Château Margaux 2005

An exceptional vintage from the Margaux appellation

The estate

With origins dating back to the 12th century, Château Margaux is one of those Grands Crus that have built the legend of the great wines of Bordeaux around the world. In 1855 the estate was elevated to the rank of Premier Grand Cru Classé and was the only one of the four châteaux presented to receive a perfect score of twenty out of twenty. With the acquisition of the estate in 1977 by André Mentzelopoulos, Château Margaux began a new chapter in its history. Raising the Grand Vin of Château Margaux to the very highest level, he reintroduced the estate’s Second Wine, Pavillon Rouge du Château Margaux, first launched in 1908. Following in her father’s footsteps after his premature passing, Corinne Mentzelopoulos took up the family banner with energy and passion to preserve the standing of Château Margaux, which had become a Bordeaux masterpiece, instantly recognizable by its Neo-Palladian style. Vintage after vintage, the estate’s wines rank among the greatest in the world.

The vineyard

The Château Margaux vineyard owes its uniqueness to its rare and singular terroir, located on a gravel mound. The estate’s varietal makeup gives pride of place to Cabernet Sauvignon, along with Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. The estate’s clay-limestone soils give rise to legendary wines, with a refined, sensual character that is so representative of the Margaux appellation.

The vintage

A cooler-than-usual winter delayed budbreak by a week, then a warm, bright spring steadily led the vines to a quick flowering in early June, aligned with last year’s calendar. Fruit set was ideal, yet did not hide a crop forecast to be smaller than in 2004, with vines bearing fewer clusters. The summer was splendid and, above all, exceptionally dry — barely 100 mm of rain from May 1 through harvest — and fortunately warm without excess, avoiding a repeat of 2003’s extremes. As is often the case, the great terroirs showed remarkable wisdom: they tempered the extremes, responding with the same restraint and balance that define their wines. Harvest began on September 20.

Blend

Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot.

Characteristics and tasting advice for Château Margaux 2005

Tasting

Appearance
Beautiful color with unprecedented intensity.

Nose
The nose is uniquely fine, graceful, and deep. Its concentration is exceptional, even surpassing the 2000 and 2003 vintages.

Palate
Voluptuousness, harmony, and balance ideally define this palate, combining density with rare persistence.