*A pristine bottle, from OWC stored in a serious collector's cellar since release. Perfect fill, perfect cork, weightless perfume of fresh earth, cream and raspberry with a cedar tinged tail. Just as expressive on the palate with firmness and fullness without being heavy, and just the right weight for the age. This is another testament to how great 2004 was in Margaux. All wines from this application from 04 have wow'ed me and given me another reason to stop reading and just drink with my eyes closed. At the beginning of a 10 to 15 year drinking window with definite headroom for more sprouting. drink or Hold_
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Bordeaux 2004 - 20 Years On - 33 Reds: All wines tasted blind, not decanted. Observations: 1) 2004 is a mediocre vintage overall, with many pleasant wines, but without the depth of better years. 2) At the top, the vintage produced some classic, old-school wines with lots of freshness and fresh fruit. 3) At the lower end, many wines lacked fruit and ripe tannins, resulting in some astringent and slightly drying wines. 4) An alarming number of Right Bank wines (5 out of 16, no Left Bank wine) were oxidized, including some heavyweights like Petrus, Evangile or Figeac. An unacceptably high proportion of faulty wines. 5) I’m not sure that the 2004 are currently in a good phase, many of my scores were lower than in previous tastings. The question is if it’s just a weaker phase or the beginning of the end. 6) At the top and the only wine >95pts was a layered Le Pin (rated 96pts), with a charming Vieux Chateau Certan, a surprising Issan and Clos l'Eglise, as well as an elegant Lafite sharing second place (all rated 94pts).
TN: Medium expressive nose displaying ripe dark fruit, some herbal and earthy notes. On the palate a bit muted with some dark and red berries showing a bit, a nice earthiness underneath. The structure was ok, but the wine showed muted. 91pts. This was no comparison to a bottle a few years ago (rated 94pts) which showed much more open and layered. Maybe a bit of decanting would have helped here.
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Best of 2024; 1/1/2024-12/31/2024: Excellent. Wonderful velvet texture with nice and supple tannins that are wrapped around rich dark fruits - currant, cassis, blackberry.
Wonderful - with some tertiary notes emerging but still nicely vibrant and enjoyable without the tightness or strength of a young Bordeaux. Tertiary notes were wood like - cedar perhaps.
This is very well balanced.
79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 7% Petit Verdot and 4% Cabernet Franc.
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Gave this a 3 hour decant and kept my expectation levels low given some of the mixed reviews. It's definitely classy and well defined, with a lovely floral and black fruit nose leading into a nicely complex span of Margaux flavours, with the oak and tannins lurking in the background rather than overpowering. If you tasted it blind, the majority would undoubtedly label it impressive and unmistakeably "classic" Bordeaux, but it lacks the "x" factor(s) that turn it into something you'd consider paying top Dollar for.
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Decanted for 1 hour, but it needs more. Funky nose a first, a little barnyard to go along with cassis, mocha and cedar. The funk dissipates after 1 hour, to reveal a restrained black fruit and spice dominated nose. Austere palate, deep dark and clenched fruit. The petite Verdot sticks out in a bad way. Lacks finesse and pleasure and comes across as awkward at the moment.
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Nice nose of blackberry, tobacco, and graphite. Opens with layered dark fruit, blackberry, plum, with a nice elegant back end of chocolate, tobacco leaf and earth. Tertiary flavors are beginning to poke out. Was very favorably impressed by this bottle from a bit of a ho hum vintage.
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Medium red color. Floral, dark berry fruit bouquet. Unusually tannic and backward for a 2004. Very, very long aftertaste. This needs another 5 years of age.
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This was a generous early birthday gift from our good friends Mike and Anne, who had purchased this at release at a CA Costco for somewhere in the neighborhood of $170 according to their recollection. His only bottle so I feel really fortunate to be the beneficiary, as I've only had a handful of vintages of this first growth (my father's favorite) and it's been a very long time! Mike opened this about 5-6 hours before he arrived, and we then decanted it for about another hour before drinking. Shows that hallmark Margaux floral elegance, rich but understated, with cassis, tobacco, plum and velvety mocha flavors. Classy. This is a wine that gets your attention without making its presence known.
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Decanted 2 hours. Elegant, medium weight claret, with fine blackcurrant fruit, a touch of menthol and a long finish. Not the weight of a truly great wine, but otherwise an excellent bottle.
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First growth dinner at Otto e Mezzo in Hong Kong. Slow-oxed for several hours and then evolved in the glass.
Good wine, and fairly expressive on the nose - actually more evolved than I would have thought for a 2004 - but a little muted on the palate. Perhaps in a grumpy phase.
Would be happy to try again and see if it was just bad luck in bottle variation.
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Medium to full colour, mid-red; blackcurrant fruit, slightly creamy, slightly smoky with a touch of menthol, elegant, medium weight, with a little tannin still but drinking well now. A fine example.
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Medium red colour; very refined and elegant on the palate, but not particularly heavy as the lightness of the vintage is apparent. Some slightly grainy tannin still.
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Dobbelt-dekantert. Vidunderlig nese, litt beskjeden frukt på munn, syren mer fremtredende. Tar seg kraftig sammen, frukten kommer og tar ledelse, siste halvdel nydelig. Med Irene.
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PnP'ed, with the rest of the bottle decanted after the 1st round of pours. Still extremely youthful, this was purplish-red to the brim with little or no fade. Scents of blue-berries, chocolate/cocoa interleaved with violets filled the nose. Silky soft with nice complexity of more blue-fruits coated the palate. This still had the structure to run the distance and should even be better with more age. Nice!
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So elegant. Dark raspberry, plum, blackberry, charred wood, chocolate, and tobacco on the nose. Velvet tannins. 2004 wasn't a great year and this is lacking a bit in concentration on the palate, but the finish is lovely and long. As you'd expect from this Chateau, this is pure velvety elegance.
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A private dinner (Restaurant d'Oude Schuur, Sint-Martens-Latem, Belgium): Wonderful Margaux fragrance, elegant, on the lighter side, just a hint of green, good length. Displays the typical Margaux charm and finesse on the nose, but the palate does not escape the vicissitudes of the vintage.
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Soft, elegant, with blackcurrant and a slight creaminess, well covered fine tannin and impeccable balance. Not lacking depth either, but a little more and it would be truly excellent. As it is, it is very fine.
this is elegant and shows pretty well for this vintage. very drinkable now, but don't think in a hurry. the 2001 we drank a few days ago has the edge over this vintage, but by a small margin only.
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Had been a few years since I last tasted this... Decanted for ~2+hrs, this showed extremely young (beside a '04 Sasscaia)! Smoke/milky-oak, blackcurrants & bits of tobacco wafted from the glass when poured. This was fresh, supple & elegant, had good concentration & framed by a somewhat still evident backbone/structure. Nice drink now, but could definitely use more ageing!
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Quite a deep colour; elegant, blackcurrant fruit, excellent balance and a good finish. Not the most intense wine, but it makes up for that in harmony, with finely integrated tannins providing structure. Fine now, but will keep.
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From magnum. Decanted and followed over 2-3 hours. Drinking well from the get go, though it certainly become more lively after an hour of air. Really nice wine. I imagine a well-stored bottle will continue to age nicely, but this is already very approachable and giving lots of pleasure.
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During an exuberant wash down the 2020 Covid year with some good Bordeaux Lunch&Dinner. From Magnum, my last one. One of my best wine buys ever. About 160$ EP back the I bought a case of 6 MAGS and all of them were just singing. Medium bodied, very fragrant, elegant palate, polished tannins. Paul Pontallier really know his craft.
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Elegance rather than power, with discreet blackcurrant fruit, unobtrusive oak, medium weight and perhaps a little tannin still on the finish. The lightness of the vintage is evident, but the wine is stylish and just about ready.
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1h30-2h30 of air by the time the bottle was finished - this was showing nicely. Good complexity and a lasting finish, well put together. Couldnt help but feel it was missing a bit of something in the start/middle.
Overall pretty good, no flaws. If I had more of this, I'd say sit on it for at least 3 years to get some tertiary showing - I suspect its only just starting to shed its primary.
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Decanted 2 hours but this was not bad at all out of the bottle and again with 30 minutes of air. Not a lot different from my last note as to the specifics, but I will say this one stopped just short of the heights of that last note. It is really good Bordeaux, and even more so for the vintage, but I just found myself hesitating on great. Also worth noting a very hot, humid evening so possible I was thrown off just a bit by that. A-/A?
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Enorm viel Power, aber noch nicht sehr rund. Langer Abgang, aber etwas sauer. Ansonsten typisch Chateau Margaux wie er nur sein kann. Wird noch gut reifen.
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Killer vintage for Margaux -- gorgeous, effusive aromatics of cherry fruit that is laced with mineral, leafy tobacco and toasted herbs. Silky on the palate. Long finish. Great right now.
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Opened without decanting 45minutes before consumption- delicious velvet ramp up with long notes of cherry, oak, tobacco, and hands down an outstanding cab! We loved this wine... where is the next bottle? Hehe
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Château Margaux Vertical 2003-2015: All wines tasted blind alongside the matching vintage of Sassicaia (see separate tasting story). The quality of the Margauxs transcends through the vintages with exceptional complexity and precision and a soft- and roundness not many left bank wines show that young. Many off-vintages delivered great pleasure (06, 08, 12) but of course the best wines were from the top vintages. Winner again was the 2009 (already won in a top 50 wines from 2009 retrospective last June) thanks to an unbelievable depth and sexiness. The 2015 (hyper pure and singular) and the 2010 (the definition of finesse) are just a tad behind, with the 2005 (like so many 2005s) showing promising but not ready. Average score for the Margauxs at very high 94.8 points (clearly higher than the 92.1 for the Sassicaias, which - no surprise - only beat Margaux in the very weak Bordeaux vintages 2011/2013).
TN: This wine was one of the positive surprises for me as 2004. Very expressive nose with a lot of the charms coming from the elevage with sexy oak-derived aromas along dark fruit, crushed stone on the nose. Quite a good weight on the palate with lots of red and dark fruits, first teritary aromas with some leather. Good density, soft tannins and well-integrated acidity. Of course not the depth, precision and length of the best vintages but nevertheless a positive surprise for a 2004. Highlight here is definitely the nose.
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Margaux vs Sassicaia double vertical: Sassicaia vs Margaux face-off hosted by a private collector. I was surprised by the unambiguousness of the result in this 13- year (2003-2015) double vertical. Margaux beats Sassicaia 10x with Sassicaia on top only 3x. Of the 26 wines tasted, the top 6 (all scored 95 and higher) were all Margaux with 2009, 2010 and 2015 all somewhere between regal and galactic. In sum, the average score for Margaux was 94.4 (range 92-98) as compared to a Sassicaia average of 93.1 (range 92-94). See tasting story for a few more high level remarks.
Slightly herbaceous, initially leathery but fading, fruit forward with a clear red berries / cherries fruit profile. Fresh and fruity palate, some leather and age, lacking a bit dimensions on the palate, but drinks extremely well helped by the delicate nose also showing some minty and menthol notes. This set an exclamation mark at the beginning of the vertical with excitement rising in anticipation of what was yet to come.
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nose- coffee , savory and a bit stinky. great compelling nose mouth - extremely approachable and open for business. while this might gain additional complexity i would say it is in its prime drinking window. coffee inflected dark berry, welcoming, almost regal. the burgundy crowd signaled its approval. to me it slightly reminded of an after dinner drink
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Medium purple with a little fading; tobacco, bell pepper, band-aid notes suggestive of a little brett; some tar, anise, smoke and cassis in there. Nice structure, with an iodine and gravel finish. Guessed 2000 Latour. Heritage Wine Blind Wine #6 at the Tasting Finals at Jean-George Las Vegas
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Decanted 30 minutes. This was great. Dark fruit, very good concentration, and a long finish that still has some structure but is drinking very well right now. Likely to improve a bit, but this seems to be entering a window where it will be enjoyed for some time. Really, really good for the vintage. A-/A
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Christmas Day wine! Better than the previous bottle nearly 3 years ago and has really come together now. Harmonious and luxurious . Not the flashiest of wines but exquisitely balanced with lots of old world charm.
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Rich, complex & beautifully balanced nose. Light spicy, peppery notes in liaison with graphite, some burnt bacon, dark earth, freshly roasted coffee, broccoli and a serious dose of mushrooms.
Taste cannot quite keep up with the marvelous scent. Light, mild, slightly acidic theme with faint fruit. Second infusion of a dry black tea. Luscious texture and extra long finish with acidic, tannic and mushroom tones. Interesting and sophisticated, but also relatively high drinking resistance due to the greenish taste composition.
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There is a lift to the aromatics showing, cedar, plums, soil, and black fruits. Medium body with a freshness, but lacking in depth and weight at the core, yet still elevated by the long and pretty finish, currants, red fruits and earth.
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Lovely, deep nose of earth, smoke, and dark fruit. Wine has amazing texture and features a fruit forward style with some spice at the end. Somewhat reserved but the finish lasts a long time. I enjoyed it!
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Clarette. Popped and poured. Purple-red with a just fading rim. Subtle nose, still fruit driven but whiffs of cedar and graphite early tones. A little sharp initially. Closed. Super fine tannins, sweet. Delicate and refined. Hints of secondary flavours coming through. Some heat on the finish but long.
