Chateau Margaux Premier Grand Cru Classe 2003
(Bordeaux, France) - [JL 99] [WA 98] [JS 98] [DM 97] [TWI 97] [WS 95]

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.

Ratings & Reviews

99 Points - The Wine Cellar Insider:
"One of the success stories of the vintage. Not overblown, too ripe, hot or out of balance, this is a beauty. Aromatically it's packed with blackberries, dried flowers, violets and spice, while the lush, voluptuous palate gently coats your taste receptors with creamy tannins and layers of sweet ripe fruits. Drink from 2026-2045." -Jeff Leve (Jul 2026)

98 Points - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate:
"This was the finest performance by this wine that I have seen since it was released. It is a beautiful, dark plum/purple-tinged effort with sensational aromatics, a full-bodied mouthfeel, and a youthfulness, precision and freshness that belie what one generally associates with this vintage. It can be drunk now and over the next 15-20 years. Kudos to Chateau Margaux." -Robert M. Parker, Jr. (Aug 2014)

98 Points - James Suckling:
"This is a wonderful surprise. Showing an amazing nose of dried raspberries, strawberries, and flowers. On the palate this wine is full bodied, with pretty framed fruit and silky tannins. This wine is deep and wonderful, with scores of complexity... fascinating stuff. This is drinking like an old classic right now, but could still use five years in the bottle. Don't pull the cork until at least 2015 to see it's true glory."

97 Points - Decanter:
"This monumental wine boasts a super-ripe bouquet of fig, plum and blackberry fruit, with cedar, pepper and earth notes. The spice from the cask ageing is present but integrated. The body is rich, the texture is firmly tannic but not unapproachable, and a well-proportioned sense of balance suggests this will age for decades to come. An ample demonstration that torrid years such as 2003 can produce wines of lasting beauty. Drinking Window: 2023-2070." -Charles Curtis MW (Jul 2023)

97 Points - The Wine Independent:
"A blend of 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot, the 2003 Chateau Margaux has a deep garnet color, with a touch of brick. It springs from the glass with surprisingly spritely notes of blackcurrant jelly, baked plums, and star anise, giving way to an undercurrent of Sichuan pepper, kirsch, unsmoked cigars, cedar, dried roses, and forest floor. The medium-bodied palate is completely filled with ripe, expressive black fruits and perfumed floral and exotic spice layers, framed by very firm, sturdy tannins and plenty of freshness, finishing long and earthy. “In 2003 we were tempted to correct, but we didn’t,” commented current managing director Philippe Bascaules, who was working with the late managing director Paul Pontallier in 2003. “I think it is better not to help nature but to permit.” This 2003 is delicious now, yet it has the stuffing to cellar for another 20+ years." -Lisa Perrotti-Brown (Nov 2024)

95 Points - Wine Spectator:
"Shows a note of torréfaction typical of the vintage, but uses it to its advantage, coupling it with accents of ganache and dark tobacco leaf along with rich plum, currant and fig compote flavors. The finish is slightly firm, with alder and plum skin details, but this has pretty impressive composure considering the vintage. -- Blind '01/'03/'05 Bordeaux retrospective (December 2017). Drink now through 2035." (Feb 2018)