Staff Notes:

“The 2018 Château Margaux is composed of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot, representing 36% of the crop this year. The wine has a pH of 3.8 and 14% alcohol. Deep purple-black in color, it slowly unfurls to reveal tantalizing scents of crème de cassis, wild blueberries and Black Forest cake with hints of redcurrant jelly, rose oil, dark chocolate and cedar chest plus a touch of star anise. The medium to full-bodied palate bursts with opulent black fruit, fragrant earth and floral layers, supported by a rock-solid structure of exquisitely ripe, finely grained tannins and seamless backbone of freshness, finishing with fantastic length. This is classic Margaux at its most seductive, although it is, rather amazingly, approachable and absolutely delicious right now. But, to enjoy its full glory, you will want to cellar it for at least 6-8 years and then watch it metamorphize over the next 40+ years. ‘I think September made the vintage,’ Managing Director Philippe Bascaules told me. ‘But we had to take time. Time is important for full ripeness of tannins. We started the Merlot harvest September 17 and finished on September 24. Then we waited until October 4th to begin harvesting the Cabernet. We have a lot of tannin this year. The extraction was huge in the early days. The very small berries made the extraction so easy. So, we changed the winemaking a little bit. Made it softer. We followed the maceration every day.’ The grand vin this year is off the charts incredible. Exotic, flamboyant, totally decadent—but what I particularly love is a freshness and brightness that comes not just from acidity (in fact, the acid is relatively low this year) but from bright red fruit and floral sparks in the wine that provide a seamlessness. Potentially perfect—bravo.” 100 Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Wine Advocate