2005 Margaux, Margaux

Representative blend: 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc

Annual production: 29,000 cases of Grand Vin and Pavillon Rouge (the second label) and around 3000 cases of Pavillon Blanc, a 100% Sauvignon Blanc

One of the most hallowed names in wine, Margaux has an allure to it which has proved irresistible to drinkers for centuries. Sited on arguably the most perfect terroir for Cabernet Sauvignon in Bordeaux, the sheer first growth nobility of the property comes across on the nose every time: a perfume of stunning complexity and beauty. The neo-classical building, perhaps the definitive image of Bordeaux to outsiders, also helps the cause. But ultimately, this is wine lovers` wine, exemplary year by year and just more beautiful with age. Under winemaker Paul Pontallier and the ownership of the Mentzelopoulos family since the late 1970s, the property has gone from strength to strength.

Tasting Note

Serena Sutcliffe, MW: This was bottled late, in November/December 2007, as the wine is so huge - it certainly could take this extra barrel age. Incredibly intense red fruit and smoke nose. Luscious blackberries in the mouth. Great class and complex aromatics. Coffee beans and such fresh acidity, a feature of the year in spite of 2005 being the driest year ever recorded, as I was told at the Château. The wonders of nature never cease to amaze. 10/09