2005 Chateau Margaux, Margaux Premier Grand Cru Classe
100 points James Suckling
"The nose on this seems more concentrated than the 2000, and the purity of fruit is stunning, with blueberries, raspberries, fresh flowers, and hints of licorice. This is perfect and complete. Full-bodied, with notes of forest berries and wild raspberries, this is thick and velvety with perfectly polished tannins. You can really feel the density on this, more than the tannic structure. This is a sleeping beauty that will be utterly captivating when it awakes." — November 2010
99 points Decanter
"The famed Château Margaux is a 1er cru classé, first growth property, in Bordeaux. The 2005 vintage was heralded as a 5-star year. Château Margaux upped their Cabernet Sauvignon proportion of the blend in 2005 to 85%. If I have to pick my favorite wine from the wonderful 2005 vintage, this one certainly comes very close. Rich plum purple colors in the glass, just softening around the edges. Attractive just-starting-to-age claret aromas on the nose – licorice, black truffles, and soft black fruits, all carried through on to the palate, has all of the looked-for elements in play. Great plush texture, lovely balance of acidity, tannins, and fruit, love the complexity, and it really lingers on the palate, impressive persistency. Outstanding for me, great Margaux typicity." — JA, January 2015
99 points Vinous
"In two recent tastings, the 2005 Château Margaux has been nothing less than magnificent. A wine of stunning perfume and inner sweetness, the 2005 gradually opens to reveal layers of red-toned fruit intermingled with floral accents. It's as if all the classic Margaux signatures have been amped up in a huge way. Dehydration on the vine concentrated the fruit, but also the impression of tannin and acid, such that the 2005 retains huge fruit density along with plenty of brightness as well. Vibrant and beautifully layered, the 2005 Grand Vin is off the charts and easily one of the wines of the vintage." — AG, April 2021
98 points Wine Advocate
"The first-growth 2005 Château Margaux (85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot), a lavish fragrance of blackcurrants, velvety new saddle leather, spring flowers, and spice soars from the glass. The wood is already totally concealed beneath the cascade of fruit in this medium to full-bodied, pure, and majestic wine. This concentrated, dense, but nevertheless strikingly elegant, multi-layered wine has a finish of 45+ seconds. It builds incrementally to a crescendo and finale." — RP, June 2015
98 points Int'l Wine Cellar
"Saturated red-ruby. Explosive aromas of plum, raspberry, bitter chocolate, coffee, almond paste, and smoke; this smells voluptuous. Then extraordinarily opulent on the palate, with an almost marzipan-like ripeness. Coats every square millimeter of the mouth with a texture of liquid silk. The baby fat here is incredible, but there's a structure of steel and powerful minerality underneath." — ST, June 2008
98 points Wine Enthusiast
"For a Château Margaux, this is an especially rich wine. The dense fruit, superripe but not overpowering, and the blackberry jam flavors show the richness of the year. There is wood alongside the juiciness and sweet tannins." — RV, June 2008
97 points Wine Spectator
"Still very tight, but there are whispers of alder, bay leaf, tobacco, and singed sandalwood aromas here. They give way to a beautifully silky and refined, but extremely concentrated, core of cassis and blackberry fruit that has gained a lightly mulled hint. The long finish shows echoes of dark earth and iron that bring you back for more. A beauty, with a long way to go." — JM, Web-2018
19/20 points Jancis Robinson
"85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot, 1% Cabernet Franc. Following a cold winter, a hot sunny spring led to quick flowering in early June with hot and dry weather during July/August. This led to the development of small, concentrated grapes and a much lower yield than in the cool, damp 2004. Margaux was undoubtedly one of the stars of the tasting, displaying massive, monumental structure suggesting this will be a wine to cellar for several decades to come. Lovely purity and concentration on the palate with black fruit surrounding a core of graphite. Although there were delicate floral notes, this seemed more Pauillac than Margaux with a cool character on the palate, fine acidity, and polished tannins. A very long future ahead." — AWH, June 2021
19/20 points
100 points James Suckling