Given an hour in glass. Starting to open, with more graphite, earthy notes. A bit of spice on the palate. Sweet long finish.
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94-95: interesting bottle from an "off" vintage. This wine has lots of life left - the acid is still strong. Palate is already moving to secondary notes with lots of tobacco leaf present. Not sure if the flavors will line up any better than they are now, there's just not a lot fruit left. Finish is everlasting.
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An elegant, Margaux, regal red-robed, velvet, dark crimson nose that jumps from the glass.after 10 minutes, the slightly acidic balance changed to a more typical Margaux profile, yielding a softer, lush, and full-bodied wine. Lots of moist earth, dark ripe cherry, old oak, farmhouse scents and a lingering finish. While I agree that the 2004 is not the 1983, it is nonetheless regal. From a 375, so probably needs more time in 750.
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Takes a few hours to really open up; medium red; light pencil, hint of raspberry; well-balanced, correct, not mind-blowing but elegant; appears still quite young; tasted with Unico same year, different styles, both quite good
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Intense earth floor aromas less vanilla, mild smell of peppermint, meaty aroma, rotting wood and mushrooms. On the palate, very fine tannins dissolves. Stronger taste of tea leaves; sweet plums and red fruit is evident.
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Very seductive on the nose, red berries, some floral tones and some tobacco. Classic Margaux on the palate - very soft, structured and elegant body. Juicy red berries and blackberries, some herbal notes and graphite. Firm tannins, this is just in the beginning of its drinking window, another 5-10 years time in the bottle would be good. Long and lingering finish. Drank it at the Château.
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Tasted next to 2009 Pavillon Rouge. Very seductive on the nose, very Margaux - soft, perfumed, sweet, notes of spices, leather, tobacco, smoke. On the palate quite layered, fresh, good fruit, rather firm tannins, but much more approachable compared to my last encounter with this wine in 2016. Not overly generous, but very “classic” and elegant. Impressive length - mineral and vibrant. 93-95
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Joanne Bordeaux Trip 2018 (Bordeaux): The bouquet was gorgeous, displaying floral-infused red berry, dark soil tones, animal musk, and crushed stone; over time gaining fresh herbal tones, and yellow florals, in a lifted and precise performance. It was wonderfully soft on the palate with pure red fruits, lifted by hints of bitter herbs, volume and richness seemed to develop with more time in the glass, as the 2004 hovered upon the senses. The long finish showed sour berry, fine tannin and lasting inner floral tones.
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Deep garnet red. Lovely nose with cedar, cigar box, tobacco leaves, and red cherries. Full bodied with medium tannins (7,5/10). Graphite on the palate followed by red cherries, dust, earth, dark spices and minerality. Nice balance throughout. Long and lingering finish. Drink till 2040.
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This bottle was rocking! The finest example of this I have ever tasted. There was polish, elegance, grace and finesse in its stylings. Silky tannins, fresh, dark red fruits, espresso, spice and floral essences were all over the place. There was richness, length and sweet, ripe fruits in the polished finish. I am sure another 5 years in the bottle, if you have patience will only add more to the wine.
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Inky red color soft to medium aroma with the stronger CS notes noticable. Soft first taste, slight red fruits - raspberries. But medium linger and slight barnyard finish. No strong flavours so a bit disappointing. May have been a bit flawed but was not corked
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Totally missed this blind. First thought ‘01 Napa and then thought ‘99-00 super Tuscan. With plenty of air, later was showing plenty of floral notes with pure clear candied red fruit. Fine tannin, quite supple on the palate and seemingly mature (though no tertiary notes). A little oak still pokes through. Not a powerful Margaux but there’s plenty of nuance here.
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2017 New York Wine Experience Trip; 10/16/2017-10/25/2017 (New York City, NY): The '04 Margaux offers enticing aromas of black cherries, tobacco, truffle, chocolate and savory herbs. Deep ruby/red, it is a blend of 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot and 3% Petit Verdot and 1% Cabernet Franc that is freshly acidic and seamlessly alcoholic. The tannins are still quite grippy at this point, drying out the middle palate and turning the lengthy finish into a mouth-puckering marathon. Having re-tasted this wine at this point, I would favor extending the cellaring window. While this will never have the charm of better vintages, it is an excellent '04 that should ultimately round out some of its rough edges. Drink 2024-2040..
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Académie des Cinquante Bordeaux visit; 9/20/2017-9/23/2017: Decanted for two hours. Attractive and classical nose, red berries, hint of spice, floral lift, noticeable oak, mature and fresh, lovely nuances of earth and tobacco, good depth; silky and supple palate, elegant, even delicate, but displays a certain lack of concentration, tannins are slightly firm for the weight of fruit; the finish is relatively short and light. 92 Second bottle slightly fuller and creamier, but the tannins remain slightly pronounced.
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Tasted at the Chateau with our group last week. Beautiful, classy nose of earth and red fruit. Smooth entry with more red fruit, velvety tannins, light wood in the back round, layers of complexity and depth with a wonderful smooth textured finish. This has many decades left but is drinking very well right now. If you like a little more fruit in your Bordeaux, you certainly can have no second thoughts about opening a bottle now. Still slight wiggle room for improvement, so holding isn't going to hurt either.
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- view: cherry red, light evolution - nose: intense nose. Hints of honey, liquorice, mint and vanilla - palate: soft start. Hints of leather and high acidity. Chocolate, coffee and paprika. Still very strong and a little bit "green" in the mouth. Finish of 9 sec+
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A medium bodied, lighter. fresher style of Chateau Margaux that shows a lot of complexity in its floral, earthy, sweet red fruit and tobacco perfume. Soft, and polished in texture, the fruit is clearly ripe and fresh, I just wish there was more of it in this vintage. Forward in style, and already approachable, drink this elegant beauty now, while waiting for the more powerful vintages like 2000, 2003 and 2005 to mature.
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Tasted at Chateau along side the 2009 Pavillion. This wine was absolute class next to the second wine, even though the second was from a great vintage. From the floral nose to the long elegant finish this wine was very nice. Nothing out of place, no sign of any edges.
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Raspberry, dirt, silky smooth, cassis, cloves, cooking spices and definitely a good bit of Bordeaux Funk, huge wine and still very young. Much better than I thought given the year. Drinks well now, but will age beautifully for another 10 years.
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excellent wine, 13% alc. classic Bordeaux Colour: deep black chocolate, dark red ruby Bouquet: red and black fruits, blueberry, black sour cherries and olives, liquorice, dusty, earthy, mature savoury forest floor characters, dark chocolate Palate: as bouquet, big body but fine grained soft dusty tannins, iron fist in velvet glove, great balance between savoury fresh fruit (still), tannins and acid, long clean very dry finish. Great concentration. March 2017
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This is more like it, after the two previous lackluster bottles. This is a wine of finesse and elegance. Dark ruby red colour, nose a little muted but the palate was very refined with medium bodied red and black fruits, hints of earth, and a medium length finish. Not a blockbuster by any means but a lovely wine.
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Appearance: Bright and clear, it has deep ruby color, with fading rims and legs. Nose: Clean, with pronounced intensity aromas of black fruit such as cassis, blackberry and prune, oak notes of cedar, maturity notes of savory and forest floor, sweet spice of clove, kernel notes of chocolate, animal notes of leather. The wine is developing. Palate: Dry with medium acidity, the wine has medium (+) tannin of ripe and silky texture, medium alcohol, medium (-) body and pronounced intensity flavors of black fruit of blackberry and prune, oak notes of cedar, floral notes of violet, maturity notes of tobacco and savory. The wine has a long finish. Conclusion: Very good quality Margaux with a very intense nose showing great complexity, the wine is elegant, with well-defined structure and in good balance on all fronts, and the palate is also extremely pleasing with a finesse yet having good concentration and a very long finish. It is ready to drink now and can be maintained for another 5-7 years.
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Xmas Dinner 2016. Deep crimson colour. Wonderful nose of blackcurrant, blueberry, dark cherry, violets , dark chocolate and cedar. Palate medium weight with great persistence, mouthfeel and balance. Some real richness of black fruits leads into a fine structured palate with a fine aftertaste. A great success for 2004.
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Decanted for Six hours, disliked immediately. Back in the bottle, will return to it tonight. Pray for better. Not corked, not sure what, but surely out of keeping with the other few we have had. Opened for special guests, quickly moved to a 2007 Guado see note elsewhere. Night two- whew. Well, maybe. One CT new friend wondered, why not consider the bottle flawed, even if I cannot say in what way. I will agree a bottle might be flawed, even if my concepts of flawed don't provide a tent here. So - a dumb phase? I have a few more, will stay away for at least a few years and be interested to see what others comment. But for what it's worth, and in dollar terms it's a lot, the Guado was far far more our preferred wine.
Scents of flowers, plums & some smoke... so very alluring. Palate was soft, but yet structured, with a long silky & extremely fresh finish. Very nice, and will improve furthur with more bottle-age.
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Ray & Marianne's Wedding; 6/10/2016-6/11/2016 (Yan Ting, St Regis, Singapore): Very good indeed, if just a touch reserved. On first pour, the nose was a little muted, only slowly opening up with gentle wafts of smoky spice, dried flowers and earth floating amidst a core of sour cherries, cassis and just a hint of roasted capsicums. Very attractive. It was on the palate where the wine showed its strength though. While not the richest Margaux, this had a depth that set it apart from the 2004 Cos d'Estournel that preceded it, with a nicely layered mouthful of sour cherries and cassis nicely underpinned by fresh, juicy acidity and silky fine tannins. There was lovely elegant finesse and a crystal clear purity to the wine that I really liked. Lovely finish too - long, juicy, with succulent black fruit trailing away in a nice, fresh end. A very accomplished wine for its vintage, if just rather muted and one-dimensional at points, this will be very nice in a 8-10 years when it opens up and takes on more complexity.
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Very backward and closed on the nose - hints of floral notes, a bit of fruit but mainly earthy and herbal. Even slightly green at times. On the palate again earthy and tight; Lots of acidity. The tannins are quite grippy and almost coarse and there is again this impression of slight under-ripeness. Lots of tannic bite towards the long finish. Re-tasted at a later point that evening with consistent results. Hold. 89-90+(+)
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Young but expressive, lengthy, a minute long finish. There was in particular a note or flavor I'm at a loss to describe so I will settle for saying the result was a standout pleasure. Thrilled to have more to watch, and this is a testimonial to buying great in so so years. We can drink this Margaux with no concern of an eye on the value of the bottle.
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From a half bottle. Upon opening this seemed closed and dense with a nose overly dominated by oak. When it opened up after several hours it was a thing of real beauty - perfectly poised, perfumed, almost weightless, but fully satisfying, lingering...exquisite. I hope one day I'll get to drink another bottle. I second the WOW of the reviewer below.
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Gorgeous perfumed aromatics on opening. Absolutely lovely right now at the start of its drinking window. Much nicer than the 04 Lafite at this stage. Rich mouth coating dark fruit, earthy and roasted mushroom flavors. Absolutely worth a try.
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2015 New York Wine Experience Trip; 10/19/2015-10/27/2015 (New York City, NY): Much more refined and elegant than the 2004 Lafite, the 2004 Margaux has an enticing nose of black cherry, tobacco leaf, truffle, black tea and ganache. Deep ruby/red, it is a blend of 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot and 4% Petit Verdot. Freshly acidic, seamlessly alcoholic and with ample but very supple tannins, it delivers flavors mirroring the nose and steadily picks up weight on the mid-palate. The mouth texture stays silky until the conclusion of the lengthy finish, at which point the tannins remind the taster of their presence. While drinkable now, it should get better with a few more years of cellaring. Drink 2018-2030.
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dark red-purple, ripe dark fruits tertiary aroma, full bodied, grip tannins, high aciidty, powerful fruity flavours, bitter, well balanced and harmonized, sturctured, excellent complexity, long finish
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An initial greenness to the nose, then drawing out red cherry, floral notes, dusty soil, faint chalk, and eventually a slight harshness to the back of the nose. Violet and perfume emerge with air time. Blackberry, dark earth, and then dark herbal notes on the back of the palate. Should improve somewhat with more bottle time but this wine is clearly constrained by the vintage. 91+
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Smooth subtle great fruit all-around not too overbearing Low tannin structure and acidity. Decanted twice placed back in the bottle and let sit for three days. WOW
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Wow. What a wine. This has it all. Deep dark color, gorgeous aromas emerge from the glass, smooth, complex, full-bodied, amazing texture and elegance. An incredibly long finish. I could sip this wine all night long, and this is exactly what we did!!
Tasted it side by side with 2004 Haut Brion, and the Margaux won hands down. I know this is a high class comparison and both wines are outstanding for sure. But the Haut Brion was a bit austere and lacking in charm at the moment. The Margaux was wine of the night.
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From Magnum bottle. Very expressive and interesting aromatics of barnyard, earth, blackberries, red berries, cinnamon, cloves, some flowers and some black currant too. It's medium+ bodied with medium-high acidity and medium+ tannin. Good length. What an excellent performance in this pretty difficult vintage. A very aromatic, classic, balanced and silky Margaux that maybe doesn't have the weight of the very best vintages but more than compensates with elegance, freshness and cool fruit.
