Nose is aged but holding up well. Mostly red fruit with some tart black fruit, earthy wet soil mushroom and crushed rock in the background. Med body, med acid, med tannin. Powerful and dense. Don’t know this will relax to get to where it is epic. Tension and this age is iffy. Try again in 2-3 years.
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Second time trying this since Jan to very similar notes as the first. An open nose, but rather middle of the pack amongst the various vintages of Margaux. Elegant red fruit, tobacco, graphite and touch of bricking to the rims. A decent bottle if enjoyed on its own, but it will no doubt pale in comparison versus the better years. Drink up now while they are still good.
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98 Margaux has everything in moderation with nothing standing out. A very average Margaux but well made in the greater context of the region and vintage. Cassis, black cherry, violets, green bell pepper and some rustic woody edges to it. Should continue to develop well with time.
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Wonderful aged Bordeaux. Nose was primarily nail polish and soil, in the best possible way. Palate is similar, add some leather and dried red fruits. Still a lot of acid. Started to get out of balance after an hour and a half. The nose was completely heroic and this was a great experience.
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@ Manhatta NYC, perfect mid-neck fill. Somm recommended not decanting and was probably right, this was a bit herbaceous out the bottle but with 10-20 mins of air in glass smoothed out, and continued to evolve into more a velvety finesse through the night. Definitely an iron fist in a velvet glove but the fist will probably turn soft in another few years, so probably worth drinking up within the next 1-3 years. Got 2 bottles left to work through.
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A Ledbury Dinner: Dense ruby. Plushly floral on the nose, violets alongside the blackcurrant. Finely velvety, this is still quite primary with good density of dark red and some blue-black fruit. ****
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Into neck fill. Very solid cork. Only 3/8" of the cork was wet. 3+ hour decant. Less than a teaspoon of sediment. Color was not showing any signs of age. Given the wide range of reviews for this wine, I didn't know what to expect. Definitely not in the same class as the best vintages of this Chateaux, but better than I thought it might be. Tobacco and blueberries were the most dominant elements, but there were black fruits, some underbrush, and sweet Oak as well to provide complexity. Very smooth, with a slightly clipped finish. The wine is no longer worth the price of admission, but for those who've had in their cellar for a long time, it's a nice wine that still seems to have at least another 7+ years of quality drinking to it.
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Unfortunately past its prime, 2 hour decant before dinner. Bouquet was fine, green peppers, earth, oak. Served with filets. Second bottle, first one 15 years ago was amazing. This one has turned, muted but consistent, fruit was gone. If you still have bottles, drink up.
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Medium to dark red color. Fragrant dark fresh berries in the bouquet. Medium length. Nice fruit concentration. Soft entry, smooth fruit middle, and slightly astringent finish.
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.
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Solid, solid Bordeaux. And you can tell by my handle that I'm not a Bordeaux guy, so maybe it just matches my style a little bit more. The only nit was a bit of mushroom on the nose that dissipated, although the cork was perfect. Some might complain about the lack of true depth, but I don't enjoy that anyway. All of the classic scents and flavors of Bordeaux in the right proportion. Like a beautiful classic French actress... Catherine Deneuve if she was a brunette.
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Double decanted three hours before dinner; fill was into the neck and the cork was pristine. Deep garnet core turning to blood red at the rim. Classic and intoxicating Margaux bouquet, with scents of dried black fruits, black truffle, forest floor, roasted meat, and a hint of fennel. Medium bodied, with a silky mouthfeel, classic structure, excellent focus and grip, and a long and savory finish. From our wedding year, celebrating our 24th anniversary!
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No notes and only fleeting impressions as it was a knockout wine dinner with chateau Angelus hosted dinner at Anhelo restaurant in downtown Phoenix.
Two older Bordeaux wines were purchased after the Chateau Angelus tasting, this was one of the two. Unfortunately like all good wine drinking nights, someone has a great idea to pull wines last minute at the end of the night not allowing for any decant time… this was no different. The wine has a great perfume but unfortunately the palate doesn’t match. I would save up and buy better vintages or hold in hopes the tertiary flavors help this wine fill out.
Angelus Tasting (Anhelo (Phoenix)): PnP - Unfortunately, this wine suffered from not getting enough air....a 1-2 hour decant would have helped immensely, IMO. The nose on this was phenomenal and intoxicating! I could have sat with this wine smelling it all day and quite content. Unfortunately, the palate didn't live up to the nose. Perhaps more air would have helped as this wine did improve throughout drinking it over 30 mins. Nose was perfumed, with lots of fruit, earth and purple lilac, with hints of mushroom, tar, leather and anise, as well as tobacco and toasted oak. Palate showed more tertiary flavors initially, with bramble and earth dominating, followed by graphite, tobacco and oak, with some black and red fruit. With some air, the fruit really emerged, but remained in the background. I think the fruit would have made its way to the forefront with more time. 96 nose and 92 palate for a 94.
Pronounced nose intensity with notes of red and black fruits, vanilla, liquorice. Medium+ acidity and medium tannin. Tannin is rounded and polished. Very fresh on the palate. Perfect drinking cycle.
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Good mature bordeaux. Very cassis-centric notes, with occasional burst of smokey / tobacco / Merlot notes. The tannins are super fine, and the palate is silky as usual for a Ch. Margaux. It keeps evolving in a good way for only about 5 hours. Better drink up up.
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During a Commanderie event. Similar to my last tasting note. Good nose of cedar, tobacco and cloves. The palate is rather modest, a touch too lean with marked acidity. The thinness of the 1998 left bank cannot fully hide. The stellar 1998 Evangile next to it blew it away.
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Perfectly balanced structure, extremely fine and long tannin. Big and intense, precise, grand. Above the background of roasted jalapeño sits tons of fruit, so, so charming… Cherry, blackberry. Resolved, and only starting to develop any kind of tertiary character. Just barely entering its prime. Incredible, since it’s 23 years old.
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Drinking primarily California wines, the Chateau Margaux was a different experience. The wine was full bodied, "earthy" and very smooth. My wife, who is not a fan of terroir, liked the wine very much.
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Luftet en halvtime er dette så elegant, delikat og rødfruktig. Bringebær, blomster, transparent munnfølelse – men så skjer det noe halvveis i smakskurven: Da dør frukten litt hen, og utgangen er blodfattig og ikke i nærheten av så lang og intens som du bør kunne forvente. En flaske 97, drukket for et års tid siden, var overraskende nok bedre enn denne.
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Chateau Margaux 1998. Småpen nese. Svært elegant, men litt tørr i frukten. Lang med heftige tanniner, dog lite frukt. Tørker litt ut. Ingen dårlig vin, men kiler heller ikke på de rette stedene. 91p Ikke akkurat bang for bucks…
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deepish red color, just starting to mature, beautiful nose of cascading violets and mineral points, cassis, hints of pepper, on the palate mature with a graceful and tranquil mid-palate of ever-so-slightly austere pure spicy cassis fruit, punchy cherries, spicy oak notes in proper measure, fine long fragrant finish with punch and violet notes, this is not far different from the great 1996, this is a bit leaner and not quite so large- but the oak is much better integrated allowing for an ideal presentation of the floral and mineral subtleties that are the hallmark of a great Chateau Margaux, from a balance perspective- and for sheer elegant beauty- this is a Margaux like I have not had in many a vintage, in a beautiful place right now but time in hand.
****+, now to 2038+
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Pristine cork and bottle. Opened and after tasting decided not to decant but to slow oxidize as initially the wine had a light Burgundian element to it. Viscous and cloudy ruby color, left bottle to breathe 90 minutes then drank over 90 minutes. Nose of cassis, leather, nutmeg, earth and dark berries, medium bodied and very subtle on the palate. Gained weight over the course of the evening with good acidity and structure, and a decent finish.
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Refreshing smoke and cigar smell, along with controlled long finish. Firm Tannin showed the potential for further aging. Compared with Opus One and Vega Sicilia V5 at the same night, this bottle truly defended the superiority and fame in building elegance and complexity in Bordeaux wine-making philosophy.
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We had this along with the 1986 Margaux. A lovely wine, fully ready to drink but not showing any sign of old age. A classic, beautifully perfumed Margaux nose. Lighter than the '86 on the palate, but elegant. No detectable tannin. Not one of the all-time great Margaux, but very fine.
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Garnet red with a light amber edge. Beautiful dark fruits on the nose with some fresh violets and mushroom. As it sits in the glass you get big floral, perfume and fruit nuanaces. Incredible structure and brightness on the palate. Lively mouthfeel with a combo of minerality and fruit.
p.s. charcoal grilled ribeyes with broccolini and kapusta
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Drank with Easter dinner with 90 Leoville Las Cases. Margaux was elegant and wonderful to drink in a so so year, but was overshadowed by the depth of the Las Cases in the great 1990 vintage!
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Kleur: Diep robijnrood met een subtiele verkleuring aan de rand. Aroma / bouquet: Aangenaam bouquet met een beperkte expressiviteit. Wat gebrande tonen, een hint van koffie en leer. Ook twee uur beluchting veranderde hier niets aan. Smaak / Afdronk: Ingehouden harmonie, een ultieme balans tussen de frisse zuurgraad, zachte en rijpe tannines en een bescheiden percentage (12,5%) alcohol. Alles klopt, niets is overtuigend. Beperkte expresiviteit, gemiddelde afdronk. Algemeen / potentieel: In de meest recente notities van anderen zie ik serieus hoge waarderingen tussen 92 en zelfs 98 punten. Mijn laatste waardering (2010) was 87 punten. Vandaag is mijn optimisme ook gematigd. Wellicht heb ik flessen gekocht die niet onder optimale condities zijn bewaard. Maar grootsheid was in deze fles van deze wijn ver te zoeken. 50 + Kleur: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 10 + Smaak / Afdronk: 16 + Algemeen / potentieel: 7 = 88/100
Color: Deep ruby red with a subtle discoloration at the edge Aroma / bouquet: Pleasant bouquet with limited expressiveness. Some roasted notes, a hint of coffee and leather. Two hours of aeration did not change this either. Taste / Finish: Restrained harmony, an ultimate balance between the fresh acidity, soft and ripe tannins and a modest percentage (12.5%) alcohol. Everything is correct, nothing is convincing. Limited expressiveness, average finish. Overall / Potential: In the most recent notes from others, I see seriously high ratings between 92 and even 98 points. My last rating (2010) was 87 points. Today my optimism is also moderate. I may have bought bottles that have not been stored under optimal conditions. But greatness was hard to find in this bottle of this wine. 50 + Color: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 10 + Taste / Finish: 16 + Overall / potential: 7 = 88/100
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Decanted for 4hrs. Accompanied Prime Rib Roast. Aromas of dark fruits - Cherry and Blackberry. Taste of more dark Cherry with Cassis, leather with Graphite and a hint of smoke. Well balanced with a long finish, more cherry and earthy notes. Went very well with the Prime Rib
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Bday Ultraviolet#9. Deep purple color. Pronounced lush complex multi-layered nose of red and black fruit, smoke, liquorice, meat, mushroom. Dry, tart acidity, medium to high tannins, pronounced taste of cherry, blueberry, blackberry, fig, meat, mushroom, vanilla. Full body with great balance. Long finish. But plateaued shortly. Still, OMFG awesome.
