Margaux - Margaux 2016

Decanter.com

98

byAndy Howard MWthe12/1/2021

Refined and typically elegant, 2016 Margaux adds great depth, structure and concentration to the mix. This is a wine to drink in 30-40 years! Only 28% of the production made it into the grand vin and in 2016 much of the Merlot was left out of the final bland. The result is an intense, mineral, black fruit-driven wine with pronounced floral and leafy hints, smooth, ripe tannins and layers of subtle oak; Drinking Window 2026 - 2060

Vinous

98

byNeal Martinthe8/13/2020

The 2016 Château Margaux has an intense bouquet of blackberry, briar, crushed stone and subtle cedar aromas that enrapture the senses; hints of pencil box and sous-bois emerge with time. The harmonious palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins and a fine bead of acidity, and a touch of bitterness lends tension on the finish. Impressive – very impressive. Tasted blind at the Southwold tasting.

Jancis Robinson

18,5

byJancis Robinsonthe2/5/2020

Yvesbeck.wine

99

byYves Beckthe3/20/2019

Pourpre violacé profond. Quel nez exceptionnel ! Quelle intensité, quelle authenticité et quelle complexité. Notes de baies rouges telles que framboises mais également de cerises, de bâtons de réglisse et d'épices. Mise en touche fruitée et friande. Au palais, le vin est compact, doté d’une intensité aromatique exceptionnelle en étant idéalement soutenu par sa structure. Les tannins sont d'une rare finesse. Ils sont soyeux et dotés d'un grain très fin. Ils sont en parfaite adéquation avec la structure acide qui confère de la fouge, de l'énergie à l'ensemble du palais et qui soutient merveilleusement bien l'expression gustative jusqu'en fin de bouche. Finale intense et persistante. 2016 est grand à Margaux, et j'aimerais bien savoir qui, aujourd'hui, peut encore prétendre que 2016 est moins bon que 2015 sur cette appellation. 2015 était exceptionnel, 2016 l'est également. Comparons les vins du millésime 2016 et les vins de l'appellation Margaux sont clairement dans le peloton de tête. 2026-2066 99/100

Jeb DUNNUCK

97

byJeb Dunnuckthe3/1/2019

The grand vin 2016 Château Margaux is a beauty and tastes like the essence of Margaux. Thrilling notes of blueberries, cassis, crushed violets, flowery incense, and spice notes all give way to a full-bodied 2016 that strikes an incredible balance between richness and elegance. A blend of 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Cabernet Franc, 2% Merlot and 1% Petit Verdot brought up in new barrels, it’s more focused and elegant than the 2015, yet I suspect it’s just as concentrated, and readers are going have a blast comparing these two magical vintages over the coming 4-5 decades.

Wine Spectator

97

byJames Molesworththe2/5/2019

Beautifully rendered, with a lush and seamless flow of cassis, steeped cherry, warmed raspberry and gently mulled blackberry fruit flavors gliding through. Light lilac, savory, mesquite and mineral accents underline the finish, adding additional texture and length. Deep and long, with sublime definition and gorgeous fruit. Best from 2024 through 2040. 10,833 cases made.  –JM

Jamessuckling.com

99

byJames Sucklingthe2/4/2019

It’s very friendly and warm on the nose showing flowers, such as roses, and red fruit. But then on the palate, it lets you know how serious it is. Full-bodied, yet reserved, extremely tight and well-formed with super polished tannins that go on for minutes. A solid and typical Margaux with all the personality and beauty in strength. Try after 2027.

Vinous

98

byNeal Martinthe1/24/2019

The 2016 Château Margaux represents 28% of the entire production this year. It has an alluring, gorgeous bouquet that blossoms with aeration to reveal black cherries, veins of blue fruit, crushed violet petals and a suggestion of vanilla. The poised, mineral-driven palate is medium-bodied with very fine tannin and just the right amount of salinity. The 2015 Château Margaux is ahead by a nose, but this will be a formidable first growth with a five-decade life span.

