Is 2010 a good year for Margaux?
Margaux 2010 was a great year for Margaux, nearly as good as 2009. For most properties, 2010 resulted in very high tannins and alcohol, which needed gentle handling in the winery. Most succeeded in producing aromatic, fresh styles with a fair amount of tannins, which will soften over time.
The lovely 2012 should be drinkable in 4-5 years and last for two decades. This is tannic and rich on the finish. Lacks a bit on the center palate, but full and very pretty fruit. Long finish.
These include 2012, 2009, 2008, 2006, 2004 and 2002. 2012 was characterized by a brilliant August and a dry September that produced a small but superb harvest, especially for Pinot Noir. Some top winemakers say that 2012 was as great as 1952. 2012 vintage Champagne will be a must buy in 2020.
In the case of Margaux, it was an increase of 11% over the 2013 release. As Chateau Margaux is one of the top wines of the 2014 Bordeaux vintage, and the wine is priced competitively when measured against recent back vintages, the wine should sell.
Overall, 2011 was generally a better year for cooler climate wines over warmer and hotter climate wines. However, the sheer variability in quality means the year is unlikely to go down as one of the greats.
The best vintages of Margaux wines.
The top vintages for Margaux are: 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2006, 2005, 2005, 2000, 1999, 1996, 1995, 1990, 1983, 1961, 1959, 1953, 1945, 1934, 1929, 1928 and 1900.
Overall, the 2016 vintage for Margaux was excellent and produced a wide range of wines at almost every price point. Although some wines will make excellent early drinking, the best examples should reward decades in the cellar, however, careful research is advisable.
How long does unopened wine last? Though unopened wine has a longer shelf life than opened wine, it can go bad. Unopened wine can be consumed past its printed expiration date if it smells and tastes OK.
Without any doubt among the best vintages of Bordeaux red wines we can find at the top the legendary vintages of 1990, 2005 and 2009, 1945 and 1961. Other sensational vintages of Bordeaux follow such as 1985, 1986, 1989, 1996, 1998, 2000.
t's back to the future for Bordeaux red wines. After 2021 was defined by balance and levels of ripeness that harked back to the last century, the 2022 vintage bears the stamp of a series of heat waves illustrating the reality of climate change.
Which Bordeaux wine is the best?
- Clos de la Vieille Eglise Castillon. 4.3 out of 5 stars. ...
- Mouton Cadet Red. 4.3 out of 5 stars. ...
- Chateau de Ferrand St-Emilion Grand Cru. 4.3 out of 5 stars. ...
- Chateau La Jorine St. Emilion. ...
- Chateau Pavie Macquin St. ...
- Chateau Monbousquet St Emilion. ...
- Chateau La Tonnelle Haut Medoc Bordeaux. ...
- Chateau De Cornemps.
The 2022 Bordeaux en primeur harvest, which started early and is now underway, is expected to yield less than its five-year average following devastating Spring frosts and June hailstorms prior to the drought later in the summer. Quality is being whispered about as this year's crop hits the sorting tables.
The 2016 growing season started with winter and spring rains that were near normal, compared to the drought conditions of 2012-2015. The warm and dry summer contributed to an early harvest. The resulting wines are flavorful, and the red wines deeply colored.
Typically, for red and white wines that age for 10 to 20 years, think Cabernet Sauvignon, Brunello, Barolo, red Bordeaux, Sauternes, ice wine, Semillon and German Riesling.
The 2014 vintage was good overall, but there were some problems. In Europe, much of the summer was marked by dank and humid conditions, ideal for the fruit fly drosophila suzukii.
The 2014 vintage is the year Bordeaux came back to the market. After three less than stellar vintages (2011, 2012 and 2013), this vintage has produced many excellent wines, some verging on superb, with quality that reaches deep into the unclassified estates. The 2014 vintage sings of fruit.
2016 Vintage - Bordeaux. The 2016 vintage of Bordeaux is widely considered to be excellent, even legendary. The winter was wet and one of the warmest ever recorded. The warm, humid conditions continued throughout spring, speeding up growth and prompting an early budburst.
2011 Vintage - Bordeaux. The 2011 Bordeaux vintage was generally poor in comparison to the brilliant 2010 and 2009. The weather throughout the growing season was, frankly, freakish. Both the winter and spring were dry with the latter becoming unnervingly hot in places, prompting an extremely early budburst.
Bordeaux in 2012 has produced some delicious, forward but not simple red wines, many outstanding dry white wines but, sadly, few Sauternes of note. This is a vintage for which generalisations are inadvisable.
