Margaux
If Pauillac is the bastion of ‘traditional’ Red Bordeaux, Margaux represents its other facet in producing wines that are some of the region’s most sensual and alluring. The largest commune in the Médoc, it encompasses the communes of Cantenac, Soussans, Arsac and Labaude, in addition to the village of Margaux itself. Its finest examples are paragons of refinement and subtlety which have few parallels in Bordeaux.
If Pauillac can be seen as the bastion of ‘traditional’ Red Bordeaux, then Margaux represents its other facet in producing wines that are among Bordeaux’s most sensual and alluring. It is the largest commune in the Médoc, encompassing the communes of Cantenac, Soussans, Arsac and Labaude, in addition to Margaux itself. Located in the centre of the Haut-Médoc, Margaux is the closest of the important communes to the city of Bordeaux.
The soils in Margaux are the lightest and most gravelly of the Médoc, with some also containing a high percentage of sand. Vineyards located in Cantenac and Margaux make up the core of the appelation with the best vineyard sites being located on well-drained slopes, whose lighter soils give Margaux its deft touch and silky perfumes. Further away from the water, there is a greater clay content and the wines are less dramatically perfumed.
Margaux is the most diffuse of all the Médoc appelations with a reputation for scaling the heights with irreproachable wines such as Ch. Margaux and Ch. Palmer, but also plumbing the depths, with too many other châteaux not fulfilling their potential. There has been an upward shift in recent years, but the appellation cannot yet boast the reliability of St Julien. However, the finest Margaux are exquisitely perfumed and models of refinement and subtlety which have few parallels in Bordeaux.
Recommended Châteaux: Ch. Margaux, Ch. Palmer, Ch. Brane-Cantenac, Ch. Rauzan-Ségla , Ch. Dufort-Vivens, Ch. Ferrière, Ch. du Tertre, Ch. Giscours, Ch. d'Angludet.
Prices:
Bottle
£14.00
Bottle 6 x 75cl 28cs
Bottle 6 x 75cl 3cs
Bottle 6 x 75cl 1cs
Bottle 6 x 75cl 1cs
Bottle 6 x 75cl 1cs
Bottle 6 x 75cl 2cs
Bottle
£20.00
Bottle 6 x 75cl 482cs
Case price (Bottle 6 x 75cl)
Bottle 6 x 75cl 24cs
Max Lalondrelle, Wine Buyer.
Bottle
£22.95
Bottle 12 x 75cl 10cs
Ninety percent of the blend is Sauvignon Blanc, which lends a characteristic nose of elderflower and white peaches, while the balance of Sémillon adds weight and a citric waxiness to the finish. Barrel fermentation adds a further degree of complexity to the finished article. More of a food wine than an apéritif, this will cope well with everything from shellfish through to quite rich, creamy chicken dishes. It is also the most fantastic partner to goats’ cheese, and one of the few truly great matches to asparagus.
Bottle
£24.00
Bottle 6 x 75cl 29cs
Neal Martin, The Wine Advocate. 20th December 2016.
Bottle
£28.00
Bottle 12 x 75cl 9cs
Case price (Bottle 6 x 75cl)
Bottle 6 x 75cl 6cs
Bottle 6 x 75cl 1cs
Bottle
£33.00
Bottle 12 x 75cl 41cs
Case price (Bottle 12 x 75cl)
Bottle 12 x 75cl 25cs
Matthew Tipping, Fine Wine
From one of the real up-and-coming estates in Bordeaux, Du Tertre's 2006 is a lovely silky wine. Gently perfumed, with bright yet creamy red fruit and a very elegant palate, the tannins here are so supple that you might almost think you were drinking Burgundy rather than Bordeaux. It is as feminine as ever with a lovely explosion of fruit on the palate. It has a generosity and attractiveness that is not frequently found in 2006.This will make delicious and extremely sophisticated drinking.
Simon Staples, Asia Fine Wine Director
Case price (Bottle 12 x 75cl)
Bottle 12 x 75cl 4cs
Bottle 12 x 75cl 1cs
Bottle 12 x 75cl 1cs
Bottle 12 x 75cl 1cs
Bottle 12 x 75cl 2cs
Simon Staples, Asia Director
Case price (Bottle 6 x 75cl)
Bottle 6 x 75cl 46cs
Case price (Bottle 6 x 75cl)
Bottle 6 x 75cl 49cs
Bottle 6 x 75cl 2cs
Bottle
£44.00
Bottle 12 x 75cl 8cs
Bottle
£45.10
Bottle 6 x 75cl 89cs
Case price (Bottle 12 x 75cl)
Bottle 12 x 75cl 12cs
Bottle 6 x 75cl 1cs
Simon Staples - Sales Director, Asia
Bottle
£47.00
Bottle 12 x 75cl 24cs
Bottle 6 x 75cl 1cs
Bottle 6 x 75cl 1cs
Bottle 6 x 75cl 1cs
Bottle 6 x 75cl 2cs
Bottle 6 x 75cl 1cs
Bottle 6 x 75cl 2cs
Imperial 1 x 600cl 1cs
Lower than normal yields have created a concentrated wine with a creamy blackcurrant palate, fine-grained tannins and spicy, oak complexity. Almost Burgundian in structure, there is a lovely roundness to this wine which is completed by an impressively long finish: a beautiful wine.
