2022 Château Margaux En Primeur
2022 Château Margaux: Released this morning. Our first tranche has sold out, but please enquire, in the event further tranches become available.
Bordeaux En Primeur, landing in spring 2025.
Limited availability. To order, e-mail us at sales@richardkihl.ltd.uk
Producer Profile
Château Margaux, Margaux
Château Margaux is a Premier Grand Cru Classé located in the commune of Margaux. It was first recorded an a manor in 1152, known as “La Mothe de Margaux”, La Mothe meaning 'mound'. In the 16th century it was owned by the Lestonnac family, who converted the estate from growing grain to vines. By the end of the 17th century the estate had reached its current size of 265 hectares, with a third of this dedicated to vine growing.
Margaux's winemaker at the end of the 18th century was named Berlon. He introduced many winemaking practices which influenced the entire region, such as not harvesting in the early morning when there was dew on the grapes (to avoid dilution) and identifying particular terroirs across the estate.
The estate was confiscated during the revolution but in 1810 it was acquired by the Marquis de la Colonilla, who had the distinctive neo-Palladian château built by architect Louis Combes. This was an early example of a grand but purpose-built château, constructed with the cellars and winery as part of the design, a sign of how seriously winemaking was taken by this stage. The practice of bottling a second wine was also first introduced at Margaux, with Pavillon de Margaux having been formally in existence since 1906.
Post-WWII, Margaux was owned by the Ginestet family, who struggled after the 1973 oil crisis and were eventually forced to sell in 1977 to Greek supermarket magnate Andre Mentzelopoulos. When he died in 1980, his daughter Corinne took over, aged just 27, but was assisted by oenologist Emile Peynaud. In 1983 Paul Pontallier joined as estate manager, working with Mentzelopoulos to transform quality here until his death in 2016.
A new winery was constructed in 2015 by Lord Norman Foster. Philippe Bascules succceded Pontallier as Managing Director, having joined the estate in 1990. Corinne's daughter Alexandre Petit-Mentzelopoulos is also involved in the running of the estate as Deputy General Manager.
The 82 hectares of vineyards are planted to 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc. Farmed organically since 2017, the estate is also trialling biodynamics.
| RED | 2022 | Château Margaux | 75cl | £3,096 per case of 6 | Château Margaux 2022 / / 75cl £3,096 per case of 6 |
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Tasting Notes"Very dark purple color with a ruby edge. So much crushed blackberry and blackcurrant with violets. Exuberant. Full-bodied and very tannic with incredible muscle. This is a thought-provoking wine. The biggest Margaux I have tasted in my career. Seems a little overdone for Margaux. 92% cabernet sauvignon, 6% merlot and 2% petit verdot. 95-96 points" jamessuckling.com------"A blend of 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc, 2022 Château Margaux is one of the most powerful wines ever produced at this estate, wafting from the glass with aromas of crème de cassis, dark berries, violets, burning embers, smoked tea and exotic spices. Full-bodied, deep and layered, it's rich, velvety and seamless, with a bright core of fruit and a long, heady finish. With the highest analytical measure of tannins since 2010, and an alcohol level a touch above 14%, this is certainly a larger-scaled Château Margaux, yet at this early stage, everything appears to be kept in check. 96-97+ points" William Kelley, RobertParker.com------"The 2022 Château Margaux represents 40% of the crop this year, slightly higher than recent years, picked between 8 and 27 September. As usual, the Grand Vin demands more time to unfold on the nose compared to the Pavillon. It unveils enticing scents of macerated black cherries, blueberry, violet and hints of orange blossom all delivered with impressive delineation. The palate is medium-bodied with sculpted tannins. A fine-boned and tensile Château Margaux that is quite a remarkable feat given the growing season. Silky smooth and almost creamy at first, toward the finish it reveals a slightly powdery texture, almost swaggering in style. Not a subtle or nuanced Château Margaux, rather, Philippe Bascaules has conjured a First Growth that is dressed to kill. 14.6% alcohol. 2027-2060. 