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Dark ruby red in color with garnet showing at the edges. Notes of leather, cassis, cherry and tobacco. Dry, med body, med acidity, and smooth tannins. Nice wine still drinking well.
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I decanted about 3 hours before serving with rare venison. The aromas from the decanter were of dark fruits. The first taste was of fruit then the tobacco and cassis along with the pencil sharpening arrived and at the end the whole finish was remarkably fresh and dark fruit. It was altogether delicious.
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Smooth..so smooth and luxurious on the mouth, palate and finish. This is a classic elegant, medium bodied, yet rich, Margaux with blackberries galore. Throw in some violets and acacia and savor textures all the way down.
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I don’t drink a lot of premier cru Bordeaux but on 2 successive nights we drank a 1999 Mouton and a 1998 Margaux with the same meal (steak & potato). We drink our fine wines alone over 2-3 hours so we can see them transition. Last night we drank a 1999 Mouton and tonight this. All wines were bought on release an stored at 55 F The nose is charming. Red and dark fruit, vanilla, mushroom and tobacco. Body is drier than the Mouton and finish long enough. I would drink 1.5 to 3 hours after decanting. This bottle had no sediment. )
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Similar to other notes posted, this was quite good out of the bottle. It was better on the nose than the palate. At the 2-3 hour mark it showed okay but short on the finish. Longer term development a possibility but this seemed very good (but great on the nose, just short on the palate) vs. great. A-
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Halfway through a case of this wine. It flirts with true greatness - eg like the 1990 - without ever getting there, so far at least. Everything is “almost“ there. The nose is attractive but muted for Margaux. The palate has lovely flavours of dark fruits, minerals, forest floor and cedar. But there is a sourness and it feels a little lean towards the end. It is a very smooth and very easy wine to drink and it went beautifully with the duck breast. I am optimistic about this wine and just feel it needs 2-3 years for everything to come together and develop a little more complexity. Interesting to note that the scores on here seem to increase as the wine ages.
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On this night, this bottle was firing on all cylinders. Typical floral Margaux nose with dark cherry and raspberry bouquet. I could have simply sniffed it in my glass all night long but could not resist putting it to my lips. Ethereal. Cedar, cigar, cherry and complex. Beautifully integrated tannins. I have enjoyed many Chateau Margaux vintages dating as far back as 1934 and this is probably in my top 3 from this producer. Drink or hold. You won't be disappointed either way.
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Classic Margaux nose with black fruit,tobacco,cedar,spices and flowers.Good concentration of fruit on the palate with nicely balanced acidity.Tannins are round and fine.Quite delicate and long.Starting to drink well.Not bad,just not one of the estate's superstars.
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Always a pleasure to drink, this Margaux comes out of the bottle with a medium purple/red that still suggests a bit of an extended life ahead of it. But the nose tells you that it's peak drinking now. A wonderful nose of forest floor, charcoal, and tobacco, we drank it undecanted over four hours and it held it's ground all night. The tannins are very smooth at this point (further evidence this is not a, say, 20 yr wine at this point), nicely polished and acidity minimal. Unmistakable Bordeaux notes of black currant and leather are framed in a beautifully refined finish. In my experience, perhaps the most consistent producer of beautiful wine in the entire world, full stop. This bottle was a very pleasant experience but I am trying to rate it as if it was drunk blind, and I think a 93 is about right. Very experienced taster at table agreed fwiw.
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Vertical blind tasting. Expressive nose of cedar, tobacco, cloves but also a green streak. Palate is on the lean side, strong acidity. Not really convinced of this vintage
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Seriously good claret. Decanted 3hours prior. An arresting nose which triggers the synapses like a multitude of light bulb moments in quick succession. Palate was serious and brooding but fresh and balanced and seriously mouth coating. Concentrated and all-consuming for the following 30 seconds of each sip. Lacks that extra freshness of better vintages but i was very happy with this which at these upper price points has not happened recently. Faith affirming stuff.. amen
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A very classy wine but clearly from lesser vintage. Colour showed just a touch of age/evolution. Enjoyably secondary flavour of leather and caramel. Lacked a little in apparent fruit. Elegant to the point of lightness. Still a beautiful wine.
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WOTN at a recent dinner held at a friend's house (up against a 02 Jadot GC Villages and an 07 Valdicava BdM). Did not decant, just slow ox'd for an hour before serving with dinner. My first descriptor when sipping was that it tastes like money...but not powerball money... more like that pesky 20% carried interest the boys up in Greenwich charge. Very opulent wine with nice balance and structure; perhaps they hand-irrigate their vineyards with the finest cases of Perrier and Evian?
Luckily the bottle was well stored, so any tail risk was sufficiently hedged. Enjoy now or in the next 10 years.
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Château Margaux Vertical (Chef's Club NYC): Classic claret, plenty of blackberry stuffing, but missing the surprising aromatic expression of the ‘99 in the first glass. Certainly opulent. A little punchier than the ‘99 and slightly syrupy on the palate.
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During a Commanderie tasting. Discrete nose, WTF, a 20 year old Chateau Margaux 1er Grand Cru with a reductive nose. I could understand that with a Latour but not with a Margaux where fragrance is the leading value proposition. Everything needed to be coaxed here. The palate also felt rather young still, not very polished, no dilution though on the positive side. Have the over-concentrated mediocre material in this sub-par vintage or is the wine even after 20 years just too young? Who knows, in any case, not a convincing showing tonight. For top performing Chateau Margaux check out this tasting story (https://www.cellartracker.com/event.asp?iEvent=22060)
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Still quite austere but some regal fruit comes through on swirling, spice and nuanced complexity; good freshness on the entry, bright and refreshing. A good showing.
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I opened the bottle and decanted, drank over the course of a 4 hours. I put a stopper on the decanter and let some sit over night.
On initial pour, there were strong jam notes in the nose. The color was deep garnet with a slightly browning meniscus. The initial mouth feel was silky, round, and glassy. The tasting note were closed with strong graphite flavors. The finish lingered forever.
Second pour had a nose of prune and dried herbs. The mouth feel was tannic, layered, and rigid almost chewy. The tasting notes were iron and graphite, and oddly enough noticable kumquat rind (seriously).
Third pour had a nose of cured meat, dark fruit, and spice cabinet. The mouth feel was again round and tannic. The tasting notes were earthly, leather, iron reminiscent of a rare steak, and strong spiced fruit.
Fourth pour had a nose of stewed fruit and spice cabinet. The mouth feel was round, integrated, and lighter in the tannins. The tasting notes were spiced fruit and red candy.
Fifth pour had a closed nose. The mouth feel was round, silky, and tannic on the finish. The tasting notes were dark fruit and herbs.
Sixth pour had a nose of strong black fruit and dried herbs. The mouth feel was round, silky, and integrated. The tasting notes were of blackberry and licorice.
In the morning, it had a nose of leather. The mouth feel was flacid and tannic. The tasting notes were uniformly leather, but dull.
Overall the bottle in an intellectual treat, but lacks the heart of some claimed inferior names. Put differently, it lacked umph.
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Paired against a 1993 vintage, this 1998 scored a bit higher for me. Whilst the 1993 had more tertiary notes, this wine was still vibrant.
+ Nose - lots of red fruits, a bit jammy as well, quite delicate though + Taste - clean, smooth, sexy, again red fruits, soft tannins, too young (?) + Finish - mental note says long and sexy
Some argument on this vintage, ranging from à point or too young still. For me ready to drink - not a fantastic vintage, but a great wine nevertheless !
Mathijs
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Medium ruby core - very little fade at the rim; pretty austere on the nose and relatively undeveloped. A touch of herbal leafiness. Pretty closed; nice weight and texture on the palate, tannins are like velvet which is pretty impressive in this vintage. Again, still very youthful. Finishes a little sour. Good but not 1er GCC quality. Decent length.
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Quite an austere nose of blackcurrant leaf, cassis and dark minerals - not a huge amount of development; nicely resolved tannins and good density on the palate. Very smooth and very long. Not hugely expressive or seductive. Austere - not surprising considering the vintage. Interesting rather than pleasurable.
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Bright Bordeaux notes with red fruit and sweet saddle leather. Very subtle amber tint. Very light and pretty with anise and purple floral notes. Some ash, stone and red meat. I think it will improve beautifully over next 5+ years. Opened for 1 hour and poured straight from bottle.
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Super 1990s Bordeaux Tasting (Wine Watch, Fort Lauderdale, Florida): The surprise of the evening. Had the characteristic Margaux perfume, with black currant, blackberry, fresh violets, fresh herbs, tobacco, and espresso. Really smooth on the palate, with a gorgeous mouthfeel. Overall very enjoyable. Kept me interested throughout the entire evening. Should improve from here, but it's certainly approachable now.
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Muted on the nose but very fine on the palate and a strong finish. Layers of black fruits and mocha coupled with damp wood. Lovely texture with an intricate/delicate feel in the mouth. Less feminine than usual but still very Margaux. In its drinking window but no hurry to drink it up.
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Deep garnet in color. Decanted for over an hour before tasting. Bell pepper on the nose, earth, and a trace of cassis. Medium to full bodied, well integrated tannins, and medium acid. Definitely light in the fruit department and short on the finish. Very earthy in character. At the 3 1/2 hour mark, the wine started to become quite tart. The only thing saving this wine is its beautiful finesse and elegance. Questionable future ahead for this wine. Tasted alongside three right bank Bordeaux of different vintages and a Hermitage.
