee red. Medeium/forward arom a of zingy spicey briar red fruit with a hint of bubble gum? Lovely rich ripe red spicy fruit on a firm but round tannic frame and a long finish. 94+ pts. NYWE 05 10/05
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/14/2005 - cassetta wrote: 96 Points
Blair's Burgundy and Bordeaux Blowout: Bright deep ruby. The glass erupts with red and black berries. Big, full bodied with currants and a long seamless finish. This wine is still a baby but approachable and delicious now with about 4 hours in the decanter.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/19/2005 - Eric wrote:
A 98 point dinner at Steve Cramer's (West Seattle, WA, USA): This was not a popular wine with the table as a whole, but I thought it was elegant and gorgeous for such a young wine. The nose dances with white flowers, cassis and graphite with the minerals dominating right now. The palate shows hints of cedar and that pencil lead character. Great acidity. This is clearly pretty closed for business right now but I suspect it will unfold gorgeously in a decade.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/14/2004 - BradA wrote: 93 Points
Closed nose, very unctious and rich on the palate. While drinking it last night it was obvious that it was years too early for consumption. I only rated it low as the wine wasn't giving much. At maturity, this wine will be 97+.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/6/2004 - otisabdul wrote: 97 Points
2004 WS Wine Experience: Ch. Margaux Vertical (Hyatt Regency, Chicago): Fabulous nose, showing more fruit than the other vintages in the bouquet. A different story on the palate. Dense and long, with chewy tannins. A powerful, forceful style with great balance and masculinity. Extremely impressive and one of my favorites of the tasting. JS like the ’95 better than ’96. Pontallier preferred the ’96, while saying of the ’95: “It would be a pity to drink now, since it has so much to prove in the years to come.” $300
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/1/2004 - winefool wrote: 94 Points
WS CWE 2004 - Margaux Vertical (Marriott Marquis): Deep coffee red color. Subtle sweet aroms of briar and cherry fruit. Deep ripe black cherry flavors with tannins down 1 notch. Quite concentrated. 94 pts. 11/04
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/24/2004 - Joe Belmaati wrote: 96 Points
Dark red with a hint of browning at the rim. Scents of tar and plums. This wine had a near-mature flavour profile with a soft feel. Figs, prunes mixed with tobacco combined to make up what was a surprisingly evolved taste with a first glance at secondary nuances - both in flavour and bouquet. Very elegant and classy with a wonderfully long, and balanced aftertaste.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/3/2004 - Vino Me wrote: 93 Points
A very lovely low key old world wine. Tried this a Jcubeds house. I found it to be smooth and earthy. The tannins were solid and firm. This wine obviously needs time but is not nearly as tannic as you would expect. I guessed this correctly. 93+ points.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/29/2004 - R2-D2 wrote: 94 Points
Dark red, fairly young in appearance. Classic (at least to me) Margaux cherry licorice, roasted herbs, limestone and cedar sensations backed with chocolate, fudge, ripe fruit, and intense, yet subtle tannins. Can only be ...
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/24/2002 - peternelson wrote: 92 Points
Weiner: A little rusty red; smokier; very smooth and tannic on finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment