2005 Margaux

Sumptuous nose. Lovely balance. Lots of drive and fruit in a tannic casing. Real Margaux character. Impressively long. (JR)

The 2005 Château Margaux is a First Growth that I had not tasted for several years. According to the estate, it finally began to open during the pandemic. I remember this was stellar in its flush of youth, and earned a three-figure score from the Southwold blind tasting way back in 2009. Now at two decades in age, it has a supremely well-defined bouquet with dense blackberry, mulberry, iron filing and dried blood. The palate is still very youthful-as usual, the 2005 is an amazingly backward Margaux. Very well balanced, this has retained that arching structure uncommon in this First Growth vis-à-vis Latour or Mouton Rothschild. The ferrous finish has a very slight medicinal quality, though it is not as mentholé as the Pavillon Rouge. You can see this still has some way to go, but it is finally beginning to reveal what it can do. Tasted at the château.

An another level, the 2005 Château Margaux is as good as it gets, offering an incredible, full-bodied, layered style as well as the classic nuance, complexity, and elegance this Château is known for. Based on 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Merlot raised in new barrels, its still youthful ruby/purple hue is followed by a kaleidoscope-like array of cassis, smoked currants, cedar pencil, spring flowers, and graphite. With incredible concentration, a multi-dimensional, layered mouthfeel, loads of ripe yet perfectly integrated tannins, and a finish that makes you salivate, this insanely good Margaux is just now at the early stages of its prime drinking window and has another 30 years of prime drinking ahead of it. Legendry juice.