"The nose on this seems more concentrated than the 2000, and the purity of fruit is stunning, with blueberries, raspberries, fresh flowers, and hints of licorice. This is perfect and complete. Full-bodied, with notes of forest berries and wild raspberries, this is thick and velvety with perfectly polished tannins. You can really feel the density on this, more than the tannic structure. This is a sleeping beauty that will be utterly captivating when it awakes." — November 2010
99 points Decanter
"The famed Château Margaux is a 1er cru classé, first growth property, in Bordeaux. The 2005 vintage was heralded as a 5-star year. Château Margaux upped their Cabernet Sauvignon proportion of the blend in 2005 to 85%. If I have to pick my favorite wine from the wonderful 2005 vintage, this one certainly comes very close. Rich plum purple colors in the glass, just softening around the edges. Attractive just-starting-to-age claret aromas on the nose – licorice, black truffles, and soft black fruits, all carried through on to the palate, has all of the looked-for elements in play. Great plush texture, lovely balance of acidity, tannins, and fruit, love the complexity, and it really lingers on the palate, impressive persistency. Outstanding for me, great Margaux typicity." — JA, January 2015
99 points Vinous
"In two recent tastings, the 2005 Château Margaux has been nothing less than magnificent. A wine of stunning perfume and inner sweetness, the 2005 gradually opens to reveal layers of red-toned fruit intermingled with floral accents. It's as if all the classic Margaux signatures have been amped up in a huge way. Dehydration on the vine concentrated the fruit, but also the impression of tannin and acid, such that the 2005 retains huge fruit density along with plenty of brightness as well. Vibrant and beautifully layered, the 2005 Grand Vin is off the charts and easily one of the wines of the vintage." — AG, April 2021
98 points Wine Advocate
"The first-growth 2005 Château Margaux (85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot), a lavish fragrance of blackcurrants, velvety new saddle leather, spring flowers, and spice soars from the glass. The wood is already totally concealed beneath the cascade of fruit in this medium to full-bodied, pure, and majestic wine. This concentrated, dense, but nevertheless strikingly elegant, multi-layered wine has a finish of 45+ seconds. It builds incrementally to a crescendo and finale." — RP, June 2015
98 points Int'l Wine Cellar
"Saturated red-ruby. Explosive aromas of plum, raspberry, bitter chocolate, coffee, almond paste, and smoke; this smells voluptuous. Then extraordinarily opulent on the palate, with an almost marzipan-like ripeness. Coats every square millimeter of the mouth with a texture of liquid silk. The baby fat here is incredible, but there's a structure of steel and powerful minerality underneath." — ST, June 2008
98 points Wine Enthusiast
"For a Château Margaux, this is an especially rich wine. The dense fruit, superripe but not overpowering, and the blackberry jam flavors show the richness of the year. There is wood alongside the juiciness and sweet tannins." — RV, June 2008
97 points Wine Spectator
"Still very tight, but there are whispers of alder, bay leaf, tobacco, and singed sandalwood aromas here. They give way to a beautifully silky and refined, but extremely concentrated, core of cassis and blackberry fruit that has gained a lightly mulled hint. The long finish shows echoes of dark earth and iron that bring you back for more. A beauty, with a long way to go." — JM, Web-2018
19/20 points Jancis Robinson
"85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot, 1% Cabernet Franc. Following a cold winter, a hot sunny spring led to quick flowering in early June with hot and dry weather during July/August. This led to the development of small, concentrated grapes and a much lower yield than in the cool, damp 2004. Margaux was undoubtedly one of the stars of the tasting, displaying massive, monumental structure suggesting this will be a wine to cellar for several decades to come. Lovely purity and concentration on the palate with black fruit surrounding a core of graphite. Although there were delicate floral notes, this seemed more Pauillac than Margaux with a cool character on the palate, fine acidity, and polished tannins. A very long future ahead." — AWH, June 2021
19/20 points
100 points James Suckling
