Chronicle n° 127: what an evening! Château Margaux versus Château Haut-Brion   1996, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008. Purchased bottles.

• Château Margaux versus Château Haut-Brion 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 Chronicle n° 127 ( February 8, 2012) What an evening! Take the word of a demanding critic for it! Grander than the comparative tasting Petrus – Le Pin, better than Mouton-Rothschild versus Lafite-Rothschild versus Latour, or even than the Mouton-Rothschild vertical - with 50 vintages in the line-up. It truly was a celebration of the gôut à la française, with a dazzling Château Margaux and infinite pleasure each mouthful we took. The outcome was particularly gratifying for me, as Château Margaux has pride of place in my book as the leading red in Bordeaux. All that remained to be done was to sample it blind and in public from bottles that had been purchased. I was not disappointed. This hedonistic and aesthetic success has a lot to do with Haut Brion and château Margaux both boasting a gloriously elegant tactile feel on the palate, plenty of taste, refine tannins and a beautifully aromatic length. And yet, they are not alike. Because of a higher percentage of merlot, for the same vintage, Haut Brion’s colour often appears more evolved than château Margaux’s – a give-away at blind tastings. On the nose, the merlot gives Haut Brion a more meaty character, when the expression of fruit is more vibrant and precise in château Margaux. I expected to find the typical smoky notes of the Pessac appellation in Haut Brion, but I found more of them in château Margaux! They are induced by new oak, without the wine ever being oaky – a beauty! On the palate, château Margaux is better structured and more powerful, which can be explained not only by lower yields but above all by a higher vine density (10, 000 vines/ha) than at Haut Brion - now increasing density whenever replanting. Although the merlot percentage – the variety responsible for the quality on entry - is higher in Haut Brion, château Margaux’s presence and flesh on entry are truly sublime. The quality of its flesh also seems to be linked to a riper harvest. Too many green hints can be perceived on the nose for Haut Brion. Since Jean-Philippe Delmas took over from his father at the Haut Brion estate, he has been particularly attentive to picking at the right point of maturity and has brought in the cabernet sauvignon later on in the season. The change can be felt from the 2007 vintage onwards and is particularly clear in the 2008, the only Haut Brion bottle to perform better than château Margaux in the tasting. On the palate, the two leaders do not evolve the same way. Château Margaux is often denser and fuller on entry - a characteristic it retains right through to the finish. Haut Brion tends to be more discreet to start with- hence the impression of crescendo in its journey through the palate. I was very impressed by some vintages when aromas came bouncing back on finish - a precious and rare occurrence for any wine which Haut Brion should endeavour to include in its signature. Conclusion : All the participants were bowled over by the incredibly high standard and the divine pleasure induced by the wines. They did not expect to be so, which goes to show that no matter how prestigious the labels, they still have a way to go to let their true worth known. The tasting brought to light that the top vintages can easily be over-estimated and that the true worth of the allegedly smaller vintages is often overlooked. The discrimination between great and small years may have made sense in the past, but things have definitely changed. The superb way the lesser praised vintages now hold their own is a credit to both estates’ drive for quality. Before the tasting, who would have bet on the 2002 performing better than the 1996? A bottle of Château Margaux is first and foremost the soul of château Margaux, before being of any given year. The wines were served blind and decanted in the order below and in flights of four. Date: January 30, 2012 First flight: 2002 versus 1996 MARGAUX 2002 Score out of 20 : 18,5 Score out of 100 : 96 Logo on cork : upside down T An incredible score given the year! The bottle performed very well - better than in Paris 12 months ago. Was it down to a longer decantation, the cork, or simply the current state of the wine? A score to be confirmed. Refine and clean nose of fruit, with delicate hints of truffle and a pinch of coconut. Mellow, melting and powerful with lush taste of truffle. Precise texture throughout. Refine tannins on finish. A beauty! Taste it now - before 2025. Pleasure score: 17 (92) HAUT BRION 2002 Score out of 20 : 17,25 Score out of 