2005 is a truly great, pure Château Margaux vintage!
First of all, it has all of its class : that incomparable nose of finesse, grace and depth that belongs solely to its terroir and is only found in a few dream vintages. It also has its power: its concentration is exceptional, superior to 2000 and even 2003. It comes through first in the colour, which has unprecedented intensity, and on the palate with extraordinary density and length. And yet its power does not have the last word; voluptuousness and harmony are also the hallmarks of this vintage. The Cabernet Sauvignon (85% of the blend) is of course largely responsible for this balance, as it reached perfect ripeness without the alcoholic degree going over 13. The only Merlot which joined it (8% of the blend) is the only batch which didn’t reach 14°. Finally, beyond all these qualities and all this grace, Château Margaux has one essential virtue, which it will go on having for many more years; it is the ability to bring as much enjoyment in drinking it as in tasting it.
What the critics say...
Robert Parker: 98+ points(01/04/2008)
Another celestial effort from Paul Pontallier and Corinne Mentzelopoulus, the 2005 Margaux, a blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Merlot, boasts a dense opaque blue/purple color as well as an extraordinary bouquet of spring flowers, blueberries, black raspberries, creme de cassis, licorice, and, despite its having spent two years in 100% new wood, only a subtle touch of toasty oak. Although full-bodied, the wine seems light on its feet because of the silky tannins as well as the great gravel terroir from which it comes. Beautiful purity, length, and nobility define this modern day classic. Is it better than the 2000, 1996, 1990, or some of the vintages from the decade of the eighties? Who knows, but it is unquestionably one of the all-time great wines made at Chateau Margaux. This estate has produced only exceptional wines over the last three decades. The seamlessness of the 2005 suggests it will perform well early, but it should last for a half century or more. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2050+.
Pairing: Aged Cheese, Game Animals, Grilled Red Meats, Legume, Roasts, Stews.
It is difficult to sum up in a few lines the long and splendid history of the estate. It could perhaps be entitled 'There was once an estate called Château Margaux'. It was already known in the 12th century and at that time had the name 'La Mothe de Margaux' but there were not yet any vines.... In 1152, Eleanor, the heir to the Duchy of Aquitaine, married Henry Plantagenet, the future King Henry II of England; and so Aquitaine was to belong to England until 1453 (the illustration here shows the surrender of the town of Bordeaux to the .... French !, in October 1453, at the end of the Hundred Years War). This was a real blessing for the wines of Bordeaux, which then found their way straight onto the English market. Richard the Lionheart, the son of Eleanor and Henry II, adopted claret as his everyday drinking. The successive owners of La Mothe de Margaux were of course important people belonging to the nobility, but it was only when the Lestonnac family took over, that the estate started to resemble what it is today. Pierre de Lestonnac succeeded in 10 years, from 1572 to 1582, in completely restructuring the property and in so doing anticipated the future development of the Médoc which was to start abandoning the cultivation of cereal crops in favour of vines. By the end of the 17th century, Château Margaux covered 265 hectares (654 acres), a surface area which it never abandoned thereafter, a third of which was devoted to vine-growing, as is the case today. The English and Dutch drank claret, a wine which was still quite pale and did not age very well. Château Margaux became a high place in the art of making wine, and the hierarchy between the different Bordeaux growths began to appear. Château Margaux had been born. So, how best to sum up Château Margaux at the beginning of this 21st century ? What is its place in the world ? What are the preoccupations and ambitions of the men (and women) who seek ever more perfect results ? Whilst the recent boom in Bordeaux wine and the rise to prominence of many wine regions in different countries have brought Margaux closer to the realities of competition, they have also enabled it to underline its unique positioning as a First Great Classified Growth, benefiting from a terroir that has been worked and shaped throughout the centuries. But this does not mean we are resting on our laurels. It would be tedious to list all the investments, great and small, that have been made at the estate over the last 25 years. There is no question either, of revolutionizing the way we work, when old managers and owners have produced, in spite of their relative technical ignorance, such wonderful wines as 1900 and 1961 ! It is more a question of being worthy of the heritage of Château Margaux, whilst constantly bringing what we do into question so as to improve, to perfect what still can be made more perfect, in keeping with this unique heritage, which is Château Margaux. The strengthening of the estate management team in 1990 with the arrival of Philippe Bascaules, an agricultural engineeer, like Paul Pontallier, and the creation in 2000 of a post for research and development, are moves in this direction : to be worthy of the history of Château Margaux whilst progressing in the minutest details, so as never to disappoint wine enthusiasts anywhere in the world. You who have come onto our website to read these pages, or you who have some bottles of Château Margaux in your cellar : we want you to know that you give us our stimulation.
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