2012 was truly a phenomenal growing season for wine grapes, especially during the critical months of April, May and June when the annual grapevine lifecycle begins. Spring temperatures were cool but not too cold with minimal rain and no frost during bud break, and bud break helps determine the quantity of the vintage.
Should you decant Margaux?
In general, it's better not to decant too long before serving. It's not necessary to decant the Pavillon Blanc du Château Margaux when it's young. But after a few years, it's preferable to pour it into a carafe before serving.
The Grand Vin 'Château Margaux' is recognized as one of the world's finest wines, however the second and third wine rival top wines from other Chateaux and the Pavillon Blanc is one of the most compelling Sauvignon Blanc's is the world.
Bordeaux 2016 to drink today
The impatient among us will rejoice: not all Bordeaux requires long years of cellaring. Some bottles of 2016 vintage can therefore be enjoyed already. From Chateau Rollan de By, whose aromas of black cherries and blackcurrants, tobacco and spices are already incredibly delicious.
The 2016 vintage was mostly excellent. It was an El Niño year, which heavily influences weather systems, particularly in the Southern Hemisphere. Europe tends to be less affected. And in Europe, France enjoyed a wonderful year.
Chateau Margaux is one of the well-known wines from the Bordeaux region in France. It is famous by the fact that this wine has got a luxury and high quality notoriety, and also stand out from the competitors thanks to the quality of is first growth produce with carefully selected grapes.
When stored properly and kept unopened, white wines can often outlive their recommended drinking window by 1-2 years, red wines by 2-3 years, and cooking wines by 3-5 years. Fine wine — as you may have guessed — can typically be consumed for decades.
If you store a wine properly, it can last a very long time -- think 20, 30, even 40 years. However, even a good aging wine, stored in anything less than the ideal conditions, will quickly go bad.
- Pay Attention to Temperature. ...
- Maintain the Right Humidity. ...
- Keep the Light Out. ...
- Allow Clean Airflow. ...
- Turn the Bottle Sideways. ...
- Avoid Movement and Vibrations.
The best aged red wines tend to be Port, cabernet sauvignon, merlot, sangiovese, monastrell, cabernet franc, nebbiolo, malbec, and syrah. Other full-bodied wines with robust structures will also age well, but we zeroed in on these nine as our top choices for the cellar treatment.
A wine vintage is the year in which the grapes were harvested. A wine's vintage can greatly affect the taste and quality, primarily because of the weather that affects the vines throughout the growing season.
What is the prettiest wine region in France?
Bordeaux. One of the world's most famous wine regions, Bordeaux is home to a number of esteemed vineyards and truly beautiful chateaux — you can even spend the night in a castle-like residence on a historic wine estate.
According to Cécile Mathiaud, head of PR at the BIVB (Bourgogne Wine Board), “after historically low volumes in 2021, followed by some tricky weather during the growth cycle, the 2022 vintage is proving to be a pleasant surprise, and one that combines both quality and quantity”.
The Cabernet-driven Left Bank wines tend to be higher in tannin — again, making them good candidates for aging, which helps to mellow out the tannins and integrate the flavors of the wine. Merlot-driven Right Bank wines are generally smoother, with softer fruit flavors and balancing, but not dominating, tannins.
Bordeaux are known for their age-ability. A good Bordeaux from a good year can age for decades because the tannins in the wine act as a natural preservative. Over time, the tannins loose a lot of the “fight” in them as the remain in an anaerobic environment, and mellow.
Bordeaux: The five first growths
There are five châteaux in Bordeaux that truly need no introduction. Known as the first growths, or the premier cru classés, they are Haut-Brion, Lafite Rothschild, Mouton Rothschild, Latour and Margaux.
The wines of Bordeaux and Burgundy are quite different. Generally, red Bordeauxs will be bigger, heavier and more tannic or drying than wines from Burgundy. I'd expect purple fruit, tobacco and anise flavors in Bordeaux, while Burgundies should show off red fruit flavors, spice and fresh earth notes.
Wine Name | Score | Ave Price |
---|---|---|
Petrus, Pomerol | 96 | $3715 |
Le Pin, Pomerol | 95 | $3696 |
Château Lafite Rothschild, Pauillac | 95 | $1006 |
Château Haut-Brion Blanc, Pessac-Léognan | 95 | $952 |
Bordeaux, France
Perhaps the world's best known wine region producing some of the world's finest wines.
It's quite true that an older wine is usually more expensive than a younger wine, but you should be aware that this adage only applies to red wines. What happens when time passes and a wine starts to age is that time alters the overall flavor of the fruit in the wine. Time also lowers the wine's tannin and acidity.
