2017 Chateau Margaux - 1er Cru Classe Margaux

Decanter.com – 96 pts – JA: *Extremely elegant and finessed spicing on the nose, this has beautiful aromatics, and a seductive lead in. It has added some flesh and creaminess over the ageing, and although you still get fairly high austerity at this point it is becoming well enrobed without sacrificing precision. Good quality and highly enjoyable, this will age effortlessly, fine boned in the 2001 or 2011 sense. 1% Petit Verdot completes the blend, a little lower percentage than usual because they felt structure in the wine was already in plentiful supply. 27% of production.* - 11/2019

Vinum Magazin – 19/20pts: *Ungemein stilvoll, elegant, voller Liebreiz, kein Extraktmonster, sicher, aber von grösster Harmonie und Frische! Bilderbuch-Margaux.* - 09/2020

WeinWisser – 19,5/20pts - WL: *89 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 8 % Merlot, 2 % Cabernet Franc, 1 % Petit Verdot. 35 hl/ha. Mitteldunkles Rubinpurpur. Herrlich feiner Duft mit Anklängen an Wildkirsche und Preiselbeergelee, dahinter heller Tabak, zarter Veilchenduft und tiefgründige Cassiswürze. Am kräftigen Gaumen mit feinmehligem Extrakt und spürbaren Muskeln, aber engmaschig verwoben. Dann schnellt der Wein wie ein Sprinter beim 100-Meter- Lauf nach vorne, bleibt aber dabei elegant und klar ausgerichtet. Im facettenreichen, beeindruckenden Finale Wacholder, Pflaumenhaut und nachhaltige Adstringenz, die enorm animiert. Ganz grosses Margaux- Kino, das an 1996 erinnert. Mit beeindruckender Finesse und grandioser Konzentration in diesem Jahr klar die Spitze in der Appellation und einer der besten Weine des Jahrgangs! 19.5/20.* – 05/2018

JancisRobinson.com – 17,5++/20pts – TP: *Tasted blind. Deep ruby colour. Enticing and rich nose of cassis and baking spice – underneath there is class and refinement. Retains cool precision, with soft tannins and a savoury cedar edge. Highly refined and subtle. Incredibly pure and fine to the finish, this will benefit from time, and may warrant a higher score with age.* - 09/2021

JamesSuckling.com - 99/100pts - JS: *There is ripeness and opulence to this, in an almost exotic and sassy way. Crushed berries with chocolate and spice. Floral and cashmere undertones. This starts off slowly and just rolls off the palate with beautifully polished tannins and a salty, minerally note to the long, extended tannins. Really brilliant. So classy. Structured. Try after 2025.* - 12.2020

Vinous.com – 97 pts – AG: *One of the clear highlights on the Left Bank, the 2017 Margaux is magnificent. Soaring in intensity, the 2017 exudes class from the very first taste. Margaux is so often a wine of charm and seduction, but the 2017 is anything but that. Instead, Margaux is dark, somber and mysterious, with layers of sepia-toned nuance that opens up with time in the glass. Cabernet Sauvignon, picked 5 days later than first anticipated, is especially prominent. The 2017 is going to need a number of years to be at its very best, but it is a super-promising wine. Wow.* - 03/2020

Vinous.com – 95 pts - NM: *The 2017 Château Margaux, bottled in June/July 2019, has a classic aromatic profile for this First Growth: blackcurrant leaf, raspberry, cold black tea and pressed iris rather than violet petals this time. It is well defined, if not as intense as the 2016 as you would expect. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, fine acidity, quite saline in the mouth with superb precision on the elegant finish. This is one of the most approachable Château Margaux that I can remember, less opulent than out of barrel and supremely refined.* - 01/2020

Thewinecellarinsider.com – 97 pts – JL: *Dark ruby in color, the wine is silky and seductive. This is not a powerful wine, instead a velvet and satin texture with complexity and length. On the palate, the wine beguiles you with its sweetness, lift and sumptuous qualities. This vintage contains a record amount of tannins for the estate yet these tannins are so ripe and soft, you’ll barely notice them. This gem will have the ability to age for several decades. Made from a blend of 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot, the wine reached 13.5% ABV with a pH of 3.7. The Grand Vin was produced using only 37% of the return. The harvest commenced on September 18 and finished October 3 and the average yields were 35 hectoliters per hectare. Bravo for Philippe Bascules, the managing director who supervised this sublime production from start to finish.* - 04/2018