France

Cabernet Sauvignon

Merlot

Cabernet Franc

Petit Verdot

Ch. Margaux

Chateau Margaux Premier Cru Classe Margaux

Bordeaux

Margaux

The Fat Duck

This marks my seventh or eighth encounter with the 1990 Chateau Margaux over the years, and each time, this wine surpasses expectations. It stands as a clear benchmark of the 1990s, alongside the exceptional 1996 vintage.⁠
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For optimal enjoyment, decanting two hours before drinking is recommended. It's remarkable how this wine evolves, and rushing through it would be detrimental.⁠
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The color is saturated and deep, transitioning towards a mahogany ruby hue, revealing a phenomenal array of aromas ranging from blackberries, blueberries, and redcurrant confiture, scented by graphite, cedar, underbrush, with a pinch of smoke and turned earth.⁠
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As exceptional as the aroma is, the flavor surpasses even that. It boasts a tactile, dense, and rich structure, balanced by silky tannins and perfectly complemented by mineral, savory, and deep acidity.⁠ I love its combination of graphite with fish oil and soy sauce residue. ⁠
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Despite its relative youthfulness, another 10-20 years of cellaring will undoubtedly elevate its excellence, a notion that is hard to comprehend given its current exceptional state.⁠
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Another intriguing idea is to opt for a magnum (1.5l bottle) or double magnum (3l bottle), which should enhance the experience even further.

Fine wine advisor

The 1990 Chateau Margaux has a deep garnet-brick color. The nose positively explodes—a detonation of crème de cassis, plum preserves, and blueberry pie aromas, which is, given time and much swirling, followed by that classic Margaux perfume of candied violets, incense, fragrant soil, and fallen leaves. The medium-bodied palate is jam-packed with black fruit and exotic spice layers, supported by beautifully plush tannins and just enough freshness, finishing long with loads of mineral sparks. If you are lucky enough to have a bottle, settle in for an absolute thrill ride with this legendary wine! It is the epitome of Margaux expression, not only of this terroir, but also its caretakers.

by Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW

Ruby red with a brown rim. Delicate nose with violets, mature strawberries, blueberries, leather, spice and violets. Elegant. Fresh acidity. Balanced and nuanced. Mature cherries, licorice, spice and cassis. Complex. Smooth integrated tannins. Very long.

Expert

The 2023 Chateau Margaux, accounting for 41% of this year's crop, is deep garnet-purple in color. A little shy to begin, it needs some swirling before notes of black cherries, blackcurrant pastilles, and anise emerge from the glass, leading to suggestions of fragrant soil, lilacs, and cardamom with a touch of iron ore. The medium-bodied palate is elegantly crafted, with fabulous tension creating an exhilarating sense of energy in the mouth, offset by firm fine-grained tannins to support the vibrant red and black berry layers, finishing long and perfumed. So fragrant and graceful, this could only be Chateau Margaux! The blend is 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot, with pH 3.60. "There is a little more Cabernet Franc this year. More and more has been making it into the First Wine. We have been grafting over some vines to Cabernet Franc and planting more."

The 2022 Chateau Margaux, composed of 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Merlot, and 2% Cabernet Franc, is deep garnet-purple in color. It shoots from the glass with an initial firework display of redcurrant jelly, blackberry pie, and fresh, juicy blackcurrants, followed by an array of iron ore, lilacs, black licorice, and sandalwood-inspired scents, plus a hint of wood smoke. The full-bodied palate is densely laden with rich, concentrated, muscular black and red fruits, supported by exquisitely ripe, finely grained tannins and seamless freshness, finishing very long and fragrant. This is a jaw-droppingly gorgeous effort that should be immortal. This represents 40% of the crop. "It's been a long time since this much has made it into the First Wine!" commented winemaker Phillipe Bascaules. The pH is 3.61.

A blend of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot, the 2021 Chateau Margaux has a pH of 3.65. This year the first wine is 36% of the total production. It has a deep garnet-purple color and after a swirl or two it shoots from the glass with vibrant scents of blackcurrant jelly, fresh blackberries, and violets, leading to touches of pencil shavings, garrigue, and cloves. The medium-bodied palate is so plush and lively, delivering a quiet intensity of fragrant black fruit, finishing on a lingering mineral note.

