Chateau Margaux 2015 1er Grand Cru Classé, 0,75L.

Chateau Margaux 1er Grand Cru Classé 2015

“A Margaux wine, future legend”

Château Margaux, Premier Grand Cru Classés, enjoys a terroir shaped over centuries. It is a famous 262-hectare vineyard in the Médoc, located in the Premier Grand Cru Classés appellation in the commune of Margaux. Château Margaux is a “Premier Grand Cru Classés” according to the official classification of Bordeaux wines from 1855 and shares this rare honour with Château Lafite Rothschild, Château Latour, Château Mouton-Rothschild and Château Haut-Brion.

Château Margaux 2015 is the last vintage under the direction of Paul Pontalier, who leaves behind an unforgettable Margaux legend.

The 2015 Premier Grand Cru Classés, with its bright garnet red colour, deep and dense, offers an intense nose of rare complexity, combining fruity, floral, spicy and sandalwood notes. After a fresh and acidic attack, a masterful palate develops that is at once rich, full and with a finesse that is unique to this Premier Grand Cru Classé.

Château Margaux presents this unique 2015 vintage in a screen-printed bottle that replaces the label. This bottle is available in all formats offered by the château. This unique masterpiece is only available in this particular bottle for this vintage and presents Château Margaux Premier Grand Cru Classée 2015 in a subtle, elegant and modern frame, whose image perfectly describes the château. In the centre of the bottle is the old château in gold, framed by the new building in grey. Underneath is the note “Hommage à Paul Pontallier”, which will always be associated with Margaux.

The climatic conditions in 2015 were characteristic of great vintages such as 2005, 2009 and 2010. The red grapes were harvested at Château Margaux between 18 September and 6 October. The small berries and their thick skins allowed for a high concentration of tannins in the wine. 2015 is a historic year, especially for Château Margaux, as they celebrated the 200th anniversary of the construction of their estate in 1815 and inaugurated the new premises built by Norman Foster. You can imagine that the team at Château Margaux did everything they could to make 2015 a great vintage! Looking at the assemblage of this vintage, we learn that Margaux used only 35% of their total yield for the main wine, which is a record of rigorous selection in a vintage of such calibre. As usual, it is the Cabernet Sauvignon that takes the lion’s share with 87%. In addition to its usual concentration and finesse, this year it has exceptional vigour and

penetration. Merlot represents 8% of the blend, Cabernet Franc 3% and Petit Verdot 2%. In great vintages like this one, each grape variety expresses its own character in a marvellous way, as is the case here. So what is different about Château Margaux. 2015 compared to its predecessors? It’s a difficult question, especially for great vintages like this one. There are certainly similarities and parallels, as well as differences that you might not expect. However, it is fair to say that 2015 has the power of 2005, the body of 2009 and the understated elegance of 2010, as well as the unmistakable charm of Château Margaux.

“2015 was a historic vintage for Château Margaux in the truest sense of the word. We celebrated the 200th anniversary of the estate’s buildings dating back to 1815 and the inauguration of the new buildings designed or remodelled by Norman Foster. It’s easy to imagine how much we dreamed about it.” 2015 would have been a great year!

No doubt part of the result is due to decisions made at the time of blending; only 35% of the harvest went to the first wine, a record for a vintage of this size. As usual, Cabernet Sauvignon led the way with 87% of the blend; in addition to its concentration and finesse, it has unusual power and vigour this year. At least in large parcels, Merlot has nothing to be ashamed of; it accounts for 8% of the first wine. Cabernet Franc (3%) and Petit Verdot (2%) also find their place in this select blend, confirming that great vintages allow all grape varieties to express their character.

How can we compare the 2015 with its predecessors? It is a thankless and somewhat futile task, especially with great vintages. Of course, there are similarities, affinities and even some differences that we don’t expect to find… But we can conjure up a combination of the power of 2005, the flesh of 2009, the subtlety of 2010 and the inimitable charm of Château Margaux.
A testimony to Paul Pontallier’s last harvest; a wine that brings together the finest qualities of Château Margaux.
For all these reasons, Château Margaux wanted to create a special packaging for the Grand Vin 2015.

A unique case was designed, decorated with a magnificent screen print created especially for this vintage and applied to the glass instead of the traditional label. Vintage, like its unique bottle, seems to be made for eternity.

