Margaux : primeurs 2016

In 2015, despite the media hype surrounding this appellation, we thought it best to keep calm. Pre-bottling tastings last March at Millésima proved us right. On the other hand, this year's vintage is more homogeneous, even if the appellation is not the most impressive in the Médoc. The differences in terroir are greater than in the Médoc's other communal appellations, and it shows. Nevertheless, the elegance of Margaux is present, and some of the wines are simply exceptional. Palmer is magnificent, Château Margaux tauter than ever, Rauzan-Ségla is coming back to life, while many others offer wines of real interest (I'm thinking in particular of Durfort-Vivens).

Château Angludet - Margaux - 2016

Smoky, a little graphite. Fresh on the palate, not very dense but fruity, well established - 15/16

Château Issan (d') Blason - Margaux - 2016

Reduced, floral too, an elegant, fleshy, fruity whole. Tart notes, assertive tension. A fine ensemble. - 15/16,5

Château Mille Roses - Margaux - 2016

Spices, licorice, noble vegetal notes. Beautiful balance, volume in elegance with fleshiness, power, building tannins. The wood is present, but the ageing will give it a patina. - 15/16,5

Château Monbrison - Margaux - 2016

Blackcurrant and blackberry on the nose, balanced but moderately dense for the vintage. - 15/16,5

Château Gurgue (la) - Margaux - 2016

Slightly inky, fruity, slightly creamy with a slightly dry finish. Well-balanced. - 16,5/17

Château Chantelune - Margaux - 2016

Dynamic, floral nose, well in place with good ripeness. Suave, sapid too, quite modern even if one senses the precision of the gesture, the cultivation of a garden. Well done. - 16/17

Château Desmirail - Margaux - 2016

Toasty, toasted oak. Fleshy and pleasant on the palate, no great density but elegant balance - 16/17

Château Galiane (la) - Margaux - 2016

Floral, beautiful aromatic structure, round, good juice and finesse. Not the densest, but still elegant. - 16/17

Château Malescot St Exupéry - Margaux - 2016

Nose of iris and violets, rather reduced. Juicy on the palate, but tension in the middle and tannins that squeeze a little. - 16/17

Château Malleret (de) Le Margaux du - Margaux - 2016

Red fruit and floral, greedy. Very nice mouthfeel, elegant, fine, greediness on the palate too. Airy, fruity finish. A pleasure. - 16/17

Château Rauzan-Gassies - Margaux - 2016

Blackcurrant and ripe fruit on the nose. High tannin content, straightforward yet fresh. - 16/17

Château Tertre (du) - Margaux - 2016

Black fruit, a little blackcurrant, blackcurrant leaf. Fruity, well-established, charming palate with velvety tannins, a suave entry. - 16/17

Château Bessane (la) - Margaux - 2016

Very floral nose, beautiful expression of ripe black fruit. Beautiful fleshiness, acidity too, which tautens the whole for a fresh, lingering finish. A fairly vertical wine that offers beautiful precision of grain. A real success. - 16/17,5

Château Durfort-Vivens - Margaux - 2016

Slightly reduced nose. Charming, velvety mouthfeel, well in place with structured, velvety tannins. A beautifully balanced wine. - 16/17,5

Château Cantenac Brown - Margaux - 2016

Smoky nose, almost graphite, a little iris. Round and suave, with a tannic presence but in harmony and balance. - 16/17,5

Château Confidence de Margaux - Margaux - 2016

Toasty, slightly woody, almost smoky nose. Fresh, juicy, crisp on the palate, with a fine tannic structure on the long finish. Beautiful definition of grain, a wine denser than it appears. Fresh finish. A great success. - 16/17,5

Château Dauzac - Margaux - 2016

Lively, in place, charming nose with floral notes and elegant oak. Fresh and suave, juicy, well-placed, building tannins that add length. - 16/17,5

