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Chateau Margaux, Vintage 1985Jul 12 '04 (Updated Jan 16 '05) Write an essay on this topic.The Bottom Line If one happens to be wondering if the wine is worth the price asked, I would tell him "yes". If you can afford it, buy it. A couple of months ago, I was undeservedly rewarded with a bottle (750 ml) of Chateau Margaux’s grand vin, vintage 1985. I did nothing to merit such a gift and protested politely. Fortunately, the generous donor would have nothing of my drivel; hence, this review. Margaux: The Commune* The commune of Margaux is located within the Bordeaux region, on the left bank of the river Gironde, in the southernmost portion of the Haut-Medoc, within the appellation of, again, Margaux. The commune’s soil is quite diverse and may differ from estate to estate. Generally, though, it may be characterized as light, whitish, fine gravel with limestone subsoils and thin topsoil. The wines from this commune are generally known for their perfume and finesse. Margaux is, pound for pound, one of the most star-studded communes, boasting of no less than 10 classified growths, including, among others, Chateaux Rauzan Segla, Palmer and Brane-Cantenac. The undisputed star, however, is Chateau Margaux. Margaux: The Chateau* Chateau Margaux [pronounced: mahr-goh], one of the original first growths (premier cru classe) of the 1855 classification, is located in the commune of the same name, Margaux. The estate itself is made up of 215 acres, 193 acres of which (78 hectares) are primarily planted to cabernet sauvignon (75%) and merlot (20%), with the remaining 5% devoted to petit verdot and cabernet franc. Naturally, only 100% new oak barrels are ever used for the grand vin. The chateau is owned and run by a company, the main shareholders of which are members of the Mentzelopoulos family, aided by the deeply respected enologist, Paul Pontallier. The Vintage* 1985 was, by general account, a very good year for Bordeaux; not as famous as 1982, 1983 (the latter being particularly good for the Margaux appellation) or 1989, but very close to them in renown. The crop survived a harsh winter, enjoyed a cool spring, with the heat and rains coming through in late June through July. After a cool, dry August, a September heatwave made for a huge crop and well ripened merlot. Cabernet sauvignon didn’t ripen quite as well until mid-to-late October. The Setting Dinner three Saturdays ago was at the Lumiere Gallery, an art gallery cum French country restaurant located on one of the main thoroughfares of the central business district. It is owned and operated by, as I understand, four ladies who have come back from living in Paris for the last 15 years, one of them married to a French national. After excellent preliminaries of onion soup, blini with salmon mousse and a salad sprinkled with crispy bits of fried duck skin, we were ready for dinner proper. Upon one of the owners' suggestion, we were served a dark, sturdy red from Cahors to go with our main courses of duck breast. She had told me that their food, hearty country cuisine, would be too heavy for so delicate and fine a wine such as the one under review. I could not but agree. Both wines were served side by side and the Cahors, indeed, blended well with the rich, gamy flavors of the duck. We had most of the 1985 Margaux after the meal, before dessert and coffee. The Wine The wine, in the glass, was a deep, dark reflective violet with a dark ruby blush. Against the light, clear ruby highlights reluctantly shone through. An initial sniff above the rim yielded a perfume of violets and vanilla with blackcurrant and smoky undertones. A deeper sniff, nose in glass, revealed more blackcurrant as well as some oak. In the mouth, the initial strike was quite easy, the wine making a casual yet confident blackberry entrance. Thence, the flavors opened up luxuriously from front to mid-mouth with violet flowers holding sway over vanilla/oak and the blackberries, the blackberries/currant flavors reasserting themselves to the back (with a handful of the violets in tow) through to the long, long elegant finish. The texture was an exquisite, sheer, delicate silk making one savor each and every mouthful, holding the wine mid-mouth for as long as politely possible. The body was medium, approaching, but not quite achieving true fullness. No fat, no plumpness. No angles. No wantonness. Just smooth, supple curves coyly, yet seductively, displayed. Personal Assessment Without a doubt, this is a wonderful wine, one for special occasions or those odd, self-indulgent and contemplative moments. I would drink this wine without accompaniment to be able to fully appreciate its complexity, finesse and delicacy. As to the sordid topic of price, although the bottle was, as first stated, a gift, I am well aware of its price in the Philippines as only one establishment carries this particular vintage of Chateau Margaux. Since, however, most all of you readers are from the US, I shall refrain from mentioning its price here. This particular vintage of the wine seems relatively hard to find in the US. I have yet to find a wine shop that has it in stock. Several restaurants have it on their wine list though. Among them are: Charlie Trotter’s restaurant in Chicago that offers it at US$675 per bottle. Bayard’s (a restaurant in the financial district of NY, NY) lists it as US$550 per bottle, while Dudley’s Restaurant of Lexington, Kentucky offers it at a mere US$450 per bottle. Update; This wine is available at Beverages and More (www.bevmo.com) at US$349.99. ``````````````````````````````````````````` *Sources Domine, Andre, Wine, 2001 ed., Konemann Verlagsgesellschaft, mbH. Parker, Robert, Jr., Bordeaux: A Comprehensive Guide, 3rd Ed., 1998, Dorling Kindersley Limited Johnson, Hugh, Pocket Wine Book 2002, Octopus Publishing Group, Ltd. Joseph, Robert, Good Wine Guide 2002, Dorling Kindersley Limited  |
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