Château Margaux 2006

The 2006 Margaux was almost shocking, with its dark blackberry fruit and hints of spice, pepper and smoke. People remember the cool August of this vintage and late rains, but this is firm, tannic and massively structured. Less approachable than the 2009 or the 2010, and it may never reach those heights, but when it comes around it should be lovely. 36% of the harvest was used in the grand vin; the blend is 90% Cabernet and 4% each of Merlot and Petit Verdot.

Good deep red-ruby. Deep but reticent aromas of redcurrant, tobacco leaf, licorice and loam; I don't find the typical floral high notes of Margaux. Juicy, fine-grained and suave, with good definition and a seamless, spherical texture to the currant and soil flavors. Finishes with a fine dusting of tannins, but not the grip or power of earlier barrel samples of this wine.

Still tightly wound, although it resists much of the stern tannins found in many of the other 2006 Médoc wines, the wine offers the start of its secondary aromatics with its tobacco, cherry, plum, spice, smoke and forest floor scents. Elegant, sophisticated and charming, give it another 5–10 years to develop more secondary notes, soften and add more weight. The wine was produced from 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc; at the time, this probably set a record for the highest percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend.

Dark, fairly rich purple with a ruby sheen. Dense bouquet, perfumed Margaux fruit of blackcurrant, mulberries, lingonberries and a multi-layered floral note; raspberry clusters, tending toward the red-fruit spectrum; beautifully supportive fine woods, light coffee and the typical waxy notes of a great Margaux vintage. Elegant attack on the palate, full-bodied and textured, terrific fruit extract, demanding astringency; it has gained since the en primeur forecast and is now an almost identical follow-up vintage to the brilliant Margaux 1996!

07: 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot, 2% Cabernet Franc. 47 hl/ha. Only 36% of the harvest was classified as Château Margaux! Medium purple-ruby, lightening rim. Very dense bouquet, mulberries, lingonberries and a hint of blackcurrant, which lend fine versatility and freshness to the richly coated nose; underneath, truffle notes, fine woods and a delicate peppery touch. On the palate, breed and finesse appear simultaneously; the fruit play stays with many different red berries, with an even slightly powdery flow across the tongue. The wine may still lack a bit of its inherent sweetness, which will come with further barrique ageing; it will take a long time to release its aromatics and will demand at least 10 years after bottling. Philippe Bascaules compares the wine to a kind of blend of 1986, 1995, 1996 and 2000 – among the greats. We’re (not yet) there with our comparisons! In May 2007 I tasted this wine again at Château Margaux, in direct comparison with the monstrous 2005. The 2006 is a wild, meaty Cabernet Bordeaux, surprisingly dense, somewhat muted inside, with powerful tannins; plenty of plum skins in the extract, liquorice on the finish. The impatient will be harshly punished if opened too early. (18/20) 09: Dark, fairly saturated purple with a ruby sheen. Dense bouquet, perfumed Margaux fruit of cassis, mulberries, lingonberries and a multi-layered floral note, raspberry stalks, thus tending toward the red spectrum; nicely supportive fine woods, light coffee and the typical wax tones of a great Margaux vintage. On the palate, an elegant start while showing plenty of substance and a terrific fruit extract on the tongue; the astringency is demanding, has increased since the en primeur prediction and is now an almost identical follow-up vintage to the brilliant Margaux 1996! 14: Tasted in perfect form over two evenings in Lausanne. Lingonberries, raspberries, bread crust, liquorice. finely textured, perfectly ripe tannins. Close to perfection.

Closed, deep, complex bouquet with mulberries, a medley of berries, currants, truffle, vanilla. Dense, layered, velvety, powerful palate with a tight, silky structure, plenty of fine tannins, superb aromatics. Very long, concentrated finish. 19/20 2015 - 2040

2006 was the first vintage Chateau Margaux had 90% Cabernet Sauvignon and so little Merlot, only 4%, together with 4% Petit Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc. Only the Merlot from the plot in front of the church, which was planted in 1953 on gravel, had the structure to stand up to the Cabernet Sauvignon this year. It has a deep garnet color, with a touch of brick and it struts out of the glass with mature notes of cigar box, new leather, and sandalwood, over a core of redcurrant jelly, prunes, and fruitcake, with wafts of iron ore and dusty soil. The medium-bodied palate delivers red berry preserves and ferrous/mineral layers, supported by firm, chewy tannins and plenty of freshness, finishing long and lifted. There's a distinct salinity to the finish that keeps you wanting more.

Classic mentholated tannin of the cru and very noble, slightly thinned by bottling; wait for the inevitable rebalancing in bottle.

Dark, intense color with slight evolution. Moderately aromatic nose with ripe fruit, showing lovely cabernet sauvignon character. A smoky note. Precise yet dense from the attack, rich on the mid-palate, highly aromatic, juicy and supple, the wine unfolds with noble poise and texture, without the slightest graininess on the finish. Long and excellent.

This is not a big Château Margaux, its style showing more elegance and discretion. The tannins are soft, although producing a dense web that lies underneath the black currant and plum fruit flavors. It is a wine that envelops the mouth, an edge of firmness over velvet fruit textures. The wine floats away slowly on the close.