Château Margaux (Premier Grand Cru Classé) 2013 (750ml)

LOGAN

The particularly cool temperatures at the end of winter and into spring delayed the shooting and then the flowering by a good ten days compared to the average. And as it also rained a lot during this period, the flowering was slow and the formation of the grapes difficult which caused a generalised “millerandage” and a bad problem of “coulure” - falling of underdeveloped fruit - in the Merlots. This latter phenomenon turned out to be more moderate for the Cabernets. Straightaway, we knew that the 2013 vintage wouldn’t be plentiful…


Fortunately, the summer drought enabled the grapes to catch up some of their lateness: at the moment of changing colour, we didn’t find the same heterogeneity as at the moment of flowering. It is also possible that their low quantity accentuated the catching up. At the beginning of September hope was growing for a harvest, certainly small, but that seemed to be ripening under excellent conditions.
September was paradoxical, relatively dry, but damp at the same time. Frequent small bursts of rain, in fact, maintained a raised ambient humidity without causing too much precipitation. So there was everything to play for until the end of the month when a sudden development of Botrytis led us to a quick start of the harvest; in the end, the grapes would lose just a few days’ ripening, enough to dash the hopes of a great vintage, not enough to take away all its promises.
The harvest of the whites took place from the 19th to the 27th of September, and that of the reds, from the 30th of September to the 11th of October.

Although it is a relatively easy matter to produce an excellent third wine from a great terroir in a very good year, it is a more delicate exercise with some vintages where all the plots don’t reach perfect ripeness.
So what should we do with a vintage like 2013 without betraying our commitment to excellence? Indeed, some late plots of Cabernet or Merlot, affected by the “millerandage”, a condition that produces very small berries, have not always met our expectations.
It was with this in mind that we carried out the blending of the vintage. We decided to “support” the Margaux de Château Margaux with some very good batches which had been earmarked for the Pavillon Rouge, and at the same time, we relegated nearly a quarter of the production to the fourth selection. We thought that the Margaux du Château Margaux would be blended from the relegated batches, when in fact it is completely composed of wines that used to go into the Pavillon Rouge, which left the quantity sold in bulk unchanged.
Therefore Margaux du Château Margaux 2013 benefits from the extreme selection carried out on the Pavillon Rouge (which only represents 21% of the harvest), and from the removal of the least successful plots (all of which went into the fourth selection sold in bulk).
The Merlot makes up only 12% of the blend, putting the emphasis on the Cabernet Sauvignon which was the main success of the vintage (88% of the whole).

It is just like all the best wines of the vintage, fresh, fragrant, very soft on the palate, and with no hint of harshness or aggression. It is a charming wine that appeals to delicate foods and although it does not have the same keeping capacity as the other vintages, will nevertheless offer immediate pleasure to the enthusiasts who taste it.

95 points Wine Enthusiast

 *Cellar Selection* This wine is smooth, ripe with fine tannins and red plum and black-currant fruits that are soft and gentle. Acidity dominates at this stage, supported by the tannins. It brings out the fruit and freshness of the year while also keeping some structure from the high percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend. (RV)  (3/2016)

94 points Decanter

 Lovely fragrant nose – floral-sweet, the perfume of Margaux. A textbook Margaux with a hint of Musigny, all delicacy and purity with an undeniable sense of place. (SS)  (4/2014)

94 points James Suckling

 A firm and tight Margaux with structure and elegance. Full bodied and tight. Lovely silky tannins and layers of texture and flavor. Currant and chocolate undertones.  (2/2016)

91-94 points Vinous

 The 2013 Margaux is impressive. I could describe the aromas and flavors, but ultimately, the 2013 is really a wine of texture above all else. An intensely floral finish gives lift to the dark red fruit in an understated, classy wine long on finesse. For the first time, Margaux includes no Merlot in 2013. This is a terrific showing. The blend is 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot. (AG)  (4/2014)

89-92 points Int'l Wine Cellar

 Full, deep red. Restrained but very deep aromas of blueberry, redcurrant and quinine; a real step up in concentration from the Pavillon Rouge. Sharply focused and gripping in the mouth, with enticingly sappy, creamy red and dark berry flavors complicated by minty tobacco and sweet spices. Finishes very broad and long, with suave tannins and a lingering impression of vibrancy. (ID)  (6/2014)

91 points Wine Spectator

 This is velvety and suave, with alluring fresh plum, sleek cassis and warmed raspberry coulis flavors that are nicely melded together, picking up rooibos tea, singed sandalwood and mineral accents through the lovely finish. Refined and approachable already, but has enough range and length for cellaring. A wine of style. (JM)  (3/2016)

88-90 points Wine Advocate

 A Cabernet Sauvignon-dominated wine that reflects the vintage, the 2013 Chateau Margaux is a blend of 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot. For the first time, there is no Merlot in the blend. Moreover, only 38% of the crop made it into Margaux, a finesse-styled, classic effort offering notes of spring flowers, blue and red fruits, decent acidity, sweet tannin, and a lovely, round, medium-bodied mouthfeel. The 2013 is not as concentrated as a great vintage, nor does it have the power and length of a top year, but it is a well-made, charming red to enjoy during its first 10-12 years of life. (RP)  (8/2014)