2017 Margaux

99 POINTS

James Suckling

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.

98 POINTS

Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW - Wine Advocate

The 2017 Chateau Margaux is a blend of 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot. Deep garnet-purple colored, it needs a little coaxing to reveal alluring notes of blackcurrant cordial, Black Forest cake and black raspberries with suggestions of candied violets, tilled soil, fallen leaves, licorice and espresso plus wafts of underbrush and rosehip tea. Medium-bodied, the elegance and finesse on the palate is simply bedazzling, exuding a quiet intensity of fresh black fruits layered with oh-so-subtle floral and earth nuances. It has a soft, velvety texture and seamless freshness to support the tightly wound flavors, finishing long and perfumed. Beautiful! This grand vin accounts for just 37% of the crop. Drinking Window : 2024 - 2060

97 POINTS

Jeff Leve - The Wine Cellar Insider

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% alcohol 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.

97 POINTS

Jacques Perrin - Vinifera

Belle couleur. Nez raffiné, très «Margaux» . Entrée en bouche ultra précise. Il se déroule comme un long filigrane, élancé, parfaitement articulé, sans déficit de milieu de bouche, toute en fraîcheur, d’une puissance contenue. Très jolie finale. C’est un vin étonnant, qui réunit deux pans, deux styles de Margaux, l’un très classique, sur la finesse, l’autre plus viril, épicé.

97 POINTS

Antonio Galloni MW - Vinous

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.

96 POINTS

Roger Voss - Wine Enthusiast

There is a firm, tannic structure here, although it certainly doesn't take away from the concentrated fruit. This wine is intense, full of black currants and great fruitiness. Both the fruit and structure are in harmony and balance. It's a fine selection, although it's not a wine for aging over many years. Drink from 2025.

96 POINTS

Jane Anson - Decanter

Wow! This makes the whole room smile. The stunning nose hits you right off the bat, followed by wonderful fleshy damson fruit. This has some of the best aromatics in the business this year and a wonderful creamy texture through the palate. There's great density, and the tannins flatter it but they have menace and intent too, pulling the structure inwards and bouncing along to finish beautifully. This is more opulent than the Pavillon, which has some clear austerity, and the scale of the fruit is a little fresher than the 2015, with around the same ripeness level as the 2016. The 3.7pH is a little higher than the last two years, while an IPT of 73 is the same as last year. 37% of production went into the grand vin, including a 1% drop of Petit Verdot.

96 POINTS

Jane Anson - Decanter

Wow! This makes the whole room smile. The stunning nose hits you right off the bat, followed by wonderful fleshy damson fruit. This has some of the best aromatics in the business this year and a wonderful creamy texture through the palate. There's great density, and the tannins flatter it but they have menace and intent too, pulling the structure inwards and bouncing along to finish beautifully. This is more opulent than the Pavillon, which has some clear austerity, and the scale of the fruit is a little fresher than the 2015, with around the same ripeness level as the 2016. The 3.7pH is a little higher than the last two years, while an IPT of 73 is the same as last year. 37% of production went into the grand vin, including a 1% drop of Petit Verdot.