Climate
The much colder winter than in previous years ensured a late but perfectly regular flowering. The dry and sunny weather in spring provided optimal conditions, so that flowering was very fast and even. This hot and dry climate continued throughout June and July, leading to fears of water shortages, at least in the more sensitive plots. Fortunately, some rain arrived in August just in time to ensure a quick and smooth colour change. The drought that returned in September, combined with very hot days and cool nights, allowed the grapes to balance the sugar content with good acidity, making the tannins silkier and the aromatic potential more complex.

The harvest of the red wines took place from 18 September to 6 October. The small size of the berries and their thicker skin indicated a very high tannin concentration.

The climatic conditions of 2015 are indeed characteristic of very fine vintages such as 2005, 2009 and 2010.”

Decanter: 100
“Outer inverted comma. Remarkably fresh and delicate nose, yet classic and aromatic and full of spice and graphite notes with liquorice, blackcurrant, cedar, tobacco and cherry. Very fresh and elegant, the palate is impressive and shows the classic style of Ducru-Beaucaillou with its characteristic tension and upright structure and the powerful personality of a Cabernet Sauvignon dominant wine from one of the great terroirs of the Médoc. Bravo! (YC) Inner inverted comma (5/2021)”

Wine Advocate: 100/100
“The 2015 is a brilliant Chateau Margaux, as you would expect from this vintage. The Cabernet Sauvignon percentage in the final blend was 90%, the rest Merlot and Cabernet Franc, and only 38% of the harvest ended up in the Chateau Margaux Paul Pontallier, the administrator, told me that this wine has an even higher tannin content than some other exceptional vintages such as 2005, 2000, 1996, etc…. Deep purple in colour, pure and intense, with floral notes, enormous opulence and palate presence, this is a wine of considerable nobility. With plenty of blueberry, blackcurrant and violet-enriched fruit and a heady alcohol level of over 13.5% (although this looks modest compared to several other first growths, notably Chateau Latour and Chateau Haut-Brion), it is wonderfully sweet in texture, ripe tannin, abundant depth and a profound finish make for another near-perfect wine that should age effortlessly for 30 to 40 years.

James Suckling: 100/100
“This is a haunting young wine, showing subtle and hidden power on the nose with rose petal, redcurrant, blackcurrant leaf, stones and plums. Wonderful ripeness and yet also brightness. The intensity and structure take your breath away. Full-bodied, powerful and muscular, yet the whole has an agile undertone. Compact and compressed. A new legend for Margaux, James Suckling, February 2018.

Jeb Dunnuck: 100/100
“The Grand Vin is the 2015 Château Margaux and it’s the best wine I’ve ever tasted. It comes from just over a third of the total production and is a blend of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot and 3% Cabernet Franc.” and the rest Petit Verdot, made from 100% new French oak. Its deep ruby/purple colour is followed by an exciting bouquet of crème de cassis, roasted spices, a hint of toasted oak and cedar. -Driven, yet packed with fruit, depth, richness and structure, it has as much class as you can fit in a glass. Even though the vintage offers plenty of charm at first glance, it’s a wine to cellar for at least a decade and enjoy for 40+ years to come. 2026 – 2066″
Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com, November 201.

Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW: 100/100
“Chateau Margaux 2015 is a blend of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot and has a deep garnet red colour. Initially it is very closed and restrained and eventually opens up to a beautiful warm chassis note, black raspberry and notes of dried mulberry, followed by hints of tobacco leaf, crushed stones and dried lavender, with a touch of Ceylon tea. The medium to full-bodied flavour is rich and seductive, with grainy tannins and bright, strong flavour acidity, epically long and complex finish. The tannins are just a little “al dente” compared to the 2016, but this one is still great. This vintage is packaged in a beautiful commemorative bottle in honour of the winemaker Paul Pontellier, who passed away in 2016. The gold-etched black bottle bears the inscription “Hommage à Paul Pontellier” on the base. This 2015 is an impressive farewell to a talented winemaker who was taken from us far too soon.” With this 2015 Chateau MARGAUX, he left us an eternal legend as a memento.

Wine lover: 100/100
“Predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon, this wine shows a wonderful purity of blackcurrant on the palate, along with an intense, vibrant acidity. The background is all tannin, indicating its ageing potential. This wine is the last vintage produced by Paul Pontallier, who was General Manager from 1990 until his death in 2016. It is an unforgettable wine and one to age.”