TWI
96pts
The Wine Independent
2006 was the first vintage Chateau Margaux had 90% Cabernet Sauvignon and so little Merlot, only 4%, together with 4% Petit Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc. Only the Merlot from the plot in front of the church, which was planted in 1953 on gravel, had the structure to stand up to the Cabernet Sauvignon this year. It has a deep garnet color, with a touch of brick and it struts out of the glass with mature notes of cigar box, new leather, and sandalwood, over a core of redcurrant jelly, prunes, and fruitcake, with wafts of iron ore and dusty soil. The medium-bodied palate delivers red berry preserves and ferrous/mineral layers, supported by firm, chewy tannins and plenty of freshness, finishing long and lifted. There's a distinct salinity to the finish that keeps you wanting more.
This is not a big Château Margaux, its style showing more elegance and discretion. The tannins are soft, although producing a dense web that lies underneath the black currant and plum fruit flavors. It is a wine that envelops the mouth, an edge of firmness over velvet fruit textures. The wine floats away slowly on the close.
Plenty of tannins still in play, and it is dense, powerful and reserved even at 15 years old. The tertiary notes of cedar, charcoal and crushed mint are just hints at this point, with the purity of Cabernet Sauvignon's cassis and bilberry fruits very much in the lead. First time that so little Merlot made it into the final blend, which no doubt also explains why the overall construction of the wine is so architectural and firm. Long drawn out finish, with higher acidity than the other wines in this lineup, with brilliant estate signature of precise peony and violet aromatics. You could begin drinking this with a long carafe beforehand, but it will still improve with another five years in bottle; and then go for decades. 100% new oak, 2% Cabernet Franc completes the blend. Drinking Window 2023 - 2042.
Tasted at Bordeaux Index's annual 10-Year On tasting in London.The 2006 Château Margaux has a sense of airiness and wonderful definition on the nose: wild strawberry, redcurrant, cedar and crushed roses soaring from the glass, but it never strives for the opulence of say the 2006 Château Palmer. The palate is very well balanced with fine and quite firm tannin in the mouth. This seems to be approaching its plateau after a decade. While not a powerful or ostentatious Château Margaux, it epitomizes understatement and refinement in a similar vein to Lafite-Rothschild. It is only after the wine has been swallowed that you appreciate its qualities and you feel urged to go back for another sip. Tasted January 2016.
A sexy vintage of Margaux, this is heady and seductive right from the start. Floral strawberry and red currant flavors back the wine's gentle sweetness, while floral acidity gives it a sting. Black tannins hint at more serious, long-term prospects, though much of the vintage may get drunk before it has a chance to reach any deeper, more essential terroir expression.
Good deep red-ruby. Deep but reticent aromas of redcurrant, tobacco leaf, licorice and loam; I don't find the typical floral high notes of Margaux. Juicy, fine-grained and suave, with good definition and a seamless, spherical texture to the currant and soil flavors. Finishes with a fine dusting of tannins, but not the grip or power of earlier barrel samples of this wine.
On the taut, sinewy side, with cedar and sandalwood notes framing the core of red currant, bitter cherry and damson plum fruit. Offers a lovely singed feel through the finish, with a gentle perfumy edge. Despite the tannic profile of the vintage in general, this is all charm and hitting its stride now.—Non-blind Château Margaux vertical (December 2013). Drink now through 2022.