Chateau Margaux 2000

JAMES SUCKLING: "The 2000 Margaux kicked off a string of great wines. The aromas are spellbinding, with notes of raspberry and strawberry. The palate is incredibly silky yet structured. Impeccable balance."

DECANTER: "Violet and iris aromatics curling out of the glass, starting to reach their full expression at 20 years old. Beautifully finessed and elegant, with hints of black truffle, cloves and rich blackberry fruits, this is a vintage that showcases the best of Margaux. It took its time to reach this point but it has been worth the wait, and the wine just gets better and better over a few hours in the glass. Highlights the success of the partnership between owner Corinne Mentzelopoulos and director Paul Pontantallier, with this château delivering some of the most memorable wines of the turn of the century years in Bordeaux."

JEB DUNNUCK: "Tasted from magnum, the 2000 Château Margaux is a prodigious, flawless wine that shows the elegance and seductive hallmark of the estate paired with incredible density, depth, and richness. Its still-ruby/purple color is followed by sensational notes of crème de cassis, spring flowers, lead pencil, and sandalwood that develop beautifully with time in the glass. Medium to full-bodied, opulent, and seamless, with a multi-dimensional, layered texture, it has a massive mid-palate, sweet tannins, and a finish that won’t quit. It’s drinking brilliantly today, and there’s certainly no need to delay gratification, but it’s going to continue evolving for another 3-4 decades. Bordeaux (or red wine, for that matter) doesn’t get any better. The 2000 is a blend of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Merlot brought up new barrels."

FALSTAFF: "Kräftiges Rubingranat, zarte Randaufhellung. Perfekte Nase, exotische Anklänge, feine Röstaromen, saftige dunkle Beerenfrucht, Herzkirschen, zart nach Mandarinenzesten. Intensiv, feinwürzig, seidige Tannine, toller Schokoladetouch, herrliche Länge, mineralisch, Nachhall von schwarzen Kirschen, vermittelt eine geniale Leichtfüßigkeit und Finesse, wirkt fast etwas verspielt, große Länge, sicheres Potenzial. Margaux-Trinkvergnügen pur."

LISA PERROTTI-BROWN: "The 2000 Chateau Margaux is deep garnet in color, with a touch of brick. It leaps from the glass with evocative scents of plum preserves, blackberry pie, and redcurrant jelly, leading to wafts of dried lavender, powdered cinnamon, and tobacco leaf, with a hint of crushed rocks. The medium-bodied palate is filled with black fruits and savory accents, with a velvety texture and seamless freshness, leading to a perfectly balanced, lingering perfume of a finish. Graceful, flawless perfection."

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "Now, you are talking. This is a heat-stopping vintage of Margaux. The perfume, with its lavender, lilacs, currants, plums, cedar and tobacco hits you. But it is the rich, opulent, silky, sensuous, multi-layered palate presence with its seamless finish that steals the show. Drink this now, or age it for 2-3-4 decades!"

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "Tasted blind, the 2000 Chateau Margaux was a reminder of the peaks that the millennial vintage could reach. Noticeably deep in color, the bouquet rivets you to the seat with copious red berry fruit, clove and truffle, hints of cedar emerging with time. As the aromatics open and aerate, the fruit profile seems to darken and manifests blackcurrants and bilberries. The palate is medium-bodied with filigree tannin. There is immense depth and symmetry conveyed by this First Growth, quite masculine for the estate with a gentle but insistent grip. It is a brilliant wine that flirts with perfection. Afford it another 3-4 years if you can, because it will last decades. Tasted November 2016."

WINE SPECTATOR: " This continues to be a jaw-dropper, with beguiling lapsang souchong tea, singed sandalwood and fresh bay leaf aromas slowly wending along, while the core of pure cassis, raspberry reduction and warmed fig notes sits on a throne of perfectly embedded charcoal and tar-laced tannins. And with all the heft, there's a beautifully long iron note to give the finish cut and elegance. Just dreamy."

WEINWISSER: "Sattes, dichtes Rubinrot, nur leicht aufhellende Ränder. Volles, laszives Bouquet mit enorm jugendlicher Frucht, facettenreicher Würze und zarter Röstaromatik. Weitgefächerte Vielschichtigkeit, in der Cassis, blaue Beeren und eine aparte Minzenote den Ton angeben. Am Gaumen mit delikater Saftigkeit superber Balance punktend, die zart cremige Textur fördert den hedonistischen Trinkfluss, wirkt gerade enorm zugänglich, pure Trinkfreude, grosser Wein."

JANCIS ROBINSON: "Dense crimson. Lovely subtlety. Definite minerals and lift. Great nose with lots of exciting elements. Should one be worried it is this developed? Lovely wine with dry but not drying finish. Wonderfully mellifluous."