Chateau Margaux Margaux 2006

Cabernet Sauvignon 86%, Merlot 10%, Petit Verdot 2%, Cabernet Franc 2%. Dark, fairly exotic, plum-fruit character here. There are notes of scented damsons and dark plums, and overall this is broad, expressive, rich and stylish. It has quite a firm and energetic palate, fresh and lifted. On the palate, notes of perfumed plums, dark and pure and concentrated. An attractive spice to it as well. Not the finesse of 2010 that's for sure. A surprisingly refined palate despite that 'solid' character on the nose, balanced and fresh, with good acids but not a huge firmness. Very fine cottony tannins give the structure, showing their form on the finishTo sum up, Château Margaux is an estate clearly worthy of its position as a first growth. The grand vin has bounced back from a period of under-performing in the 1970s, brought out of this era with great effect by André and then Corinne Mentzelopoulos, and of course their consultants and assistants, not least the skilful Paul Pontallier. No other château has demonstrated such a convincing turn-around in such a short space of time, I feel.