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Youthful purple color. Black and blue berries with some tar, a floral component and a hint of bell pepper on the moderately fragrant nose. Quite feminine. Fruit forward, medium-weight with good tension and fine tannins. Some sweetness on the finish. Lots of life ahead although not certain the wine will see much further improvement.
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This was an atypical Margaux. It was dense, earthy and gritty with an opaque maroon robe. Powerful and concentrated, it was more Street Fighting Man than Rudolph Nureyev. While it is undoubtedly a very fine wine it perhaps lacked that effortless ethereal quality one often associates with Chateau Margaux. Floral notes did emerge, but it did not quite have the finesse of other vintages, nor the abundant Margaux berries. Nonetheless, most enjoyable, a very good wine and all the more thrilling for knowing what we were drinking! Little did we know that we were enjoying this less than 24 hours before Paul Pontallier passed away.
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Served blind by the host. Dinner in Bordeaux. I knew it was Left Bank but unsure of the commune. It's was a-typical for Margaux, opaque maroon deep robe, masculine and gritty. Earthy, with some hints of floras. Powerful, dense and concentrated. Very enjoyable but did the finesse and berries of the Margaux did not show through. Nonetheless, a very good wine.
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(BYO Blind tasting, presented by me) Subtle, dense, complex nose. Very deep with complex perfume embedded in a lush fruit of black currant, smokey oak, tobacco and dried autumn leaves. Changes with time in glass. The fruit is perfectly poised between fresh and dried. The savory notes are beginning to show. And a distinct aroma of gravel and mineral. Very satisfying. Fullish, impeccably balanced palate with a driving acid and perfect fruit structure. Inky, minerally and perfumed. Very rich, very elegant, and very complex. Splendid grip. Intense and persistent and also so very harmonius. Presented by me, and compared to 86 Mouton, 99 Mouton, and 95 Pichon Baron, this was WOTN for our tasting group. This was splendid now, and will be for at least a decade.
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Good, but showing age. A bit tired and rustic. Still in nice shape and drinking well, justed expected more here. From a 1/2 bottle, maybe larger bottles show better.
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Medium/full bodied, firm, tannic, masculine, structured style of Margaux. The perfume, with its floral, tobacco and black cherry aromas are more enticing at this stage of the game. The wine demands at least another 5-8 years in the cellar. With luck, the wine will soften as it evolves.
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Phoenix Society chez moi: Easily the wine of the flight and the wine of the night. Classic Margaux, starting to drink now. Bright red colour, intoxicating nose of cedar, vanilla, black fruits, sandalwood. On the palate, great balance and complexity, and a very long finish. Can be consumed now with a long decant; better in 5 years.
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Very nice nose, fragrant and youthful despite the age. In the mouth, good, somewhat lacking mid-palate, and strong long finish. Excellent but not amazing. At maturity.
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Amazing! Decanted for one hour. Violets on the bouquet and on the long strong finish. This is ready to drink but can be kept for another decade or more.
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Weekly tasting group #146; Bordeaux: Right bank or Left bank? (@ RW): Concentrated and lush dark forest fruits with beautifully hidden oak. On the palate creamy dark forest fruits, very concentrated with a beautiful balance between some sweetness and acidity. The tannin is ripe, soft and round. The wine is in its maturity stage now and will probably stay there for many years. Until 2020 will not be a problem. Would love to taste it again by then.
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2014 New York Wine Experience Trip; 10/14/2014-10/21/2014 (New York City, NY): Deep ruby/red in color, the '98 Margaux has probably reached its plateau phase. Black currants, dark plums, walnuts, lavender and sage are found on the nose and palate. The wine is medium-bodied, nicely acidic and has well-integrated alcohol. The tannins are medium-weight and a bit angular. Although staying solid in the middle, there is not the richness that one would find on Margaux from a better vintage. Finishing medium-to-long, it is pleasant and delicious, but not stellar. Drink now-2024.
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NY Wine Experience 2014 (Marriot Marquis): While still a baby, compared to all the other young Bordeaux wine, this was nice to drink. Graphite. cigar smoke. cassis. blackberry. velvety. silky tannins. enjoyed a lot.
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Thick, voluptuous and well delineated wine with basket of dark fruits on the palate. Blind tasted some of us thought about the 1999 or 2001 Margaux. Needs some more time.
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The definition of class & elegance. Red & black fruit; shades closer to red fruit on balance. Pretty red & black cherry, raspberry & raspberry liqueur, gorgeously perfumed oak. Good balance, med/light-ish structure ..... BUT ... YMMV, but in my mind sorely lacking in intensity; for me somewhere between a huge flaw & unforgivable in a 1st Growth.
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Opened with no problem. Needed a decant; decanted for 60 min prior to drinking. Not your typical Margaux. Strong, densely packed fruit. more masculine than feminine. Secondary flavors just starting to appear--leather and pencil lead. Enjoyed this one more than i expected given the vintage, but in a way that i did not anticipate. Very lovely wine, but not exceptional. Still has many years of life left.
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Tasted from a magnum, blind against Pape Clément and Troplong Mondot from the same vintage. Powerful / masculine and closed despite a 2-hour decant. Hopefully will evolve into a more open/effusive wine over the years.
Dégusté en magnum, à l'aveugle face à Pape Clément et Troplong Mondot du même millésime. Puissant et masculin, encore peu expressif malgré une aération de 2 heures... En espérant que ce vin développera une plus ample expressivité dans les années à venir.
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AWSEC Great Bordeaux Tasting (AWSEC, Hong Kong): Dark with a small pale rim. Clean nose of fresh fruit with sweet spice and smoke. Very nice on the palate with licorice, oak and med- acid. Ripe tannins but a little drying. Medium length. Not from a top vintage but not bad. Needs another couple of years.
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Strong tobacco and dirt after first opening, in glass 15 minutes, nose goes somewhat austere. Sweet notes of vanilla start to show. On the palette, pure velvet, perfection, everything in line. subtle plums with fine tannins and a backbone of acid that all meld together harmoniously. Seriously, angels sang.
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Tested with La Mouline 1984, Pavie 2003 and Le Puy 2006.
This 1998 is much better than last few times. I told myself " I don't want to drink Margaux 1998 anymore " and in last tasting...I passed it...nothing's interesting...until today.
The best 1998 Margaux I've ever had. Strong cassis nose, earth and wood, along with fruits. Mmmm...maybe I likt it because it now has Haut-Brion character. Delicious and good finished. Powerful enough to get 93/100 from me.
Time passes by, things can only get better !!!
Drink now - 2027
ps. For 1st Growth, Margaux is my table wine : Easy delicious, stable, good for food.
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Short decant did this no justice. The Margaux aromatics are exceptional, complex and all in place, but this is an extremely tight and backwards wine. In it for the long haul and really needs another 5 years or more before everything integrates and the obvious quality of the fruit is allowed to shine through the structure. 91+
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Young young young young. Leave this alone for 10 years otherwise you are killing it. Primary fruit, a wall of fine tannins and then notes of mint, dark fruit and deep deep complexity. Right now you can't really get past the backbone of this wine which is setting this up to be utterly stunning in 10 years - the depth is there, the fruit is there and the acidity and tannic structure is there - it just needs time.
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Drank alongside the 85 Haut brion, this was younger and a little more clunky, with a nose of fruit compote and hints of rock. Mouthfeel was more full bodied, and the tannins were very present. More fruit but less balance and finesse than the HB. A very nice wine, maybe we opened it a few years too early.
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Deep dark ruby-garnet. The nose exhibits intense black currant and sloe. Despite the satiny textured tannin, the mouth lacks somewhat in intensity. Subtle oleander, blackberry, and a hint of cigar box linger on the finish. A charming wine that should hold through the `20s.
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Kruger's 75th (Corsair): Well, it's a '98 Margaux from magnum. Youthful? You bet. Deep and brooding with plenty of black currants, cherry, spices, and toasty oak. Primary and tannic, great acid. Luckily this didn't have too much complexity to offer as I'm sure it wouldn't be recognized after tonights lineup. This was the perfect wine to end the evening on the new deck with buckets of fried chicken!!!
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Appearance; dark ruby with very little rim variation Nose; shy at first, herbs and green pepper come out, tight unripe black fruit, with some air, violets and plums- perfumy Palate; somewhat tight at first, black fruits and leather; with some air; spices and ripe fruits emerge
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The Big "Four-O": 40+ Wines for 40 Years: From magnum - I first had this bottle in 2000 and it was a bitter, tannic beast. The tannins have mellowed dramatically and I thought it tasted much older than it was. There is a nice classic bordeaux nose with some floral, oak and spice notes. A bit of spice, dirt and oak on the palate. Not much fruit, but I think this is consistent with this vintage. Probably the most feminine bordeaux of the night. This is a wine that is probably best served alone and not in a large tasting because it gets bullied by the bigger wines.
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The right bank gets all the glory in 1998 Bordeaux, but the left bank produced many successes as well, and not only in Pessac-Leognan. Chateau Margaux has produced an excellent wine with the fruit all in the black spectrum - blackberries, blackcurrant, dark raspberries. It's firm on both nose and palate but far from rigid and it should develop extremely well over the next decade or two. For now, it lacks only complexity, but that will come in due course.
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First time tasting Margaux so my rating may be biased towards the high side - very small pour at K&L tasting. Incredibly bold nose of earth and black truffle. Dark berry with smoked oak, floral and spice notes. Very elegant. This wine blew the others at the tasting out of the water including the '99 Lynch Bages and '05 Pichon-Baron (although Pichon may get close given another 10 years in the bottle).
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A small pour, about three thimblefuls of wine. An incredible nose of earth and mushroom. Dirt and berries on the front and mid palate. Very elegant, soft tannins. A medium length finish.
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Nice margaux indeed,. Nice structured wine, it boosts red ruby color with overwhelming nose, milk, berries (red), earth, a touch of mineral. Medium wine with nice palate and structure. Good long finish
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Wine Spectator Grand Tour (Las Vegas): Smoke flowers and some more earth. Black and red fruits with leather. Tannins are strong but somewhat drying. Fruit holds it together.
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Nice deep purple, wonderful nose of baked dark berries and a hint of vanilla. Smooth tannins, wonderful to drink, full in the mouth with tastes of vanilla and baked cherries. Medium to long finish (20 - 30 seconds). Thoroughly enjoyed my first taste of a first growth.
