1961 Margaux
Buying options
Tasting notes
This vintage is unlike the wines Château Margaux produces today, with their silky elegance and almost reticent charm. Instead of today's subtle style, this displays a rich, savoury note with hints of spice. There is a complexity and almost gamey depth to the wine that is viscerally exciting. Only with time in the glass a subtle floral character becomes apparent, along with a hint of cedar and wood smoke. Undoubtedly mature, but well-cellared bottles should continue to hold at this level.
Critic scores
Average Score
Charles Curtis MW, Decanter
The Wine Advocate
More reviews and scores
The 1961 Château Margaux has been a disappointing wine and this is no different. The bouquet is decent enough but surely lacks the complexity and vigor of superior Margaux such as Palmer and Giscours. The palate is medium-bodied with strong tobacco and cedar notes, but it lacks the level of fruit to give body and substance on the finish. It feels conservative and unwilling to really translate what nature bestowed that year. Not bad, but not a great First Growth. Tasted at the 1961 dinner Chairman Miaow’s in Hong Kong.
Served at Michael Broadbent's Cavendish Dinner at Brooks's. Sent by Ben Ichinose. Mid ruby with a fully evolved nose. Sweet and decidedly old fashioned (made during the Ginestet era). Great balance and extreme sweetness. The tannins have melted away and the acidity is relatively low. In the glass it slightly lost freshness and became just a little cheesy and obvious but it's a lovely nostalgic wine that reminds me of the sort of wines I tasted in the 1970s. Michael loved it. (JR)
About the producer
Ch. Margaux is one of Bordeaux’s most historic and famous estates. The only classified First Growth in Margaux, it epitomises the appellation’s elegance, while producing wines with fantastic ageing potential.