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Fantastisk eleganse og parfyme med intens frukt i den lyse halvdelen av skalaen. Følger opp med en massiv konsentrasjon - dette kan ikke være annet enn Margaux. Men skru ned bare et par små klikk så er jammen Brane Cantenac hakk i hæl!
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From Magnum during a wine dinner. Medium garnet. This has developed well, even from Magnum we all found this ready to go. Provides very typical Margaux aroma profile of red fruit with earth and cloves. Really elegant on the palate, medium bodied, with already softened tannins. Three friends, all wine buffs had a bit of this as apero while we were preparing for the wine dinner we were hosting and just kept coming back to it. There is just this great drinkability and aromatic complexity with mature Grand Cru Bordeaux. A very worthy Margaux from a so, so vintage. 1h decant recommended.
Horizontale Bordeaux 2004: Un nez frais mais discret, avec fruit rouge ( cassis), du chêne et du cèdre. Bouche minérale, de corps moyen, droite, avec une grande élégance qui m'évoque Margaux. J'aime beaucoup cette très belle finesse de tanins et cette fraicheur. Excellent, bien qu'encore bien jeune. 94 +
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Truffle, tobacco, blackberry pie, spice, herb and forest floor aromas are starting to emerge. Soft with a polished texture to the medium/full bodied fruit, this is starting to open and drink well. Another 5-7 years will add even more depth and complexity to the wine.
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Drinking beautifully now but it's still young. Oak is still evident on the nose together with pencil shavings, some leathery notes. Deep flavor on the palate with sweet cassis and ink. Still tannic. A very nice Margaux.
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Secret Dinner with 9 Chateau Margaux Vintages (Grande Bretagne Hotel, Athens, Greece): A surprisingly good Chateau Margaux given the reputation of the vintage, and very enjoyable at this stage. Complex, refined, with cedar, earth, graphite and cassis on the nose. Medium-bodied with soft tannins, balanced and long. Shows what first growths can be like even in lesser vintages.
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Drank with Andrew in a 2004 comparative between the Grange and 1st growth Bordeaux. Recreating what we did 3 years ago (altho that was really baby killing).
Decanted for 2 hours.
Dark red with clear rim. Nose of pencil shaving, cherry, tobacco, and a touch of heat. Beautiful structure with noticeable tannins - representative of the vintage. The nose was intoxicating although the finish was a touch short. Loved the wine.
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Very nice bottle of wine. Seemed a bit young, but was really enjoyable. Somewhat earthy, a bit smoky, but also nice fruit. Very very smooth. Wonderful experience. Will go again in a few more years.
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Red brick colour. Nose of layers of berries, rose pedals, very similar nose profile to the 2009 Margaux de Chateau Margaux. Great nose what I remember from the past. On the palette, all about finesse. Very delicate and soft. Light to Medium berries and lots of light fruit. Nose doesn't match palette. Still tannic which is amazing as it's already 10 years old. Lots of life left but overall a nice wine. A very pretty feminine wine. Very smooth but so tannic. Quite a delicate wine so be sure to be prepared to know it's all about finesse and not so much on power and in your face. Reflective of the 2004 vintage. Classic. 93-94pts
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This was a very nice wine coming out of a 375ml bottle. It was decanted thirty minutes. Very supple, little to no tannins, very feminine...my wife loved it.
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The 2004 vintage of Chateau Margaux withholds its reputation with this delicate, immaculate and silky Bordeaux. Soft tannins charm the palate with the help of well-balanced hints of blackberry, cassis, plum and smokey oak. Perhaps I’ll try another 2004 Margaux in ten years.
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Beginning to drink well with tons of promise. Still tannic. Decanted 6 hours before drinking. Cabernet predominates here. Somewhat brooding, will not come back here for at least a year
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Tasted blind from 750ml decanted for 3+ hours. At first very evolved on the nose, but unmistakably Bordeaux. Lush, exquisite fruit on the nose with a seamless texture that speaks of terroir and utter delicacy. You can tell this has been handled gently and perfectly. Countless layers with soft tannins but not flabby or overripe. Quintessential Margaux but on a faster evolutionary track that I'd guess ... which isn't necessarily a bad thing when the wine is this good.
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Not as good as my last bottle. An elegance to be expected, but did not truly impress. Balanced with nice acidity but somewhat light bodied and lacks complexity.
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SERATA MARGAUX (AIS TORINO): 75% cabernet - 20% merlot E' proprio nelle annate non eccezionali che esce il timbro di un "1 er grand cru classé" Naso finissimo, sangue, spezie, molto pungente e tagliente, quasi piccante. Un pò di pirazine ( peperone verde) tipiche di una maturazione non completa del 75% di cabernet. In bocca è setoso, con acidità vegetale bilanciata e voluminosa. Molto fresco, manca forse di una spinta nel finale vegetale, ma è di grande eleganza.
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Clear and bright, deep garnet colour and presence of legs. The nose is clean and developing, showing medium intensity aromas of truffles, vanilla, cedar, ripe plums, liquorice, walnuts and cinnamon. The wine is dry in the mouth with a medium acidity, high fine grained tannins, medium alcohol, full body and pronounced intensity flavours of ripe plums, liquorice, truffles, cedar and walnuts. Long finish.
It is an outstanding quality wine with a great fruit concentration, a very nice structure, a lingering finish and a very good complexity provided by early maturity notes. Can drink now, but it has potential to develop more complexity over the next 10+ years.
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Enofusión 2014 (Including a walk into the Chateau Margaux path by Paul Pontallier) (Auditorio de Madrid): A kidnapped Margaux , gagged cause this vintage that's preventing a self expression. Could be balanced but where the finesse is? Hard to find it here. Anise and herbs on the nose don't outline the fragrant aroma you are waiting for. In the mouth isn't tannic, of course, but blotting paper. It sticks to the gums...
Un Margaux secuestrado, amordazado por la añada que no le deja mostrarse. Equilibrado puede pero fineza? Aquí cuesta encontrarla desde luego... Anís y hierbas en nariz no perfilan el fragante aroma que uno espera. En boca no es tánico, de acuerdo, pero es papel secante. Se pega a las encías
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Two bottles. Very solid Ch. Margaux offering in a difficult vintage. Good to drink now. Probably won't become any better or complex. Classic Ch. Margaux nose, soft tannins, great structure. Medium length. Two bottles.
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Michel Rostang Dinner - Hearts Delight (Washington DC): I normally do not find French Bordeaux to be at the top of my rating list - a personal preference for a blend towards new world. However, this was drinking beautifully. Tannins 6/10 with medium fruitiness throughout. Delicate yet big backbone at the same time.
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Getting better with age this full- bodied all purple classic is a superb example of a beautifully pure Chateau Margaux. Double -decanted three hours before our holiday dinnner, re-corked and put in the cellar; then decanted again one half hour before serving, the aromatics were delectible blue and black fruit: cassis, black current, gorgeous licorice, gardenias. The silky smooth, balanced finish exhibited a lingering, mouth filling, superb concentration.
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Chateau Margaux tasting dinner with Paul Pontalier (At Chateau Margaux): Vertical tasting / dinner at the Chateau. This wine was very well priced upon release, let's see what it can do now. Nose of red fruit with typical Margaux spice profile. Medium bodied with good balance and soft tannins, entering the drinking window now, decant for 1h. Classic, aromatic Margaux.
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Decanted for three hours. An almost black and deep red couloir, with a ruby rim. Flower shop, blackberry, currant, river stones, tobacco leaf and bread pudding. There's a little of that Margaux perfume and mushroom as well. So much structure and a little latent, I would recommend a nice decant and watch this beauty evolve for many years. '04 is really a sleeper vintage and this First Growth whispers statuesque elegance. Drink 2013 -.
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Un grand vin dans un millésime un peu délaissé : l'analyse olfactive lance de beaux défis, le raffinement complexe que recèle ce terroir malgré une large domination des Cabernets est impressionnant. Nez fumé, boisé, puis forestier, doucement épicé. La matière tapisse lentement le palais de fruits un peu épicés mais ne l'agresse pas et l'embaume longuement. Un millésime qui se goûte parfaitement maintenant.
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Decanted for 2 hours...Classic Margaux notes of pencil lead, dark fruit, leatherand earth on the nose. On the palate this was very elegant with fine tannins and the usual mineral notes, graphite, dark and red fruit. Overall it is a pretty wine but not worth the coin imo. Drinking well now not sure how much this will improve..Why wait?
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Full bodied, dark purple, silky smooth after decanting an hour, a first growth that can be drunk now.The value is amazing-two cases at $120 a bottle at futures- great for drinking when you want and when you should , not waitiing for whenever! Balanced and beautiful with cassis, licorice, mentholated tobbaco, and ripe sweet blueberries.I will drink when and where I want now; not whenever. A perfect example of those hard to drink because of their value bottles that should be drunk because they are so wondrfully drinkable and because of my fortune in buying when I did.
Deservingly illlustrious, this is complex with a fresh, leafy tobacco overlay to the ripe black fruit, dried flower and graphite-like mineral flavors. Expansive, silky and round, drinking well in its youth, with firm tannins, full body and beautiful precision.
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Tasted at the WS Grand Tour in Boston. I thought I was drinking a pinot noir. This was the disappointment of the night. A note to Chateau Margaux, if you're bringing wine to an event next time don't choose your worst vintage of the last 10 years. Do what Mouton Rothschild did they brought their '05.
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Eye: deep purple color. Nose: barnyard, dark berries, tobacco, vanilla. Palate: black cherry, red fruit, silky, minty, good structure, medium finish, plenty of tannins. Impressive wine.
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WS Grand Tour Boston (Copley Marriott): Nose: horse hair, blackberry, pipe tobacco, vanillin, slight minerals. Perfumed and detailed nose. Palate: mid weight. Red fruit, cola notes, sassafras, black cherry, eucalyptus notes. Silky palate feel. Finish: Tanins clamp down at this stage. Black fruits emerge with exotic oak notes.
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Strain and decant at least 2 hours at this stage. Dense sediment and very dark red-purple color. Nose is rich earthiness. Extremely smooth with a lovely mouth feel. Smoky cassis with only subtle undertones of dark fruit in the background. At the onset I thought the tannins would be bolder and chewy, but proved to be more velvety and understated, almost more than I would have hoped. A touch of spice on the finish which though fairly long, is difficult for me to describe flavor-wise, except to say that it echoed the velvety notes and was extremely enjoyable. Paired well with Grade A Prime Rib Roast, Skillet Red potatoes with caramelized onions, and apple-wood bacon. Even complimented the mozzarella caprice at the beginning of the meal. Now that I have had this wine and given it's pedigree, price and value, I would choose to have my second bottle stand alone or with minimal food )cheese, crackers), so the wine could stand on it's own. This wine seems to be one that needs to be the star of the show rather than complimenting a meal. Even with my limited wine knowledge, I feel this wine is not a steak wine suck as the more common California selections at your better steakhouses. I feel I made an novice's mistake to serve it with a meal, and therefore did a disservice to the wine in general. I console myself only in that I understand that this is all about the experience and that learning is part of the fun.
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Very faint nose, but so seamless and elegant on the palette despite its structure. The dark fruit and tannins are no doubt in the foreground. Some thought it wasn't particularly enjoyable, but for me just the texture alone was worth drinking (but not for the price).
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Margaux Horizontal 2004 (Toast Bistro, San Antonio): Surprisingly muted nose of violets and boysenberries. I took this home and on day 2 still could not coax a more complex nose. Palate was extremely smooth that was consistent on both days. Primary flavors of warm cherries, spice, cassis, with a deft touch of oak. The refinement of the tannins, with a lush strong finish. Although impressed, it was outshined by both Palmer and Pape Clement. My #3.
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2004 Margaux horizontal (Toast Bistro, San Antonio, TX): Floral complex nose with cedar and spice, and an herbal note of something different, like tobacco leaf. Smooth palate, with velvety fine tannins that weren’t too intrusive. Nice red fruits on the palate, with an element of leather that I thought was early maturity. Complex lengthy finish with cedar spice and tobacco leaf. Later on in the evening when I knew it’s identity, it seemed less “mature” with the tobacco/leather coming across more as exotic spices and the tannins and structure more prominent and the fruit seeming fresher. I initially wrote “low pedigree Margaux for drinking now” oops. Initially scored 91, but wanted to increase through the evening as it seemed more complex (was it? or just knowing it was a 1st growth?). May reach the 94-95 level with time, though surprisingly open and enjoyable now.
Tasted at Bordeaux Max in Bordeaux. My first sample of a Premier Grand Cru Classe. My first thoughts, man... this wine is going to be real good! I can taste the caliber of the premiers. Very polished. This wine was so young yet you had the sense once it matures, it'll be great. On the nose you wouldn't really be able to tell the level of quality. However the palette deined it. I wouldn't pay the $800+ price tag, but a real great experience to try. If I had to rate it at the moment I'd say 92-95 pts?
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Purchased on release. Double decanted, recorked and served 8 hours later. Quiet nose explodes with Margaux florals and fragrances after 15 minutes in the glass, defining the flagship of the AOC. Swirling in more oxygen adds color, depth, and power. Red fruit turns black, and tobacco & graphite emerge. Medium-full, silky textured, long and beautiful. Not in a hurry.