Vinous

99

byAntonio Gallonithe1/21/2019

A gorgeous, captivating bouquet gives the 2016 Margaux an irresistible allure. Weightless and yet wonderfully persistent, in the way only the château's wines can be, the 2016 Grand Vin is a wine of exceptional breeding and pedigree. So many wines in this vintage are obvious, but Margaux is a wine that takes time to discover, like a great book or piece of music. Shades of tobacco, cedar, mint, licorice and bright, red-toned fruit reveal themselves over time. And yet it is a sense of total harmony and seductiveness that elevates Margaux into the stratosphere in 2016.

Wine Advocate

99

byLisa Perrotti-Brownthe11/30/2018

Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2016 Château Margaux (blended of 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Cabernet Franc, 2% Merlot and 1% Petit Verdot) sashays out of the glass with glamorous red currants, candied violets, kirsch and crushed blackcurrants scents followed by notions of tilled black soil, forest floor, cast iron pan and cigar box with subtle wafts of lavender and oolong tea. Medium-bodied, mineral laced accents hover over the palate with an ethereal sensation of weightlessness, yet it is super intense with layers of red and black flavors supported by a firm texture of silt-fine tannins, finishing wonderfully fragrant and incredibly long.

Decanter.com

98

byJane Ansonthe10/30/2018

WeinWisser

19,5

byTjark Witzgallthe5/22/2017

94 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 3 % Cabernet Franc, 2 % Merlot, 1 % Petit Verdot, nur 28 % Grand Vin. Purpurgranatmit violettem Rand. Dichtes Parfüm mit viel Veilchen und Cranberry, dahinter rote Kirsche. Am Gaumen mit seidiger Textur, wunderschön reifem Tannin und zarter Adstringenz. Im langen Finale mit viel Margaux- Eleganz, reinstem Himbeermark, Preiselbeeren und feiner Würze. Besticht durch seine royale Art. Ganz grosser Margaux, der im Bouquet an den grandiosen 1985er erinnert.

Bettane & Desseauve

98

by Bettane & Desseauvethe5/3/2017

Intensité, finesse et soutien tannique dignes de ce qu’on attend de ce cru, et peut-être une échantillon un peu trop chaud pour donner une idée précise de son potentiel aromatique. Sans doute le plus haut pourcentage de cabernet sauvignon du médoc.

Wine Advocate

97-99

byNeal Martinthe5/2/2017

The 2016 Chateau Margaux is a blend of 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Merlot and 3% Cabernet Franc, plus 1% of Petit Verdot, representing 28% of the total production. This is the highest proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon apart from 2013, which was due to the poor Merlot. It was cropped around 50 hectoliters per hectare depending on the grape variety, for example it could be up to 65 hectoliters per hectare in some sectors. Lucid in color, it has a detailed and precise bouquet with mineral-rich blackberry, raspberry coulis and limestone scents. It feels very perfumed, though not powerful like many Grand Vins in 2016. The palate is a different creature to the aromatics. Here is the intensity of the vintage with shimmering black fruit laced with spice, a killer line of acidity and an irresistible crescendo on the finish. Then, graphite lingering on the aftertaste, a nod to Pauillac perhaps. The aftertaste is so long you could probably write a letter to your friend enthusing about this wine before the aftertaste fades. Doubtless it is destined to be compared to the magnificent 2015 Château Margaux and to be truthful, there's a hair's breadth between them. In a word: crystalline.

Jean-Marc QUARIN

19,5-20

byJean-Marc Quarinthe4/28/2017

Couleur sombre, intense, noire, pourpre, vive. Nez complexe, intense, fin. Bouche merveilleuse où le vin monte dans une grande douceur tactile, très élégant dans son  toucher, très « Musigny » dans ses arômes. Puis il fond et s’étire longtemps, noble, précis et superbe de classe. Ce résultat est obtenu avec une sélection sévère de 28 % de premier vin ce qui permet de dépasser le standard qualitatif de l’appellation cette année. Assemblage : 94 % de cabernet sauvignon (très élevé), 3 % de cabernet franc, 2 % merlot, 1 % petit verdot. Degré d’alcool : 13° (moyenne) - pH : 3,6 (moyenne plus) – IPT : 70 (moyenne plus).

