Chateau Margaux 2014

Characteristics and tasting advice for Château Margaux 2014

Tasting

Appearance
Deep, purple-tinged color.

Nose
Nuanced, delicate, and subtle, the nose reveals red rose petal aromas lifted by crushed blackberry and fresh blackcurrant, all wrapped in a balsamic note reminiscent of Lebanon cedar.

Palate
A lively attack leads to a palate with bright acidity, evolving into a juicy mid-palate with elongated, elegant, velvety, even creamy tannins. A characterful Margaux with aging potential that will reward the most patient.

The freshness and structure of a great Margaux wine

The estate
With origins dating back to the 12th century, Château Margaux is among those Grands Crus that have built the legend of the great wines of Bordeaux around the world. In 1855, the estate attained the title of Premier Grand Cru Classé and was the only one among the four châteaux presented to receive a score of twenty out of twenty. With the acquisition of the estate in 1977 by André Mentzelopoulos, Château Margaux began a new chapter in its history. Elevating the Grand Vin of Château Margaux to the highest level, he reintroduced the estate’s Second Wine, Pavillon Rouge du Château Margaux, first created in 1908. Following in her father’s footsteps after his untimely death, Corinne Mentzelopoulos took up the family standard with energy and passion to preserve the status of Château Margaux, which had become a Bordeaux masterpiece, so recognizable by its neo-Palladian style. Vintage after vintage, the estate’s wines rank among the greatest in the world.

The vineyard
The vineyard of Château Margaux owes its distinctiveness to its rare and unique terroir, situated on a gravel mound. The estate’s plantings highlight the region’s flagship black grape variety, Cabernet Sauvignon, along with Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. The estate’s clay-limestone soils give rise to legendary wines with a racy, sensual profile, so representative of the Margaux appellation.

The wine

The 2014 vintage of Château Margaux represents 36% of total production.

The vintage

After a mild and rainy winter without the slightest cold snap, spring unfolded with a peaceful normality: May was a bit cool, June warmer, offering flowering an ideal, rapid, and homogeneous setting, in contrast to last year’s hesitations. July held few surprises, but August, unusually cool, slowed veraison, stretching time without ever bringing true drought. At the end of August, everything still seemed possible in Bordeaux, from an exceptional vintage to a disappointing year. Then September, frankly summery, decided the matter: warmth and dryness brought the grapes to perfect ripeness, allowing for impeccable harvests, from September 15 to 19 for the whites, then from September 29 to October 10 for the reds.

Blend

90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot.