Tasting Notes
Neal Martin 95
The 2004 Château Margaux is a vintage that I tasted earlier this year at the château, although here it is a rare chance to savor the wine from neck to punt. What a joy. It is certainly open for business on the nose, leaning towards red rather than black fruit, violet and peony, cedar and light just a touch of tobacco. The palate is initially fleshy and caressing, a sensual Margaux. Yet after 30 minutes, it begins to firm up and reveal more backbone and tannic structure. It has unerring purity with a divine, poised satin-textured finish. This surely stands as one of the wines of the vintage.
Anticipated maturity: 2024-2048
Vinous 94
Bright red-ruby. Knockout nose features boysenberry, currant, cedar, graphite and mocha. Suave, gentle and sweet, already displaying ineffable inner-mouth perfume. The 17% merlot component injects a silky component, and the oak element adds a complementary sweetness. Complex, lush, horizontal finish saturates the mouth with flavor. It was not clear to me in April that the 2006 would exceed this-and it will certainly take longer to reach full maturity in bottle.
Wine Advocate 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.
Anticipated maturity: 2020-2050
