2023 Chateau Margaux - Margaux (750ml) [PRE ARRIVAL]

Few estates need introduction, yet the 2023 vintage marks a significant milestone: Château Margaux received its official organic certification in 2023, formalizing a long-standing commitment to sustainable viticulture across one of Bordeaux's most storied properties. Philippe Bascaules describes the 2023 vintage as "another hot, dry year" at Château Margaux, but one characterized by regular rains and comparatively overcast skies. Picking began on September 11 and concluded on October 5, with sorting remaining entirely manual, performed by the pickers themselves in the vineyards. 

The grand vin represents 41% of production — notably higher than the 25 hl/ha of the previous year — and the blend features the highest percentage of Cabernet Franc ever included. The final blend is 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot, aged 20 months in 100% new oak barrels. 

In competition for wine of the vintage, a single swirl reveals roses, violets, lilacs, and blackcurrants, with red cherries, espresso, cocoa, and boysenberries in a haunting aromatic profile. On the palate, the wine is silky, velvety, energetic, and lively — rather than the weight and intensity of the 2022, the 2023 focuses on purity, refinement, length, vivacity, and sensual textures. The seamless finish resonates for sixty seconds. 

Philippe Bascaules himself called the 2023 "a classic wine for a vintage that is not so classic," drawing comparisons to the great vintages of the 1980s and 1990s, while noting more concentration and firmer tannins.