Wine Advocate
par Robert Parker le 01/04/2001
Chateau Margaux's administrator, Paul Pontallier, told me that 2000 was the most tannic and concentrated in polyphenols of any Chateau Margaux in the last forty years. A blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 7% Petit Verdot, and 3% Cabernet Franc (nearly identical to the 1996), the 2000 represents only 40% of the production.
There is remarkable ripeness to the tannin, giving this wine a contradictory feel. It is a traditionally-styled Bordeaux with plenty of structure, tannin, and weight, but the sweetness of the tannin brings it into the modern day school of winemaking. Notes of blueberries, creme de cassis, and flowers are present in this medium to full-bodied Margaux. A touch of licorice, subtle new oak, and a savory, expansive, full-bodied palate are brilliantly displayed in this pure, symmetrical effort. Surprisingly refreshing acidity gives the wine a zesty delineation that the very ripe years (i.e., 1982, 1983, 1989, and 1990) lack.
Pontallier thinks this may be the greatest Margaux yet made under the Mentzelopoulos administration, "a new reference." A fabulous wine to be sure, I will defer judgment given the enviable record of superlative wines made over the last two decades. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2050.