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BdX 01/04 (Oslo): Dark, wonderful fruit, some smoke mixed with sweetness; dark fruit, soft and forthcoming, still a lot of tannins under the fruit, fresh. A very up-front wine that showed more of itself than any of the young first-growths this evening.
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Dark cherry with cherry rim; nose of sweet blackberry, sweet flowers, mint and cedar; pfn with pronounced blackberry notes; medium plus tannins; long (45+ seconds) velvety finish; hint of bitterness on the finish that caused me to reduce the score; still an incredible wine; textbook Margaux decanted for 2 hours
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Completely closed when first decanted - just bitter and green on palate and nose. After about 2 hours it starts to reveal some fruit and floral on the nose, but still never lost that green streak on the palate. Very much like a young Burg. At $250/btl, not worth it, so many other wines I would rather drink. Would gladly trade a glass for 1/2 glass of the '00.
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Dinner at home with my friends George, Vassilis, Manos and Costas, without our spouses. Vertical tasting of Ch. Margaux. It was the younger vintage of this vertical tasting. It exhibits an opaque purple color with blue hues. At the beginning the wine was totaly closed, but after about 2 hours into the glasses reveals sweet aromas of mocha, butterscotch, creme brulee and wild cherries. On the palate is very approachable till now, with great concentration and flavors of cherry liqueur, milk chocolate, oaky vanilla and fresh almonds. Extremely fresh wine, with a long ageing potential. Perhaps in 10 yeras from now we could talk for a great and typical vintage of Chateau Margaux
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Dinner with Staglins and Jeff. Great nose. Luscious wine with lots of great mouthfeel. This is very elegant, has lots of fruit and drinks great right now. Hard to resist.
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So now I know what a lovely perfumed floral nose is. Wow! This is obviously a youngster but it's amazing in its precise elegance and silky long structure. Duh, wait.
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Home bottle in PA. Decanted, shared 1/2 one night and the second half 24 hours later. The 2nd half sample was much more in keeping with previous experiences at Chateau. Much more perfumed and fragrant the 2nd night, gorgeously aromatic floral and dark fruit. The first night the palate was a little lean and green/herbaceous, but this faded the 2nd night, and it gained depth and breadth, and complexity. Silky and long. Gaining. Hold until 2012+, it's not going anywhere and there's no hurry.
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Red to dark fruit nose with blackcurrants, cherries and raspberries. Some barnyard and strewed vegetables as well as fine floral aspects. Proportioned mocha to toffee oak character. Mid-weight palate with silky tannins and fine carrying acidity. Blackcurrant and some more red toned fruit as well. Earth and salt liquorice. Well integrated oak. Refined and tasty. Not exactly that grand, but very good nonetheless. @Château
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The color seems unusually evolved for a 5 year old child. The flavors now are trending more towards blackberry than cherry but the palate is not as good as the nose and there is a herbaceous streak. Could this be under ripe? But a second glass poured about 30 minutes later was better, so maybe this just needs more air time than we were able to give it.
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Chateau Margaux Tasting - 1983-2006 - With Paul Pontallier (Merchant Taylors' Hall, Threadneedle Street, London EC2): Markedly lighter/less intense than the 2005, but very fragrant, pure fruit and floral notes. Hints of toasty oak. Lovely fragrance. Has more depth and darker fruit than the 04 Pavillon. On the palate shows youthful, pure, cassis fruit, toasty oak and lovely fresh acidity which carries the finish well. Longers nicely though obviously not as long as the 2005. Showing quite well already though. ****1/2
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Tasted at the Chateau, from 375ml. This is the third tasting, each one consistent, and gaining a little weight. The perfumed fruit and cassis on the nose holds your attention. It is silky, smooth and elegant, with a beautiful finish. From 375ml it is moving along nicely, but no hurry -- she still has a few years to continue improving and will run out for a decade or two on a nice plateau. Sure, that's fine - patience - but wow, that fragrance! Classic. Don't rinse your glass too soon.
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Extremely youthful - a real baby. Lovely ruby colour. Masses of fruit concentration on the nose. Perfumed cassis and violets. Dense and complex. Layers and layers of ethereal aromas. Lovely texture on the palate even now. Really impressive. Great length. Fine tannins on the finish. Exceptional.
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Tasted next to a 2003 Girolate and a 2004 Mouton Rothschild. The nose of the 2004 Margaux was rich and dark. Great dark berry aromas, and slightly earthy. The palate was consistent with the nose, and progressed nicely into a very rich, long finish. This was by far my favorite of the 3 wines, but there wasn't a concensus with the group.
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decided to try a .375 on christmas eve...Not nearly ready. Very green and stemy. I'd say the 04 lascombes is drinking much better at this point...Not a great wine in any event. Maybe a 94 in a few years?
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BORDEAUX 2005 / Cabernet rules; 4/5/2006-4/10/2006 (Bordeaux): We also revisited the 2004 vintage, which I remember being rather (too) austere en primeur. Happily, one year later, it has filled out. Though dominated by oak at this stage, lovely violet aromas also emerged. Pontallier called the 2004 a “very good vintage.” I concur, though admit to being somewhat overly excited last year en primeur... 92-94+
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2005 Bordeaux en Primeur; 3/26/2006-3/28/2006 (Bordeaux France): Tasting at the Château. Bright black berries on nose and palate with plenty of new oak spice. Same elegant style as the 2005 without quite the concentration and length, but so nicely harmonious.
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4/2/2024 - BLam Likes this wine: 94 Points
Eric brought this in his BD dinner in HK, among other big BDXs.
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3/27/2024 - Purple Tooth wrote: 94 Points
*A pristine bottle, from OWC stored in a serious collector's cellar since release. Perfect fill, perfect cork, weightless perfume of fresh earth, cream and raspberry with a cedar tinged tail. Just as expressive on the palate with firmness and fullness without being heavy, and just the right weight for the age. This is another testament to how great 2004 was in Margaux. All wines from this application from 04 have wow'ed me and given me another reason to stop reading and just drink with my eyes closed. At the beginning of a 10 to 15 year drinking window with definite headroom for more sprouting. drink or Hold_
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3/23/2024 - Eric wrote:
2004 Bordeaux at 20 years courtesy of Mark Taylor; 3/23/2024-3/24/2024 (Atlanta, GA): Wow, just brings a smile, layered, green, spicy, hint of tobacco, gorgeous, horse sweat, absolutely what draws me to Bordeaux, big, tannic, chewy, mineral. My #2 and the group #3. Guessed incorrectly as Ducru-Beaucaillou.
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2/24/2024 - Cailles wrote: 91 Points
Bordeaux 2004 - 20 Years On - 33 Reds: All wines tasted blind, not decanted. Observations: 1) 2004 is a mediocre vintage overall, with many pleasant wines, but without the depth of better years. 2) At the top, the vintage produced some classic, old-school wines with lots of freshness and fresh fruit. 3) At the lower end, many wines lacked fruit and ripe tannins, resulting in some astringent and slightly drying wines. 4) An alarming number of Right Bank wines (5 out of 16, no Left Bank wine) were oxidized, including some heavyweights like Petrus, Evangile or Figeac. An unacceptably high proportion of faulty wines. 5) I’m not sure that the 2004 are currently in a good phase, many of my scores were lower than in previous tastings. The question is if it’s just a weaker phase or the beginning of the end. 6) At the top and the only wine >95pts was a layered Le Pin (rated 96pts), with a charming Vieux Chateau Certan, a surprising Issan and Clos l'Eglise, as well as an elegant Lafite sharing second place (all rated 94pts).
TN: Medium expressive nose displaying ripe dark fruit, some herbal and earthy notes. On the palate a bit muted with some dark and red berries showing a bit, a nice earthiness underneath. The structure was ok, but the wine showed muted. 91pts. This was no comparison to a bottle a few years ago (rated 94pts) which showed much more open and layered. Maybe a bit of decanting would have helped here.
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2/5/2024 - Baron Samedi Likes this wine: 92 Points
Still fruit-driven; elegant and well-balanced; medium body; some cedar and soft tannins.
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2/2/2024 - super007 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Best of 2024; 1/1/2024-12/31/2024: Excellent. Wonderful velvet texture with nice and supple tannins that are wrapped around rich dark fruits - currant, cassis, blackberry.
Wonderful - with some tertiary notes emerging but still nicely vibrant and enjoyable without the tightness or strength of a young Bordeaux. Tertiary notes were wood like - cedar perhaps.
This is very well balanced.
79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 7% Petit Verdot and 4% Cabernet Franc.
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11/2/2023 - gp2468 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Gave this a 3 hour decant and kept my expectation levels low given some of the mixed reviews. It's definitely classy and well defined, with a lovely floral and black fruit nose leading into a nicely complex span of Margaux flavours, with the oak and tannins lurking in the background rather than overpowering. If you tasted it blind, the majority would undoubtedly label it impressive and unmistakeably "classic" Bordeaux, but it lacks the "x" factor(s) that turn it into something you'd consider paying top Dollar for.
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8/4/2023 - Nanda wrote:
Chez Winefool Goodbye Dinner (Chicago, IL): Late night and this felt a bit shut down and clearly not as expressive as the 00 Palmer. Hold or give it a long decant.
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8/4/2023 - Burgundy Al wrote:
The End of Winefoolishness in Chicago (Hughes House - Chicago IL): Late night. this had been decanted, but still barely cam across as accessible yet, despite lots being here.
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5/28/2023 - llink wrote: 92 Points
Decanted for 1 hour, but it needs more. Funky nose a first, a little barnyard to go along with cassis, mocha and cedar. The funk dissipates after 1 hour, to reveal a restrained black fruit and spice dominated nose. Austere palate, deep dark and clenched fruit. The petite Verdot sticks out in a bad way. Lacks finesse and pleasure and comes across as awkward at the moment.
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3/25/2023 - malbrecht wrote: 94 Points
Nice nose of blackberry, tobacco, and graphite. Opens with layered dark fruit, blackberry, plum, with a nice elegant back end of chocolate, tobacco leaf and earth. Tertiary flavors are beginning to poke out. Was very favorably impressed by this bottle from a bit of a ho hum vintage.
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3/25/2023 - VinhoVerde Likes this wine: 93 Points
Medium red color. Floral, dark berry fruit bouquet. Unusually tannic and backward for a 2004. Very, very long aftertaste. This needs another 5 years of age.
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3/24/2023 - GrapeScott wrote: 93 Points
This was a generous early birthday gift from our good friends Mike and Anne, who had purchased this at release at a CA Costco for somewhere in the neighborhood of $170 according to their recollection. His only bottle so I feel really fortunate to be the beneficiary, as I've only had a handful of vintages of this first growth (my father's favorite) and it's been a very long time! Mike opened this about 5-6 hours before he arrived, and we then decanted it for about another hour before drinking. Shows that hallmark Margaux floral elegance, rich but understated, with cassis, tobacco, plum and velvety mocha flavors. Classy. This is a wine that gets your attention without making its presence known.
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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): Another wine with bigger, blacker, younger fruit. Very expressive.
My 4th and the group 4th as well. I guessed 2003 based on the darker, roasted fruit.
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2/3/2023 - Burgnick Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decanted to serve. Smooth and elegant but probably lacking first growth calibre due to vintage.
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1/24/2023 - Claret & CdP Gang Likes this wine:
Young even after a 3 hr slow oxed, supremely elegant with substantial body but I would think it still needs a few more years
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1/7/2023 - La Grappe wrote: 93 Points
Decanted 2 hours. Elegant, medium weight claret, with fine blackcurrant fruit, a touch of menthol and a long finish. Not the weight of a truly great wine, but otherwise an excellent bottle.
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1/2/2023 - oxwombat Likes this wine: 91 Points
First growth dinner at Otto e Mezzo in Hong Kong. Slow-oxed for several hours and then evolved in the glass.
Good wine, and fairly expressive on the nose - actually more evolved than I would have thought for a 2004 - but a little muted on the palate. Perhaps in a grumpy phase.
Would be happy to try again and see if it was just bad luck in bottle variation.
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12/16/2022 - stjl Likes this wine: 94 Points
Nez cassis, réglisse, poivré, palais suave et délicat, finale mure-cassis, délicieux.
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9/17/2022 - La Grappe wrote: 93 Points
Medium to full colour, mid-red; blackcurrant fruit, slightly creamy, slightly smoky with a touch of menthol, elegant, medium weight, with a little tannin still but drinking well now. A fine example.
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5/26/2022 - Malarky997 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Beautiful. Surpassed the ‘04 Latour it was paired with.
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3/26/2022 - cubswinws Likes this wine: 92 Points
From magnum. Nice nose and soft easy approachable structure with cassis and mushrooms on the finish.
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1/22/2022 - La Grappe wrote: 92 Points
Medium red colour; very refined and elegant on the palate, but not particularly heavy as the lightness of the vintage is apparent. Some slightly grainy tannin still.
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11/19/2021 - popopdrops Likes this wine: 93 Points
Dobbelt-dekantert. Vidunderlig nese, litt beskjeden frukt på munn, syren mer fremtredende. Tar seg kraftig sammen, frukten kommer og tar ledelse, siste halvdel nydelig. Med Irene.
