With over five centuries of history and a mythological name, one of the most iconic names in the world of wine, as Jane Austen aptly describes. We are talking about Château Margaux. We are, of course, in the AOC Margaux, on the left bank, southern Médoc. The estate extends over 82 hectares of red grapes and 12 hectares of white. Currently, 40 percent of the production is allocated to the first wine. We had the chance to taste the 1975 vintage, still in good condition. As mentioned on the estate’s website, regarding the vintage, it was indeed a notable year.
«This vintage which was immediately acknowledged in Bordeaux as a great success, developed very slowly in bottle, especially those wines that were Cabernet Sauvignon-based. We have wondered since that time if the Cabernet had really been picked at full ripeness, in so far as the tannins had remained firm, or even hard, for so many years.
It is very likely that today such a vintage would produce a different wine, very probably as concentrated but more accessible. 1975 came after three particularly difficult years (1972, 1973 and 1974). Perhaps the potential of this vintage was overestimated through understandable enthusiasm».
Despite its nearly 50 years, the wine still has an intriguing and fresh nose. The fruit is vibrant, with notes that are beginning to show a pleasant tertiary development. On the palate, the wine is lively, even though the mid-palate has lost some of its juiciness, yet it maintains excellent drinkability, length, and high sapidity. Certainly, the charm of age makes the tertiary evolution enjoyable, which, overall, is fully felt. Rating 94
Riccardo Gabriele
