Château Margaux 2011

Sometimes less is more, meaning exactly right. And because this wine matches exactly what I expect from a great Margaux, with such precise harmony and faithfulness to its terroir, without any frills or embellishments, I can’t help but give it the highest score. Incredible aromatic class, wonderfully fine, fresh tannins.

The renowned Chateau Margaux’s 2011 boasts a dark ruby/plum color as well as a fragrant perfume of spring flowers, sweet, supple, well-integrated tannins, medium body, and the elegance and nobility expected from a great first-growth. Although it is not as powerful or concentrated as the 2009 or 2010 (no 2011s are), it possesses finesse, elegance, purity and suppleness. The wine is surprisingly approachable already yet should keep for 15-20 years.

At first the tannins keep this pretty tight, but as it opens up there is an elegance and finesse, along with a subtle floral expression that is clearer in Château Margaux than in Pavillon. Juicy on the finish, and as it opens further you get a gourmet, dense expression to the raspberry and cassis fruit. Aromatically it is finely knit and uplifting. The iris and peony aromatics of Château Margaux are really to the fore; it’s a great vintage to show off this side of the estate. 2% Cabernet Franc completes the blend. pH 3.6. 38% of overall production in the first wine. One of the earliest harvests on record, all finished by the end of September, which is extremely rare at Margaux.

Bright dark crimson. Oaky/toasty sweetness on the nose initially. Gentle and juicy, a little lacking in freshness but really rather mellow and long on the finish. (JH)

Blending 86% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Merlot, along with equal parts Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc, the wine is ruby in color. With delicate, complex scents of violets, mocha, smoke, truffle, blackberry, cassis and an array of spices, the wine is soft, refined and elegant. It’s lacking the volume and darker berries found in 2010 or 2009. Yet this is a very suave, fresh, pure, cassis-filled Margaux. 94-95 pts

Dark ruby, purple reflections, delicate rim brightening. Fine nuances of nougat and oak, delicate vanilla, somewhat restrained bouquet, exotic spices, some cardamom. Straightforward on the palate, dark cherry, blackberry, well-ripened tannins, pleasant acidity, peppery, dark nougat, salty and mineral; do not open yet, otherwise decant for four to six hours.

Restrained start, with hints of fresh green pepper, wild cherry, dried thyme and black olives. On the second approach, cranberry juice, light fine wood and Brazilian tobacco. On the elegant palate, a taut, perfectly ripe tannic frame, fine grip, granular extract, endowed with tremendous finesse, a perfectly sculpted body like a marathon runner. In the concentrated finish, the wine hits the bull’s-eye like an arrow, impressing with finesse thanks to its acidity and perfectly ripe tannins. A magnificent job in the vineyard and the cellar!

Since 1991, the smallest harvest. Back then it was frost that reduced the crop. This year it was extreme drought. Only 29 hl/ha. 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot, 2% Cabernet Franc. Dark roses, dark woods, undergrowth, truffle, black plums—everything seems to move beneath the surface; the nose is not as sweet as it usually is in en primeur tastings, so you have to go toward the wine, not just meet it. Velvety palate; despite the softness you feel the intensity and the richness of the tannins (it has more tannin than 2009 and 2010!), more fleshy than dense, brilliant fruit note in the extract, chopped lingonberries and wild berries, long finish. It’s still in a restrained phase during the en primeur tasting and will take a long time to fully reveal itself. A quite large, long-lived Château Margaux—thanks to its acidity and tannins—that can hardly be compared with any other equally great vintage.

(86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot, 2% Cabernet Franc, 29 hl/ha) Fresh, deep, dense, floral, finely etched bouquet, blueberries, subtle cassis, fine woods, tobacco, currants, delicate pralines. Balanced, velvety, tightly knit palate with a feminine structure, lots of fine tannins, powerful aromatics, very long, finely bitter finish. Can improve further. 18/20 2022 - 2040

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.

Magnificent menthol aroma, full-bodied, firm tannins, a bit of astringency to soften, it still needs time!

Dense, airy, long, austere, a hymn to Cabernet Sauvignon, the tannins are ultra-fine, with a straight finish.

Logo on the capsule: inverted T (Trescases) Dark color, medium intensity and slightly evolved. Moderately aromatic, cool nose. I don’t recognize this cru. A touch of vanilla. Delicate on the attack, tasty, perfumed and pleasant mid-palate; the wine becomes a touch tannic on the finish, long, but with an unusual austere note.

A solidly structured wine, it is both elegant and intensely powerful. It is disclosing its fruitiness slowly, at the moment dense and concentrated. A restrained edge provides complexity and balance. It will need aging, so don't drink before 2022.