2017 Margaux

Compared to 1996 by winemaker Philippe Bascaules and from only 37% of the total production, the 2017 Château Margaux is unquestionably in the top 2 to 3 wines of the vintage, and it’s certainly the wine of the vintage in Margaux. Boasting a deep purple color as well as an awesome bouquet of cassis, blueberries, smoked herbs, graphite, and crushed flower, it builds incrementally on the palate and is full-bodied, multi-dimensional, and layered. It has surprising ripeness, yet like all the wines from this estate, it stays vibrant and fresh, with plenty of tannin. While most Margaux in 2017 seem to have a charming upfront style, this backward, concentrated beauty will need at least 5-6 years or bottle age.

Wow! This makes the whole room smile. The stunning nose hits you right off the bat, followed by wonderful fleshy damson fruit. This has some of the best aromatics in the business this year and a wonderful creamy texture through the palate. There's great density, and the tannins flatter it but they have menace and intent too, pulling the structure inwards and bouncing along to finish beautifully. This is more opulent than the Pavillon, which has some clear austerity, and the scale of the fruit is a little fresher than the 2015, with around the same ripeness level as the 2016. The 3.7pH is a little higher than the last two years, while an IPT of 73 is the same as last year. 37% of production went into the grand vin, including a 1% drop of Petit Verdot.

Deep glowing crimson. Pure, very dark cassis fruit. Fragrant and lightly floral too. And the fruit smells sweet, the oak so subtle. Intense without being flamboyant. Firm, smooth, chocolate-textured. Creamy and rich and supple on the long finish. Depth of fruit, both red and black on the mid palate. Well sustained.The tannins are powerful but hidden by the lovely fruit. Succulent even though well structured. (JH)