2014 Margaux

The 2014 Château Margaux has a well-defined bouquet with cedar-infused black fruit, undergrowth and touches of brown spice. A little more precision than the Haut-Brion. The palate is medium-bodied with sapid black fruit, finely balanced. It's not the most complex First Growth, and it feels linear and strict toward the Pauillac-like finish. It's a "serious" Château Margaux that will hopefully loosen up in the next few years. We'll see. Tasted blind at the Southwold 10-Year-On tasting.

Tasted blind. Deep garnet. Fragrant with dark-red fruit, subtly sweet and inviting. A touch leafy/minty. Fine, almost chalky, tannins, a little leaner than the Latour and Haut-Brion but elegant and harmonious. (JH)

Sit back, and drink in the finessed tannins and floral aromatics that are so associated with Château Margaux, and that are fully on display in this elegant, refined wine. Still young, with soft roasted blackberry and bilberry fruits that sit alongside crushed mint, cigar and liqourice root. The savoury edge of Cabernet Sauvignon is dominant in terms of character, and this will benefit from a few more years of ageing. The bottle supplied during the Bordeaux Index tasting was corked, so I Coravined one that I have at home. I particularly wanted to include it as this was one of Paul Pontallier's last vintages. 36% of overall production in the 1st wine. 100% new oak.