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Chateau Margaux Premier Grand Cru Classe - $999.99

Wine Details

Vintage:	2002
Price:	$999.99
Producer:	Chateau Margaux
Region:	Margaux
Varietal:	Bordeaux - Red
Container Size:	1.5 L
Flavors:	ripe fruit

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Product Description

The Merlot yields, especially those from old vines, were seriously affected by the onset of coulure and particularly millerandage. We might have thought that a relatively low production would have enabled the grapes to reach better ripeness levels; however, the fine weather arrived too late for the Merlot, whose ripeness was too far behind to catch up. The quality of the Merlot was, on the whole, disappointing. On the other hand, the Cabernets and the Petit Verdot took full advantage of this Indian summer, which so often produces very good, even great vintages in Bordeaux. Their quality was, on the whole, remarkable. Our final blend, therefore, includes very little Merlot (it may even be the lowest ever proportion in history at Château Margaux). So it is essentially a wine made up of fine, pure, rich, tight-knit and tender Cabernet Sauvignon. It may lack some complexity and depth in order to be considered a great vintage. Very fine September weather can certainly make up most of the lost ground, but it cannot totally replace the ripeness that is attained during a glorious August. Now, Château Margaux has acquired even more finesse, without losing any of that classic tight-knit tannic structure which bodes so well for excellent ageing. (December 2008).

Expert Ratings

Vintage	Source	Flavors
200	Decanter
200	Decanter
200	Decanter
200	Decanter
199	Decanter	ripe fruit
199	Decanter
199	Decanter	plum
199	Decanter
199	Decanter	new oak
199	Decanter	bitter, chocolate

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Food Pairings

Category	Pairing
Cheese	Mozzarella, Sharp Cheddar, Blue Cheese, Feta, Goat Cheese
Red Meat	Roast Beef, Beef Stew, Lamb, Lamb Stew, Salami, Sausage, Variety Meats or Organ Meats, Kidney
Poultry & Eggs	Spicy Chicken Dishes
Vegetables	Ratatouille
Sauces	Red Wine Sauce
Herbs & Spices	Anise, Fennel Seed, Tarragon, Bay Leaf, Lavender, Mint, Rosemary, Thyme
Cheese	Aged Cheddar

Wine Terms

Name	Value
Bordeaux	A region in western France that grows famous red wines from the Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc grapes and white wines from Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon and Muscadelle grapes. Situated on the Atlantic coast, Bordeaux has a maritime climate with warm summers and fairly mild winters as well as an abundance of rain during harvest time. When young, the finest red Bordeaux wines have a deep cranberry hue and aromas of blackcurrants, plums, spice, cedar, and cassis. For the first ten years or so these wines can be very dry, with tannin masking the fruity flavors. Eventually the wines turn garnet, and develops an extraordinarily complex bouquet and flavor as well as softer tannins. The finest red Bordeaux wines still take 20 years or so before reaching their maturity. Two distinct red wine production zones exist within the Bordeaux region; the Left Bank and the Right Bank. The Left Bank vineyards are located west of the Garonne River and the Gironde Estuary, into which the Garonne empties. The Right Bank vineyards are east and north of the Dordogne River and east of the Grionde Estuary. Of the various wine districts on the Left and Right Banks, four are the most important for red wines: Haut-Médoc; Pessac-Leognan, St-Emilion, and Pomerol. For white wines, the most important are Graves and Pessac-Leognan.
France	France is the standard bearer for all the world’s wines, with regard to the types of grapes that are used to make wine and with the system of defining and regulating winemaking. Its Appellation d’Origine Controlee, or AOC system, is the legislative model for most other European countries. Most French wines are named after places. The system is hierarchical; generally the smaller and more specific the region for which a wine is named, the higher its rank. There are four possible ranks of French wine, and each is always stated on the label: Appellation Contrôlée (or AOC), Vin Délimité de Qualité Supérieure (or VDQS); Vin de pays, or country wine; and Vin de table. France has five major wine regions, although there are several others that make interesting wines. The three major regions for red wine are Bordeaux, Burgundy, and the Rhone; for white wines, the regions are Burgundy, the Loire and Alsace. Each region specialized in certain grape varieties for its wines, based on climate, soil, and local tradition. Two other significant French wine regions are Provence and Languedoc-Roussillon, both in the south of France. Cahors, in the southwest of the country, produces increasingly good wines.
Margaux	a commune in the Haut Medoc district of Bordeaux. Its wines, considered some of the best within the Medoc district, are fragrant and supple with complex aromas and flavors. They are made from Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Petit Verdot grapes.