100 : 93 Logo on cork : upside down T A less bright and intense red. Fresh and subtle nose of flowers, but no surge of aromas after stirring. Lively and perky on the palate, with plenty of taste and refine tannins, but a touch over-oaky. Good finish, but showing a little too much restraint overall. Wait until 2015. Pleasure score: 16.5 (90) HAUT BRION 1996 Score out of 20 : 16 Score out of 100 : 88-89 Logo on cork : upside down T Dense colour with tawny hues. Slightly green on the nose. Pleasantly soft tactile feel on the palate, a touch dull taste-wise and firmer on finish. Somewhat lacking in generosity. The previous 1996 Haut Brion, which I tasted at the estate, performed better. MARGAUX 1996 Score out of 20 : 17,25 Score out of 100 : 93 Logo on cork : upside down T Deep red with brick hues. Intense and elegant nose of fresh and ripe fruit. Aromatic and lively on the palate, quite racy – almost vivid - but particularly savoury on finish. Gorgeous aromatic length with fine-grained tannins and personality. 2012-2013. Pleasure score: 16.5 (90) Second flight: 2003 versus 2000 A truly outstanding flight that bowled us over. The progress in quality due to a better maturity of the grapes came to light, and favoured the 2003s. HAUT BRION 2003 Score out of 20 : 17,75-18 Score out of 100 : 94-95 Logo on cork : upside down T Intense deep dark red. Refine, subtle and smoked nose of truffle and ripe fruit. Velvety on entry, if not boasting a particularly tight frame. Melting with grace through to the utterly delicious, tasty and subtly discreet finish. Good length. Drink 2012- 2040. Pleasure score: 17 (92) MARGAUX 2003 Score out of 20 : 20 Score out of 100 : 100 Logo on cork : Letter « A » inside a circle Intense deep red. Truly magnificent nose of truffle and ripe fruits with notes of coffee and a floral hint. Positively dazzling and superbly generous and broad on entry then revealing layers of complex and lush aromas before liveliness and freshness spring back on the palate. Powerful, fleshy, juicy and complex through to the long lingering and incredibly elegant finish. Sublime ! The perfect balance between fat and liveliness. A beauty! Drink 2012-2020. 2 bottles have had a similar score since June 2011. Pleasure score: 18(95) MARGAUX 2000 Score out of 20 : 19 Score out of 100 : 97 Logo on cork : upside down T Beautiful deep dark red. Complex, clean and subtle nose - less intense than the 2003 but fresh. Pretty entry: delicately pulpy, subtle and crammed with taste. Perky on the palate, melting with grace and revealing tannins a touch firm and slightly less ripe than the 2003. Yet, its elegance and the fresh expression of fruit are a true wonder. Only now beginning to open up. From 2015. Pleasure score: 17 (92) HAUT BRION 2000 Score out of 20 : 18 Score out of 100 : 95 Logo on cork : upside down T Intense deep red with brick hues. A hint of greenness on the nose – a shame, really. Broad and generous on entry, with fruit, leading to a beautifully fat and powerful performance and ripe expression of fruit. Tannic on finish. Once again, the unique and distinctive presence on finish and the length are the true hallmark of the cru. Drink 2015- 2045. Pleasure score: 16.5 (90) Third flight : 2005 versus 2004 – surprises in store ! HAUT BRION 2005 Score out of 20: 16,75 Score out of 100 : 91 Logo on cork : upside down T Deep dark red. Rather animal nose- very merlot. Fresh and slightly green at the same time. Lacking a real presence on entry but then becoming silky, smokey and aromatic - but not convincingly enticing. Showing restraint on finish. Average length leading to a dead end. Should be left to brood in the cellar. Pleasure score: 16 (88-89) MARGAUX 2005 Score out of 20 : 18 Score out of 100 : 95 Logo on cork: upside down T Deep dark red, more youthful than Haut Brion. Intense and refine nose of ripe fruit – subtle and complex. Stunning on the palate: fleshy, melting and wonderfully aromatic. Marked but refine tannins on finish with elegant taste and a hint of ink and blackcurrant. A beauty! To be honest, I never realized I was sampling the 2005! Leave it to brood in your cellar until 2020. Pleasure score; 16.5 (90) HAUT BRION 2004 Score out of 20 : 17,25 Score out of 100 : 93 Logo on cork : upside down T More evolved in colour than château Margaux. Less vibrant on the nose - less fresh, more merlot and animal. Discreet entry and average mid-palate with a velvety tactile feel in the mouth. The cru’s signature really comes on on finish when the wine unfurls layers of gorgeous taste, a superbly elegant tactile feel and wonderfully refine tannins. Good length. 