Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.1

More rare than common for me to try a Margaux for the first time these days.

Had this with a French prepared sirloin at Kronenhalle in Zurich.

It’s in a good drinking window. Nice fruit & style. Balanced ripe fruits and nicely resolved earth.

Kronenhalle is a good restaurant, old school environment with a huge stellar art collection, including three Picasso’s. — 2 months ago

Enebro Avila

9.5

Con los síntomas de un poco excesivo envejecimiento, pero en muy buen estado tras 43 años — 2 months ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.2

Medium lemon colour , white bright for its age . Quite reserved on the nose at first , with some lanolin , wet wool, wax , honied orange peel , touch of herbal spice . On the palate this is slightly rounder than expected , with lemon peel , hints of orange , honey and spiced apricot . Good acidity , balanced alcohol , quite textural . Medium length , slightly toasty , lightly honied lemon rind finish . Does feel like it has semillon in the blend , though it does not . Showing well still , this is at peak , though I wouldn’t leave it too much longer . A really good showing . — 3 months ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.2

La Sirène de Giscours – Margaux 2015
Margaux, Bordeaux, France 🇫🇷

Overview
Second label of the prestigious 3rd Growth Château Giscours, this cuvée shows how even secondary bottlings from classified estates can age with grace. The 2015 blend is 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, and 5% Cabernet Franc, delivering structure, elegance, and finesse in perfect harmony.

Aromas & Flavors
Vivid layers of ripe blackcurrant, raspberry, and plum glide alongside subtle cedar, tobacco, and floral spice. Delicate hints of earth and minerality frame the fruit beautifully.

Mouthfeel
Medium-bodied with polished tannins, silky texture, and a seamless balance between freshness and maturity. The finish is long, refined, and quietly powerful.

Food Pairing
Versatile with roast lamb, duck breast, or aged Comté. It also complements charcuterie or hard cheeses in a more casual setting.

Verdict
An elegant Margaux that proves second labels are no afterthought. Still very much alive, refined, and balanced—an absolute pleasure to drink.

🍷 Personal Pick Highlight
This wine reinforces my belief that second labels can often surprise and delight. The finesse and silkiness here rival many first labels—proof that patience rewards and that Margaux elegance never fails. — 3 months ago

Stefan Dolhain

9.3

1997 vintage. A nice surprise in a vintage that was not highly regarded. Today, the 1997 outshined the 2000 La Tour de Bessan. Wonderful tasting with Marie-Laure Lurton, who kindly opened older vintages of La Tour de Bessan and Villegeorge. Unfortunately the 1961 Villegeorge was corked but one could tell the structure of the wine,it should be great from a good bottle. — 5 months ago

Will Stanley

9.1

The 2016 Château Marquis d’Alesme hasn’t budged a bit since I last tasted it around four years ago. It remains a stoic, savoury Margaux with a herbaceous character and underlying inky, tangy fruit. It’s still quite shy, scarcely changing on the second night, and probably much too young still for enjoying.

Back goes the case with a big ‘do not touch’ stamp – probably for another four years.

May 2025 — 7 months ago

Peter van den Besselaar

9.2

Vintage 2015 | deep dark colour, more red than brown rim, strict in smell: cedar, vanilla, flint, tertiary notes, while still fruity in taste, some tannins, so can still improve. A real classic: refined Margaux elegance. Paired with tenderloin steak Cantonese style with garlic and paksoi, one of my favorites to pair excellent wine with. — 9 months ago

Jordan Wardlaw

9.1

Quite elegant, lifted and fresh. Classic secondary aromas and flavors with loads of acidity. — 8 years ago

Michael Spinella

8.9

Lovely. Took awhile to open up but once it did it was delicious. — 9 years ago

Philippe Dauguet

9.0

Largement au dessus de 2009 ! — 11 years ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.0

Brio de Cantenac Brown – 2020
Margaux, Bordeaux – France 🇫🇷

Overview
Brio is the second wine of Château Cantenac Brown, offering a more accessible take on Margaux. This 2020 vintage is composed of 62% Merlot, 29% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 9% Cabernet Franc, aged in French oak (25% new) to balance fruit, structure, and approachability. 
Aromas & Flavors
Juicy red fruits—raspberry, red currant—merge with cedar, baking spice, and subtle floral lift. Earthy and graphite tones bring depth.

Mouthfeel
Medium to full body, with soft but persistent tannins. The wine opens smoothly and finishes long with fruit and spice echoing.

Food Pairings
Roast lamb, duck breast, mushroom risotto, or aged cheeses. Also pairs beautifully with charcuterie.

Verdict
A concentrated, value-driven Margaux that shows the pedigree of Cantenac Brown. The 2020 Brio balances power and elegance — drink now or cellar for 8–12 years. 🍷 cheers!