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Broad nose, not overbearing. Brick red color, very subtle flavor, more earthy than fruity, very understated wine, elegant, very long finish, didn't taste too young, as it breathed it became more peppery. Great wine but not earth-shattering. Wouldn't spend the money again, but would certianly enjoy if someone else was paying.
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Still a somewhat closed bouquet. Round, complex bouquet with little caramel and soft oak. Full bodied, youthful, mainly red, but also black forest fruits. A little lead pencil. Enormously long aftertaste. Still too young, very complex wine.
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G7 (Pat): Blackberries. A bit stemy or green. Very feminine and light. This wine seems to be missing something. Has the least structure and concentration of the '98 first growths. My least favorite of the five.
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Chateau Margaux vertical (11 Madison Park in NYC): Nice big sweet fruit. Fine tannins. Some vanilla and new oak. Light and a bit empty in the middle, this was nice but lacked the power of some of the other vintages. This vintage seemed to signal a shift in style towards sweeter vanilla oak flavors (although the 1990 shared some of that style). B+
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Jeroboam Club: Ch. Margaux Vertical (Bordeaux Quay, Bristol): Deep dark purple; a tad more advanced in appearance than the '99 and '97. Very open, attractive nose. Some secondary development, fungal notes, minty. A nice gentle hit on the palate, a bit watery at first, with coffeed notes to the fore; some prickly tannins but slips down without fuss. Nice, but maybe lacks a bit of grip. Quite fresh as compared with the '99, lacks a bit of 99's ripeness, but a bit more flattering now.
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Drinking well now - elegant smooth silky - balanced - even attack - its texture is noteworthy - finishes with a structured oak which has softened and rounded since my last tasting.
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Dark fruits and cassis on the palate, but a strikingly Pessac-like gravelly nose. Seems to be coming out of its sleep. Will save the other bottle for 10-15 years.. but wanted to try one relatively young. Buy.. but only at a good price. I can see this still improving.
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Loads of heavy toast oak on the nose with some sweet aromatic fruits. As we drank this wine with lunch the impeccable balance became evident and all the fleshy, sweet fruit was in good harmony with the oak. A lovely complex mid weight Margaux that is a pleasure to drink now but will obviously reward further cellaring.
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Dark red with a visibly light rim. Scents of freshly chopped wood and spices. Medium bodied and elegantly light and balanced. As the wine warmed up in the glass it took on more of a "sour" note, yet seemed to have the substance to not become unpleasantly sour. Nice structure, and a good, sweet core of fruit with a somewhat short aftertaste.
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Tried alongside Mouton 96 and Figeac 82 in a tasting of Californian merlot and cab-sav blends (no doubt in order to show off the Californians in a very positive light). Very dense purple. Incredibly austere on first taste - straight after a Calif 2001 cab-sav (Vineyard 7). Almost completely closed on the nose other than heavy whiff of oak, with very little primary fruit evident. Austere and tannic on the palate, although plenty of fruit is evident with good acidity and length. After half an hour in the glass it did open up noticeably, showing a powerful undercurrent of rich dark fruits and cassis. Come back in five years.
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One of the bigger disappointments at the WS Chicago Grand Tour. This has a lot of development if it wants to live up to its 1st growth status. Rich and deep with supple tannins. Not much in the way of interesting fruit nuances. 91+.
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Deep, dark red. A soaring bouquet of freshly ground coffee and truffles. Magical on it's journey across the tongue, Really well-defined and balanced. Of the five, the best drinking wine at the moment (although all wines are a good ten years away from real drinkability). Structure and harmony in abundance. To me, the winner in this flight.
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4/14/2024 - ONEFIVE Likes this wine:
Nose is aged but holding up well.
Mostly red fruit with some tart black fruit, earthy wet soil mushroom and crushed rock in the background.
Med body, med acid, med tannin.
Powerful and dense. Don’t know this will relax to get to where it is epic. Tension and this age is iffy.
Try again in 2-3 years.
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4/3/2024 - wineton.mee wrote: 93 Points
Second time trying this since Jan to very similar notes as the first. An open nose, but rather middle of the pack amongst the various vintages of Margaux. Elegant red fruit, tobacco, graphite and touch of bricking to the rims. A decent bottle if enjoyed on its own, but it will no doubt pale in comparison versus the better years. Drink up now while they are still good.
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1/4/2024 - wineton.mee wrote: 93 Points
98 Margaux has everything in moderation with nothing standing out. A very average Margaux but well made in the greater context of the region and vintage. Cassis, black cherry, violets, green bell pepper and some rustic woody edges to it. Should continue to develop well with time.
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12/25/2023 - Skymech wrote: 95 Points
Wonderful aged Bordeaux. Nose was primarily nail polish and soil, in the best possible way. Palate is similar, add some leather and dried red fruits. Still a lot of acid. Started to get out of balance after an hour and a half. The nose was completely heroic and this was a great experience.
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11/6/2023 - wxs2102 Likes this wine: 93 Points
@ Manhatta NYC, perfect mid-neck fill. Somm recommended not decanting and was probably right, this was a bit herbaceous out the bottle but with 10-20 mins of air in glass smoothed out, and continued to evolve into more a velvety finesse through the night. Definitely an iron fist in a velvet glove but the fist will probably turn soft in another few years, so probably worth drinking up within the next 1-3 years. Got 2 bottles left to work through.
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9/9/2023 - SimonG wrote: 92 Points
A Ledbury Dinner: Dense ruby. Plushly floral on the nose, violets alongside the blackcurrant. Finely velvety, this is still quite primary with good density of dark red and some blue-black fruit. ****
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9/2/2023 - mxpbuy Likes this wine: 92 Points
Into neck fill. Very solid cork. Only 3/8" of the cork was wet. 3+ hour decant. Less than a teaspoon of sediment. Color was not showing any signs of age. Given the wide range of reviews for this wine, I didn't know what to expect. Definitely not in the same class as the best vintages of this Chateaux, but better than I thought it might be. Tobacco and blueberries were the most dominant elements, but there were black fruits, some underbrush, and sweet Oak as well to provide complexity. Very smooth, with a slightly clipped finish. The wine is no longer worth the price of admission, but for those who've had in their cellar for a long time, it's a nice wine that still seems to have at least another 7+ years of quality drinking to it.
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6/24/2023 - Lafiteme Does not like this wine: 83 Points
Unfortunately past its prime, 2 hour decant before dinner. Bouquet was fine, green peppers, earth, oak. Served with filets. Second bottle, first one 15 years ago was amazing. This one has turned, muted but consistent, fruit was gone. If you still have bottles, drink up.
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6/4/2023 - FDT wrote: 91 Points
This is the third of the three. I was delighted. Everything is as before and more. Well worth the wait.
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3/25/2023 - VinhoVerde Likes this wine: 91 Points
Medium to dark red color. Fragrant dark fresh berries in the bouquet. Medium length. Nice fruit concentration. Soft entry, smooth fruit middle, and slightly astringent finish.
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.
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3/19/2023 - Eric wrote:
Haut-Brion and Margaux courtesy of Mark Taylor; 3/18/2023-3/19/2023 (Atlanta, GA): A dirty nose with vitamin pill, savory, dusky, a bit bretty, gaining volume, some oakiness. Wow this is intensely mineral and insanely dry and grippy.
My 6th as well as the group 6th. I guessed 2010 based on the sheer tannic overwhelm, but this was the 1998.
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12/27/2022 - SurfBurg wrote: 96 Points
Solid, solid Bordeaux. And you can tell by my handle that I'm not a Bordeaux guy, so maybe it just matches my style a little bit more. The only nit was a bit of mushroom on the nose that dissipated, although the cork was perfect. Some might complain about the lack of true depth, but I don't enjoy that anyway. All of the classic scents and flavors of Bordeaux in the right proportion. Like a beautiful classic French actress... Catherine Deneuve if she was a brunette.
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12/19/2022 - tbabes wrote: 96 Points
Double decanted three hours before dinner; fill was into the neck and the cork was pristine. Deep garnet core turning to blood red at the rim. Classic and intoxicating Margaux bouquet, with scents of dried black fruits, black truffle, forest floor, roasted meat, and a hint of fennel. Medium bodied, with a silky mouthfeel, classic structure, excellent focus and grip, and a long and savory finish. From our wedding year, celebrating our 24th anniversary!
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10/8/2022 - Tompa71 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Gentle, balanced, wonderful
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9/10/2022 - WildeMeeuw Does not like this wine: 87 Points
Last bottle. Same experience.
Nice Bordeaux, moderate AOC Margaux, disappointing Ch. Margaux.
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8/31/2022 - LiteItOnFire Likes this wine: 91 Points
No notes and only fleeting impressions as it was a knockout wine dinner with chateau Angelus hosted dinner at Anhelo restaurant in downtown Phoenix.
Two older Bordeaux wines were purchased after the Chateau Angelus tasting, this was one of the two. Unfortunately like all good wine drinking nights, someone has a great idea to pull wines last minute at the end of the night not allowing for any decant time… this was no different. The wine has a great perfume but unfortunately the palate doesn’t match. I would save up and buy better vintages or hold in hopes the tertiary flavors help this wine fill out.
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8/31/2022 - I'd Rather Be Drinking Wine Likes this wine: 94 Points
Angelus Tasting (Anhelo (Phoenix)): PnP - Unfortunately, this wine suffered from not getting enough air....a 1-2 hour decant would have helped immensely, IMO. The nose on this was phenomenal and intoxicating! I could have sat with this wine smelling it all day and quite content. Unfortunately, the palate didn't live up to the nose. Perhaps more air would have helped as this wine did improve throughout drinking it over 30 mins. Nose was perfumed, with lots of fruit, earth and purple lilac, with hints of mushroom, tar, leather and anise, as well as tobacco and toasted oak. Palate showed more tertiary flavors initially, with bramble and earth dominating, followed by graphite, tobacco and oak, with some black and red fruit. With some air, the fruit really emerged, but remained in the background. I think the fruit would have made its way to the forefront with more time. 96 nose and 92 palate for a 94.
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8/28/2022 - Sean Tay Likes this wine: 97 Points
Pronounced nose intensity with notes of red and black fruits, vanilla, liquorice. Medium+ acidity and medium tannin. Tannin is rounded and polished. Very fresh on the palate. Perfect drinking cycle.
