1998 Margaux Bordeaux Blend - France - Bordeaux - Margaux - Red - First Growth

Medium ruby. Cool, floral aromas of red berries, violet, cocoa powder, graphite and spicy oak, along with a whiff of smoked meat. Juicy, sharply delineated and austere; a classic, adamantly dry claret with superb intensity and grip. This is beginning to close up, unlike the '99. But really expands on the very long, perfumed finish. Tannins are dusty but even.

Sweet nose that seemed slightly oaky at first – certainly very different from the rest and perhaps not quite as perfumed and silky as one would like. Although it grew in the glass to be more stereotypically Margaux – certainly no lack of concentration and fruit… Lots of life and energy and then attractive sweetness all within a pretty firm framework. Attractive balance. Still very dense – seems at about the right point of evolution for a 10 year-old first growth. Still quite a bit of tannin but the fruit is maturing nicely. Very fresh – may be too much so?

The 1998 Margaux's color is a dense ruby/purple. The wine is tannic and austere, but elegant, with notes of asphalt, blackberries, acacia flowers, and sweet, toasty oak. Subtle, rich, nicely-textured, and medium-bodied, it is built for the long haul.

Gorgeous aromas of berry, currant and exotic spices, especially cinnamon. Medium- to full-bodied, with layers of silky tannins and ripe berry and raspberry on the palate. An outstanding Margaux.

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