96-98 points" Neal Martin, Vinous.com------"The Grand Vin 2022 Château Margaux checks in as 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Merlot, and 2% Cabernet Franc that's pulled from just 40% of the total production. It's a classic Château Margaux with its overriding sense of elegance and purity, yet it's certainly in the style of the vintage with its depth, richness, and concentration. Cassis, blueberries, acacia flowers, and spice all define the aromatics, and it's full-bodied, with a seamless, layered mouthfeel, building tannins, and a gorgeous finish. The alcohol hit 14.5, and I suspect the pH is relatively high (which is common in the vintage), yet this remains pure, balanced, and is absolutely show-stopping stuff. 97-99 points" Jebdunnuck.com------"The 2022 Château Margaux is a total stunner. Ripe, opulent and explosive, the 2022 possesses tremendous depth and textural intensity from start to finish. There's a purity to the fruit that is just striking. The 2022 is a dark, unusually opulent Margaux, with a dense core of fruit, but a good deal of vibrancy to balance things out. Black cherry, lavender, spice and a kiss of new French oak build in the glass, but it is the wine's delineation and intensity that are most captivating. Vibrant saline notes linger on the seamless, supremely elegant finish. Unforgettable. 97-99 points" Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com------"Stunning in its density and construction, with a gorgeous balance that starts with red rose aromatics and slides into creamy and intense raspberry, damson, loganberry and cassis fruits. The intense structure of the vintage is on display, here with velvety tannins giving shape and contrast by a push and pull of slate, graphite, cloves, turmeric, cardamom and white pepper. Bitter dark chocolate ending, a character of the year but here delivered with a blast of cooling mint leaf. Philippe Bascaules director, harvest September 8 to 27, 25hl/h yield. 100% new oak, to be monitored carefully over ageing because this is the first time they have seen this level of alcohol in the Cabernet Sauvignon. 40% of the crop is into this 1st wine, one of the highest in years. Harvest September 8 to 27. They are slowly changing the row orientation in the vineyard at Margaux, begun last year but a 50 year project, and introducing more Cabernet Franc through field grafting (wanting to get up to maybe 15% of plantings, currently 5%). 98-100 points" janeanson.com |
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| RED | 2022 | Château Margaux - Pavillon Rouge du Margaux | 75cl | £900 per case of 6 | Château Margaux Pavillon Rouge du Margaux 2022 / / 75cl £900 per case of 6 |
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Tasting Notes"The 2022 Pavillon Rouge, which represents 32% of the production this year, has a highly perfumed nose with wilted violets chaperoning the copious black fruit. Wonderful definition. The palate is medium-bodied with fine boned tannins. Silky smooth and sensual, with a mineral-driven finish, this sashays along in style. One of the few 2022's whose barrel sample is so seductive I could have eloped with it there and then. 14.8% alcohol. 2026-2048. 91-93 points" Neal Martin, Vinous.com ------"The 2022 Pavillon Rouge is deep and perfumed, wafting from the glass with notions of cherries, raspberry preserve, lilac, violets and spices, followed by a medium to full-bodied, velvety and concentrated palate that's deep, rich and vibrant, with a tannic grain that resembles the grand vin this year. It represents just under a third of the estate's production. 92-94 points" William Kelley, RobertParker.com------"Glass-staining inky purple, fleshy damson and cassis fruits with spice and concentration. Captures the spirit of the vintage with plush damson fruits, edges of sweet spices and gunsmoke, but keeps the understated pleasure that Margaux specialises in, with soft peony aromatics. High Petit Verdot in this blend because using the 2% that normally goes into the first wine but is kept out in 2022. No pumping over, with director Philippe Bascaules making the choice to let extraction happen gently, with minimal intervention. 32% of the crop in Pavillon, 25hl/h yield. 60% new oak (although this sample is 100%), and clear need to be cautious with oak during ageing. 94 points" janeanson.com------"Rich and dense with lots of fruit and juiciness. Redcurrants, black berries, strawberries and orange peel on the nose. Full and layered with fine, velvety tannins and a juicy finish. Big presence. 94-95 points" jamessuckling.com |
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