- CRITICAL REVIEWS
- WINEMAKER NOTES
JD
97
Jeb Dunnuck
(Rating 97+) 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. Reviewed by Jeb Dunnuck. Tasting date: February 28, 2019. Drinking window: 2023-2083.
RP
99
Robert Parker Wine Advocate
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. Reviewed by Lisa Perrotti-Brown. Issue date: November 30, 2018. Drinking window: 2024-2063.
V
98
Vinous
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. Reviewed by Neal Martin. Tasting date: January 2020. Drinking window: 2026 - 2070.
2016 Chateau Margaux, Margaux, France
How difficult it is to follow a vintage as amazing as 2015! However, Chateau Margaux 2016 fits well into the continuity of the greatest vintages of the beginning of this century!
The nose is particularly delicate, complex and deep. On the palate, the wine has incredible volume, smoothness and length. Of course, it is our large plots of Cabernet Sauvignon that give this wine all its elegance. They make up 94% of the blend. The Merlots and the Cabernet Francs, with respectively 2% and 3%, bring a great complexity to the wine both with aroma, and with the smoothness of their tannic structure. Finally, the Petit Verdots, despite their small quantity (only 1% of the blend), bring considerable density and volume.
In spite of this vintage's dry and sunny summer conditions, this wine has kept all its acid potential, the beginnings of perfect evolution and preservation. Château Margaux 2016 is an exceptional wine, the result of the combination of amazing weather conditions, the knowledge of our terroir and a great selection effort (28% of the harvest).(October 2018)
Climate
The wet and relatively mild winter led to quite early sprouting in the last week of March. The 400 mm of rain during the first 3 months of the year helped to replenish the ground water after a rather dry 2015. The spring rains came very close together and thus gave the impression that they had been plentiful, whereas in fact, the total of all the rain only amounted to the average of the last 30 years. The vines nevertheless managed to find a few rare, beautiful sunny days to blossom between June 6th and 8th.
The contrast with the summer drought was just as striking. Only 8 mm of rain fell during July and August. Even though the very young plants showed a few marked signs of hydric stress, our old vines behaved perfectly, once again demonstrating this species’ incredible capacity to adapt to the climate. Although dry, the summer wasn’t exceptionally hot. Only the second half of August was marked by higher than normal temperatures. The combination of these factors caused the colour change to be quite spread out. September, with its dry days and cool nights, enabled the grapes to complete their ripening process in optimal conditions.
The harvest of the reds, which was the most staggered in the history of the Estate, took place from September 23rd to October 18th. All through the summer, with every passing day, we felt a little more excited at the thought of a great new vintage taking shape…
The harvest of the reds, which was the most staggered in the history of the Estate, took place from September 23rd to October 18th. All through the summer, with every passing day, we felt a little more excited at the thought of a great new vintage taking shape…
Fact Sheet
SURFACE AREA OF THE ESTATE: 650 acres
VINEYARD
Red vines: 215 acres of appellation contrôlée of which 202 acres planted.
Vine Stock : Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc.
VINIFICATION
Red wines
Fermentation in oak barrels.
Ageing: 18 to 24 months in new oak barrels.
Fining: with egg-white.
Château Margaux: 120,000 bottles (average production).