Château Margaux 2014

Of great density and freshness, delicate, with wonderfully silky tannins; a textbook Margaux that impresses not through concentration but through freshness, finesse and delicacy.

The 2014 Château Margaux represents 36% of the year’s total production and is a blend of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. Allow the wine five to ten minutes in the glass to open: the aromatics closely mirror those from barrel, with dark cherries and violets, initially tight but unfurling beautifully with each swirl. The palate is medium-bodied with very fine tannins, and it seems to have gained a touch more finesse during élevage. There is wonderful mineral tension and a dash of spiciness on the persistent finish. Some tightness remains, implying this is a Château Margaux built for long-term pleasure. Don’t hesitate to give it a decade in the cellar.

Striking black fruits from 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, yet restrained—even severe—with less charm and more firmness; the opposite of showy. With great natural density and tannins that do not overwhelm, this is a classical Château Margaux that will need time to fully open up.

Mid ruby. Hint of toasty oak on the nose – sweet and charming. Medium body and lots of fruity charm. Very juicy and salivatory. Strong cassis. There is a framework here and quite a bit of acidity but it’s all appeal. Pretty classy and fresher than some. Classic. Very good to taste this as the bottle we had at the Southwold tasting was badly affected by TCA. (JR)

Showing more aromatic complexity after just a few additional months in bottle, truffle, herbs, cedar, lead pencil, and dark red fruits are impossible to ignore. Medium to full-bodied, with soft, polished tannins, elegant styling, and a freshness to the lingering, sweet, red, spicy fruits. This should drink well relatively early for Margaux. Perhaps another decade will be enough for this wine to begin showing well.

Medium-bodied ruby red, transparent in style. Extremely elegant nose, mint, cassis, tobacco, cigar box. Super elegant palate, playful style, fine on the palate, beguiling, long, mouthwatering, mineral-salty, lots of finesse. 19.5/20

90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot. A little over a third of the harvest was selected for the Grand Vin: 36%. Deep purple-garnet, dense at the core, with violet highlights at the rim. The bouquet feels Burgundian, less massive than Pavillon, opening with cherry and cassis notes, showing a slightly milky texture on the nose, with a hint of coconut on the second pass. On the palate, silky, elegant and very long. It feels as though everything with even a slightly cool impression was rigorously relegated to Pavillon, and that for Château Margaux the most feminine possible style was chosen. Nevertheless, this wine has plenty of aroma and, above all, incredible length, as the body draws a dark red thread from the start to the finish of the palate. Precise and clear, and in terms of balance, very ageworthy. Paul Pontallier himself remains rather modest when placing this vintage within the history of Margaux. I found this beautiful Margaux 2014 incredibly pleasing.

(90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot, 36% of the production for the Grand Vin) Dense, complex, fresh, sweet bouquet: mulberries, assorted berries, blueberries, mocha, vanilla, cedar, a hint of licorice. Balanced, dense, multilayered, sweet palate with powerful, sweet fruit, a diverse, concentrated aromatic profile, plenty of fine tannin, a dense, elegant, finely muscular structure, and a very long, dense, full finish with lots of lingering aromas. 19/20 2024 - 2050

Sit back, and drink in the finessed tannins and floral aromatics that are so associated with Château Margaux, and that are fully on display in this elegant, refined wine. Still young, with soft roasted blackberry and bilberry fruits that sit alongside crushed mint, cigar and liquorice root. The savoury edge of Cabernet Sauvignon is dominant in terms of character, and this will benefit from a few more years of ageing. The bottle supplied during the Bordeaux Index tasting was corked, so I Coravined one that I have at home. I particularly wanted to include it as this was one of Paul Pontallier's last vintages. 36% of overall production in the 1st wine. 100% new oak.

The 2014 Chateau Margaux is deep garnet-brick in color. Scents of warm cassis, black cherries, and dried mulberries pop from the glass, with hints of iron ore and forest floor plus a waft of candied violets. The medium-bodied palate is vibrant and energetic, with compelling mineral accents and super-ripe, fine-grained tannins, finishing long and fragrant. This is beautiful! Tasted blind with the Southwold Group in London in February 2024.

A sumptuous bottle with a slender framework, driven by Cabernet Sauvignon (90%) of outstanding precision. A timeless classic built for 30 years. Airy.

A dense, compact, very dense wine; the September drought caused a 10% loss of the harvest, leading to concentration. The freshness of 2008 and the depth of 2010. 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot. The Grand Vin accounts for only 36% of the harvest.

Garnet-red robe. Very beautiful aromatic intensity dominated by fruit with discreet hints of barrel ageing. Notes of red fruit with raspberries, blackberries and a distinctly fresh character. On the palate, the attack is compact, elegant and powerful. The body has breadth and clearly highlights the cru’s ability to deliver both power and elegance. The tannins slowly emerge on the finish. Like the wine’s overall character, they strike an ideal balance between power and elegance. Their grain is very fine and they are on the verge of integrating. They have the structure needed to accommodate the acidity. The finish is fruity and persistent. A wine to give a little time, with ageing potential that should not be underestimated.

Logo on the cork: inverted T (Trescases) Dark colour, moderately intense and bright. Slightly discreet but pure nose, with ripe fruit. Delicate on the attack, smooth mid-palate and utterly delicious, the wine unfolds with savour. It glides through to the finish, with plenty of flavour and a certain nobility. Very fine tannins. Long and very good.

The grand vin from the Mentzelopoulos family and late manager Paul Pontallier is the 2014 Château Margaux, which checks in as a blend of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot, and the balance Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, as always raised in 100% new barrels, and representing a scant 36% of the estate’s total production. A regal, classy, and nuanced beauty, its ruby/purple-tinged color is followed by a terrific perfume of cassis, licorice, spicy oak, sandalwood, and a hint of vanilla. With a beautiful core of sweet fruit, ripe, polished tannins, no hard edges, and a great finish, this full-bodied 2014 brilliantly shows the classy, elegant style of the vintage. Give bottles 5–7 years and it should deliver plenty of pleasure over the following three decades.

95–97. Barrel Sample. Each year, the percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend creeps up—this year it's 90%. Despite the increase, the very fine, elegant tannins seem suspended in the wine. Ample acidity supports the black currant fruitiness, with a firm, impressive structure that promises good aging potential.