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Tasting notes
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.
Critic scores
Average Score
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
William Kelley, Wine Advocate
More reviews and scores
The 2006 Château Margaux remains a very youthful wine, unfurling in the decanter and glass with a deep bouquet of blackcurrants, cigar wrapper, black truffles, loamy soil and nicely integrated new oak. Medium to full-bodied, deep and concentrated, with a rich and vibrant core of fruit, lively acids and refined but authoritative tannins, it's a rather powerful, elegantly muscular Margaux that's still a decade from maturity.
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.
Still tightly wound, although it resists much of the stern tannins found in many of the other 2006 Medoc wines, the wine offers the start of its secondary aromatics with its tobacco, cherry, plum, spice, smoke and forest floor scents. Elegant, sophisticated and charming, give it another 5-10 more years to develop more secondary notes, soften and add more weight. The wine was produced from 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc, until this time, this probably set a record for the highest percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend.
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.