The 2020 Chateau Margaux is deep garnet-purple in color. After a couple of swirls, notions of blackcurrant pastilles, redcurrant jelly, and juicy black plums soar from the glass, leading to underlying suggestions of dark chocolate, candied violets, cast-iron pan, and forest floor. The medium-bodied palate is satiny smooth, vibrant, and energetic, featuring floral, mineral, and black fruit layers, finishing very long and shimmery. Cabernet Sauvignon accounts for 89% of the blend, completed by 8% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot, and 1% Cabernet Franc.

A blend of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot, the 2019 Chateau Margaux is deep garnet-purple in color. Classic scents of cassis, plum preserves, pencil shavings, and wild sage leap on the nose, followed by suggestions of underbrush, truffles, and iron ore. The medium to full-bodied palate is elegant and fresh, with firm, grainy tannins and an amazingly long savory finish. Forget this in the cellar for 6-8 years, then watch it produce fireworks for the following 40-years+.

Chateau Margaux 2018 is deep garnet-purple in color. It wafts gently out of the glass with notes of Morello cherries, black raspberries, and cassis, plus suggestions of cedar, black olives, and charcoal, with a touch of wood smoke. Medium-bodied, the palate is very refreshing and finely knit with exquisitely ripe tannins and so many delicate layers, finishing with epic length. 

A blend of 89 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot, the 2017 Chateau Margaux is medium to deep garnet-purple in color. It is still very closed on the nose, giving slow-to-come glimpses and scents of kirsch, black raspberries, and star anise, followed by suggestions of tilled soil, mossy tree bark, and pencil shavings, with a waft of crushed rocks. Medium-bodied, the palate is taut and tightly wound with loads of stunning floral and red berry nuances coming through in the mid-palate, supported by ripe, fine-grained tannins, finishing long and mineral-laced. A head-turner, for sure.

A blend of 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Cabernet Franc, 2% Merlot, and 1% Petit Verdot, the 2016 Chateau Margaux is deep garnet-purple in color. It is a real struggle to shake loose the aromas, this is so shut down at the moment. Eventually, notes of crème de cassis, blackberry pie, and blueberry compote begin to emerge, followed by licorice, dark chocolate, cumin seed, truffles, and iron ore suggestions. Full-bodied and full-on rich and seductive, the palate is absolutely crammed with bright, crunchy black fruit layers, framed by astonishingly ripe, finely grained tannins and amazing tension, finishing with a firework display of minerals, flowers, and exotic spices. Sell your car and get a few cases of this - you won't regret it!

Chateau Margaux 2015 has a blend of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot and is deep garnet in color. It is very closed and shy to begin, eventually opening out to beautiful warm cassis, black raspberries, and notes of dried mulberries, followed by hints of tobacco leaf, crushed rocks, and dried lavender, with a touch of Ceylon tea. The medium to full-bodied palate is rich and seductive, featuring grainy tannins and bright, bold acidity, finishing epically long and layered. The tannins are just a touch "al dente" compared with the 2016, but this is nonetheless gorgeous. This vintage is packaged in a beautiful commemorative bottle honoring winemaker Paul Pontellier, who passed away in 2016. The gold-etched black bottle bears the message, “Hommage à Paul Pontellier” at the bottom. This 2015 is an evocative swan song from a gifted winemaker, taken from us too soon. 

The 2014 Chateau Margaux is deep garnet-brick in color. Scents of warm cassis, black cherries, and dried mulberries pop from the glass, with hints of iron ore and forest floor plus a waft of candied violets. The medium-bodied palate is vibrant and energetic, with compelling mineral accents and super-ripe, fine-grained tannins, finishing long and fragrant. This is beautiful!

Medium garnet in color, the 2013 Chateau Margaux offers notions of unsmoked cigars, dusty soil, and potpourri over a core of blackcurrant pastilles and spice cake. The medium-bodied palate is elegantly styled and refreshing, with loads of soft-spoken earthy layers, finishing spicy.

Medium to deep garnet colored, the 2012 Chateau Margaux opens with notes of new leather, plum preserves, and unsmoked cigars with hints of iron ore, dried herbs, and a medicinal waft. The medium-bodied palate has soft, approachable tannins and a lively line cutting through the savory layers, finishing minerally.

The 2011 Chateau Margaux is a blend of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot. It was quite a warm vintage and the earliest harvest since 1893, starting on the 5th of September, with very small, concentrated berries. "Like a young version of the 1995, it needed time for the tannins to soften," commented winemaker Philippe Bascaules. It has a deep garnet color and shoots out of the glass with notes of plum preserves, blackcurrant pastilles, and boysenberry preserves, leading to hints of black tea, star anise, clove oil, and cardamom, with a touch of menthol. The medium-bodied palate is packed with layers of evocative black and red berry preserves, supported by plush tannins and just enough freshness, finishing long and spicy.

