2006 Château Margüi Côteaux Varois

Garagiste

• By Jon Rimmerman
  3/24/2009, (See more on Garagiste...)

  (MARGUI Varois Provence Rouge) Margui Dear Friends, Chateau Margui is back - a year older and a year wiser with the debut of their 2006 Coteaux en Varois Rouge. This estate remains one of our signature properties for one reason: exemplary price/value. Tucked into one of the most picturesque landscapes in Provence with a temperate and arid climate that most in the world of wine would give their right arm for (the vintages typically range from great to very great), Philippe Guillanton cares for this property with the meticulous eye of a taskmaster and the wines reflect his stately spirit. You can pretty much skip the rest of this and go straight to the price - it's among the lowest in France for the quality. While the 2005 was more brawny in youth, the 2006 is purely Bordelaise with a gorgeous twist of fate from nearly 70% cool-toned Syrah and the remainder Cabernet Sauvignon. This blend has become Margui's signature and they somehow combine the best of two worlds (Bordeaux and the Northern Rhone) into a top-level Southern delight. For those of you that have already enjoyed the 2005, for comparison's sake, the 2006 seems to be more regal in youth than the Shiraz-like 2005 - it requires at least 3-4 hours in a decanter to open (although Philippe insists that every vintage requires 1-2 years in bottle to integrate and shed baby fat - the 2005 has just started doing so). As far as style, Philippe is going for what he calls a "song and dance of tensile revelry" - a wine that appeals to the contemplative, difficult consumer and one that delivers a more adult experience than a simple Rhone wine in this price category. One thing is for sure, nothing about this wine says "bargain" except the price - the bottle contains real tannin and real fruit - it is not just a lazy day at the beach. To protect the precious cargo, Philippe uses the most expensive corks and capsules money can buy, the most expensive traditional bottles and stenciled labels, he cultivates his entire farm with painstaking and costly biodynamic/organic principles (not just the grapes but the olives, rosemary and flowers) - he does all of this because it is a labor of love and he indeed loves his wine. His wish is for the consumer to have the finest experience possible, regardless if it costs him substantially more per cork to use the same stock as some of the First and Second growth Bordeaux properties. There's not much you can do except shake your head at this wine - to deliver something like this is just not the norm in the world of wine. A multiple medal winner, the Left Bank-esque Cabernet makes its presence known in the 2006 from the get-go (unlike the 2005 that took a year or two for the Cabernet to start coming out). Philippe believes the 2006 will ultimately drink like a cross between Cornas and St. Estephe - we should only be so lucky. This estate has become quite difficult to source and nearly the entire production is sold to restaurants. If it's any indication of quality and demand, the wines of Margui are featured at nearly 20 Michelin starred restaurants and dozens of other Michelin noted establishments, including three-stared Louis XV in Monaco, Alain Ducasse and even Daniel in the US - not many properties in France can claim that honor. They are served at many of the hottest underground restos in France as well, which is testament to their "cool" appeal. Margui has that special something at a relative steal of a price that makes them a sommelier's dream - they have also proven to age very well (as Philippe noted above), performing at their best between 3-6 years after the vintage (the 2003 is drinking beautifully right now). All of this adds up to limited supply - the Rouge sees very limited distribution outside of France. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED (one of the highest recommendations for what it is) This parcel is directly from the winery cellar with the finest provenance available: 2006 Chateau Margui Coteaux Varois en Provence Rouge Thank you, Jon Rimmerman Garagiste Seattle, WA SOFR7711