The Wine Cellar Insider

96-98

byJeff Levethe4/27/2017

Deep ruby with purple accents of color around the rim of the glass, violets, lilacs and roses are the first scents you notice before moving to the red and black plums, tobacco and a hint of licorice in the bouquet. Light on its feet but don’t let that fool you, it’s impossible not to feel the purity and elegance. The wine displays an incredible clarity of fruit with a finish that dawdles on your palate, moving from red fruit to black fruit and back to sweet, red berries again. The finish has an incredibly supple, refined quality that leaves you yearning for another sip. It was early in the morning and I can assure you, I finished my glass without spitting a drop! The wine was made from a blend of 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Cabernet Franc, 2% Merlot and 1% Petit Verdot reaching 13% alcohol with a pH of 3.6. Yields were high, but it’s important to note, the Grand Vin represents only 28% of the harvest, which took place September 23 to October 18 — one of the longest harvests in the estate’s storied history. 

Vinous

97-100

byAntonio Gallonithe4/26/2017

The 2016 Margaux is magnificent in the best tradition of the Château Margaux style, which always speaks more to finesse than power. Above all else, the 2016 is a wine of superb persistence, understated power and total refinement. There is wonderful depth and intensity to the ripe red and purplish-hued fruits, accompanied by mint, rose petal and sweet spice overtones that develop in the glass. The 2016 finishes with great aromatic lift and freshness. It has been absolutely compelling on the two occasions I have tasted it so far.

matthewjukes.com

19,5

byMatthew Jukesthe4/25/2017

(94 Cabernet Sauvignon, 3 Cabernet Franc, 2 Merlot, 1 Petit Verdot) 100% new oak | 13% alc. | 28% of the harvest was used for this wine. | 50 hl/ha. The richness of fruit found here is incredible and the nose is sensationally floral and aromatic. This is a much more intense offering than the second wine, Pavillon Rouge, with a lot more density of flavour and also focus. With serious balance and profound depth, this is a not a broad wine but a slim, long, robust and rigid creation. While the nose is open and evocative, the palate is firm and restrained. The tannins seem very ripe and savoury, but the fruit is ordered and calm and this unusual counterpoint of flavours and structure makes for a fascinating balance. I think it will start to drink relatively early and then hold very well. 19.5+

Jancis Robinson

17,5

byJancis Robinsonthe4/20/2017

94% Cabernet Sauvignon, and a little bit of Petit Verdot. pH 3.6 (cf pH 3.65 in 2015).Sweet rich start and then very fresh. Seems a little bit marked by oak at the moment. Sinewy. Hint of chocolate - just like Palmer! Slightly drying tannins. Sandpaper on the end.

Wine Enthusiast

97-99

byRoger Vossthe4/19/2017

Barrel Sample. This Cabernet Sauvignon-based wine is packed with firm tannins and a dark, dense structure. It is seriously concentrated and powerful in its impression. Magnificent fruit contrasts with the structure to suggest a wine ready for long-term aging.

Jean-Marc QUARIN

19,5-20

byJean-Marc Quarinthe4/10/2017

Couleur sombre, intense, noire, pourpre, vive. Nez complexe, intense, fin. Bouche merveilleuse où le vin monte dans une grande douceur tactile, très élégant dans son toucher, très « Musigny » dans ses arômes. Puis il fond et s'étire longtemps, noble, précis et superbe de classe. Ce résultat est obtenu avec une sélection sévère de 28 % de premier vin ce qui permet de dépasser le standard qualitatif de l'appellation cette année.

Jamessuckling.com

98-99

byJames Sucklingthe4/5/2017

A purity of fruit marks this Margaux with lots of currant and berry character. Full body, bright acidity and round tannins. It's a larger and more expanded style of Margaux. A wine with a heart and body. Strong.