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6/21/2022 - vinhslee Likes this wine: 94 Points
Good mature bordeaux. Very cassis-centric notes, with occasional burst of smokey / tobacco / Merlot notes. The tannins are super fine, and the palate is silky as usual for a Ch. Margaux. It keeps evolving in a good way for only about 5 hours. Better drink up up.
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3/3/2022 - steinersing wrote: 92 Points
A little disappointing bottle. Lacking fruit and intensity. Blind would guess Pauillac with a little tobacco and cigar box.
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3/3/2022 - Collector1855 wrote: 94 Points
During a Commanderie event. Similar to my last tasting note. Good nose of cedar, tobacco and cloves. The palate is rather modest, a touch too lean with marked acidity. The thinness of the 1998 left bank cannot fully hide. The stellar 1998 Evangile next to it blew it away.
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2/19/2022 - Edward M wrote: 88 Points
Very good. A little musty.
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1/15/2022 - dbenglis Likes this wine: 94 Points
Very enjoyable bottle.
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12/23/2021 - Madera16 Likes this wine:
Perfectly balanced structure, extremely fine and long tannin. Big and intense, precise, grand. Above the background of roasted jalapeño sits tons of fruit, so, so charming… Cherry, blackberry. Resolved, and only starting to develop any kind of tertiary character. Just barely entering its prime. Incredible, since it’s 23 years old.
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12/21/2021 - NapaRick Likes this wine: 88 Points
Drinking primarily California wines, the Chateau Margaux was a different experience. The wine was full bodied, "earthy" and very smooth. My wife, who is not a fan of terroir, liked the wine very much.
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12/17/2021 - Hanibal Likes this wine: 93 Points
Still lots of fruit and tannins. Very long. Needed more time in decanter. Best to decant 3 or 4 hours at this stage
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11/1/2021 - Krokfjord wrote: 92 Points
Luftet en halvtime er dette så elegant, delikat og rødfruktig. Bringebær, blomster, transparent munnfølelse – men så skjer det noe halvveis i smakskurven: Da dør frukten litt hen, og utgangen er blodfattig og ikke i nærheten av så lang og intens som du bør kunne forvente. En flaske 97, drukket for et års tid siden, var overraskende nok bedre enn denne.
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10/30/2021 - hajoha wrote: 91 Points
Chateau Margaux 1998.
Småpen nese.
Svært elegant, men litt tørr i frukten.
Lang med heftige tanniner, dog lite frukt.
Tørker litt ut.
Ingen dårlig vin, men kiler heller ikke på de rette stedene. 91p
Ikke akkurat bang for bucks…
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10/21/2021 - Elpaninaro Likes this wine:
deepish red color, just starting to mature, beautiful nose of cascading violets and mineral points, cassis, hints of pepper, on the palate mature with a graceful and tranquil mid-palate of ever-so-slightly austere pure spicy cassis fruit, punchy cherries, spicy oak notes in proper measure, fine long fragrant finish with punch and violet notes, this is not far different from the great 1996, this is a bit leaner and not quite so large- but the oak is much better integrated allowing for an ideal presentation of the floral and mineral subtleties that are the hallmark of a great Chateau Margaux, from a balance perspective- and for sheer elegant beauty- this is a Margaux like I have not had in many a vintage, in a beautiful place right now but time in hand.
****+, now to 2038+
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10/4/2021 - winemo Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drinking very nicely now. Needed a little air, but opened to a very good mature Bordeaux.
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10/3/2021 - the player Likes this wine: 93 Points
Pristine cork and bottle. Opened and after tasting decided not to decant but to slow oxidize as initially the wine had a light Burgundian element to it. Viscous and cloudy ruby color, left bottle to breathe 90 minutes then drank over 90 minutes. Nose of cassis, leather, nutmeg, earth and dark berries, medium bodied and very subtle on the palate. Gained weight over the course of the evening with good acidity and structure, and a decent finish.
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9/4/2021 - Rouyi Likes this wine: 93 Points
Refreshing smoke and cigar smell, along with controlled long finish. Firm Tannin showed the potential for further aging. Compared with Opus One and Vega Sicilia V5 at the same night, this bottle truly defended the superiority and fame in building elegance and complexity in Bordeaux wine-making philosophy.
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8/7/2021 - GBFan Likes this wine: 95 Points
We had this along with the 1986 Margaux. A lovely wine, fully ready to drink but not showing any sign of old age. A classic, beautifully perfumed Margaux nose. Lighter than the '86 on the palate, but elegant. No detectable tannin. Not one of the all-time great Margaux, but very fine.
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7/25/2021 - dkentaustin Likes this wine: 95 Points
Garnet red with a light amber edge. Beautiful dark fruits on the nose with some fresh violets and mushroom. As it sits in the glass you get big floral, perfume and fruit nuanaces. Incredible structure and brightness on the palate. Lively mouthfeel with a combo of minerality and fruit.
p.s. charcoal grilled ribeyes with broccolini and kapusta
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4/4/2021 - carl.cornaglia@gmai.com Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drank with Easter dinner with 90 Leoville Las Cases. Margaux was elegant and wonderful to drink in a so so year, but was overshadowed by the depth of the Las Cases in the great 1990 vintage!
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12/30/2020 - WildeMeeuw Does not like this wine: 88 Points
Kleur: Diep robijnrood met een subtiele verkleuring aan de rand. Aroma / bouquet: Aangenaam bouquet met een beperkte expressiviteit. Wat gebrande tonen, een hint van koffie en leer. Ook twee uur beluchting veranderde hier niets aan. Smaak / Afdronk: Ingehouden harmonie, een ultieme balans tussen de frisse zuurgraad, zachte en rijpe tannines en een bescheiden percentage (12,5%) alcohol. Alles klopt, niets is overtuigend. Beperkte expresiviteit, gemiddelde afdronk. Algemeen / potentieel: In de meest recente notities van anderen zie ik serieus hoge waarderingen tussen 92 en zelfs 98 punten. Mijn laatste waardering (2010) was 87 punten. Vandaag is mijn optimisme ook gematigd. Wellicht heb ik flessen gekocht die niet onder optimale condities zijn bewaard. Maar grootsheid was in deze fles van deze wijn ver te zoeken. 50 + Kleur: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 10 + Smaak / Afdronk: 16 + Algemeen / potentieel: 7 = 88/100
Color: Deep ruby red with a subtle discoloration at the edge Aroma / bouquet: Pleasant bouquet with limited expressiveness. Some roasted notes, a hint of coffee and leather. Two hours of aeration did not change this either. Taste / Finish: Restrained harmony, an ultimate balance between the fresh acidity, soft and ripe tannins and a modest percentage (12.5%) alcohol. Everything is correct, nothing is convincing. Limited expressiveness, average finish. Overall / Potential: In the most recent notes from others, I see seriously high ratings between 92 and even 98 points. My last rating (2010) was 87 points. Today my optimism is also moderate. I may have bought bottles that have not been stored under optimal conditions. But greatness was hard to find in this bottle of this wine. 50 + Color: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 10 + Taste / Finish: 16 + Overall / potential: 7 = 88/100
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12/25/2020 - pommieba@cox.net Likes this wine: 91 Points
Decanted for 4hrs. Accompanied Prime Rib Roast.
Aromas of dark fruits - Cherry and Blackberry. Taste of more dark Cherry with Cassis, leather with Graphite and a hint of smoke. Well balanced with a long finish, more cherry and earthy notes. Went very well with the Prime Rib
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3/13/2020 - Costes76 Likes this wine: 98 Points
Bday Ultraviolet#9. Deep purple color. Pronounced lush complex multi-layered nose of red and black fruit, smoke, liquorice, meat, mushroom. Dry, tart acidity, medium to high tannins, pronounced taste of cherry, blueberry, blackberry, fig, meat, mushroom, vanilla. Full body with great balance. Long finish. But plateaued shortly. Still, OMFG awesome.
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2/16/2020 - rexmerlot wrote: 92 Points
Dark ruby red in color with garnet showing at the edges. Notes of leather, cassis, cherry and tobacco. Dry, med body, med acidity, and smooth tannins. Nice wine still drinking well.
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2/1/2020 - FDT wrote: 92 Points
I decanted about 3 hours before serving with rare venison.
The aromas from the decanter were of dark fruits. The first taste was of fruit then the tobacco and cassis along with the pencil sharpening arrived and at the end the whole finish was remarkably fresh and dark fruit. It was altogether delicious.
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1/26/2020 - edjBoca wrote: 92 Points
Smooth medium body....OK. Not worth the fare.
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12/28/2019 - gsquireh Likes this wine: 97 Points
Smooth..so smooth and luxurious on the mouth, palate and finish. This is a classic elegant, medium bodied, yet rich, Margaux with blackberries galore. Throw in some violets and acacia and savor textures all the way down.
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12/22/2019 - fat.metheny Likes this wine: 95 Points
Cassis, blackcurrant, cedar, graphite. What a wine, a masterpiece that balances between power and finesse. 95+
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12/5/2019 - Taronti wrote: 92 Points
I don’t drink a lot of premier cru Bordeaux but on 2 successive nights we drank a 1999 Mouton and a 1998 Margaux with the same meal (steak & potato). We drink our fine wines alone over 2-3 hours so we can see them transition. Last night we drank a 1999 Mouton and tonight this. All wines were bought on release an stored at 55 F
The nose is charming. Red and dark fruit, vanilla, mushroom and tobacco. Body is drier than the Mouton and finish long enough. I would drink 1.5 to 3 hours after decanting. This bottle had no sediment.
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11/15/2019 - MC wrote:
Similar to other notes posted, this was quite good out of the bottle. It was better on the nose than the palate. At the 2-3 hour mark it showed okay but short on the finish. Longer term development a possibility but this seemed very good (but great on the nose, just short on the palate) vs. great. A-
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10/18/2019 - lucnapo@gmail.com wrote: 90 Points
Bue 5 octobre 2019, belle couleur, odeur de cèdre, très délicat.
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10/5/2019 - phynes Likes this wine: 95 Points
Halfway through a case of this wine. It flirts with true greatness - eg like the 1990 - without ever getting there, so far at least. Everything is “almost“ there. The nose is attractive but muted for Margaux. The palate has lovely flavours of dark fruits, minerals, forest floor and cedar. But there is a sourness and it feels a little lean towards the end. It is a very smooth and very easy wine to drink and it went beautifully with the duck breast. I am optimistic about this wine and just feel it needs 2-3 years for everything to come together and develop a little more complexity. Interesting to note that the scores on here seem to increase as the wine ages.
