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Chateau Margaux Premier Grand Cru Classe - $2,999.99

Wine Details

Vintage:	2001
Price:	$2,999.99
Producer:	Chateau Margaux
Region:	Margaux
Varietal:	Bordeaux - Red
Container Size:	1.5 L
Flavors:	meaty, new oak

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Product Description

The unusual delay in the starting of the harvest, compared with what was calculated at flowering, is not easy to explain. The weather conditions perhaps encouraged the vegetation to grow at the expense of the ripening of the grapes. Thanks to a month of September which was on the whole favourable, the grapes managed to reach very good ripeness levels. In a few plots however, Cabernet Sauvignon did not ripen perfectly. On the other hand, all the Petit Verdot, though normally a later-ripening variety, was remarkably ripe and even better than in 2000. The 2001 wines displayed from the start the aromatic purity and harmony on the palate of the greatest vintages. The Petit Verdot added a hint of spice in the middle of the floral and fruity aromas of the great Cabernet Sauvignons. The length on the palate was remarkable, with an overall firm but soft impression, average density, less of course though, than in 2000. The 2001 Château Margaux clearly confirms its status as a very fine vintage. It can be likened to the 99, both by its great aromatic finesse and its tannic texture, which is so tender and harmonious. What more can we find to say about the sheer pleasure we are already experiencing, drinking these 2 wines? We are convinced that this early developing of the wine, simply the result of perfect ripeness in the grapes, will bring us many years of drinking pleasure. We can therefore drink the 2001 quite early and enjoy the freshness and purity of the fruit (why resist the temptation?), or for those of us who prefer to wait, it can be laid down 15 to 20 years, to allow the finesse of the bouquet to develop as the wine matures. While many aspects of the wine will develop, its balance, though, will remain. (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.