2016 Margaux

99 POINTS

Yves Beck - Yvesbeck.wine

Pourpre violacé profond. Quel nez exceptionnel ! Quelle intensité, quelle authenticité et quelle complexité. Notes de baies rouges telles que framboises mais également de cerises, de bâtons de réglisse et d'épices. Mise en touche fruitée et friande. Au palais, le vin est compact, doté d’une intensité aromatique exceptionnelle en étant idéalement soutenu par sa structure. Les tannins sont d'une rare finesse. Ils sont soyeux et dotés d'un grain très fin. Ils sont en parfaite adéquation avec la structure acide qui confère de la fouge, de l'énergie à l'ensemble du palais et qui soutient merveilleusement bien l'expression gustative jusqu'en fin de bouche. Finale intense et persistante. 2016 est grand à Margaux, et j'aimerais bien savoir qui, aujourd'hui, peut encore prétendre que 2016 est moins bon que 2015 sur cette appellation. 2015 était exceptionnel, 2016 l'est également. Comparons les vins du millésime 2016 et les vins de l'appellation Margaux sont clairement dans le peloton de tête. 2026-2066 99/100

99 POINTS

Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW - Robert Parker Wine Advocate

Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2016 Château Margaux (blended of 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Cabernet Franc, 2% Merlot and 1% Petit Verdot) sashays out of the glass with glamorous red currants, candied violets, kirsch and crushed blackcurrants scents followed by notions of tilled black soil, forest floor, cast iron pan and cigar box with subtle wafts of lavender and oolong tea. Medium-bodied, mineral laced accents hover over the palate with an ethereal sensation of weightlessness, yet it is super intense with layers of red and black flavors supported by a firm texture of silt-fine tannins, finishing wonderfully fragrant and incredibly long.

99 POINTS

James Suckling

It’s very friendly and warm on the nose showing flowers, such as roses, and red fruit. But then on the palate, it lets you know how serious it is. Full-bodied, yet reserved, extremely tight and well-formed with super polished tannins that go on for minutes. A solid and typical Margaux with all the personality and beauty in strength. Try after 2027.

99 POINTS

Antonio Galloni MW - Vinous

A gorgeous, captivating bouquet gives the 2016 Margaux an irresistible allure. Weightless and yet wonderfully persistent, in the way only the château's wines can be, the 2016 Grand Vin is a wine of exceptional breeding and pedigree. So many wines in this vintage are obvious, but Margaux is a wine that takes time to discover, like a great book or piece of music. Shades of tobacco, cedar, mint, licorice and bright, red-toned fruit reveal themselves over time. And yet it is a sense of total harmony and seductiveness that elevates Margaux into the stratosphere in 2016.

98 POINTS

Roger Voss - Wine Enthusiast

Barrel Sample. This Cabernet Sauvignon-based wine is packed with firm tannins and a dark, dense structure. It is seriously concentrated and powerful in its impression. Magnificent fruit contrasts with the structure to suggest a wine ready for long-term aging.

98 POINTS

Neal Martin - Robert Parker Wine Advocate

The 2016 Chateau Margaux is a blend of 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Merlot and 3% Cabernet Franc, plus 1% of Petit Verdot, representing 28% of the total production. This is the highest proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon apart from 2013, which was due to the poor Merlot. It was cropped around 50 hectoliters per hectare depending on the grape variety, for example it could be up to 65 hectoliters per hectare in some sectors. Lucid in color, it has a detailed and precise bouquet with mineral-rich blackberry, raspberry coulis and limestone scents. It feels very perfumed, though not powerful like many Grand Vins in 2016. The palate is a different creature to the aromatics. Here is the intensity of the vintage with shimmering black fruit laced with spice, a killer line of acidity and an irresistible crescendo on the finish. Then, graphite lingering on the aftertaste, a nod to Pauillac perhaps. The aftertaste is so long you could probably write a letter to your friend enthusing about this wine before the aftertaste fades. Doubtless it is destined to be compared to the magnificent 2015 Château Margaux and to be truthful, there's a hair's breadth between them. In a word: crystalline.

98 POINTS

Jane Anson - Decanter

This is a serious Margaux, hugely Cabernet dominant on both nose and palate as you would expect with 94% of the blend. It has an extremely fine, elongated tannic structure, just barely there and so classy, focussing on the gentle elasticity. There are more blue than black fruits here, wonderfully spun out and softened with crushed tobacco. It has the expansive aromatic structure of Margaux, the floral and mineral aspects clear, as is the tension that lifts the palate up and out. It's reminiscent of the 2005, though with less evident tannins. It's not as hefty as the 2010 or as staggering as the 2015, but is still a joyful expression of the estate. 1% Petit Verdot completes the blend.

98 POINTS

Bettane & Desseauve

Intensité, finesse et soutien tannique dignes de ce qu’on attend de ce cru, et peut-être une échantillon un peu trop chaud pour donner une idée précise de son potentiel aromatique. Sans doute le plus haut pourcentage de cabernet sauvignon du médoc.