Chateau Margaux 2019

Product info about Chateau Margaux 2019

Chateau Margaux 2019 is the estate's Grand Vin from the Margaux appellation in the Médoc, Bordeaux. It is the first wine of the château and part of the Premier Grand Cru Classé group from the 1855 classification. For the 2019 vintage, the Grand Vin was selected from 37% of the harvest, a detail that says a great deal about the level of selection behind the bottle.

Cabernet sauvignon sits at the centre of the blend, making up 90%, with merlot, cabernet franc and petit verdot completing the composition. One notable point in 2019 is the inclusion of merlot from the Haut-du-Jardin parcel, mentioned by the château for the body and roundness it brings. The vineyards are rooted in a mosaic of gravel, clay and limestone soils, allowing the estate to work parcel by parcel and lot by lot.

At Drankenshop Broekmans, we tend to see a wine like this as more than a famous label. The vintage itself matters. 2019 was warm, with a dry summer and two heatwaves, followed by late-September rain that the château describes as helpful for slowing ripening, preserving acidity and avoiding excessive alcohol. The red grapes were harvested between 18 September and 10 October. Vinification took place in oak vats, followed by 22 months of ageing in 100% new barrels; 2019 was also the first Grand Vin vintage to make full use of the renovated second-year cellar.

The critical reception was striking, with 100-point ratings from William Kelley, James Suckling and Jane Anson among the published scores. Still, the most compelling aspect is the way the wine is described: concentrated and structured, yet finely textured rather than heavy. With only the last bottles remaining at Drankenshop Broekmans, this is a wine to approach with patience and respect for its long ageing horizon.

Chateau Margaux 2019 is described as concentrated and structured, yet finely textured. The fruit expression is dark and layered, with cassis, blackcurrant, blackberry, blueberry, dark cherry and plum, lifted by floral notes of violet, rose and iris.

On the palate, ripe fine-grained tannins and fresh acidity shape the wine. Cedar, sandalwood, tobacco, liquorice, spices, earth, truffle and graphite add depth around the fruit. The texture is noted as silky to velvety, with a long finish and a style that carries concentration without feeling heavy.