2018-2035. Pleasure score: 16.5 (90) MARGAUX 2004 Score out of 20 : 18-18,25 Score out of 100 : 95 Logo on cork : upside down T Bright glossy crimson. Mighty nose of ripe fruit: deep, complex and elegant. Precise on entry - very much in the spirit of the estate - then unfurling layers of vibrant fruit and taste with gorgeous notes of vanilla and smoke. Melting through to the stunning and complex length, with a delicate pinch of oak. Impossible not to swallow! This 2004 took my preference over the 2005. Drink 2016- 2035 Pleasure score: 17 (92) Fourth flight : 2008 versus 2006 (a vintage that is now closing in) HAUT BRION 2008 Score out of 20 : 18 Score out of 100 : 95 Logo on cork : upside down T Bright purplish crimson. Fresh nose of fruit, still discreet and …too young! Pretty flesh on entry leading to plenty of aromas and fat, a gorgeous tactile feel on the palate and tight-ish frame. Tends to perform as a white wine would: melting away and remaining ethereal. Truly magnificent - and impossible not to swallow! For the second time since October, this wine has proved to be a stunner. The only Haut Brion to outdo château Margaux. From 2020. Pleasure score: 16.5 (90) MARGAUX 2008 Score out of 20 : 17,75 Score out of 100 : 94-95 Logo on cork : upside down T Beautiful youthful colour. Refine and subtle nose of fruit and truffle. Slightly firmer than Haut Brion on the palate, but remaining complex. Lifted and savoury through to a beautifully tasty length with fruit and truffle. From 2020. Pleasure score: 16.5 (90) HAUT BRION 2006 Score out of 20 : 16,75 Score out of 100 : 91 Logo on cork : upside down T Deep red with brick hues. Old-fashioned nose, with green hints. Superbly soft on entry but then a touch vivid. Marked tannins on finish. Average length. Lacking presence overall and not quite on a par with the other more recent vintages. Pleasure score: 15.5 (87-88) MARGAUX 2006 Score out of 20 : 17,25 Score out of 100 : 93 Logo on cork : upside down T Fairly intense red. Bursting with fruit and smoke on the nose. A touch austere on entry then revealing a juicy and generous character on the mid-palate through to a wonderfully savoury and long finish with taste and a slightly firm frame. The wine is closed-in. From 2020. Pleasure score: 16.5 (90) Fifth flight : 2007 versus 2001 HAUT BRION 2007 Score out of 20 : 16,75-17 Score out of 100 : 91-92 Logo on cork : upside down T Deep purplish crimson. Discreet on the nose. Melting from start to finish, with layers of aromas and taste, a hint of ink and fruits. Refine tannins and average body. Drink 2012-2030. Pleasure score: 16.5 (90) MARGAUX 2007 Score out of 20 : 17,5 Score out of 100 : 94 Logo on cork : upside down T Deep red with brick hues. Bursting with vibrant fruit on the nose. Exquisite flesh on entry, wonderfully vibrant on the mid palate, melting and superbly tasty throughout. Long lingering and complex finish revealing layers of taste. Impossible not to swallow! You can decant it a couple of hours before serving. Drink 2012-2030. Pleasure score: 17 (92) MARGAUX 2001 Score out of 20 : 16,5 Score out of 100 : 90 Logo on cork : upside down T To me, the stewed nose – not at all representative of Margaux - and the over-simple performance on the palate point to a bottle at odds with the standard. I particularly enjoyed the 2001 vintage last May, grading it 17.25 (93). HAUT BRION 2001 Score out of 20 : 16,75 Score out of 100 : 91 Logo on cork : upside down T Suave on entry and more racy on finish – a paradox pointing to a faulty bottle. Last May a bottle from the same case scored 18.75 (96-97), which I believe to be its true worth. Kind regards. Jean-Marc Quarin ___________________________________________________________________________ © Copyright 2010. This publication is the original work of Jean-Marc Quarin Sarl, 10 allée de Ginouilhac, BP 40, Le Taillan-Médoc. France. - E-mail : jmquarin@quarin.com The news media and subscribing wine distributors, importers and retailers may use portions of this material (such as tasting notes, ratings or quotes) provided that it is not distorted, the proper wine and vintage are stated, www.quarin.com is given credit for the material utilized, and Jean-Marc Quarin (JMQ) is shown as the Copyright holder.

2012 Chronicles

Chronicle n° 127: what an evening! Château Margaux versus Château Haut-Brion   1996, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008. Purchased bottles.

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2012 Chronicles

Chronicle n° 127: what an evening! Château Margaux versus Château Haut-Brion 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008. Purchased bottles.

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Chronicle n° 127: what an evening! Château Margaux versus Château Haut-Brion   1996, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008. Purchased bottles.