Margaux was an appellation that was also affected by the frosts in April 2017. Château Angludet, for example, made no wine at all. Others properties have had volumes reduced, but more importantly, blending components affected. This variation in experience will amplify the appellation’s overall diversity of style. Margaux is a large geographical district and covering such diverse terroir the wines are always somewhat heterogenous. The best at the UGCB’s 2017 in bottle tasting last autumn showed freshness but also substance. Some lacked middle and flair. Across a pretty big sample [16 wines] Château Brane Cantenac and Château Rauzan-Ségla were tops with Château Lascombes and Château Kirwan not that far behind. Very good wines were also made at Château Cantenac Brown, Château Monbrison and Château Siran [in very different styles]. Château Marquis de Terme, Château Dauzac and Château Ferrière produced good wine too [again in contrasting styles]. That said, do search out 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016 over 2017 which are finer and generally more consistent vintages. 2015 and 2016 are especially fine in Margaux and worth the premium.

The following wines were tasted in October 2019 at the annual Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux event in London.

Château Brane Cantenac, Grand Cru Classé, Margaux, 2017

Mid depth; fresh purple at edge; pretty, lifted blackcurrant aromatics; attractive; plums beneath; nice cool entry to the palate; real substance here; good structure; this is serious Margaux; good stuff!! Good finish. Feels complete and has good length. Tasted October 2019. Drink 2023-3035. 93+

Château Cantenac Brown, Grand Cru Classé, Margaux, 2017

Mid depth; red at edge; earth and chocolate; quite solid but has depth on the palate; quite a contrast to Brane-Cantenac [tasted immediately before]; sturdy but less refined seemingly. Works well though. Tasted October 2019. Drink 2025-2035. 90

Château Dauzac, Grand Cru Classé, Margaux, 2017

Deep and vibrant looking; black fruits and dark chocolate on the nose; inky and saline note too; sturdy entry to the palate; quite a mouthful has chew but also texture; usually a bit of jumbled ingredients in its youth, [and I’ve been a critic of that in the past] but Dauzac generally sorts itself out in bottle I’ve discovered. Tasted October 2019. Drink 2025-2035. 89+

Château Desmirail, Grand Cru Classé, Margaux, 2017

Mid depth; earthy red at edge; soft pain grillé tones with blackcurrant notes on the aromatics; forward [as ever] has some middle but lacks complexity compared with top drawer Margaux. Tasted October 2019. Drink 2022-2027. 87

Château Ferrière, Grand Cru Classé, Margaux, 2017

Elegant looking in the glass; purple at edge; some spice and blackcurrant notes to the aromatics; fresh and leafy; elegant palate which is a little compact and sinewy but there is good texture to the tannins with some chocolate on the finish. Tasted October 2019. Drink 2023-2033. 88

Château Giscours, Grand Cru Classé, Margaux, 2017

Mid depth; looser at edge; some satin, plum and pain grillé lift; palate is elegant and good, with structure and some depth; lacks a little middle overall perhaps but good, if below par for Giscours relative to own beautiful terroir and its peers. Tasted October 2019. Drink 2022-2030. 88+

Château Kirwan, Grand Cru Classé, Margaux, 2017

Mid depth; stones and wet rocks; palate has a savoury texture; more blackcurrant wine gums appear as the sample opens up; good fruit entry on the palate; nice chew. Works well. Kirwan has become much more approachable in recent vintages, less stern for me. [40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc, 15% Petit Verdot]. Tasted October 2019. Drink 2025-2035. 91+

Château Labégorce, Margaux, 2017

Mid depth; deep core; colour tight to rim; pain grillé with some spices, plums and savoury notes; quite attractive; sturdy palate, fresh and works well. Tasted October 2019. Drink 2023-2030. 88

Château Lascombes, Grand Cru Classé, Margaux, 2017

Deep and saturated looking; lush and quite opulent aromatics; ripe and creamy black cherry and plum notes; fresh entry on the palate; more solid than usual on the palate but this should work well with a few more years in bottle. Tasted October 2019. Drink 2023-3035. 91+

Château Marquis de Terme, Grand Cru Classé, Margaux, 2017

Deep and solid, quite dark at core; glossy red fruit aromatics; plums and dark chocolate; lacks corresponding weight on the palate and more compact than the flashy aromatics suggest. That said this works well overall despite the slight dip in the middle. Some chew to the tannins. Tasted October 2019. Drink 2024-2032. 89+

Château Monbrison, Margaux, 2017

Mid depth; little translucent at edge; glossy blackcurrant aromatics; pretty; the palate is nicely handled; texture of the fruit is good; the measured extraction works well in the style of this vintage; fresh and clean with nice fruit. Monbrison has crept up in price over the past decade, but so too has the quality. Tasted October 2019. Drink 2023-2033. 90

Château Prieure-Lichiné, Grand Cru Classé, Margaux 2017

Mid depth; rose petal and apple aromatics; reminds me momentarily of the style of d’Armailhac in Pauillac, wet rock; little angular on the palate and lacks flesh with puckering finish at present. A disappointment. Tasted October 2019. Drink 2023-2032. 84

Château Rauzan-Gassies, Grand Cru Classé, Margaux, 2017

Mid depth; some leaf and blackcurrant; some pain grillé lift; solid palate with tannins a little chewy but this works. Needs a couple of years to settle. Tasted October 2019. Drink 2022-2030. 88

Château Rauzan-Ségla, Grand Cru Classé, Margaux, 2017

Mid depth some pain grillé; blackcurrants; pure and correct; nice texture with a good seam of fruit with a saline finish. This has middle but retains composure and elegance. Fresh finish. Good stuff. Sophisticated and up there with Brane Cantenac in ‘17. Tasted October 2019. Drink 2025-2037. 92+

Château Siran, Margaux, 2017

Bright and lively colour; deep at centre; little closed at first but evidently there is a lot of fruit here; fresh plum and blackcurrant emerge on aeration; clean and pure fruit on the palate; fresh and sturdy on the finish. Nicely done! Fresh and positive Margaux. Tasted October 2019. Drink 2023-2032. 90

Château du Tertre, Grand Cru Classé, Margaux, 2017

Mid depth; lighter at edge; light blackcurrant and spice notes on the aromatics; some plum; palate quite angular; has freshness with little tannin. Neither Giscours or du Tertre especially impressed at the tasting. Tasted October 2019. Drink 2023-2032. 87