Château Margaux - Margaux 2007

Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

93 / 100

byStephen Tanzerthe8/30/2010

Bright, dark red. Knockout nose combines redcurrant, blackberry, spices, flowers, tobacco and sexy sweet oak tones; complex and aristocratic. Then sweet, suave and seamless, with lovely inner-mouth perfume and noteworthy finesse to the flavors of blackberry, cherry and flowers. Finishes long and sweet, with noble tannins for the year. Not a big wine but one of the classiest examples of the vintage.

Wine Advocate

92 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe4/30/2010

The elegant 2007 Chateau Margaux’s purity, depth of fruit, and overall equilibrium are impressive. A dark ruby/purple color is accompanied by notes of spring flowers, black currants, and blackberries, a soft, lush, medium to full-bodied mouthfeel, and delicacy allied to impressive depth, texture, and length. Already drinkable, it should continue to offer exceptional pleasure for 15 or more years. Drink 2010-2025.

Wine Spectator

88 / 100

byJames Sucklingthe3/31/2010

Meat and ripe berry on the nose lead to a full body, with very good fruit and a silky finish. There's lots of ripe berry and spice to this chewy wine, which turns soft and round. A little disappointing considering the name and the price. Best after 2013.

Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

91-93 / 100

byStephen Tanzerthe6/30/2008

(87% cabernet sauvignon, 11% merlot and 2% cabernet franc; 13% alcohol, following a bit of saignee or chaptalization of the must from various plots) Bright red-ruby. Wonderfully floral, pure nose offers blueberry, cherry and violet. Juicy, spicy and classic, with berry, floral and spicy flavors that seem to vibrate in the mouth. This boasts remarkable inner-palate perfume. An extremely subtle and discreet wine with excellent balance, very good but not exceptional density, and lovely lingering perfume. The IPT here is a relatively modest 61 (compared, for example, to 78 in 2005 and 73 in 2003). Pontallier compared this to the estate's 2004-"only softer." If it puts on weight in barrel, it should ultimately merit a score at the high end of my range.

Falstaff

90-92 / 100

the6/30/2008

Dunkles Rubingranat, jugendliche Reflexe, violetter Rand. In der Nase zart nach Mandarinenzesten, Waldbeerkonfit, zarte Gewürzanklänge, Nuancen von Himbeeren, Kirschen, Nougat, Cassis. Am Gaumen mittelgewichtig, zartes rotes Beerenkonfit, angenehme Extraktsüße, rund, kaum merkliche Tannine, ein feiner, delikater Weinstil, bereits gut entwickelt und zugänglich, im Moment mit mittlerer Länge ausgestattet.

Le Point

17,5 / 20

byJacques Dupontthe5/15/2008

Nez de cerise mûre, précis, plus intense, bouche tendue, belle épaisseur, tanins suaves, très en fruit, cerise, note mentholée, sensuel, tanins doux; rappelle un peu 2004, avec peut-être un peu plus de suavité.

Wine Advocate

92-94 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe5/5/2008

Wein Wisser

18 / 20

byRené Gabrielthe5/2/2008

Etwa drei Monate vor der Abfüllung als Fassmuster verkostet. Aufhellendes Purpur Rubin, recht grosser Rand. Süsses Bouquet, Parisette-Brotkruste, angenehm süss, Rotkirschengelée, Grenadinetouch, ein Hauch Vanille. Feiner, sehr eleganter Gaumen, tänzelnd, gut verteiltes, daher hintergründiges, königliches Tannin, mehlige Adstringenz. Wird fein und feminin wie der 1993er, wirkt zwischen den recht maskulinen Jahrgängen 2008 und 2006 beruhigend. Nur nicht im Preis.

Wine Advocate

92-94 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe4/30/2008

TAST

18,5-19 / 20

the4/28/2008

Dégusté au château. Il a fallu au château ne retenir qu’un petit tiers de la récolte pour obtenir un premier vin aussi accompli ! Le merlot, une fois encore, n’entre que pour 10 % dans l’assemblage, et le cabernet-sauvignon marque le bouquet et la texture par sa prodigieuse finesse et la tension de son tannin. L’ensemble est très pur, très racé, avec une finale mentholée merveilleuse de fraîcheur et d’éclat. On est au même niveau qu’en 2004 et sans doute plus haut qu’en 2006.

Wine Advocate

93-95 / 100

byNeal Martinthe4/17/2008

A bright garnet core. The nose is more bashful than in previous years, blackberry, and wild hedgerow and again there is something of the sea about it: shellfish or even kelp. The palate is absolutely gorgeous upon the entry with very fine tannins, great finesse and purity. The Cabernet has good degree of ripeness, a slight saltiness in the middle, combined with an undercurrent of forest floor and cedar. On the surface a simple Château Margaux comparative to recent vintages, but with patience there are certainly nuances to this wine. The finish is very long, much more linear that the 2006 but perhaps with greater length. Usually Château Margaux shows its colours even at this nascent stage, but this time, you will have to wait until after bottling to see the true wine. Look forward to that! Tasted April 2008.

Jancis Robinson

18 / 20

byJancis Robinsonthe4/16/2008

Pretty purplish crimson. More obviously dry and ambitious than the Pavillon Rouge. Some real lift and intention here. Delicate and super charming – really aerien and wonderful dry minerally finish. Great lift and delicacy without being at all thin. All the ingredients came from the core of Ch Margaux terroir. Pontallier: ‘You couldn’t get any stricter. Pure pebbly soils facing the Gironde.’ Very pure indeed yet long. Real class and finesse. Very very delicate. Wonderfully typical of Margaux. ‘Mmm not Wow’, says Pontallier. He doesn’t expect 2007 to close like 05 will and 2001 already has done. Nice dry finish. The low key nature of 2007 seems to suit Ch Margaux.

Wine Spectator

89-92 / 100

byJames Sucklingthe3/31/2008

Aromas of blackberry, black licorice and currant follow through to a medium-to-full body, with fine tannins and a long, sweet fruit finish. Balanced and perfumed. Very Burgundian and pretty. —J.S.