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9/26/2019 - LiteItOnFire Likes this wine: 93 Points
No notes. Great lineup 1999 Margaux, 2014 Colgin Cariad, 2005 Scarecrow, 2015 Fairchild Stones 2.
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7/29/2019 - DoktaP Likes this wine: 97 Points
On this night, this bottle was firing on all cylinders.
Typical floral Margaux nose with dark cherry and raspberry bouquet.
I could have simply sniffed it in my glass all night long but could not resist putting it to my lips. Ethereal. Cedar, cigar, cherry and complex. Beautifully integrated tannins. I have enjoyed many Chateau Margaux vintages dating as far back as 1934 and this is probably in my top 3 from this producer.
Drink or hold. You won't be disappointed either way.
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2/22/2019 - MrsThe wrote:
Feö
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12/28/2018 - valedeniro wrote: 92 Points
Classic Margaux nose with black fruit,tobacco,cedar,spices and flowers.Good concentration of fruit on the palate with nicely balanced acidity.Tannins are round and fine.Quite delicate and long.Starting to drink well.Not bad,just not one of the estate's superstars.
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11/17/2018 - hrazdiiv Likes this wine: 93 Points
Always a pleasure to drink, this Margaux comes out of the bottle with a medium purple/red that still suggests a bit of an extended life ahead of it. But the nose tells you that it's peak drinking now. A wonderful nose of forest floor, charcoal, and tobacco, we drank it undecanted over four hours and it held it's ground all night. The tannins are very smooth at this point (further evidence this is not a, say, 20 yr wine at this point), nicely polished and acidity minimal. Unmistakable Bordeaux notes of black currant and leather are framed in a beautifully refined finish. In my experience, perhaps the most consistent producer of beautiful wine in the entire world, full stop. This bottle was a very pleasant experience but I am trying to rate it as if it was drunk blind, and I think a 93 is about right. Very experienced taster at table agreed fwiw.
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10/6/2018 - steinersing wrote: 95 Points
good fine Margaux nose. great length. but still dominated by tannins. will keep my case another 10 years before opening these.
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10/6/2018 - Collector1855 wrote: 94 Points
Vertical blind tasting. Expressive nose of cedar, tobacco, cloves but also a green streak. Palate is on the lean side, strong acidity. Not really convinced of this vintage
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10/5/2018 - innocent dingo Likes this wine: 97 Points
Seriously good claret. Decanted 3hours prior. An arresting nose which triggers the synapses like a multitude of light bulb moments in quick succession. Palate was serious and brooding but fresh and balanced and seriously mouth coating. Concentrated and all-consuming for the following 30 seconds of each sip. Lacks that extra freshness of better vintages but i was very happy with this which at these upper price points has not happened recently. Faith affirming stuff.. amen
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6/8/2018 - nwebstar Likes this wine: 93 Points
A very classy wine but clearly from lesser vintage. Colour showed just a touch of age/evolution. Enjoyably secondary flavour of leather and caramel. Lacked a little in apparent fruit. Elegant to the point of lightness. Still a beautiful wine.
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5/22/2018 - Margaux Bro Likes this wine: 96 Points
WOTN at a recent dinner held at a friend's house (up against a 02 Jadot GC Villages and an 07 Valdicava BdM). Did not decant, just slow ox'd for an hour before serving with dinner. My first descriptor when sipping was that it tastes like money...but not powerball money... more like that pesky 20% carried interest the boys up in Greenwich charge. Very opulent wine with nice balance and structure; perhaps they hand-irrigate their vineyards with the finest cases of Perrier and Evian?
Luckily the bottle was well stored, so any tail risk was sufficiently hedged. Enjoy now or in the next 10 years.
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3/6/2018 - The Vines That Bind wrote: 90 Points
Château Margaux Vertical (Chef's Club NYC): Classic claret, plenty of blackberry stuffing, but missing the surprising aromatic expression of the ‘99 in the first glass. Certainly opulent. A little punchier than the ‘99 and slightly syrupy on the palate.
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1/11/2018 - steinersing wrote: 94 Points
the nose is still somewhat timid, but the elegance and finesse of tannins are impressive. At this stage mostly about mid palette here and length.
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1/11/2018 - Collector1855 wrote: 93 Points
During a Commanderie tasting. Discrete nose, WTF, a 20 year old Chateau Margaux 1er Grand Cru with a reductive nose. I could understand that with a Latour but not with a Margaux where fragrance is the leading value proposition. Everything needed to be coaxed here. The palate also felt rather young still, not very polished, no dilution though on the positive side. Have the over-concentrated mediocre material in this sub-par vintage or is the wine even after 20 years just too young? Who knows, in any case, not a convincing showing tonight. For top performing Chateau Margaux check out this tasting story (https://www.cellartracker.com/event.asp?iEvent=22060)
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12/6/2017 - vespasian wrote:
Still quite austere but some regal fruit comes through on swirling, spice and nuanced complexity; good freshness on the entry, bright and refreshing. A good showing.
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11/25/2017 - VitisNovice Likes this wine: 94 Points
I opened the bottle and decanted, drank over the course of a 4 hours. I put a stopper on the decanter and let some sit over night.
On initial pour, there were strong jam notes in the nose. The color was deep garnet with a slightly browning meniscus. The initial mouth feel was silky, round, and glassy. The tasting note were closed with strong graphite flavors. The finish lingered forever.
Second pour had a nose of prune and dried herbs. The mouth feel was tannic, layered, and rigid almost chewy. The tasting notes were iron and graphite, and oddly enough noticable kumquat rind (seriously).
Third pour had a nose of cured meat, dark fruit, and spice cabinet. The mouth feel was again round and tannic. The tasting notes were earthly, leather, iron reminiscent of a rare steak, and strong spiced fruit.
Fourth pour had a nose of stewed fruit and spice cabinet. The mouth feel was round, integrated, and lighter in the tannins. The tasting notes were spiced fruit and red candy.
Fifth pour had a closed nose. The mouth feel was round, silky, and tannic on the finish. The tasting notes were dark fruit and herbs.
Sixth pour had a nose of strong black fruit and dried herbs. The mouth feel was round, silky, and integrated. The tasting notes were of blackberry and licorice.
In the morning, it had a nose of leather. The mouth feel was flacid and tannic. The tasting notes were uniformly leather, but dull.
Overall the bottle in an intellectual treat, but lacks the heart of some claimed inferior names. Put differently, it lacked umph.
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11/11/2017 - Mathijs81 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Paired against a 1993 vintage, this 1998 scored a bit higher for me.
Whilst the 1993 had more tertiary notes, this wine was still vibrant.
+ Nose - lots of red fruits, a bit jammy as well, quite delicate though
+ Taste - clean, smooth, sexy, again red fruits, soft tannins, too young (?)
+ Finish - mental note says long and sexy
Some argument on this vintage, ranging from à point or too young still.
For me ready to drink - not a fantastic vintage, but a great wine nevertheless !
Mathijs
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10/27/2017 - vespasian wrote:
Medium ruby core - very little fade at the rim; pretty austere on the nose and relatively undeveloped. A touch of herbal leafiness. Pretty closed; nice weight and texture on the palate, tannins are like velvet which is pretty impressive in this vintage. Again, still very youthful. Finishes a little sour. Good but not 1er GCC quality. Decent length.
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10/14/2017 - Chaochao Likes this wine: 91 Points
Chewy tannins, chocolates on the palette mixed with dried black fruits
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9/16/2017 - phol wrote: 95 Points
Excellent with developed secondary toons silky tannins forest floor,iron,cedar and dark fruit with a medium long after taste.
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8/17/2017 - vespasian wrote:
Quite an austere nose of blackcurrant leaf, cassis and dark minerals - not a huge amount of development; nicely resolved tannins and good density on the palate. Very smooth and very long. Not hugely expressive or seductive. Austere - not surprising considering the vintage. Interesting rather than pleasurable.
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5/22/2017 - dkentaustin Likes this wine: 95 Points
Bright Bordeaux notes with red fruit and sweet saddle leather. Very subtle amber tint. Very light and pretty with anise and purple floral notes. Some ash, stone and red meat. I think it will improve beautifully over next 5+ years. Opened for 1 hour and poured straight from bottle.
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3/10/2017 - DrinkBordeaux wrote: 95 Points
Super 1990s Bordeaux Tasting (Wine Watch, Fort Lauderdale, Florida): The surprise of the evening. Had the characteristic Margaux perfume, with black currant, blackberry, fresh violets, fresh herbs, tobacco, and espresso. Really smooth on the palate, with a gorgeous mouthfeel. Overall very enjoyable. Kept me interested throughout the entire evening. Should improve from here, but it's certainly approachable now.
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10/4/2016 - phynes Likes this wine: 95 Points
Muted on the nose but very fine on the palate and a strong finish. Layers of black fruits and mocha coupled with damp wood. Lovely texture with an intricate/delicate feel in the mouth. Less feminine than usual but still very Margaux. In its drinking window but no hurry to drink it up.
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7/30/2016 - 70Tondonia Likes this wine: 91 Points
Deep garnet in color. Decanted for over an hour before tasting. Bell pepper on the nose, earth, and a trace of cassis. Medium to full bodied, well integrated tannins, and medium acid. Definitely light in the fruit department and short on the finish. Very earthy in character. At the 3 1/2 hour mark, the wine started to become quite tart. The only thing saving this wine is its beautiful finesse and elegance. Questionable future ahead for this wine. Tasted alongside three right bank Bordeaux of different vintages and a Hermitage.
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6/30/2016 - Serge Birbrair Likes this wine:
Full of youth and vibrant energy, good bottle to celebrate my birthday. Enjoy now or down the road, it's all good with no end in sight.
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4/28/2016 - hkbob Likes this wine: 93 Points
Youthful purple color. Black and blue berries with some tar, a floral component and a hint of bell pepper on the moderately fragrant nose. Quite feminine. Fruit forward, medium-weight with good tension and fine tannins. Some sweetness on the finish. Lots of life ahead although not certain the wine will see much further improvement.