"The nose on this seems more concentrated than the 2000, and the purity of fruit is stunning, with blueberries, raspberries, fresh flowers, and hints of licorice. This is perfect and complete. Full-bodied, with notes of forest berries and wild raspberries, this is thick and velvety with perfectly polished tannins. You can really feel the density on this, more than the tannic structure. This is a sleeping beauty that will be utterly captivating when it awakes." — November 2010
99 points Decanter
"The famed Château Margaux is a 1er cru classé, first growth property, in Bordeaux. The 2005 vintage was heralded as a 5-star year. Château Margaux upped their Cabernet Sauvignon proportion of the blend in 2005 to 85%. If I have to pick my favorite wine from the wonderful 2005 vintage, this one certainly comes very close. Rich plum purple colors in the glass, just softening around the edges. Attractive just-starting-to-age claret aromas on the nose – licorice, black truffles, and soft black fruits, all carried through on to the palate, has all of the looked-for elements in play. Great plush texture, lovely balance of acidity, tannins, and fruit, love the complexity, and it really lingers on the palate, impressive persistency. Outstanding for me, great Margaux typicity." — JA, January 2015
99 points Vinous
"In two recent tastings, the 2005 Château Margaux has been nothing less than magnificent. A wine of stunning perfume and inner sweetness, the 2005 gradually opens to reveal layers of red-toned fruit intermingled with floral accents. It's as if all the classic Margaux signatures have been amped up in a huge way. Dehydration on the vine concentrated the fruit, but also the impression of tannin and acid, such that the 2005 retains huge fruit density along with plenty of brightness as well. Vibrant and beautifully layered, the 2005 Grand Vin is off the charts and easily one of the wines of the vintage." — AG, April 2021
98 points Wine Advocate
"The first-growth 2005 Château Margaux (85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot), a lavish fragrance of blackcurrants, velvety new saddle leather, spring flowers, and spice soars from the glass. The wood is already totally concealed beneath the cascade of fruit in this medium to full-bodied, pure, and majestic wine. This concentrated, dense, but nevertheless strikingly elegant, multi-layered wine has a finish of 45+ seconds. It builds incrementally to a crescendo and finale." — RP, June 2015
98 points Int'l Wine Cellar
"Saturated red-ruby. Explosive aromas of plum, raspberry, bitter chocolate, coffee, almond paste, and smoke; this smells voluptuous. Then extraordinarily opulent on the palate, with an almost marzipan-like ripeness. Coats every square millimeter of the mouth with a texture of liquid silk. The baby fat here is incredible, but there's a structure of steel and powerful minerality underneath." — ST, June 2008
98 points Wine Enthusiast
"For a Château Margaux, this is an especially rich wine. The dense fruit, superripe but not overpowering, and the blackberry jam flavors show the richness of the year. There is wood alongside the juiciness and sweet tannins." — RV, June 2008
97 points Wine Spectator
"Still very tight, but there are whispers of alder, bay leaf, tobacco, and singed sandalwood aromas here. They give way to a beautifully silky and refined, but extremely concentrated, core of cassis and blackberry fruit that has gained a lightly mulled hint. The long finish shows echoes of dark earth and iron that bring you back for more. A beauty, with a long way to go." — JM, Web-2018
19/20 points Jancis Robinson
"85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot, 1% Cabernet Franc. Following a cold winter, a hot sunny spring led to quick flowering in early June with hot and dry weather during July/August. This led to the development of small, concentrated grapes and a much lower yield than in the cool, damp 2004. Margaux was undoubtedly one of the stars of the tasting, displaying massive, monumental structure suggesting this will be a wine to cellar for several decades to come. Lovely purity and concentration on the palate with black fruit surrounding a core of graphite. Although there were delicate floral notes, this seemed more Pauillac than Margaux with a cool character on the palate, fine acidity, and polished tannins. A very long future ahead." — AWH, June 2021
19/20 points
VINTAGE - 2005
VARIETAL - Cabernet Sauvignon | Merlot | Petit Verdot
COUNTRY - France
REGION - Pauillac (Left Bank), Bordeaux
BOTTLE SIZE - 750ml
ABV - 13.5%