Did You Know? 📌
Second wines (like Brio) are often sourced from younger vines or lots not selected for the Grand Vin, yet in 2020 Cantenac Brown treated it with care: the blend leans more Merlot than the Grand Vin to give earlier approachability. — 2 months ago

Michael Wehner

9.7

2016 complex and layered, drinkable now but better in 2030 — 2 months ago

with Margaret

Freddy R. Troya

9.0

Château LaTour de Bessan – Margaux 2022
Bordeaux – France 🇫🇷

Overview
A cru bourgeois property in the heart of Margaux, LaTour de Bessan showcases the elegance and structure that define the Left Bank. The 2022 vintage, shaped by a warm growing season, highlights both concentration and finesse — a reminder of how Margaux balances power with perfume.

Aromas & Flavors
Expressive cassis, black cherry, and blueberry meld with notes of cedar, graphite, and violet. Subtle hints of tobacco leaf and spice linger in the background, adding Bordeaux’s signature complexity.

Mouthfeel
Medium to full-bodied with polished tannins and a vibrant core of acidity. Silky yet structured, showing poise on the mid-palate and a lingering, refined finish. Built to age, but already offering glimpses of charm.

Food Pairings
Ideal with classic Bordeaux fare — roast lamb, duck breast, or beef tenderloin. Also pairs beautifully with mushroom dishes and aged cheeses like Comté.

Verdict
A stylish Margaux that balances depth with elegance. While the 2022 is still young, its aromatic lift and refined structure promise rewarding evolution over the next decade. A Left Bank classic in the making. 🍷cheers! — 3 months ago

Dave

9.5

I had a bottle of this 3 weeks ago and needed another. PnP on a rainy day. This is such an excellent value Margaux. Fruity, tannic, and singing.
Listening to Merle Haggard, one of the finest poets in music. — 3 months ago

Peter van den Besselaar

9.3

Vintage 2014 | Real Margaux delicacy, tobacco and chocolate in smell, velvety taste. In grateful memory of winefriend Kees who passed away. Paired with ribeye, zucchini tarts and stuffed tomato. — 6 months ago

Steve Mitchell

9.3

Medium tannins, smooth finish, ordered in Eze France. — 7 months ago

Rufus King

9.4

Very acceptable Margaux with medium tannin and acidity (Star) — 9 months ago

R Bl

9.0

Terroir and 20% Nielluciu add distinctive, pleasing personality to 80% Grenache. Chewy but friendly — 7 years ago

Peter Slagowitz

9.0

Out of a half bottle. Took a bit of time to open. Black fruit. Not much acid or tannin. Very approachable for a young Margaux.but lacks complexity. At this stage. — 9 years ago

with Nancy

Pierre Gravel

9.4

fruits rouge tannins soyeux , avec finale longue. Vraiment bon. — 11 years ago

romo

9.6

Impressively knit and proudly firm. A rare treat that is magically sound and correct. An ambivalence insists it has some years left. Scary. — 2 months ago

Ray Vanderhoff

8.9

Blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (70%) and Merlot (30%). Dark ruby color with a slight garnet/orange rim. Wine was quite tight upon opening so aeration was needed. Aromas of black fruit, graphite and purple flowers. Flavors of black cherry, blackberry, plums, black olives and tobacco. Distinct oaky note on the long and somewhat sharp finish. Medium-plus body and acidity. Balance was a bit off. Probably should have aged this one a bit longer. — 2 months ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.1

Medium ruby garnet , quite thin garnet ruby rim . Quite rounded blackberry , cassis , red plum , violet, cedar and burnt embers . On the palate this is quite elegant and red fruited ,red plum , cherry , blackberry and hint of red currant . Quite rounded and generous , balanced acidity and suave , velvety tannins . Medium length , with slightly smoky red fruit finish . This is showing well now , and is the middle of its drinking window . Now and over the next 5 years or so — 3 months ago

romo

9.4

Delayed attack of raspberry and clove. The finest tannin coats the mouth. Yum. — 3 months ago

Tegan Marriott

9.2

Vin de table. Corsican vermentino calling for a seafood medley= coupled with lighter seafood fare. Luminous, light, lychee & slight kirsch notes on the side. Acidity med.low, went well with our simple but elevated caprese salad! — 4 months ago

"Odedi"

9.0

Dark ruby in color with a short reddish rim.

Fruity nose and medium plus in body with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with mild complexity.

Showing red and black fruits with light wood, spices, coffee, dark chocolates, earth, tobacco leaf, herbs and peppercorn.

This 8 year old is drinking nicely now, and will continue to age nicely in the next 5 to 7 years.

Nicely balanced with nice complexity. Smooth and entertaining.

I had this vintage 5 years ago and it is drinking better now.

Good by itself or with food.

A blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot and 10% Petit Verdot. Aged in (40% new) French oak barrels for 12 months.

13.5% alcohol by volume.

90 points.

$25. — 7 months ago

James Burge

9.6

1996 get outta here. SINGING — 7 months ago

Clive McNish

9.0

Very solid, enjoyable Margaux blend. — 5 years ago

Nick Ferrall

9.2

Decent amount of funk on opening, which blew off after an hour. Bright fruit, mild tannins and a blast of herbs. Everything I want from a Cab Franc. — 8 years ago

Marca Clark

9.3

Christmas gift, drank with ham and scalloped potatoes. — 10 years ago