2023 Chateau Margaux - 1er Cru Classe Margaux

Decanter.com – 98 pts – GH: *Quite a herbal nose, full of blackcurrant leaf and bramble fruit, dark chocolate, violets - subtle, not shouting, but interesting. Round and ripe, a nice weight in the mouth, silky, but also like crushed velvet, mouthwatering acidity, so juicy and clean, a lovely texture in the mouth. Not chewy at all, but there’s depth here, a cushioning to the palate with incredible juiciness. Charming, gentle yet lively. It's is just so appealing but this will benefit from oak ageing too. Carefully made, tannins are wonderful and the acidity doesn’t stick out. You also don’t sense the heat, but the fruit is ripe, with freshness all the way through. A wonderful wine in 2023. 2% Petit Verdot completes the blend with 4% Cabernet Franc, the highest percentage ever in the blend. 41% grand vin production. 3.6pH, 15% press. Officially certified organic as of 2023. Ageing 100% new oak, 18 months.* - 04/2024

Falstaff Magazin – 100 pts – PM: *Tiefdunkles Rubingranat, opaker Kern, violette Reflexe, zarte Randaufhellung. Feine Edelholzwürze, zart nach Nugat und Nelken, dunkle Waldbeeren, Cassis, Lakritze, floraler Touch, zart nach Mandarinenzesten, verführerisches Bukett. Saftig, hochelegant, reife Herzkirschen, seidige, tragende Tannine, lebendig, finessenreich strukturiert, ein Hauch von Schokolade und Brombeeren im Abgang, harmonisch, balanciert, mineralisch-salzig, bleibt sehr lange haften. Ein perfektes Abbild dieses einzigartigen Terroirs.* - 05/2024

Vinum Magazin – 99/100 pts: *Ein zauberhafter Duft, ein Archetyp eines Château Margaux, ein Relief an Aromen, verspielt, floral, Minze, rote Beeren, ungemein tief und mit einer Balance am Gaumen, die ihresgleichen sucht; perfekt verwobenes Tannin stützt die knackige Frucht, frisches, langanhaltendes Finale, das ist eine Delikatesse sondergleichen. Umwerfend!* - 12/2023

WeinWisser – 19+/20 pts – GL, TW: *89 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 5 % Merlot, 4 % Cabernet Franc, 2 % Petit Verdot, 41 % Grand Vin. Dicht verwobenes tiefgründiges Bouquet, edle Cassiswürze, zarter Iris-Duft und Graphit. Im zweiten Ansatz roter Johannisbeernektar, heller Tabak und Veilchen. Am royalen Gaumen mit samtig seidiger Textur, reifer Extraktfülle, vibrierender Rasse und engmaschigem Körper. Im nicht enden wollenden noblen Finale mit kleinen schwarzen Beeren, dunkler Mineralik und königlicher Adstringenz. Ich habe Gänsehaut, der beste Wein aus Margaux und er wird noch zulegen!* – 04/2024

JancisRobinson.com – 17,5/20pts – JL: *89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot. 41% of the production. Cask sample. Energy and intrigue but more reticent than Pavillon. Lots of charm on the palate with attractive fruit, silky tannins and freshness. A certain drive and persistence but perhaps not quite the depth of top years.* - 04/2024

Vinous.com – (97-100) pts – AG: *The 2023 Château Margaux is fabulous. Sensual, silky and exceptionally polished, the 2023 Château Margaux is shaping up to be a classic. Seamless, silky tannins wrap around a core of dark red/purplish fruit. Hints of spice, new leather, menthol, licorice and rose petal fill out the glass. There's a bit of new oak peeking through today, but that won't be an issue in a few years' time. Only Bordeaux can produce wines that offer so much flavor intensity at a low alcohols. Margaux is the least showy of the First Growths, but it is often the most refined. The 2023 is sublime.* - 04/2024

Vinous.com – (97-99) pts – NM: *The 2023 Château Margaux, which contains 15% /vin de presse/, is quintessential Château Margaux. It immediately blossoms in the glass with irresistible crushed violets on the nose, instantly demanding attention—you will gladly give it. Exquisitely defined and very focused with supremely well integrated oak, this is blessed with laser-like precision. The palate is silky smooth on the entry, perhaps a little feistier than expected thanks to a liberal sprinkling of black pepper. Quite structured (like the Pavillon Rouge) and gentle, you can almost overlook its grip. It finishes with a concentrated, graphite-tinged finish that lingers long in the mouth. This First Growth will require ten years in bottle to really show what it is capable of.* - 04/2024

Thewinecellarinsider.com – (98-100) pts – JL: *In competition for wine of the vintage, with a single swirl, you find roses violets, lilacs, black, with red cherries, espresso, cocoa, and boysenberries in the haunting aromatic profile. On the palate, the wine is silky, velvety, energetic, and lively. Instead of the weight and intensity found in the 2022, the 2023 focuses on its purity, refinement, length, vivacity, and sensual textures. The seamless finish resonates for 60 seconds, leaving you with lingering waves of incredibly sweet, and pure cherries. Part of the reason for the success of the vintage at Margaux is due to the combination of the amount of rain, and even more importantly, the timing of the rains, which helped the vines reach a better level of maturity. It is interesting to note that macerations were slow, and easy, with some vats taking 28 days due to the lower ABV levels. The wine blends 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot. 13.1% ABV. 3.61 pH, 15% press wine. 41% of the crop was placed into the Grand Vin. Picking took place September 11-October 6. The length of the harvest was due to intermittent periods of rain during the harvest, so picking stopped and started, which is another key to the success in 2023. Drink from 2030-2065.* - 05/2024