Ch Margaux 2013
Another big boy. Tasted with Paul Pontallier the technical director at Margaux. We also managed to blag a few friends into the tasting with us. Oh what you can get away with as a girl.
94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot. This si the first vintage of Margaux with no merlot. Very low yields at 23 hectolitres per hectare.
Dense sweet cassis fruit. Medium bodied with plenty of charm and charisma. Nothing is forced or over worked and has a real feminine feel about it. The tannins are fine silky and mouth coating . 80-90% new oak has been used, but it is so well integrated. A thoroughly complex wine from start to finish and one of the stars of the vintage. 95+ Points
Pavillon Rouge by Ch Margaux 2013
The second wine of Château Margaux is still at more than double its top 2nd growth neigbours of Rauzan Segla and Lascombe. It’s a crazy world we live in. the genius of marketing.
84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. Soft ripe red fruits with no sign of over extraction and under ripeness. Its no secret a lot of money was spent on the selection process and that a lot of the Chateaus production went to either the third wine or was sold off in bulk. The fruit does all the talking in this wine and is followed by tiny tannins and a long finish. 91 Points
Pavillon Blanc by Ch Margaux 2013
Expensive Sauvignon Blanc. Doesn’t makes sense to me, but this is made in such a tiny volume and is in such high demand it works.
Lots of clove spice on the nose leading to citrus fruits and a slight grassy edge. Sauvignon Blanc the driving force but so different to any I have tried before. Hints of honey, well integrated oak, toast and length for days. A revelation in my perception of Sauvignon Blanc, but its price tag will stop me from it becoming more that a fleeting moment of enjoyment. 93+ Points
Sweet cherry fruit that has that almost confectionary feel about it, but that does not take away from its quality. Nicely balanced with a nice freshness about it. Tannins are ripe and finish the wine well. 89+ points
Chateau Palmer Margaux 2013
Palmer has to be one of, if not my favourite Chateau in the Medoc. As you drive up the ‘Routes des Chateaux’, its turrets stand out with its British, Dutch and French flags proudly flying above and gives the first glimpse of the grand buildings of the region. Once a part of the D’Issan estate, the property was divided by its heirs in 1748. Re-named to Palmer in 1814 after its purchase by General Palmer a retired British officer, the property has since passed through several hands until its current owners purchased in 1937. While from the road, Palmer intimidates with its grand Chateau, as you walk around it you actually realize its is somewhat of a façade. What is seen is actually the long face of the thin rectangular building. The current Chateau wasn’t actually build until 1856 following the official classification, in an almost ‘oh shit, we actually need a Chateau now’ moment. As you could guess from their similarities, the architect commissioned was the same man who design Pichon-Baron.
Now to the wine. This was the second wine I tasted during the En Primeurs and gave me a skewed idea of what the Primeurs were actually going to be like. Tasted again about a month later and its quality, now set more in context, was just as high. One of the wines of the vintage with fresh cassis and plum fruit really driving the wine. So much more complexity than the Alter Ego with but with a similar medium bodied weight. The merlot really is doing the work in this wine giving it its gentle personality. 95+ points
Chateau D’Issan Margaux 2013
I spent a bit of time waiting outside the tasting room at D’Issan some colleagues from the UK were running slightly late. While usually tardiness is a pet hate, it did give me time to really admire the property itself. A lot of people and properties throw the word ‘Chateau’ (directly translating to castle) about quite willy-nilly using it on their labels only to turn up and realize it no grander or bigger than some houses on Sydney’s North-Shore. Well D’Issan does not fall into this bucket. Its walled vineyard sets its almost medieval tone as you arrive at the Chateau which has a moat and proper turret. It could easily with-stand my ‘Chateau test’ of with standing an invasion of 100 men with spears and swords.
74% Cabernet Sauvignon and 26% Merlot aged in 50% New oak. The fruit is much darker that that of the second label Blasson D’Issan and the earthiness that presents itself by its side adds another layer of complexity also. The palate show defined blackcurrant fruit albeit with a slight confectionary element. The tannins are fine and one of the more attractive things about the wine.
Now for the bad things. Over-extraction is hard not to notice as the fruit turns slightly bitter on the finish reminding me of Altoid candies. The intensity of the finish dies slighty towards the end. 89 points.
Ch Rauzan Segla 2013
Owned by the same family as Chanel and situated between Marquis de Terme, Rauzan Gassies and across the road from Chateau Margaux. Segla is a clear winner of the wines of Margaux at the UGC tasting and only outshone by Palmer and Margaux itself for the best of the appellation.
Dark ripe cassis fruit with hits of chocolate and ground brown spices show on the nose. The palate is medium-full bodied with sweet black currant, fine velvety tannins and a long persistent finish. 92 Points.
Ch Rauzan Gassies 2013
The lesser of the two Rauzan estates, but never the less a great Chateau.
Similar flavor profile to the Segla but with more extraction used to achieve the same intensity. Oak is more prominent than its neighbor, but has similar length. Not a bad wine, but I would be buying next door. 89 points
Ch Priere Lichine 2013
Bought and renamed by Alexis Lichine, the famous French wine writer. No doubt he made/inherited money elsewhere also as we all know there is no money in writing. Its downfall came when its past owner, post Alexis, took over. Lets just say as the quality of cocaine rose in France, the quality of wine at Prieure Lichine dropped. It almost became the first Classified Bordeaux Chateau to come under Australian rule when Len Evans made a bit in the late 80s.
Plenty to say about the winery, not so much to say about the wine. Dark mulberry and plum fruit up front but with a confectionary edge that detracts from the wine overall. Not greatly balanced and see a bitter oak finish. 86 points.
Ch Marquis de Terme 2013
Located next to the two Rauzan wineries. Top marks for the lunch that they put on, and for serving Egly Ouriet Champagne as we entered.
The fruit on the palate is sweet but over extracted. Its drying in the mouth and has an astringency about it. 85 points
Ch Lascombes 2013
Second growth. Beautiful winery. Troubling modern history. Previously owned by Americans, now owned by a bank or insurance agency. They are both the same thing to me.
Nice mix of fruit on the palate. Good intensity yet over powered by the new oak. A lot of wood on the finish, but never the less, one of the more drinkable wines. 88 Points
Ch Giscours 2013
One of the grandest properties in Margaux. Large estate and what land they have that is not suitable for vines, has been turned into a cricket pitch!
Sweet confectionary red fruit. Nice line of oak that hits softly at first and carries through the finish even if it is a bit short. The tannins are sandy, but ripe. not a bad wine. 88 Points
Ch Desmirail 2013
I may be the only person in the world that actually liked this wine, but it stood out amongst the pack. The nose is characterful with fresh fruit accompanied by spice and toasty oak. The palate presents sweet ripe black currant fruit and does not appear over extracted. The finish has good length, putting it amongst the better Margaux. 89 Points
Ch Cantenac Brown 2013
One of the more forgotten classified wines, Cantenac Brown is located in the village of Cantenac that falls under the Margaux umbrella.
The varietal nose shows fresh cassis and plum with shavings of chocolate and Asian five-spice. Its length is good and doesn’t finish with any bitterness. 89 Points
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