Château Margaux 2004
Review of the Estate
Château Margaux is known for producing some of the silkiest, most aromatic wines in Bordeaux and it has been famous for doing so for centuries. The origins of the estate may be traced back to the 15th century when the Lestonnac family took over a grain growing property known as Lamothe (deriving from la motte - meaning a small rise in the land, or hill). The agricultural change from cereal crops to vines was led by Pierre de Lestonnac from 1572 to 1582. Further developments occurred when, over a century later, Chateau Margaux estate manager, Monsieur Berlon, saw the benefits of vinifying red and white grapes separately. This change was what set Chateau Margaux firmly on the path to modern vinification practices and international renown.
This reputation spread over the next several hundred years. Sir Robert Walpole, the English Prime Minister in the early 18th Century, declared himself an avid supporter of Chateau Margaux and was known to purchase four casks every three months! When the Marquis de la Colonilla purchased the estate in the early 19th century, the outstanding reputation of Chateua Margaux's wines demanded an impressive chateau to match. Built in 1810 by Louis Combes, the current chateau is a unique example of the neo-classical style. With its structured facade, balanced by ionic columns, it exudes a refined elegance not dissimilar to that of the wines produced within. Chateau Margaux was officially recognised as an historic monument in 1946.
Today Chateau Margaux is owned by Corinne Mentzelopoulos. Her father, Andrè, purchased the estate in 1977 and invested significantly in the regeneration of the vineyard and winery by installing new drainage systems, replanting vines, creating a new underground cellar and investing in new oak barrels. The result of these improvements is evident in the spectacular and consistent vintages produced by Chateau Margaux since the 1978 vintage. This has allowed Chateau Margaux to remain a dominant force in a highly competitive market and maintain its preeminent global reputation.
Vineyard
Surface area: 192.7 acres
Grape Varieties: 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot
Average age of vines: 35 years
Density of plantation: 10,00 vines per hectare
Average yields: 45 hectoliters per hectare
Average cases produced: 16,500 per year
Plateau of maturity: 9 - 35 years
Château Margaux 2004 Reviews / Tasting Notes
Robert Parker - The Wine Advocate
Point Score: 94
The 2004 Chateau Margaux has always been a promising wine and here, served blind against the First Growths, it finally proved that patience is necessary when it comes to such wines. It has an exquisite bouquet with brilliant delineation, scents of redcurrant, raspberry coulis, cold stone (almost flint-like) with pencil-lead and cedar lending it a Pauillac-like sense of aristocratic flair. The palate is extremely well balanced with a supple opening, nigh perfect acidity with a surprisingly citric undercurrent that lends so much freshness and tension. While it does not have the weight and power of say, 2000, 2005 or 2009, it cruises along with utmost harmony and you become smitten by its charms - something that is perhaps in short supply among the First Growths in this vintage. This is excellent. Tasted September 2016.
Wine Spectator
Point Score: 92-94
Powerful and superlong. Gorgeous aromas of blackberry, mineral and currant. Full-bodied and solid, with muscular tannins and a long, long finish. Really balanced and refined. Paul Pontailler, the technical director, says that it reminds him of the 1996 but may be even better; a blend of 1995 and 1996. Maybe. Very close to 95-100. Score range: 92-94
Wine & Spirit Magazine
Point Score: 96
Tasted from barrel in 2005, this wine showed the freshness of the vintage in its bright woodland-berry scent before settling into tannins that felt mineral, powerful and black. Directeur general Paul Pontallier commented at the time, "I consider this to be typical, absolutely, of Chateau Margaux." Two years on, the wine is definitively Margaux, from the fashionable scent of new oak, to the musculature and vinous strength of the fruit. The sweetness of the fraises des bois and plum seems improbable in the context of a completely dry, concentrated yet ethereal taste that doesn't stop. The wine will taunt you with its delicate, silken power whether you drink it in ten, 20 or 30 years.