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9/25/2021 - HEBRO 10 Likes this wine: 97 Points
Life altering
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8/30/2021 - etyc Likes this wine:
PnP'ed, with the rest of the bottle decanted after the 1st round of pours. Still extremely youthful, this was purplish-red to the brim with little or no fade. Scents of blue-berries, chocolate/cocoa interleaved with violets filled the nose. Silky soft with nice complexity of more blue-fruits coated the palate. This still had the structure to run the distance and should even be better with more age. Nice!
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8/4/2021 - mrgarreth Likes this wine: 94 Points
So elegant. Dark raspberry, plum, blackberry, charred wood, chocolate, and tobacco on the nose. Velvet tannins. 2004 wasn't a great year and this is lacking a bit in concentration on the palate, but the finish is lovely and long. As you'd expect from this Chateau, this is pure velvety elegance.
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7/28/2021 - orange boy Likes this wine: 95 Points
Perfect still full Bordeaux went well with stake
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7/12/2021 - Xavier Auerbach wrote: 93 Points
A private dinner (Restaurant d'Oude Schuur, Sint-Martens-Latem, Belgium): Wonderful Margaux fragrance, elegant, on the lighter side, just a hint of green, good length. Displays the typical Margaux charm and finesse on the nose, but the palate does not escape the vicissitudes of the vintage.
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7/3/2021 - La Grappe wrote: 94 Points
Soft, elegant, with blackcurrant and a slight creaminess, well covered fine tannin and impeccable balance. Not lacking depth either, but a little more and it would be truly excellent. As it is, it is very fine.
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4/30/2021 - steinersing wrote: 95 Points
this is elegant and shows pretty well for this vintage. very drinkable now, but don't think in a hurry. the 2001 we drank a few days ago has the edge over this vintage, but by a small margin only.
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4/27/2021 - CyrilOO7 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Leather, cassis.
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2/27/2021 - etyc Likes this wine:
Had been a few years since I last tasted this... Decanted for ~2+hrs, this showed extremely young (beside a '04 Sasscaia)! Smoke/milky-oak, blackcurrants & bits of tobacco wafted from the glass when poured. This was fresh, supple & elegant, had good concentration & framed by a somewhat still evident backbone/structure. Nice drink now, but could definitely use more ageing!
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2/13/2021 - La Grappe wrote: 94 Points
Quite a deep colour; elegant, blackcurrant fruit, excellent balance and a good finish. Not the most intense wine, but it makes up for that in harmony, with finely integrated tannins providing structure. Fine now, but will keep.
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12/25/2020 - B Paul wrote:
From magnum. Decanted and followed over 2-3 hours. Drinking well from the get go, though it certainly become more lively after an hour of air. Really nice wine. I imagine a well-stored bottle will continue to age nicely, but this is already very approachable and giving lots of pleasure.
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12/21/2020 - Collector1855 wrote: 96 Points
During an exuberant wash down the 2020 Covid year with some good Bordeaux Lunch&Dinner. From Magnum, my last one. One of my best wine buys ever. About 160$ EP back the I bought a case of 6 MAGS and all of them were just singing. Medium bodied, very fragrant, elegant palate, polished tannins. Paul Pontallier really know his craft.
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10/17/2020 - La Grappe wrote: 92 Points
Elegance rather than power, with discreet blackcurrant fruit, unobtrusive oak, medium weight and perhaps a little tannin still on the finish. The lightness of the vintage is evident, but the wine is stylish and just about ready.
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10/15/2020 - Wino133 Likes this wine: 94 Points
1h30-2h30 of air by the time the bottle was finished - this was showing nicely. Good complexity and a lasting finish, well put together. Couldnt help but feel it was missing a bit of something in the start/middle.
Overall pretty good, no flaws. If I had more of this, I'd say sit on it for at least 3 years to get some tertiary showing - I suspect its only just starting to shed its primary.
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8/27/2020 - MC wrote:
Decanted 2 hours but this was not bad at all out of the bottle and again with 30 minutes of air. Not a lot different from my last note as to the specifics, but I will say this one stopped just short of the heights of that last note. It is really good Bordeaux, and even more so for the vintage, but I just found myself hesitating on great. Also worth noting a very hot, humid evening so possible I was thrown off just a bit by that. A-/A?
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8/5/2020 - floribo Likes this wine: 94 Points
Enorm viel Power, aber noch nicht sehr rund. Langer Abgang, aber etwas sauer. Ansonsten typisch Chateau Margaux wie er nur sein kann. Wird noch gut reifen.
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6/6/2020 - Nanda wrote: 95 Points
Killer vintage for Margaux -- gorgeous, effusive aromatics of cherry fruit that is laced with mineral, leafy tobacco and toasted herbs. Silky on the palate. Long finish. Great right now.
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5/2/2020 - LizAlex Likes this wine: 95 Points
Opened without decanting 45minutes before consumption- delicious velvet ramp up with long notes of cherry, oak, tobacco, and hands down an outstanding cab! We loved this wine... where is the next bottle? Hehe
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4/8/2020 - Cailles wrote: 94 Points
Château Margaux Vertical 2003-2015: All wines tasted blind alongside the matching vintage of Sassicaia (see separate tasting story). The quality of the Margauxs transcends through the vintages with exceptional complexity and precision and a soft- and roundness not many left bank wines show that young. Many off-vintages delivered great pleasure (06, 08, 12) but of course the best wines were from the top vintages. Winner again was the 2009 (already won in a top 50 wines from 2009 retrospective last June) thanks to an unbelievable depth and sexiness. The 2015 (hyper pure and singular) and the 2010 (the definition of finesse) are just a tad behind, with the 2005 (like so many 2005s) showing promising but not ready. Average score for the Margauxs at very high 94.8 points (clearly higher than the 92.1 for the Sassicaias, which - no surprise - only beat Margaux in the very weak Bordeaux vintages 2011/2013).
TN: This wine was one of the positive surprises for me as 2004. Very expressive nose with a lot of the charms coming from the elevage with sexy oak-derived aromas along dark fruit, crushed stone on the nose. Quite a good weight on the palate with lots of red and dark fruits, first teritary aromas with some leather. Good density, soft tannins and well-integrated acidity. Of course not the depth, precision and length of the best vintages but nevertheless a positive surprise for a 2004. Highlight here is definitely the nose.
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3/2/2020 - sirpat00 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Margaux vs Sassicaia double vertical: Sassicaia vs Margaux face-off hosted by a private collector. I was surprised by the unambiguousness of the result in this 13- year (2003-2015) double vertical. Margaux beats Sassicaia 10x with Sassicaia on top only 3x. Of the 26 wines tasted, the top 6 (all scored 95 and higher) were all Margaux with 2009, 2010 and 2015 all somewhere between regal and galactic. In sum, the average score for Margaux was 94.4 (range 92-98) as compared to a Sassicaia average of 93.1 (range 92-94). See tasting story for a few more high level remarks.
Slightly herbaceous, initially leathery but fading, fruit forward with a clear red berries / cherries fruit profile. Fresh and fruity palate, some leather and age, lacking a bit dimensions on the palate, but drinks extremely well helped by the delicate nose also showing some minty and menthol notes. This set an exclamation mark at the beginning of the vertical with excitement rising in anticipation of what was yet to come.
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2/7/2020 - soyhead wrote:
nose- coffee , savory and a bit stinky. great compelling nose
mouth - extremely approachable and open for business. while this might gain additional complexity i would say it is in its prime drinking window. coffee inflected dark berry, welcoming, almost regal. the burgundy crowd signaled its approval. to me it slightly reminded of an after dinner drink
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1/31/2020 - peternelson Likes this wine: 93 Points
Medium purple with a little fading; tobacco, bell pepper, band-aid notes suggestive of a little brett; some tar, anise, smoke and cassis in there. Nice structure, with an iodine and gravel finish. Guessed 2000 Latour. Heritage Wine Blind Wine #6 at the Tasting Finals at Jean-George Las Vegas
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1/4/2020 - MC wrote:
Decanted 30 minutes. This was great. Dark fruit, very good concentration, and a long finish that still has some structure but is drinking very well right now. Likely to improve a bit, but this seems to be entering a window where it will be enjoyed for some time. Really, really good for the vintage. A-/A
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12/25/2019 - Hazeo wrote: 94 Points
Christmas Day wine! Better than the previous bottle nearly 3 years ago and has really come together now. Harmonious and luxurious . Not the flashiest of wines but exquisitely balanced with lots of old world charm.
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12/8/2019 - Jumbo-Jet Likes this wine: 92 Points
Rich, complex & beautifully balanced nose. Light spicy, peppery notes in liaison with graphite, some burnt bacon, dark earth, freshly roasted coffee, broccoli and a serious dose of mushrooms.
Taste cannot quite keep up with the marvelous scent. Light, mild, slightly acidic theme with faint fruit. Second infusion of a dry black tea. Luscious texture and extra long finish with acidic, tannic and mushroom tones. Interesting and sophisticated, but also relatively high drinking resistance due to the greenish taste composition.
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10/25/2019 - 83Vintage Likes this wine: 93 Points
There is a lift to the aromatics showing, cedar, plums, soil, and black fruits. Medium body with a freshness, but lacking in depth and weight at the core, yet still elevated by the long and pretty finish, currants, red fruits and earth.
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10/17/2019 - nywine68 wrote: 93 Points
WS Grand Tasting. Solid beautiful wine. Dark fruit with typical Ch. Margaux signature. Easy drinking today.
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9/21/2019 - PMJak11 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Wife’s 40th Birthday Dinner!!
Lovely, deep nose of earth, smoke, and dark fruit. Wine has amazing texture and features a fruit forward style with some spice at the end. Somewhat reserved but the finish lasts a long time. I enjoyed it!
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8/9/2019 - iobtoel Likes this wine: 94 Points
Clarette. Popped and poured. Purple-red with a just fading rim. Subtle nose, still fruit driven but whiffs of cedar and graphite early tones. A little sharp initially. Closed. Super fine tannins, sweet. Delicate and refined. Hints of secondary flavours coming through. Some heat on the finish but long.
Given an hour in glass. Starting to open, with more graphite, earthy notes. A bit of spice on the palate. Sweet long finish.
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8/2/2019 - BBinSC wrote: 94 Points
94-95: interesting bottle from an "off" vintage. This wine has lots of life left - the acid is still strong. Palate is already moving to secondary notes with lots of tobacco leaf present. Not sure if the flavors will line up any better than they are now, there's just not a lot fruit left. Finish is everlasting.
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6/2/2019 - Sotto325 wrote: 94 Points
An elegant, Margaux, regal red-robed, velvet, dark crimson nose that jumps from the glass.after 10 minutes, the slightly acidic balance changed to a more typical Margaux profile, yielding a softer, lush, and full-bodied wine. Lots of moist earth, dark ripe cherry, old oak, farmhouse scents and a lingering finish. While I agree that the 2004 is not the 1983, it is nonetheless regal. From a 375, so probably needs more time in 750.
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5/4/2019 - Miceri Likes this wine: 94 Points
Takes a few hours to really open up; medium red; light pencil, hint of raspberry; well-balanced, correct, not mind-blowing but elegant; appears still quite young; tasted with Unico same year, different styles, both quite good
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4/19/2019 - portguy wrote: 95 Points
Could tell from the first whiff this is extraordinary. Taste to match. Life is too short to let this age any longer (but it will if you must).
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3/3/2019 - Saint B Likes this wine:
Intense earth floor aromas less vanilla, mild smell of peppermint, meaty aroma, rotting wood and mushrooms. On the palate, very fine tannins dissolves. Stronger taste of tea leaves; sweet plums and red fruit is evident.
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12/13/2018 - diablo Likes this wine: 96 Points
Very complex. Starting to emerge. Still youthful and vibrant. Perfect blend of grace and strength. Drinking wonderfully now but with a long future.
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12/3/2018 - steinersing wrote: 94 Points
Showing well for the vintage. Great nose.
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10/29/2018 - DrZett wrote: 94 Points
Very seductive on the nose, red berries, some floral tones and some tobacco. Classic Margaux on the palate - very soft, structured and elegant body. Juicy red berries and blackberries, some herbal notes and graphite. Firm tannins, this is just in the beginning of its drinking window, another 5-10 years time in the bottle would be good. Long and lingering finish. Drank it at the Château.
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9/15/2018 - steinersing wrote: 93 Points
this is good but needs a bit more time. quite vibrant. classical.
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9/3/2018 - fcxj wrote: 92 Points
Pleasing, soft.
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7/13/2018 - Sen4469 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Very nice today but will be much better in 5-10 years. Enjoy it. Very good wine.
