2015 Château Kirwan

The 2015 Kirwan has a composed, classically styled bouquet with sous-bois -infused black fruit, tobacco and light pencil shaving scents. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-boned yet firm tannins. It's structured and focused, with real weight and persistence flooding through toward the finish. This is a serious Margaux for long-term consideration and is certainly one of their best vintages in recent years. Tasted blind at the 2015 Bordeaux Ten-Year-On tasting at Farr Vintners.

As with the 2009, you can discern the impact of the vintage on the aromatics, with depth and power, waves of cumin and rosemary, sage, liqourice root, blackberry, cassis, crushed rose petals. Excellent quality, 51hl/h yield, 50% new oak for ageing. Harvesting began September 18. First year vinified in the new ageing cellars. Underlines how Margaux was unusual in the Médoc for being a really excellent appellation to head to in the 2015 vintage. Eric Boissenot consultant, Philippe Delfaut director.

The 2015 Kirwan appears to have meliorated in recent months. It offers attractive raspberry preserve, mulberry and allspice aromas, gently unveiling tea leaf scents with aeration. The medium-bodied palate displays fine-grained tannin and a taut line of acidity; it is fresh and precise though never powerful, and it gently fans out toward the finish, leaving a dash of black pepper on the aftertaste. Classy. Tasted blind at the Southwold 2015 Bordeaux tasting.