The most striking difference between Burgundy's 2016 and 2017 vintages is not immediately in their quality, but in their respective quantities… 2016 was a year of scarcity, producing 20% less than the regional average. 2017, on the other hand, was more generous, bringing an above-average yield.
Was 2015 or 2016 a better year for wine?
2015 and 2016 were glorious years, though different in nature, as both were warm, with 2015 offering riper red wines, while the reds in 2016 are better structured for long-term cellaring. 2015 was an especially notable year for white wines (Verdicchio, Grechetto from Lazio and Umbria).
The 2015 vintage was an excellent year for wine and buyers are spoilt for choice. Europe had an intensely hot summer and many regions were affected by drought, but luck seemed to be mostly on the growers' side as the majority pulled through, delivering often stunning wines.
Scientists have long thought a natural compound called resveratrol, which is found in some red wines, could help slow the aging process by helping to protect tissues inside the body.
Nasty, with underlying notes of totally gross. A typical wine from ancient times would have had a nose redolent of tree sap, giving way to a salty palate, and yielded a finish that could only charitably be compared to floor tile in a public restroom.
- Nebbiolo – around 20 years.
- Aglianico – around 20 years.
- Cabernet Sauvignon – 10-20 years.
- Tempranillo – 10-20 years.
- Sangiovese – 7-17 years.
- Merlot – 7-17 years.
- Syrah – 5-15 years.
- Pinot Noir – around 10 years (although longer for Burgundies)
The 2010 vintage for Bordeaux is recognized as legendary across the board. A truly great year, despite an exceedingly dry growing season that was not without its problems but, in the end, delivered. A cold winter delayed the initial vine growth, which slowed and disrupted both budburst and flowering.
Despite such an irregular growing season, however, 2010 produced an excellent set of wines. Higher acidities and fresh fruit tones, a consequence of the unusually cool season, make the vintage especially compelling—and drinkable.
The 2010 vintage for Burgundy was extremely good. A harsh winter saw heavy frosts damage vines and conditions failed to improve much in both spring and early summer. A cool, damp June made flowering difficult and concerns around rot and mildew raised their ugly heads.
Overall, 2009 is widely considered an excellent year and there will be a plethora of wines drinking excellently with the very best examples likely to cellar well for some time to come. A hard year to go wrong with.
The 2015 Bordeaux vintage is considered to be exceptionally good, although perhaps not quite legendary. Spring was balmier than usual, with a warm April and a mini heatwave striking early May, which helped build to a successful flowering. Rain fell after flowering, providing welcome relief for the vines.
Why is 2016 a good vintage?
The 2016 vintage was mostly excellent. It was an El Niño year, which heavily influences weather systems, particularly in the Southern Hemisphere. Europe tends to be less affected. And in Europe, France enjoyed a wonderful year.
The 2015 vintage was an excellent year for wine and buyers are spoilt for choice. Europe had an intensely hot summer and many regions were affected by drought, but luck seemed to be mostly on the growers' side as the majority pulled through, delivering often stunning wines.
The 2014 vintage was good overall, but there were some problems. In Europe, much of the summer was marked by dank and humid conditions, ideal for the fruit fly drosophila suzukii.
Overall, the harvest was extremely small – for some it was the tiniest on record – but the grapes that survived the frosts and rot were generally of exceptionally high quality. Many accounts proclaim Burgundy 2016 to be a very classic vintage, one renowned for its balance and poise.
The 2014 Burgundy got off to a difficult start but still managed to produce a good vintage. The spring was mild and very dry leading to a successful early budburst and flowering. The warm, even conditions continued through June, until a violent hailstorm struck late in the month.
2011 is a good to very good Burgundy vintage, both for reds and whites.
With the 2009s, of which we tasted well over 150, the main problem was oxidation, particularly but not exclusively in Pomerol and St-Émilion on the right bank, suggesting that the wines have evolved far quicker than the general rule of thumb for fine bordeaux, that it should be ready to start to drink at around 10 ...
For Bordeaux, the 2009 vintage is widely regarded as legendary. The year produced excellent wines across the board, including those from the sweet wine appellations of Sauternes and Barsac. Although, the growing season began with a warm early spring, both March and April brought rain.
Overall, the 2008 vintage was good but, for most regions, it stopped short of being truly excellent. It is also worth mentioning that much of the 2008 vintage would suffer in the wake of the 2008 global recession, which heavily disrupted the financial world.