A blend of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot, 1.5% Cabernet Franc, and 1.5% Petit Verdot, the 2010 Chateau Margaux is deep garnet in color. It needs a shake or two before it erupts from the glass with powerful notes of crème de cassis, baked plums, and licorice, followed by sparks of redcurrants, mocha, black olives, and tar, plus a fragrant waft of jasmine tea. The medium-bodied palate maintains its elegance and grace with a refreshing backbone and firm, yet fine-grained, tannins supporting the generous fruit, finishing with an array of beguiling spice, floral, and fragrant earth nuances. A masterpiece!

A blend of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot, the 2009 Chateau Margaux has a deep garnet color. It comes barrelling out of the glass with bold notions of black cherry compote, warm cassis, vanilla, sassafras, star anise, and unsmoked cigars, with emerging wafts of violets and smoked meats. The medium-bodied palate delivers tantalizing tension with velvety tannins and generous black fruits, finishing long with lingering baking spice and mineral nuances. It is delicious right now but has many, many years of cellaring to go!

2006 was the first vintage Chateau Margaux had 90% Cabernet Sauvignon and so little Merlot, only 4%, together with 4% Petit Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc. Only the Merlot from the plot in front of the church, which was planted in 1953 on gravel, had the structure to stand up to the Cabernet Sauvignon this year. It has a deep garnet color, with a touch of brick and it struts out of the glass with mature notes of cigar box, new leather, and sandalwood, over a core of redcurrant jelly, prunes, and fruitcake, with wafts of iron ore and dusty soil. The medium-bodied palate delivers red berry preserves and ferrous/mineral layers, supported by firm, chewy tannins and plenty of freshness, finishing long and lifted. There's a distinct salinity to the finish that keeps you wanting more.

A blend of 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot, the 2003 Chateau Margaux has a deep garnet color, with a touch of brick. It springs from the glass with surprisingly spritely notes of blackcurrant jelly, baked plums, and star anise, giving way to an undercurrent of Sichuan pepper, kirsch, unsmoked cigars, cedar, dried roses, and forest floor. The medium-bodied palate is completely filled with ripe, expressive black fruits and perfumed floral and exotic spice layers, framed by very firm, sturdy tannins and plenty of freshness, finishing long and earthy. "In 2003 we were tempted to correct, but we didn’t," commented current managing director Philippe Bascaules, who was working with the late managing director Paul Pontallier in 2003. "I think it is better not to help nature but to permit." This 2003 is delicious now, yet it has the stuffing to cellar for another 20+ years.

Amatør

The 2000 Chateau Margaux is deep garnet in color, with a touch of brick. It leaps from the glass with evocative scents of plum preserves, blackberry pie, and redcurrant jelly, leading to wafts of dried lavender, powdered cinnamon, and tobacco leaf, with a hint of crushed rocks. The medium-bodied palate is filled with black fruits and savory accents, with a velvety texture and seamless freshness, leading to a perfectly balanced, lingering perfume of a finish. Graceful, flawless perfection.

Lys rødlilla. Kirsebær, vanilje, jordbær, urter. Litt grønn i smaken. Ferdig nå, men tåler minst 10 år.

WSET 3

Lys rødlilla. Moreller, fat og tobakk på nesen. Fat, skogbunn, sopp, tobakk og frukt (plommer). Mye men avslepne tanniner. Så utrolig forskjellig fra 1997!
Denne bør ligge 10 år til og kan drikkes i +50 år! 

Delikat utviklet frukt med hint av treverk, tobakk og plommer. Flott balanse mellom moden frukt, syre og avslipt tanniner 

WSET 2

Medium to deep brick colored, the 1989 Chateau Margaux is a little sluggish and broody to begin, reluctantly releasing notes of cigar box, charcoal, dried herbs, and damp soil, before revealing a core of dried cherries, leather, and prunes. The medium-bodied palate has lightly chewy tannins and a refreshing backbone supporting the savory flavors, finishing provocatively chalky.