Case price (Bottle 12 x 75cl)
Bottle 12 x 75cl 1cs
Bottle 12 x 75cl 1cs
Bottle 12 x 75cl 1cs
Bottle 12 x 75cl 3cs
Bottle 12 x 75cl 1cs
Case price (Bottle 12 x 75cl)
Bottle 12 x 75cl 7cs
Jake Dean, Fine Wine Sales Director
Case price (Bottle 12 x 75cl)
Bottle 12 x 75cl 4cs
Bottle 6 x 75cl 1cs
Bottle
£56.00
Bottle 12 x 75cl 20cs
Case price (Bottle 12 x 75cl)
Bottle 12 x 75cl 15cs
Case price (Bottle 12 x 75cl)
Bottle 12 x 75cl 48cs
Hong Kong Fine Wine Team
This is very typically Margaux, with an extremely attractive perfumed nose of ripe red fruit and roses. The palate was lighter than expected, with a poised dark fruit core enveloped by an obvious, but very fine, tannic structure. A multi-layered complexity of flavour shows promise and became more apparent having been open for a few hours. A delicious treat, but I would probably tuck it away for a few more years Drink now-2025+.
Fine Wine Team
Ch. Giscours is always a more serious wine than its stable mate, Ch. du Tertre - a result of a very different terroir - and the 2006 is no different. Giscours' 2006 is more typically Margaux and less masculine than in recent vintages. It is extremely aromatic, ripe and savoury with floral hints, however, despite the fine-grained tannins its rich, dark fruit and hefty structure shows that it still has lot of guts and depth. This is quite a cerebral wine but its multi-layered personality makes it well worth the effort. Why not buy this and the Du Tertre and drink the latter while you wait for the former to mature!
Simon Staples - Fine Wine Director Asia
Bottle
£63.00
Bottle 12 x 75cl 43cs
Magnum
£140.00
Simon Staples, Fine Wine Director
Case price (Bottle 12 x 75cl)
Bottle 12 x 75cl 188cs
Case price (Jeroboam 1 x 500cl)
Jeroboam 1 x 500cl 32cs
Bottle 6 x 75cl 1cs
Bottle 6 x 75cl 1cs
Bottle 6 x 75cl 3cs
Bottle 6 x 75cl 1cs
Bottle 6 x 75cl 1cs
Bottle 6 x 75cl 1cs
Bottle 6 x 75cl 1cs
Bottle 6 x 75cl 1cs
Bottle
£65.00
Bottle 12 x 75cl 67cs
Simon Staples, Asia Director
Bottle
£65.00
Bottle 12 x 75cl 44cs
Bottle 6 x 75cl 1cs
Bottle 6 x 75cl 1cs
Hong Kong Fine Wine Team
Case price (Bottle 6 x 75cl)
Bottle 6 x 75cl 11cs
A difficult summer and September comprised the Merlot in 2002, but the Left Bank’s Cabernet Sauvignon-based wines enjoyed the Indian summer. Reaching its peak now, this Giscours has charming notes of cedar and pencil lead, with a poised, elegant palate and finish.
Bottle
£67.00
Bottle 12 x 75cl 48cs
Max Lallondrelle, Bordeaux Wine Buyer
Having suffered greatly during both World Wars, Ch. d'Issan sadly underperformed for decades. But all has changed at this pretty Third Growth property due to serious vineyard replanting and cellar refurbishments by the Cruse family.
The vines are now reaching maturity and the quality in recent years has been superb (with Parker points to match). It has shed the angular firmness and replaced it with Margaux style elegance and charm. With few properties in the commune of Margaux producing quality wine, Ch. d'Issan is a property to watch. With a small annual production of around 5000 cases of Grand Vin this is a must have.
2010 d'Issan is beautifully perfumed with a rich silky dark fruit palate of blue plums and morello cherries, balanced by a surprising freshness and a very fine but obvious tannic structure.
Fine Wine Team
Case price (Bottle 12 x 75cl)
Bottle 12 x 75cl 12cs
Case price (Bottle 6 x 75cl)
Bottle 6 x 75cl 1cs
Case price (Bottle 12 x 75cl)
Bottle 12 x 75cl 15cs
In 2004 Giscours produced a restrained and precise example. Powerful yet sophisticated, densely fruited yet refined, this is one of the most masculine wines of the Margaux appellation. The 2004 vintage is seriously under-rated and it’s in a cool style, with elegant fruit and a structure which allows the terroir to shine through.
Bottle
£70.00
Bottle 12 x 75cl 16cs
Bottle
£70.00
Bottle 12 x 75cl 108cs
Bottle 12 x 75cl 1cs
Martyn Rolph, Private Account Sales Manager.