The 2022 Château Margaux is a total stunner. Ripe, opulent and explosive, the 2022 possesses tremendous depth and textural intensity from start to finish. There’s a purity to the fruit that is just striking. The 2022 is a dark, unusually opulent Margaux, with a dense core of fruit, but a good deal of vibrancy to balance things out. Black cherry, lavender, spice and a kiss of new French oak build in the glass, but it is the wine’s delineation and intensity that are most captivating. Vibrant saline notes linger on the seamless, supremely elegant finish. Unforgettable. 04/2023

The 2022 Château Margaux represents 40% of the crop this year, slightly higher than recent years, picked between 8 and 27 September. As usual, the Grand Vin demands more time to unfold on the nose compared to the Pavillon. It unveils enticing scents of macerated black cherries, blueberry, violet and hints of orange blossom all delivered with impressive delineation. The palate is medium-bodied with sculpted tannins. A fine-boned and tensile Château Margaux that is quite a remarkable feat given the growing season. Silky smooth and almost creamy at first, toward the finish it reveals a slightly powdery texture, almost swaggering in style. Not a subtle or nuanced Château Margaux, rather, Philippe Bascaules has conjured a First Growth that is dressed to kill. 14.6% alcohol. 04/2023

A blend of 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc, 2022 Château Margaux is one of the most powerful wines ever produced at this estate, wafting from the glass with aromas of crème de cassis, dark berries, violets, burning embers, smoked tea and exotic spices. Full-bodied, deep and layered, it's rich, velvety and seamless, with a bright core of fruit and a long, heady finish. With the highest analytical measure of tannins since 2010, and an alcohol level a touch above 14%, this is certainly a larger-scaled Château Margaux, yet at this early stage, everything appears to be kept in check. 04/2023

C'est la seconde fois avec le 2005 que je note ce vin à un si haut niveau en Primeur. La couleur est la plus noire jamais vue. Ce n'est pas rien de le dire. Ce cru n'a jamais cherché de performance sur ce point. Le nez est profond, avec des nuances de gelée de mûres et de fruits noirs. Ultra minutieux en entrée de bouche, ultra soyeux et en relief au milieu, le vin ne cesse d'évoluer ascendant. Profond et puissant (2005) , plus fruits noirs que jamais (2009), voici que le légendaire fondant qui le distingue revient, inattendu, dans le dernier tiers du palais. Le cru y retrouve sa douceur, ses nuances et les mystères de son identité unique. L'envie d'avaler devient irrésistible. C'est bouleversant ! Assemblage : 92 % cabernet sauvignon, 6 % merlot, 2 % cabernet franc. Degré d'alcool : 14°6 (moyenne plus, plus) - pH : 3,62 (moyenne). IPT : 88 (moyenne plus, plus) versus 70 en 2015 et 2016. Rendement : 25 hl/ha. 04/2023

Very dark purple color with a ruby edge. So much crushed blackberry and blackcurrant with violets. Exuberant. Full-bodied and very tannic with incredible muscle. This is a thought-provoking wine. The biggest Margaux I have tasted in my career. Seems a little overdone for Margaux. 92% cabernet sauvignon, 6% merlot and 2% petit verdot. 04/2023