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4/6/2016 - Comte Flaneur wrote: 94 Points
This was an atypical Margaux. It was dense, earthy and gritty with an opaque maroon robe. Powerful and concentrated, it was more Street Fighting Man than Rudolph Nureyev. While it is undoubtedly a very fine wine it perhaps lacked that effortless ethereal quality one often associates with Chateau Margaux. Floral notes did emerge, but it did not quite have the finesse of other vintages, nor the abundant Margaux berries. Nonetheless, most enjoyable, a very good wine and all the more thrilling for knowing what we were drinking! Little did we know that we were enjoying this less than 24 hours before Paul Pontallier passed away.
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3/26/2016 - MEKWINE Likes this wine: 92 Points
Served blind by the host. Dinner in Bordeaux. I knew it was Left Bank but unsure of the commune. It's was a-typical for Margaux, opaque maroon deep robe, masculine and gritty. Earthy, with some hints of floras. Powerful, dense and concentrated. Very enjoyable but did the finesse and berries of the Margaux did not show through. Nonetheless, a very good wine.
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12/15/2015 - ltadd wrote: 97 Points
Sooo good
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10/10/2015 - Argrath wrote: 96 Points
(BYO Blind tasting, presented by me)
Subtle, dense, complex nose. Very deep with complex perfume embedded in a lush fruit of black currant, smokey oak, tobacco and dried autumn leaves. Changes with time in glass. The fruit is perfectly poised between fresh and dried. The savory notes are beginning to show. And a distinct aroma of gravel and mineral. Very satisfying.
Fullish, impeccably balanced palate with a driving acid and perfect fruit structure. Inky, minerally and perfumed. Very rich, very elegant, and very complex. Splendid grip. Intense and persistent and also so very harmonius.
Presented by me, and compared to 86 Mouton, 99 Mouton, and 95 Pichon Baron, this was WOTN for our tasting group. This was splendid now, and will be for at least a decade.
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10/6/2015 - KenK wrote: 92 Points
Good, but showing age. A bit tired and rustic. Still in nice shape and drinking well, justed expected more here. From a 1/2 bottle, maybe larger bottles show better.
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8/3/2015 - Jeff Leve wrote: 93 Points
Medium/full bodied, firm, tannic, masculine, structured style of Margaux. The perfume, with its floral, tobacco and black cherry aromas are more enticing at this stage of the game. The wine demands at least another 5-8 years in the cellar. With luck, the wine will soften as it evolves.
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6/18/2015 - la turque wrote: 97 Points
Phoenix Society chez moi: Easily the wine of the flight and the wine of the night. Classic Margaux, starting to drink now. Bright red colour, intoxicating nose of cedar, vanilla, black fruits, sandalwood. On the palate, great balance and complexity, and a very long finish. Can be consumed now with a long decant; better in 5 years.
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6/6/2015 - steinersing wrote: 95 Points
This showed much better than I expected - tannins started to resolve and the wine is velvety and pure. Ready to start to drink.
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2/28/2015 - wahoff Likes this wine: 91 Points
Very nice nose, fragrant and youthful despite the age. In the mouth, good, somewhat lacking mid-palate, and strong long finish. Excellent but not amazing. At maturity.
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2/25/2015 - ThalesGaspar Likes this wine: 97 Points
Amazing! Decanted for one hour. Violets on the bouquet and on the long strong finish. This is ready to drink but can be kept for another decade or more.
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12/8/2014 - Zweder wrote: 94 Points
Weekly tasting group #146; Bordeaux: Right bank or Left bank? (@ RW): Concentrated and lush dark forest fruits with beautifully hidden oak. On the palate creamy dark forest fruits, very concentrated with a beautiful balance between some sweetness and acidity. The tannin is ripe, soft and round. The wine is in its maturity stage now and will probably stay there for many years. Until 2020 will not be a problem. Would love to taste it again by then.
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10/17/2014 - La Cave d'Argent Likes this wine: 92 Points
2014 New York Wine Experience Trip; 10/14/2014-10/21/2014 (New York City, NY): Deep ruby/red in color, the '98 Margaux has probably reached its plateau phase. Black currants, dark plums, walnuts, lavender and sage are found on the nose and palate. The wine is medium-bodied, nicely acidic and has well-integrated alcohol. The tannins are medium-weight and a bit angular. Although staying solid in the middle, there is not the richness that one would find on Margaux from a better vintage. Finishing medium-to-long, it is pleasant and delicious, but not stellar. Drink now-2024.
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10/17/2014 - lolo66 wrote: 92 Points
NY Wine Experience 2014 (Marriot Marquis): While still a baby, compared to all the other young Bordeaux wine, this was nice to drink. Graphite. cigar smoke. cassis. blackberry. velvety. silky tannins. enjoyed a lot.
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11/1/2013 - Ary wrote: 94 Points
Thick, voluptuous and well delineated wine with basket of dark fruits on the palate. Blind tasted some of us thought about the 1999 or 2001 Margaux. Needs some more time.
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8/17/2013 - Rob Hansult Likes this wine: 92 Points
The definition of class & elegance. Red & black fruit; shades closer to red fruit on balance. Pretty red & black cherry, raspberry & raspberry liqueur, gorgeously perfumed oak.
Good balance, med/light-ish structure .....
BUT ... YMMV, but in my mind sorely lacking in intensity; for me somewhere between a huge flaw & unforgivable in a 1st Growth.
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4/20/2013 - mwanasheria wrote: 92 Points
Quite closed, forbidding and with sharp tannins (I may therefore be underrating) but behind dark fruit and a long finish.
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2/8/2013 - smkl123 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Opened with no problem. Needed a decant; decanted for 60 min prior to drinking. Not your typical Margaux. Strong, densely packed fruit. more masculine than feminine. Secondary flavors just starting to appear--leather and pencil lead. Enjoyed this one more than i expected given the vintage, but in a way that i did not anticipate. Very lovely wine, but not exceptional. Still has many years of life left.
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11/10/2012 - wahoff wrote: 90 Points
Tasted from a magnum, blind against Pape Clément and Troplong Mondot from the same vintage. Powerful / masculine and closed despite a 2-hour decant. Hopefully will evolve into a more open/effusive wine over the years.
Dégusté en magnum, à l'aveugle face à Pape Clément et Troplong Mondot du même millésime. Puissant et masculin, encore peu expressif malgré une aération de 2 heures... En espérant que ce vin développera une plus ample expressivité dans les années à venir.
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5/29/2012 - RTaylor wrote: 93 Points
Tasted at The Sampler
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5/23/2012 - Frommen wrote: 93 Points
More masculine then expected. Dark fruits with secondary notes of roasted coffeebeans, blueberries, chocolate and lead. Long lingering aftertaste.
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5/17/2012 - Yagil wrote: 91 Points
Margaux appelation tasting (Cafe 48, Nahalata Binyamin, TLV): (from memory 10 days later)
ripe aroma of a very mature wine, oxidized.
still enjoyable on the pallet, special, high quality, but too oxidized.
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12/25/2011 - Tartiflette wrote: 93 Points
25th.December with the boys. (Lars Spring, Denmark): No notes. After 2 hours decanting still an infant. Remember it being full of potential though
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6/18/2011 - DonalOB wrote: 92 Points
AWSEC Great Bordeaux Tasting (AWSEC, Hong Kong): Dark with a small pale rim.
Clean nose of fresh fruit with sweet spice and smoke. Very nice on the palate with licorice, oak and med- acid. Ripe tannins but a little drying. Medium length.
Not from a top vintage but not bad. Needs another couple of years.
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12/18/2010 - dr g wrote: 95 Points
The third bottle i tasted over the last years. Wonderful wine. If it gets better youpie
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11/27/2010 - notdilbert wrote:
Strong tobacco and dirt after first opening, in glass 15 minutes, nose goes somewhat austere. Sweet notes of vanilla start to show. On the palette, pure velvet, perfection, everything in line. subtle plums with fine tannins and a backbone of acid that all meld together harmoniously. Seriously, angels sang.
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8/5/2010 - noppakit s. wrote: 93 Points
Unbelievable !!!
Tested with La Mouline 1984, Pavie 2003 and Le Puy 2006.
This 1998 is much better than last few times. I told myself " I don't want to drink Margaux 1998 anymore " and in last tasting...I passed it...nothing's interesting...until today.
The best 1998 Margaux I've ever had. Strong cassis nose, earth and wood, along with fruits. Mmmm...maybe I likt it because it now has Haut-Brion character. Delicious and good finished. Powerful enough to get 93/100 from me.
Time passes by, things can only get better !!!
Drink now - 2027
ps. For 1st Growth, Margaux is my table wine : Easy delicious, stable, good for food.
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7/24/2010 - kwaky Likes this wine: 93 Points
Cellartracker London III (The Hide): Lovely floral nose
Still a medium tannic grip
Scored 93, but potential for more.
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6/25/2010 - WildeMeeuw wrote: 87 Points
Verticaal Margaux (Chalet Royal): 1998 Château Margaux (Frankrijk, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux) Kleur: Vrij donker robijnrood Aroma / bouquet: Opvallend stallerig en animaal in combinatie met verleidelijk zoet fruit, ook hier wat marasquin-kers maar in combinatie met royaal donker en rood fruit. Smaak / Afdronk: Geen grote wijn, correct, smaakvol, prima balans maar niet indrukwekkend. Iets te gebrand en teveel mokka. Algemeen / potentieel: 50 + Kleur: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 12 + Smaak / Afdronk: 14 + Algemeen / potentieel: 6 = 87/100
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3/3/2010 - Remony wrote: flawed
1998 First Growths, Some SuperSeconds and Right Bank Equivalents (Goedhuis 2010 Charity Wine Dinner, Intercontinental Hotel Park Lane): Again, we were being chased into dinner before I reached this wine. The bottle I sampled was heavily tainted by brett, which persisted. The colour was deep and attractive, but on the palate I could only detect some unresolved tannins over the farmyard tastes. A spoiled bottle. I did not have time to try another bottle.
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1/10/2010 - Khamen wrote: 91 Points
Short decant did this no justice. The Margaux aromatics are exceptional, complex and all in place, but this is an extremely tight and backwards wine. In it for the long haul and really needs another 5 years or more before everything integrates and the obvious quality of the fruit is allowed to shine through the structure. 91+
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1/8/2010 - pjaines wrote:
Young young young young. Leave this alone for 10 years otherwise you are killing it. Primary fruit, a wall of fine tannins and then notes of mint, dark fruit and deep deep complexity. Right now you can't really get past the backbone of this wine which is setting this up to be utterly stunning in 10 years - the depth is there, the fruit is there and the acidity and tannic structure is there - it just needs time.