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7/12/2018 - rossi.wine wrote: 94 Points
Tasted next to 2009 Pavillon Rouge. Very seductive on the nose, very Margaux - soft, perfumed, sweet, notes of spices, leather, tobacco, smoke. On the palate quite layered, fresh, good fruit, rather firm tannins, but much more approachable compared to my last encounter with this wine in 2016. Not overly generous, but very “classic” and elegant. Impressive length - mineral and vibrant. 93-95
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6/20/2018 - Eric Guido Likes this wine: 94 Points
Joanne Bordeaux Trip 2018 (Bordeaux): The bouquet was gorgeous, displaying floral-infused red berry, dark soil tones, animal musk, and crushed stone; over time gaining fresh herbal tones, and yellow florals, in a lifted and precise performance. It was wonderfully soft on the palate with pure red fruits, lifted by hints of bitter herbs, volume and richness seemed to develop with more time in the glass, as the 2004 hovered upon the senses. The long finish showed sour berry, fine tannin and lasting inner floral tones.
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5/11/2018 - cab blends wrote: 92 Points
AHA Hearts Delight Vintners Dinner with Chef Daniel Boulud (Mellon Auditorium - DC): Definitely fuller and richer body that then Pavillions.
Sharper acidity and cherry.
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5/11/2018 - Millennial Drinkers wrote: 94 Points
Deep garnet red. Lovely nose with cedar, cigar box, tobacco leaves, and red cherries. Full bodied with medium tannins (7,5/10). Graphite on the palate followed by red cherries, dust, earth, dark spices and minerality. Nice balance throughout. Long and lingering finish. Drink till 2040.
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5/2/2018 - beatles wrote: 94 Points
Stony, firm, cool, vertical; I love this understated vintage, classical and of good breed.
#Angleterre
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2/25/2018 - Jeff Leve wrote: 95 Points
This bottle was rocking! The finest example of this I have ever tasted. There was polish, elegance, grace and finesse in its stylings. Silky tannins, fresh, dark red fruits, espresso, spice and floral essences were all over the place. There was richness, length and sweet, ripe fruits in the polished finish. I am sure another 5 years in the bottle, if you have patience will only add more to the wine.
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12/22/2017 - CabIsKing wrote: 93 Points
Nice nose of tobacco, red fruits and earth. Good balance on the palate with a long finish. Drinking good right now.
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11/30/2017 - johnelvesjo Likes this wine: 94 Points
Needs a lot more time
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11/9/2017 - ShangGuy wrote: 89 Points
Inky red color soft to medium aroma with the stronger CS notes noticable. Soft first taste, slight red fruits - raspberries. But medium linger and slight barnyard finish. No strong flavours so a bit disappointing. May have been a bit flawed but was not corked
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11/4/2017 - cos65 Likes this wine:
Scarlet ruby
Leathery drying red fruit
I really like the feel of this.
Definitely worth a try
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11/4/2017 - Nutty08 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Totally missed this blind. First thought ‘01 Napa and then thought ‘99-00 super Tuscan. With plenty of air, later was showing plenty of floral notes with pure clear candied red fruit. Fine tannin, quite supple on the palate and seemingly mature (though no tertiary notes). A little oak still pokes through. Not a powerful Margaux but there’s plenty of nuance here.
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10/21/2017 - La Cave d'Argent Likes this wine: 93 Points
2017 New York Wine Experience Trip; 10/16/2017-10/25/2017 (New York City, NY): The '04 Margaux offers enticing aromas of black cherries, tobacco, truffle, chocolate and savory herbs. Deep ruby/red, it is a blend of 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot and 3% Petit Verdot and 1% Cabernet Franc that is freshly acidic and seamlessly alcoholic. The tannins are still quite grippy at this point, drying out the middle palate and turning the lengthy finish into a mouth-puckering marathon. Having re-tasted this wine at this point, I would favor extending the cellaring window. While this will never have the charm of better vintages, it is an excellent '04 that should ultimately round out some of its rough edges. Drink 2024-2040..
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9/21/2017 - Xavier Auerbach wrote: 93 Points
Académie des Cinquante Bordeaux visit; 9/20/2017-9/23/2017: Decanted for two hours. Attractive and classical nose, red berries, hint of spice, floral lift, noticeable oak, mature and fresh, lovely nuances of earth and tobacco, good depth; silky and supple palate, elegant, even delicate, but displays a certain lack of concentration, tannins are slightly firm for the weight of fruit; the finish is relatively short and light. 92 Second bottle slightly fuller and creamier, but the tannins remain slightly pronounced.
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9/18/2017 - Mark1npt Likes this wine: 98 Points
Tasted at the Chateau with our group last week. Beautiful, classy nose of earth and red fruit. Smooth entry with more red fruit, velvety tannins, light wood in the back round, layers of complexity and depth with a wonderful smooth textured finish. This has many decades left but is drinking very well right now. If you like a little more fruit in your Bordeaux, you certainly can have no second thoughts about opening a bottle now. Still slight wiggle room for improvement, so holding isn't going to hurt either.
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7/9/2017 - Kris G Likes this wine: 95 Points
mint, lovely wood, well balanced, subtile, fresh acidity showing the vintage, exclusive fruit, a lot of potential left in this
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7/7/2017 - Mr Coone Likes this wine: 96 Points
- view: cherry red, light evolution
- nose: intense nose. Hints of honey, liquorice, mint and vanilla
- palate: soft start. Hints of leather and high acidity. Chocolate, coffee and paprika.
Still very strong and a little bit "green" in the mouth.
Finish of 9 sec+
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7/7/2017 - Jeff Leve wrote: 93 Points
A medium bodied, lighter. fresher style of Chateau Margaux that shows a lot of complexity in its floral, earthy, sweet red fruit and tobacco perfume. Soft, and polished in texture, the fruit is clearly ripe and fresh, I just wish there was more of it in this vintage. Forward in style, and already approachable, drink this elegant beauty now, while waiting for the more powerful vintages like 2000, 2003 and 2005 to mature.
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7/3/2017 - hiker_guy Likes this wine:
Tasted at Chateau along side the 2009 Pavillion. This wine was absolute class next to the second wine, even though the second was from a great vintage.
From the floral nose to the long elegant finish this wine was very nice. Nothing out of place, no sign of any edges.
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4/22/2017 - cubswinws Likes this wine: 91 Points
Decanted 3 hours before. Nice nose and smoke on the palate. Nice wine but honestly I was expecting more.
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4/2/2017 - barryjkeller@gmail.com Likes this wine:
Stunning nose. Beautiful on the palate - took 3 hours in decanter to open up though. Initially tannins very obvious. Such an elegant wine. Loved it.
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3/16/2017 - pakabear Likes this wine: 95 Points
Raspberry, dirt, silky smooth, cassis, cloves, cooking spices and definitely a good bit of Bordeaux Funk, huge wine and still very young. Much better than I thought given the year. Drinks well now, but will age beautifully for another 10 years.
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3/3/2017 - rmarkey Likes this wine: 95 Points
excellent wine, 13% alc. classic Bordeaux
Colour: deep black chocolate, dark red ruby
Bouquet: red and black fruits, blueberry, black sour cherries and olives, liquorice, dusty, earthy, mature savoury forest floor characters, dark chocolate
Palate: as bouquet, big body but fine grained soft dusty tannins, iron fist in velvet glove, great balance between savoury fresh fruit (still), tannins and acid, long clean very dry finish. Great concentration.
March 2017
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1/21/2017 - Hazeo wrote: 93 Points
This is more like it, after the two previous lackluster bottles. This is a wine of finesse and elegance. Dark ruby red colour, nose a little muted but the palate was very refined with medium bodied red and black fruits, hints of earth, and a medium length finish. Not a blockbuster by any means but a lovely wine.
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12/29/2016 - peterchoy wrote: 94 Points
Appearance: Bright and clear, it has deep ruby color, with fading rims and legs.
Nose: Clean, with pronounced intensity aromas of black fruit such as cassis, blackberry and prune, oak notes of cedar, maturity notes of savory and forest floor, sweet spice of clove, kernel notes of chocolate, animal notes of leather. The wine is developing.
Palate: Dry with medium acidity, the wine has medium (+) tannin of ripe and silky texture, medium alcohol, medium (-) body and pronounced intensity flavors of black fruit of blackberry and prune, oak notes of cedar, floral notes of violet, maturity notes of tobacco and savory. The wine has a long finish.
Conclusion: Very good quality Margaux with a very intense nose showing great complexity, the wine is elegant, with well-defined structure and in good balance on all fronts, and the palate is also extremely pleasing with a finesse yet having good concentration and a very long finish. It is ready to drink now and can be maintained for another 5-7 years.
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12/25/2016 - drjb Likes this wine: 95 Points
Xmas Dinner 2016. Deep crimson colour. Wonderful nose of blackcurrant, blueberry, dark cherry, violets , dark chocolate and cedar. Palate medium weight with great persistence, mouthfeel and balance. Some real richness of black fruits leads into a fine structured palate with a fine aftertaste. A great success for 2004.
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11/26/2016 - capacious wrote: 87 Points
Decanted for Six hours, disliked immediately. Back in the bottle, will return to it tonight. Pray for better. Not corked, not sure what, but surely out of keeping with the other few we have had. Opened for special guests, quickly moved to a 2007 Guado see note elsewhere.
Night two- whew. Well, maybe. One CT new friend wondered, why not consider the bottle flawed, even if I cannot say in what way. I will agree a bottle might be flawed, even if my concepts of flawed don't provide a tent here. So - a dumb phase? I have a few more, will stay away for at least a few years and be interested to see what others comment. But for what it's worth, and in dollar terms it's a lot, the Guado was far far more our preferred wine.
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9/20/2016 - fcxj wrote: 90 Points
Still primary with touch of caramel aromas. Nice freshness and depth, medium length.
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9/13/2016 - astroman Likes this wine:
SL Birthday Dinner: Refine on the nose with slight bitterness on the palate. Ripe with some capsicum on the back.
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9/13/2016 - etyc Likes this wine:
Scents of flowers, plums & some smoke... so very alluring. Palate was soft, but yet structured, with a long silky & extremely fresh finish. Very nice, and will improve furthur with more bottle-age.
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6/11/2016 - Paul S wrote: 94 Points
Ray & Marianne's Wedding; 6/10/2016-6/11/2016 (Yan Ting, St Regis, Singapore): Very good indeed, if just a touch reserved. On first pour, the nose was a little muted, only slowly opening up with gentle wafts of smoky spice, dried flowers and earth floating amidst a core of sour cherries, cassis and just a hint of roasted capsicums. Very attractive. It was on the palate where the wine showed its strength though. While not the richest Margaux, this had a depth that set it apart from the 2004 Cos d'Estournel that preceded it, with a nicely layered mouthful of sour cherries and cassis nicely underpinned by fresh, juicy acidity and silky fine tannins. There was lovely elegant finesse and a crystal clear purity to the wine that I really liked. Lovely finish too - long, juicy, with succulent black fruit trailing away in a nice, fresh end. A very accomplished wine for its vintage, if just rather muted and one-dimensional at points, this will be very nice in a 8-10 years when it opens up and takes on more complexity.
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6/9/2016 - rossi.wine wrote: 90 Points
Very backward and closed on the nose - hints of floral notes, a bit of fruit but mainly earthy and herbal. Even slightly green at times. On the palate again earthy and tight; Lots of acidity. The tannins are quite grippy and almost coarse and there is again this impression of slight under-ripeness. Lots of tannic bite towards the long finish. Re-tasted at a later point that evening with consistent results. Hold. 89-90+(+)
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4/29/2016 - capacious Likes this wine: 92 Points
Young but expressive, lengthy, a minute long finish. There was in particular a note or flavor I'm at a loss to describe so I will settle for saying the result was a standout pleasure. Thrilled to have more to watch, and this is a testimonial to buying great in so so years. We can drink this Margaux with no concern of an eye on the value of the bottle.
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4/13/2016 - Guillaume-en-égypte wrote: 95 Points
From a half bottle. Upon opening this seemed closed and dense with a nose overly dominated by oak. When it opened up after several hours it was a thing of real beauty - perfectly poised, perfumed, almost weightless, but fully satisfying, lingering...exquisite. I hope one day I'll get to drink another bottle. I second the WOW of the reviewer below.
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12/31/2015 - cos65 Likes this wine:
Gorgeous perfumed aromatics on opening. Absolutely lovely right now at the start of its drinking window. Much nicer than the 04 Lafite at this stage. Rich mouth coating dark fruit, earthy and roasted mushroom flavors. Absolutely worth a try.
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10/23/2015 - La Cave d'Argent Likes this wine: 94 Points
2015 New York Wine Experience Trip; 10/19/2015-10/27/2015 (New York City, NY): Much more refined and elegant than the 2004 Lafite, the 2004 Margaux has an enticing nose of black cherry, tobacco leaf, truffle, black tea and ganache. Deep ruby/red, it is a blend of 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot and 4% Petit Verdot. Freshly acidic, seamlessly alcoholic and with ample but very supple tannins, it delivers flavors mirroring the nose and steadily picks up weight on the mid-palate. The mouth texture stays silky until the conclusion of the lengthy finish, at which point the tannins remind the taster of their presence. While drinkable now, it should get better with a few more years of cellaring. Drink 2018-2030.
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10/21/2015 - MRichman wrote:
Just a bit young. Herbs, pepper. Earthy with long black tannic finish. Excellent. Hold.
