Margaux du Château Margaux 2014

The estate has 200 acres under vine. Each plot and each variety are treated differently from pruning throughout the growing season. Chateau Margaux’ goal is to nurture and maintain vines for as long as possible, as they believe vines need to reach 20 years of age to produce great wine. The estate is constantly trying to understand through experimentation how to improve soil health and fruit quality. Today, no insecticides are used, there is an important balance of healthy insects to counter pests, and any number of experiments with ploughing, organic farming, and biodynamic applications are ongoing. A final key point to note, Margaux has for the last 30+ years had among the lowest yields in the Medoc.

The wine was aged for 15 months, in 10% new oak and 90% second use barrels. The result is one of the finest vintages of this wine to date, composed in equal parts of Cabernet Sauvignon (49%), and Merlot (49%) with a small percentage of Petit Verdot. Importantly, the wine is held in bottle until ready to drink, which may not mean that vintages are released sequentially.

After a very wet and mild winter, without any significant cold spells, spring was pleasant. May was rather cool and June was quite warm, so flowering happened on the usual dates, and under very favorable conditions. July was unremarkable but August was cooler, one of the coldest in recent times. These low temperatures made it difficult for the grapes to change color, which took a long time. As it often happens in Bordeaux, at the end of August anything is still possible; The really fine sunny weather of September brought both heat and drought which enabled the grapes to ripen perfectly, and the harvest to take place under ideal conditions.

It is just like all the best wines of the vintage, fresh, fragrant, very soft on the palate, and with no hint of harshness or aggression. It is a charming wine that appeals to delicate foods and although it does not have the same keeping capacity as the other vintages, will nevertheless offer immediate pleasure to the enthusiasts who taste it.