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10/16/2009 - mmyette wrote: 93 Points
Drank alongside the 85 Haut brion, this was younger and a little more clunky, with a nose of fruit compote and hints of rock. Mouthfeel was more full bodied, and the tannins were very present. More fruit but less balance and finesse than the HB. A very nice wine, maybe we opened it a few years too early.
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9/6/2009 - Julia7ich wrote: 90 Points
Deep dark ruby-garnet. The nose exhibits intense black currant and sloe. Despite the satiny textured tannin, the mouth lacks somewhat in intensity. Subtle oleander, blackberry, and a hint of cigar box linger on the finish. A charming wine that should hold through the `20s.
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7/11/2009 - jjclips2 wrote: 90 Points
Kruger's 75th (Corsair): Well, it's a '98 Margaux from magnum. Youthful? You bet. Deep and brooding with plenty of black currants, cherry, spices, and toasty oak. Primary and tannic, great acid. Luckily this didn't have too much complexity to offer as I'm sure it wouldn't be recognized after tonights lineup. This was the perfect wine to end the evening on the new deck with buckets of fried chicken!!!
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7/6/2009 - matherjo wrote: 92 Points
Appearance; dark ruby with very little rim variation
Nose; shy at first, herbs and green pepper come out, tight unripe black fruit, with some air, violets and plums- perfumy
Palate; somewhat tight at first, black fruits and leather; with some air; spices and ripe fruits emerge
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5/2/2009 - JJL wrote: 92 Points
The Big "Four-O": 40+ Wines for 40 Years: From magnum - I first had this bottle in 2000 and it was a bitter, tannic beast. The tannins have mellowed dramatically and I thought it tasted much older than it was. There is a nice classic bordeaux nose with some floral, oak and spice notes. A bit of spice, dirt and oak on the palate. Not much fruit, but I think this is consistent with this vintage. Probably the most feminine bordeaux of the night. This is a wine that is probably best served alone and not in a large tasting because it gets bullied by the bigger wines.
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4/30/2009 - goofy Yno wrote: 90 Points
dusty earthy nose, touch of bitterness cherry fruit, mild tannins
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4/30/2009 - ScottS wrote: 90 Points
Backstreet Bordeaux Tasting (Backstreet Wine Salon - PHX, AZ): Restrained and tannic, a little heat on the finish. This wine seemed a little out of balance.
50+5+13+16+6=90
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4/30/2009 - jivey wrote: 97 Points
Offline Backstreet - spectacular nose WOW!
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4/30/2009 - jeff nowak wrote: 92 Points
dave's bordeaux blowout (backstreet wine salon): rich and excellent balance of fruit. showed some traditional power and grace/femininity. underrated vintage.
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4/30/2009 - Alex G. wrote:
Looooooong finish. Iron fist in the velvet glove here, just brilliant. One of the best, if not the best, wine tonight. B+
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4/24/2009 - sdr wrote: 91 Points
The right bank gets all the glory in 1998 Bordeaux, but the left bank produced many successes as well, and not only in Pessac-Leognan. Chateau Margaux has produced an excellent wine with the fruit all in the black spectrum - blackberries, blackcurrant, dark raspberries. It's firm on both nose and palate but far from rigid and it should develop extremely well over the next decade or two. For now, it lacks only complexity, but that will come in due course.
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12/25/2008 - 60ouvrees wrote:
Big, structured wine with a long, mouthcoating finish. Another good showing by a '98 first growth.
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9/21/2008 - aaronwine wrote: 94 Points
First time tasting Margaux so my rating may be biased towards the high side - very small pour at K&L tasting. Incredibly bold nose of earth and black truffle. Dark berry with smoked oak, floral and spice notes. Very elegant. This wine blew the others at the tasting out of the water including the '99 Lynch Bages and '05 Pichon-Baron (although Pichon may get close given another 10 years in the bottle).
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9/20/2008 - Matt T wrote: 93 Points
A small pour, about three thimblefuls of wine. An incredible nose of earth and mushroom. Dirt and berries on the front and mid palate. Very elegant, soft tannins. A medium length finish.
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5/23/2008 - loverboy wrote: 93 Points
Nice margaux indeed,. Nice structured wine, it boosts red ruby color with overwhelming nose, milk, berries (red), earth, a touch of mineral. Medium wine with nice palate and structure. Good long finish
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5/22/2008 - noppakit s. wrote: 91 Points
My first tasting of 1998 is at the visiting Chateau in Feb. 2006
Now still a bit young and Margaux is Margaux...always too easy too delicious for me.
Not really my type : (
Drink 2010 - 2025.............91-92/100...............
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5/3/2008 - WineForRob wrote: 92 Points
Wine Spectator Grand Tour (Las Vegas): Smoke flowers and some more earth. Black and red fruits with leather. Tannins are strong but somewhat drying. Fruit holds it together.
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3/6/2008 - crandallgtr wrote: 94 Points
Nice deep purple, wonderful nose of baked dark berries and a hint of vanilla. Smooth tannins, wonderful to drink, full in the mouth with tastes of vanilla and baked cherries. Medium to long finish (20 - 30 seconds). Thoroughly enjoyed my first taste of a first growth.
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1/11/2008 - GA wrote: 93 Points
Margaux vertical: The '98 was fine, polished, elegant with even and balanced fruit and finish - very approachable now - great dinner wine.
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10/27/2007 - ASW wrote: 90 Points
Broad nose, not overbearing. Brick red color, very subtle flavor, more earthy than fruity, very understated wine, elegant, very long finish, didn't taste too young, as it breathed it became more peppery. Great wine but not earth-shattering. Wouldn't spend the money again, but would certianly enjoy if someone else was paying.
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10/27/2007 - Zweder wrote: 95 Points
Still a somewhat closed bouquet. Round, complex bouquet with little caramel and soft oak. Full bodied, youthful, mainly red, but also black forest fruits. A little lead pencil. Enormously long aftertaste. Still too young, very complex wine.
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9/24/2007 - kstoddard wrote: 89 Points
G7 (Pat): Blackberries. A bit stemy or green. Very feminine and light. This wine seems to be missing something. Has the least structure and concentration of the '98 first growths. My least favorite of the five.
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1/18/2007 - MRichman wrote:
Chateau Margaux vertical (11 Madison Park in NYC): Nice big sweet fruit. Fine tannins. Some vanilla and new oak. Light and a bit empty in the middle, this was nice but lacked the power of some of the other vintages. This vintage seemed to signal a shift in style towards sweeter vanilla oak flavors (although the 1990 shared some of that style).
B+
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11/8/2006 - wineamateur wrote: 90 Points
Jeroboam Club: Ch. Margaux Vertical (Bordeaux Quay, Bristol): Deep dark purple; a tad more advanced in appearance than the '99 and '97. Very open, attractive nose. Some secondary development, fungal notes, minty. A nice gentle hit on the palate, a bit watery at first, with coffeed notes to the fore; some prickly tannins but slips down without fuss. Nice, but maybe lacks a bit of grip. Quite fresh as compared with the '99, lacks a bit of 99's ripeness, but a bit more flattering now.
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7/1/2006 - GA wrote: 91 Points
Drinking well now - elegant smooth silky - balanced - even attack - its texture is noteworthy - finishes with a structured oak which has softened and rounded since my last tasting.
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3/13/2005 - Mattswines wrote: 91 Points
Dark fruits and cassis on the palate, but a strikingly Pessac-like gravelly nose. Seems to be coming out of its sleep. Will save the other bottle for 10-15 years.. but wanted to try one relatively young. Buy.. but only at a good price. I can see this still improving.
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10/10/2004 - Jeremy Holmes wrote:
Loads of heavy toast oak on the nose with some sweet aromatic fruits. As we drank this wine with lunch the impeccable balance became evident and all the fleshy, sweet fruit was in good harmony with the oak. A lovely complex mid weight Margaux that is a pleasure to drink now but will obviously reward further cellaring.
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3/24/2004 - Joe Belmaati wrote: 90 Points
Dark red with a visibly light rim. Scents of freshly chopped wood and spices. Medium bodied and elegantly light and balanced. As the wine warmed up in the glass it took on more of a "sour" note, yet seemed to have the substance to not become unpleasantly sour. Nice structure, and a good, sweet core of fruit with a somewhat short aftertaste.
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3/23/2004 - Spencer wrote:
Farmington Wine Class. Corked.
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3/18/2004 - IanL wrote: 90 Points
Tried alongside Mouton 96 and Figeac 82 in a tasting of Californian merlot and cab-sav blends (no doubt in order to show off the Californians in a very positive light). Very dense purple. Incredibly austere on first taste - straight after a Calif 2001 cab-sav (Vineyard 7). Almost completely closed on the nose other than heavy whiff of oak, with very little primary fruit evident. Austere and tannic on the palate, although plenty of fruit is evident with good acidity and length. After half an hour in the glass it did open up noticeably, showing a powerful undercurrent of rich dark fruits and cassis. Come back in five years.
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5/16/2003 - peternelson wrote: 93 Points
WS: Dark forest and earthy smoke; nice smooth mth; elegant.
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5/3/2003 - Vino Me wrote: 91 Points
One of the bigger disappointments at the WS Chicago Grand Tour. This has a lot of development if it wants to live up to its 1st growth status. Rich and deep with supple tannins. Not much in the way of interesting fruit nuances. 91+.
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3/15/2003 - rjonwine@gmail.com wrote: 91 Points
Big, herbaceous nose; herbaceous, cassis, plum palate; medium-plus finish 91+ pts.
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3/16/2002 - Joe Belmaati wrote: 97 Points
Deep, dark red. A soaring bouquet of freshly ground coffee and truffles. Magical on it's journey across the tongue, Really well-defined and balanced. Of the five, the best drinking wine at the moment (although all wines are a good ten years away from real drinkability). Structure and harmony in abundance. To me, the winner in this flight.
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4/27/2001 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 95 Points
1998 Vintage Bordeaux Tasting (Pleasant Hill, Ca.): First Growth, has everything but price.
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