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10/20/2015 - Yagil wrote: 94 Points
dark red-purple, ripe dark fruits tertiary aroma, full bodied, grip tannins, high aciidty, powerful fruity flavours, bitter, well balanced and harmonized, sturctured, excellent complexity, long finish
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10/17/2015 - tinybubbles Likes this wine: 91 Points
An initial greenness to the nose, then drawing out red cherry, floral notes, dusty soil, faint chalk, and eventually a slight harshness to the back of the nose. Violet and perfume emerge with air time. Blackberry, dark earth, and then dark herbal notes on the back of the palate. Should improve somewhat with more bottle time but this wine is clearly constrained by the vintage. 91+
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10/13/2015 - Nekodab wrote: 97 Points
Smooth subtle great fruit all-around not too overbearing Low tannin structure and acidity. Decanted twice placed back in the bottle and let sit for three days. WOW
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8/18/2015 - jskuek Likes this wine: 93 Points
Bottle breath 5h, decant 4h. Beautiful nose, elegant, minerals, fresh fruits. Complex and full body.
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8/11/2015 - JJA Likes this wine: 95 Points
Wow. What a wine. This has it all. Deep dark color, gorgeous aromas emerge from the glass, smooth, complex, full-bodied, amazing texture and elegance. An incredibly long finish. I could sip this wine all night long, and this is exactly what we did!!
Tasted it side by side with 2004 Haut Brion, and the Margaux won hands down. I know this is a high class comparison and both wines are outstanding for sure. But the Haut Brion was a bit austere and lacking in charm at the moment. The Margaux was wine of the night.
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7/7/2015 - Collector1855 wrote: 96 Points
Magnum shoot out - France vs. Italy (Switzerland): From Magnum, served blind. Another fantastic showing of this wine, see my other tasting notes. Popular with the dinner crowd.
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7/3/2015 - NostraBacchus Likes this wine: 96 Points
From Magnum bottle. Very expressive and interesting aromatics of barnyard, earth, blackberries, red berries, cinnamon, cloves, some flowers and some black currant too. It's medium+ bodied with medium-high acidity and medium+ tannin. Good length. What an excellent performance in this pretty difficult vintage. A very aromatic, classic, balanced and silky Margaux that maybe doesn't have the weight of the very best vintages but more than compensates with elegance, freshness and cool fruit.
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6/19/2015 - TOTOM wrote: 95 Points
16 sec finish
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4/20/2015 - Atreyu wrote:
Fantastisk eleganse og parfyme med intens frukt i den lyse halvdelen av skalaen. Følger opp med en massiv konsentrasjon - dette kan ikke være annet enn Margaux. Men skru ned bare et par små klikk så er jammen Brane Cantenac hakk i hæl!
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3/28/2015 - Collector1855 wrote: 96 Points
From Magnum during a wine dinner. Medium garnet. This has developed well, even from Magnum we all found this ready to go. Provides very typical Margaux aroma profile of red fruit with earth and cloves. Really elegant on the palate, medium bodied, with already softened tannins. Three friends, all wine buffs had a bit of this as apero while we were preparing for the wine dinner we were hosting and just kept coming back to it. There is just this great drinkability and aromatic complexity with mature Grand Cru Bordeaux. A very worthy Margaux from a so, so vintage. 1h decant recommended.
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3/26/2015 - d'Artagnan wrote: 94 Points
Horizontale Bordeaux 2004: Un nez frais mais discret, avec fruit rouge ( cassis), du chêne et du cèdre.
Bouche minérale, de corps moyen, droite, avec une grande élégance qui m'évoque Margaux. J'aime beaucoup cette très belle finesse de tanins et cette fraicheur. Excellent, bien qu'encore bien jeune. 94 +
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1/4/2015 - Jeff Leve wrote: 92 Points
Truffle, tobacco, blackberry pie, spice, herb and forest floor aromas are starting to emerge. Soft with a polished texture to the medium/full bodied fruit, this is starting to open and drink well. Another 5-7 years will add even more depth and complexity to the wine.
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12/29/2014 - Stefanos T. Likes this wine: 94 Points
Drinking beautifully now but it's still young.
Oak is still evident on the nose together with pencil shavings, some leathery notes.
Deep flavor on the palate with sweet cassis and ink. Still tannic.
A very nice Margaux.
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12/29/2014 - Yiannis Likes this wine: 95 Points
Secret Dinner with 9 Chateau Margaux Vintages (Grande Bretagne Hotel, Athens, Greece): A surprisingly good Chateau Margaux given the reputation of the vintage, and very enjoyable at this stage. Complex, refined, with cedar, earth, graphite and cassis on the nose. Medium-bodied with soft tannins, balanced and long. Shows what first growths can be like even in lesser vintages.
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12/27/2014 - mye Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drank with Andrew in a 2004 comparative between the Grange and 1st growth Bordeaux. Recreating what we did 3 years ago (altho that was really baby killing).
Decanted for 2 hours.
Dark red with clear rim. Nose of pencil shaving, cherry, tobacco, and a touch of heat. Beautiful structure with noticeable tannins - representative of the vintage. The nose was intoxicating although the finish was a touch short. Loved the wine.
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12/1/2014 - gsquireh Likes this wine: 96 Points
Decanting hours before is essential for enjoying this wonderful wine.
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9/28/2014 - woofy Likes this wine: 95 Points
This wine came out with a wow! Maybe it was the setting, timing, food, or likely my wonderful wife, but we loved this wine.
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7/24/2014 - King JR wrote: 93 Points
Very nice bottle of wine. Seemed a bit young, but was really enjoyable. Somewhat earthy, a bit smoky, but also nice fruit. Very very smooth. Wonderful experience. Will go again in a few more years.
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7/6/2014 - winemanintheden wrote: 94 Points
Red brick colour. Nose of layers of berries, rose pedals, very similar nose profile to the 2009 Margaux de Chateau Margaux. Great nose what I remember from the past. On the palette, all about finesse. Very delicate and soft. Light to Medium berries and lots of light fruit. Nose doesn't match palette. Still tannic which is amazing as it's already 10 years old. Lots of life left but overall a nice wine. A very pretty feminine wine. Very smooth but so tannic. Quite a delicate wine so be sure to be prepared to know it's all about finesse and not so much on power and in your face. Reflective of the 2004 vintage. Classic. 93-94pts
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5/24/2014 - woofy Likes this wine: 92 Points
This was a very nice wine coming out of a 375ml bottle. It was decanted thirty minutes. Very supple, little to no tannins, very feminine...my wife loved it.
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5/9/2014 - RebeccaDeVaney Likes this wine: 93 Points
The 2004 vintage of Chateau Margaux withholds its reputation with this delicate, immaculate and silky Bordeaux. Soft tannins charm the palate with the help of well-balanced hints of blackberry, cassis, plum and smokey oak. Perhaps I’ll try another 2004 Margaux in ten years.
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3/14/2014 - capacious Likes this wine: 92 Points
Beginning to drink well with tons of promise. Still tannic. Decanted 6 hours before drinking. Cabernet predominates here. Somewhat brooding, will not come back here for at least a year
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3/9/2014 - oakland.cory wrote: 96 Points
Tasted blind from 750ml decanted for 3+ hours. At first very evolved on the nose, but unmistakably Bordeaux. Lush, exquisite fruit on the nose with a seamless texture that speaks of terroir and utter delicacy. You can tell this has been handled gently and perfectly. Countless layers with soft tannins but not flabby or overripe. Quintessential Margaux but on a faster evolutionary track that I'd guess ... which isn't necessarily a bad thing when the wine is this good.
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2/7/2014 - Hazeo wrote: 91 Points
Not as good as my last bottle. An elegance to be expected, but did not truly impress. Balanced with nice acidity but somewhat light bodied and lacks complexity.
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1/31/2014 - galenico Likes this wine: 92 Points
SERATA MARGAUX (AIS TORINO): 75% cabernet - 20% merlot
E' proprio nelle annate non eccezionali che esce il timbro di un "1 er grand cru classé"
Naso finissimo, sangue, spezie, molto pungente e tagliente, quasi piccante. Un pò di pirazine ( peperone verde) tipiche di una maturazione non completa del 75% di cabernet.
In bocca è setoso, con acidità vegetale bilanciata e voluminosa.
Molto fresco, manca forse di una spinta nel finale vegetale, ma è di grande eleganza.
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1/31/2014 - woofy Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very Good, but disappointing. I thought it would be better.
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1/28/2014 - Man in Black wrote:
Clear and bright, deep garnet colour and presence of legs. The nose is clean and developing, showing medium intensity aromas of truffles, vanilla, cedar, ripe plums, liquorice, walnuts and cinnamon. The wine is dry in the mouth with a medium acidity, high fine grained tannins, medium alcohol, full body and pronounced intensity flavours of ripe plums, liquorice, truffles, cedar and walnuts. Long finish.
It is an outstanding quality wine with a great fruit concentration, a very nice structure, a lingering finish and a very good complexity provided by early maturity notes. Can drink now, but it has potential to develop more complexity over the next 10+ years.
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1/28/2014 - Harley1199 Likes this wine:
Enofusión 2014 (Including a walk into the Chateau Margaux path by Paul Pontallier) (Auditorio de Madrid): A kidnapped Margaux , gagged cause this vintage that's preventing a self expression.
Could be balanced but where the finesse is? Hard to find it here.
Anise and herbs on the nose don't outline the fragrant aroma you are waiting for.
In the mouth isn't tannic, of course, but blotting paper. It sticks to the gums...
Un Margaux secuestrado, amordazado por la añada que no le deja mostrarse. Equilibrado puede pero fineza? Aquí cuesta encontrarla desde luego...
Anís y hierbas en nariz no perfilan el fragante aroma que uno espera.
En boca no es tánico, de acuerdo, pero es papel secante. Se pega a las encías
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12/24/2013 - Dubie wrote: 92 Points
Two bottles. Very solid Ch. Margaux offering in a difficult vintage. Good to drink now. Probably won't become any better or complex. Classic Ch. Margaux nose, soft tannins, great structure. Medium length. Two bottles.
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7/27/2013 - danielk168 wrote: 90 Points
Decanted 2 hours, superb nose of violets and black fruit, but somewhat tannic and too young, hold on to yours.
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5/3/2013 - cab blends Likes this wine: 97 Points
Michel Rostang Dinner - Hearts Delight (Washington DC): I normally do not find French Bordeaux to be at the top of my rating list - a personal preference for a blend towards new world. However, this was drinking beautifully. Tannins 6/10 with medium fruitiness throughout. Delicate yet big backbone at the same time.
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2/18/2013 - ChuckL wrote:
Not up to my expectations
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12/25/2012 - gsquireh Likes this wine: 95 Points
Getting better with age this full- bodied all purple classic is a superb example of a beautifully pure Chateau Margaux. Double -decanted three hours before our holiday dinnner, re-corked and put in the cellar; then decanted again one half hour before serving, the aromatics were delectible blue and black fruit: cassis, black current, gorgeous licorice, gardenias. The silky smooth, balanced finish exhibited a lingering, mouth filling, superb concentration.
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12/14/2012 - Collector1855 wrote: 95 Points
Chateau Margaux tasting dinner with Paul Pontalier (At Chateau Margaux): Vertical tasting / dinner at the Chateau. This wine was very well priced upon release, let's see what it can do now. Nose of red fruit with typical Margaux spice profile. Medium bodied with good balance and soft tannins, entering the drinking window now, decant for 1h. Classic, aromatic Margaux.
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4/22/2012 - Matt Scott wrote: 94 Points
Decanted for three hours. An almost black and deep red couloir, with a ruby rim. Flower shop, blackberry, currant, river stones, tobacco leaf and bread pudding. There's a little of that Margaux perfume and mushroom as well. So much structure and a little latent, I would recommend a nice decant and watch this beauty evolve for many years. '04 is really a sleeper vintage and this First Growth whispers statuesque elegance. Drink 2013 -.
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3/3/2012 - stadler Likes this wine:
Un grand vin dans un millésime un peu délaissé : l'analyse olfactive lance de beaux défis, le raffinement complexe que recèle ce terroir malgré une large domination des Cabernets est impressionnant.
Nez fumé, boisé, puis forestier, doucement épicé. La matière tapisse lentement le palais de fruits un peu épicés mais ne l'agresse pas et l'embaume longuement. Un millésime qui se goûte parfaitement maintenant.
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12/12/2011 - vinopa wrote: 92 Points
Decanted for 2 hours...Classic Margaux notes of pencil lead, dark fruit, leatherand earth on the nose. On the palate this was very elegant with fine tannins and the usual mineral notes, graphite, dark and red fruit. Overall it is a pretty wine but not worth the coin imo. Drinking well now not sure how much this will improve..Why wait?
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12/1/2011 - gsquireh wrote: 94 Points
With an hour and a half decanting- beautiful
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11/25/2011 - cubswinws wrote: 93 Points
Just lovely. Not at all over the top but what great balance and complexity. A wonderful bottle of bordeaux to drink now.
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9/30/2011 - woofy wrote: 91 Points
This wine is ready to drink and it's not a blockbuster. Don't save it.
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9/15/2011 - Daium wrote:
Beautyfull, ready to drink. It's silky and elegant. If you have some, I'dd drink them soon, don't expect a blockbuster and you will be seduced.