Château Ferrière - Margaux - 2016

Imposing oak. Black fruits and spices. The palate is suave, full-bodied and dense, yet elegant and velvety. - 16/17,5

Château Giscours - Margaux - 2016

Fresh fruit, greediness. Fresh, dense for a margaux with even, high-quality tannins. - 16/17,5

Château Kirwan - Margaux - 2016

Nose of violets, iris, a little woody. Suave and velvety, with round, sapid tannins. A charming Kirwan. - 16/17,5

Château Labégorce - Margaux - 2016

Gourmet, with a beautiful expression of fresh fruit. Juicy, tasty, full-bodied and long on the fruit. A charming Labégorce. - 16/17,5

Château Cambon la Pelouse L'aura de Cambon - Margaux - 2016

Although closed and shy, the nose reveals notes of black fruit and beautiful maturity. Straightforward, juicy attack, with a round, velvety feel and structured body. A fine overall impression, with ageing playing a key role. - 16/17+

Château Brane-Cantenac - Margaux - 2016

Smoky, spicy, almost peppery. Juicy, harmonious palate, a little mulberry leafy with structured but velvety tannins. A great success. - 16/18

Château Lascombes - Margaux - 2016

Slightly closed nose of violets and iris. Juicy, unctuous and sapid on the palate, with freshness, movement and tension. - 16/18

Château Margaux Pavillon Rouge - Margaux - 2016

Superb floral nose, blackcurrant, blackberry, full of finesse and vigor. Round and airy on the palate, beautifully aromatic with exceptional fruitiness and acidity that supports the whole. Purity and precision for a Pavillon Rouge that plays on the fresh, gourmet register. - 16/18

Château Marquis de Terme - Margaux - 2016

Slightly sulphurous nose, iris, floral too. Tannic mouthfeel, density and volume for a wine that's rather massive in Margaux but very well balanced. - 16/18

Château Prieuré-Lichine - Margaux - 2016

Smooth, velvety and charming on the palate, with building but elegant tannins. - 16/18

Château Siran - Margaux - 2016

Blackcurrant, a little iris. Charming, velvety and juicy on the palate, sapidity and structuring yet charming tannins. - 16/18

Château Tayac - Margaux - 2016

Floral nose, iris, a little violet with real complexity. Mouth with chewiness, volume, a very modern aspect, a little at odds with the appellation. However, it remains very beautiful. - 16/18

Château Tayac Or Norme - Margaux - 2016

A very fruity (strawberry, blackberry) and floral (violet) nose. Complex too. Volume, a velvety, dense structure, of course, massive and full-bodied. A wine to impress and demonstrate. - 16/18

Château Palmer Alter Ego - Margaux - 2016

Blackcurrant, blackberry, very pure black fruit on the nose. Beautiful acidity, tension while retaining the juicy, fresh, direct side. A sparkling Alter Ego with superb sophistication on the tannins. - 17/18

Château Issan (d') - Margaux - 2016

Floral nose, iris, a little ink too. Unctuous, fleshy mouthfeel with precise, dense, juicy tannins, freshness and a long finish - 17/18.5

Château Rauzan-Ségla - Margaux - 2016

Graphite and black fruit on the nose, with purity and freshness. Juicy, velvety, unctuous on the palate, with straightness and tension. Fresh and precise. - 17/18,5

Château Margaux - Margaux - 2016

Very nice freshness, slightly mentholated, black fruit aromas particularly precise and just right. Beautiful structure, very juicy, superb flesh, classy tannins. I don't remember tasting such a delicate and subtle Château Margaux en primeur. How horrible it is to have to spit! - 18/19+

Château Palmer - Margaux - 2016

A smoky, liquorice, black fruit nose, very complex. Magnificent mouthfeel, crystal-clear purity and structure, heavy tannic charge but with elegance, precision and a taffeta feel. A Palmer with the verticality of an exceptional vintage. Simply superb. Airy, long, infinite finish - 18/20