Chateau Margaux Premier Grand Cru 1986
(Margaux, Bordeaux, France) - [VM 98+] [WA 97] [WS 95 & #6 of 1989]

About this wine:
Chateau Margaux is one of only four estates to be granted First Growth status in the famous Bordeaux classification of 1855. This famous estate dates back almost 1,000 years, and is recognized as producing one of the greatest wines in the entire world. Chateau Margaux is one of the few vineyards to have remained relatively unchanged for centuries, too: today the vineyards are almost the same size with 80 planted hectares of vines, as there were in 1700 (75 hectares). And the winery had impressive fans even then: Thomas Jefferson placed an order for Margaux in 1794 on which he wrote, “There couldn’t be a better Bordeaux bottle.”

Chateau Margaux is the only Bordeaux wine to bear the name of its appellation (making it a bit confusing). It is also one of the few billion-dollar wine businesses to be headed by a woman, Corinne Mentzelopoulos. (Her father André bought the chateau in the 1970s for just 72 million francs (about $17 million at the time). When he passed away in 1980, Corinne took over at age 27; her own daughter Alexandra is slated to succeed her when the time comes.)

Chateau Margaux vineyard is planted to 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc for the red wine grapes, divided into 80 parcels. The style of wine produced by Chateau Margaux at its best blends elegance, purity of fruit, harmony and finesse.

About this vintage:

Another outstanding vintage, immediately after 1985. But as much as 1985 was full of charm, 1986 was austere. Seldom has a vintage (until the 2000 and of course the 2005) been from the start as powerful and concentrated. We would have to go back to the legendary 1961 to find a previous vintage with such richness and such balance. 1986 is an astonishing vintage; its very slow development in a way reminds us of the previous generation's wines. Its tannic structure is very tight-knit, very dense and softens only very slightly from year to year. The bouquet is starting to open out; however, we feel that it is still only showing a limited part of its enormous potential. It is full and rich on the palate, still a little bit firm.(January 2011)

Ratings & Reviews

98+ Points - Vinous Media:
"The 1986 Chateau Margaux was even more emotionally moving. Still incredibly youthful, it showed incredible focus and depth, all backed up by considerable structure. As hard as it may seem to believe, on this night the 1986 appeared to still be some years away from peaking. It was striking in every way." - Antonio Galloni (Feb 2012)

97 Points - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate:
"The 1986 Chateau Margaux is one of the dark horses of the vintage. It has an exquisite bouquet that is now fully mature, with a mixture of red and black fruit, violets, pastilles and hints of cold stone. It blossoms in the glass, gaining intensity all the time. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, a more robust Margaux as you would expect given the vintage, clearly with firm backbone, more straight-laced than the 1985 or 1989. Yet there is wonderful delineation and focus here. If you seek strictness and classicism in a wine, then this is the place to come, plus there is superb mineralité and tension on the ferrous finish. Perhaps a little overlooked in recent years, the 1986 Margaux comes highly recommended for those who love the property. This is a wine finally coming of age. Tasted July 2016." - Neal Martin (Dec 2016)

95 Points & #6 Top 100 of 1989 - Wine Spectator Magazine:
"This has matured fully but still clings to a slightly rugged feel, with a briar patch note framing the core of dried currant, blackberry and bitter cherry fruit. Twinges of alder, plum skin and cedar fill in the finish, which shows a decidedly grippy edge of smoldering charcoal. Impressive for depth and power, though this very tannic Margaux may never yield fully to the inherent elegance of its terroir. It can certainly handle more cellaring.—Non-blind Château Margaux vertical (December 2013). Drink now through 2030." - JM (Nov 2014)