994/1000
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6/3/2011 - gsquireh wrote: 94 Points
Full bodied, dark purple, silky smooth after decanting an hour, a first growth that can be drunk now.The value is amazing-two cases at $120 a bottle at futures- great for drinking when you want and when you should , not waitiing for whenever! Balanced and beautiful with cassis, licorice, mentholated tobbaco, and ripe sweet blueberries.I will drink when and where I want now; not whenever. A perfect example of those hard to drink because of their value bottles that should be drunk because they are so wondrfully drinkable and because of my fortune in buying when I did.
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5/29/2011 - wino_tim wrote: 93 Points
Deservingly illlustrious, this is complex with a fresh, leafy tobacco overlay to the ripe black fruit, dried flower and graphite-like mineral flavors. Expansive, silky and round, drinking well in its youth, with firm tannins, full body and beautiful precision.
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5/23/2011 - mike410 wrote: 88 Points
Tasted at the WS Grand Tour in Boston. I thought I was drinking a pinot noir. This was the disappointment of the night. A note to Chateau Margaux, if you're bringing wine to an event next time don't choose your worst vintage of the last 10 years. Do what Mouton Rothschild did they brought their '05.
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5/21/2011 - DavidF90210 wrote: 97 Points
essence of great terroir and top flight winemaking. Bordeaux of the vintage.
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5/19/2011 - socidelvino wrote: 93 Points
Wine Spectator Grand Tour Boston 2011
Eye: deep purple color. Nose: barnyard, dark berries, tobacco, vanilla. Palate: black cherry, red fruit, silky, minty, good structure, medium finish, plenty of tannins. Impressive wine.
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5/19/2011 - RockinCabs wrote: 93 Points
WS Grand Tour Boston (Copley Marriott): Nose: horse hair, blackberry, pipe tobacco, vanillin, slight minerals. Perfumed and detailed nose. Palate: mid weight. Red fruit, cola notes, sassafras, black cherry, eucalyptus notes. Silky palate feel. Finish: Tanins clamp down at this stage. Black fruits emerge with exotic oak notes.
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5/15/2011 - vegasoenophile wrote: 93 Points
Very tight at this point. Nice minty tinged fruit. It's elegant and delicious.
- WS Grand Tour 2011
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4/24/2011 - scottmlew wrote: 91 Points
Strain and decant at least 2 hours at this stage. Dense sediment and very dark red-purple color. Nose is rich earthiness. Extremely smooth with a lovely mouth feel. Smoky cassis with only subtle undertones of dark fruit in the background. At the onset I thought the tannins would be bolder and chewy, but proved to be more velvety and understated, almost more than I would have hoped. A touch of spice on the finish which though fairly long, is difficult for me to describe flavor-wise, except to say that it echoed the velvety notes and was extremely enjoyable.
Paired well with Grade A Prime Rib Roast, Skillet Red potatoes with caramelized onions, and apple-wood bacon. Even complimented the mozzarella caprice at the beginning of the meal.
Now that I have had this wine and given it's pedigree, price and value, I would choose to have my second bottle stand alone or with minimal food )cheese, crackers), so the wine could stand on it's own. This wine seems to be one that needs to be the star of the show rather than complimenting a meal. Even with my limited wine knowledge, I feel this wine is not a steak wine suck as the more common California selections at your better steakhouses. I feel I made an novice's mistake to serve it with a meal, and therefore did a disservice to the wine in general. I console myself only in that I understand that this is all about the experience and that learning is part of the fun.
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4/4/2011 - Hazeo wrote: 92 Points
Very faint nose, but so seamless and elegant on the palette despite its structure. The dark fruit and tannins are no doubt in the foreground. Some thought it wasn't particularly enjoyable, but for me just the texture alone was worth drinking (but not for the price).
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2/5/2011 - woofy wrote: 94 Points
What a pleasure. Don't miss this one.
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1/8/2011 - macker100 wrote: 92 Points
Margaux Horizontal 2004 (Toast Bistro, San Antonio): Surprisingly muted nose of violets and boysenberries. I took this home and on day 2 still could not coax a more complex nose. Palate was extremely smooth that was consistent on both days. Primary flavors of warm cherries, spice, cassis, with a deft touch of oak. The refinement of the tannins, with a lush strong finish. Although impressed, it was outshined by both Palmer and Pape Clement. My #3.
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1/8/2011 - Nutty08 Likes this wine: 92 Points
2004 Margaux horizontal (Toast Bistro, San Antonio, TX): Floral complex nose with cedar and spice, and an herbal note of something different, like tobacco leaf. Smooth palate, with velvety fine tannins that weren’t too intrusive. Nice red fruits on the palate, with an element of leather that I thought was early maturity. Complex lengthy finish with cedar spice and tobacco leaf. Later on in the evening when I knew it’s identity, it seemed less “mature” with the tobacco/leather coming across more as exotic spices and the tannins and structure more prominent and the fruit seeming fresher. I initially wrote “low pedigree Margaux for drinking now” oops. Initially scored 91, but wanted to increase through the evening as it seemed more complex (was it? or just knowing it was a 1st growth?). May reach the 94-95 level with time, though surprisingly open and enjoyable now.
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12/18/2010 - dr g wrote: 90 Points
Probably still to young, good bottle but lacked depht
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10/21/2010 - winemanintheden wrote: 93 Points
Tasted at Bordeaux Max in Bordeaux. My first sample of a Premier Grand Cru Classe. My first thoughts, man... this wine is going to be real good! I can taste the caliber of the premiers. Very polished. This wine was so young yet you had the sense once it matures, it'll be great. On the nose you wouldn't really be able to tell the level of quality. However the palette deined it. I wouldn't pay the $800+ price tag, but a real great experience to try. If I had to rate it at the moment I'd say 92-95 pts?
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10/11/2010 - City Wine Journal wrote: 94 Points
Purchased on release. Double decanted, recorked and served 8 hours later. Quiet nose explodes with Margaux florals and fragrances after 15 minutes in the glass, defining the flagship of the AOC. Swirling in more oxygen adds color, depth, and power. Red fruit turns black, and tobacco & graphite emerge. Medium-full, silky textured, long and beautiful. Not in a hurry.
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9/22/2010 - LWI wrote: 93 Points
BdX 01/04 (Oslo): Dark, wonderful fruit, some smoke mixed with sweetness; dark fruit, soft and forthcoming, still a lot of tannins under the fruit, fresh. A very up-front wine that showed more of itself than any of the young first-growths this evening.
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5/5/2010 - Brent25 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Dark cherry with cherry rim; nose of sweet blackberry, sweet flowers, mint and cedar; pfn with pronounced blackberry notes; medium plus tannins; long (45+ seconds) velvety finish; hint of bitterness on the finish that caused me to reduce the score; still an incredible wine; textbook Margaux decanted for 2 hours
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4/25/2010 - JJL wrote: 89 Points
Completely closed when first decanted - just bitter and green on palate and nose. After about 2 hours it starts to reveal some fruit and floral on the nose, but still never lost that green streak on the palate. Very much like a young Burg. At $250/btl, not worth it, so many other wines I would rather drink. Would gladly trade a glass for 1/2 glass of the '00.
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4/22/2010 - balassis wrote: 95 Points
Dinner at home with my friends George, Vassilis, Manos and Costas, without our spouses.
Vertical tasting of Ch. Margaux.
It was the younger vintage of this vertical tasting.
It exhibits an opaque purple color with blue hues.
At the beginning the wine was totaly closed, but after about 2 hours into the glasses reveals sweet aromas of mocha, butterscotch, creme brulee and wild cherries.
On the palate is very approachable till now, with great concentration and flavors of cherry liqueur, milk chocolate, oaky vanilla and fresh almonds.
Extremely fresh wine, with a long ageing potential.
Perhaps in 10 yeras from now we could talk for a great and typical vintage of Chateau Margaux
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4/3/2010 - JJA wrote: 94 Points
Outstanding as usual.
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3/2/2010 - G SQUARED wrote: 94 Points
Dinner with Staglins and Jeff. Great nose. Luscious wine with lots of great mouthfeel. This is very elegant, has lots of fruit and drinks great right now. Hard to resist.
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1/24/2010 - bankerdave wrote:
It was absolutely wonderful...wish I could afford to buy more of it
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6/13/2009 - greenblanket wrote:
So now I know what a lovely perfumed floral nose is. Wow! This is obviously a youngster but it's amazing in its precise elegance and silky long structure. Duh, wait.
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6/2/2009 - City Wine Journal wrote: 93 Points
Home bottle in PA. Decanted, shared 1/2 one night and the second half 24 hours later. The 2nd half sample was much more in keeping with previous experiences at Chateau. Much more perfumed and fragrant the 2nd night, gorgeously aromatic floral and dark fruit. The first night the palate was a little lean and green/herbaceous, but this faded the 2nd night, and it gained depth and breadth, and complexity. Silky and long. Gaining. Hold until 2012+, it's not going anywhere and there's no hurry.
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5/2/2009 - ews3 wrote: 96 Points
Philadelphia Wine Festival (Marriott, Philadelphia PA): possibly my favorite wine of the tasting -- this had an outstanding nose, with mint notes dancing on top of the red and black fruit. nice, long finish.
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5/2/2009 - jrobs7777 wrote:
The Eighth Annual Philadelphia Wine Festival (Philadelphia Marriott Downtown): Absolutely stunning nose. Tough to appreciate the subtleties at a fast paced tasting, but this clearly showed its class.
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4/27/2009 - avp wrote:
Red to dark fruit nose with blackcurrants, cherries and raspberries. Some barnyard and strewed vegetables as well as fine floral aspects. Proportioned mocha to toffee oak character.
Mid-weight palate with silky tannins and fine carrying acidity. Blackcurrant and some more red toned fruit as well. Earth and salt liquorice. Well integrated oak.
Refined and tasty. Not exactly that grand, but very good nonetheless. @Château
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4/24/2009 - sdr wrote: 80 Points
The color seems unusually evolved for a 5 year old child. The flavors now are trending more towards blackberry than cherry but the palate is not as good as the nose and there is a herbaceous streak. Could this be under ripe? But a second glass poured about 30 minutes later was better, so maybe this just needs more air time than we were able to give it.
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1/19/2009 - Paul D wrote:
Chateau Margaux Tasting - 1983-2006 - With Paul Pontallier (Merchant Taylors' Hall, Threadneedle Street, London EC2): Markedly lighter/less intense than the 2005, but very fragrant, pure fruit and floral notes. Hints of toasty oak. Lovely fragrance. Has more depth and darker fruit than the 04 Pavillon. On the palate shows youthful, pure, cassis fruit, toasty oak and lovely fresh acidity which carries the finish well. Longers nicely though obviously not as long as the 2005. Showing quite well already though. ****1/2
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1/1/2009 - hshdream wrote: 93 Points
This is my first wine in 2009. Too young. It needs al least 4 hours decanting time. Waiting is better than drinking.
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12/2/2008 - City Wine Journal wrote: 94 Points
Tasted at the Chateau, from 375ml. This is the third tasting, each one consistent, and gaining a little weight. The perfumed fruit and cassis on the nose holds your attention. It is silky, smooth and elegant, with a beautiful finish. From 375ml it is moving along nicely, but no hurry -- she still has a few years to continue improving and will run out for a decade or two on a nice plateau. Sure, that's fine - patience - but wow, that fragrance! Classic. Don't rinse your glass too soon.
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7/3/2008 - vespasian wrote: 95 Points
Extremely youthful - a real baby. Lovely ruby colour. Masses of fruit concentration on the nose. Perfumed cassis and violets. Dense and complex. Layers and layers of ethereal aromas. Lovely texture on the palate even now. Really impressive. Great length. Fine tannins on the finish. Exceptional.
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2/3/2008 - last chance wrote: 95 Points
Tasted next to a 2003 Girolate and a 2004 Mouton Rothschild. The nose of the 2004 Margaux was rich and dark. Great dark berry aromas, and slightly earthy. The palate was consistent with the nose, and progressed nicely into a very rich, long finish. This was by far my favorite of the 3 wines, but there wasn't a concensus with the group.
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12/26/2007 - kehoutek wrote: 92 Points
decided to try a .375 on christmas eve...Not nearly ready. Very green and stemy. I'd say the 04 lascombes is drinking much better at this point...Not a great wine in any event. Maybe a 94 in a few years?
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7/1/2007 - Wil wrote: 87 Points
Tasted blind. A wine of bright fruit without great complexity. This wine provides much pleasure but without intellectual challenges.
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4/5/2006 - PanosKakaviatos Likes this wine: 93 Points
BORDEAUX 2005 / Cabernet rules; 4/5/2006-4/10/2006 (Bordeaux): We also revisited the 2004 vintage, which I remember being rather (too) austere en primeur. Happily, one year later, it has filled out. Though dominated by oak at this stage, lovely violet aromas also emerged. Pontallier called the 2004 a “very good vintage.” I concur, though admit to being somewhat overly excited last year en primeur... 92-94+
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3/28/2006 - Burgundy Al wrote: 93 Points
2005 Bordeaux en Primeur; 3/26/2006-3/28/2006 (Bordeaux France): Tasting at the Château. Bright black berries on nose and palate with plenty of new oak spice. Same elegant style as the 2005 without quite the concentration and length, but so nicely harmonious.
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