1986 - den siste massivt strukturerte årgangen i Bordeaux - sammenlignet med 82, 85, 89 og 90 er også frukten dypere, friskere og mer presis. 75 var strukturert, men mangler ellers det meste. Ch. Margaux 86 kombinerer eleganse og «ryggrad»

Røde og mørke solbær, sedertre, samt noe svale paprika toner. Kork lukten kommer mer og mer. Snikkork. 

Smak av mørke jordbær, og sorte plommer. Tette tanniner, med bra konsentrasjon. 

(MAG)

God vin. Trengte litt tid i karaffel for å åpne seg. Ca 1,5 time. 

The 1982 Chateau Margaux has a pale to medium garnet-brick color. It hits the ground running with fragrant notes of kirsch, candied violets, licorice, and crushed rocks, over a core of crème de cassis, baked plums, and redcurrant jelly. The medium-bodied palate is opulent, laden with layer upon layer of black berries and cherry-inspired flavors, supported by a satiny texture, finishing with seamless freshness and a long, lingering firework display of mineral and exotic spice sparks. A jaw-dropping natural beauty! Tasted at the chateau.

Margaux leverer som alltid. Mørk rød, noe brun i kantene og forsatt masse fruktighet å spore. Tanninene har lagt seg noe, men det er fortsatt bra grep og en herlig lengde. Balansen i disse toppvinene er helt nydelig.

Fully mature, a 1st growth is hard to beat. The medium-intense chestnut ruby of the 1978 Chateau Margaux⁠ offers a graceful, classic perfume of graphite, plasticine, smoke, cassis, old leather, and dry raspberries.⁠
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On the palate, it is silky, earthy, and spicy, with mellow, fully integrated mineral-rich tannins refreshed by mineral-rich acidity, creating a long, refreshing, savory finish.This lovely wine is at the peak of its drinking powers, though it might have been even better 5-10 years ago. 93⁠

En bit av historie fra en kritisk årgang. 

Fargen er nesten sort og ugjennomtrengelig. Tidligere viner fra denne tidsperioden har vært rustrøde og brune. Denne så ut som en meget ung vin. 

Duft av mose, friske mørke bær og svak karamell. 

Fløyel på tungen, ok fylde og kort men deilig finish.  

Drukket til hamburgers😎

Fantastisk opplevelse, igjen!!!

Blyantkvess, soldbærbusk, strålende intensitet, medium pluss syre og tannin, solbær fruktprofil, medium pluss konsentrasjon, flott lengde, ikke like kompleks som Haut Brion med en flott klassisk bordeaux med en flott lengde.

Sommelier

Medium to deep garnet-brick, 1964 Chateau Margaux has a fully mature nose verging on the downward swing, revealing notes of tobacco, dusty soil, and old leather, leading to a dried figs and dates scented core, with a waft of Indian spices. The medium-bodied palate is lightly chewy and earthy with dried fruit and stewed tea flavors, finishing on a lingering ferrous note.

The 1953 Chateau Margaux has a deep brick color. It slowly emerges from the glass with delicate, fragrant wafts of cigar box, Chinese five spice, faded flowers, and sassafras, leading to suggestions of dried figs and date cake. The medium-bodied palate is lifted and silky, with flavors of fading dried berries and a lingering, exotic spice-laced finish.

Siste flaske Chateaux Margaux 1928 fra Berns Steakhouses kalde kjeller. En ekstraordinær flaske som viste hvor ungdommelig en 86 år gammel vin kan fremstå fra en toppårgang. Utrolig friskhet, polert og uten kanter, elegant, men likevel med kraft og tyngde. Broadbents "iron fist in velvet glove" har sjelden passet bedre. En sjelden fiolparfymert nese. Søt frukt med bunnløs dybde. Definisjonen av lengde må rekalibreres. Kombinasjonen av en potent tanninstruktur og sømløshet er tankevekkende. Vin blir ikke bedre. 100 poeng. 

2023	No priceNot available	Extraordinary
2022	No priceNot available	Extraordinary
2021	kr 6 329,90Not available	Extraordinary
2020	kr 8 500,00Not available	Extraordinary
2019	kr 11 900,00Not available	Extraordinary

Category	Red wine
Vinmonopolet no.
Producer	Ch. Margaux
Vintages	1990
Country	France, Bordeaux, Margaux
Bottle	75 cl

Alcohol	12.5 %
Acid	5,1 %
Sugar	< 3 g/l

Packaging	Glass
Cork type	Naturkork
Selection	Uten utvalg
Wholesaler	Dørstad Grapes AS
Carrier	Best Global Logistics (Norway) AS