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The precision, hewn and cut tannins, wet stones, black tea, anis, liquorice root, bilberry and blackcurrant fruit, juicy tannins, understated power, settling in to itself at 10 years old, a superb wine that captures Margaux finesse with the more blunt power and concentration of the year.

Bid on this 3-bottle tasting lot; including 1-bottle of 2016 Clos du Marquis, St-Julien (95JD, 95JS, 94RP, 94VN, 94WS, 93WE, 92DC), 1-bottle of 2016 Marquis d'Alesme, Margaux (96JD, 96RP, (93-95CK), 95JA, 94VN, 93DC, 93JS), and 1-bottle of 2016 Pape Clément, Pessac-Léognan (98JS, 97JA, 97JD, 96DC, 96IWR, 96RP, 96TWI, 96WS, 95VN, 95WE). Of the 2016 Pape Clément, Pessac-Léognan, James Suckling writes: "Stunning concentration of perfectly ripe blackcurrants here with a delicate whiff of vanilla oak and extremely fine tannins that are almost perfectly integrated on the seductive and delicate palate, right through the almost literally breathtaking, super-long and very polished finish." (01/2019)

Bid on this 3-bottle lot of 1982 Palmer, Margaux (97DC, 97JA, 93ST). Decanter: "Incredible aromatics, floral and expressive, jumping out the glass and one of the most inviting on the nose in terms of scents with sour cherries, sweet tobacco, cedar and mint. Juicy, alive and vibrant on the palate, this has energy and focus straight away. Lively but well controlled, still offering lots of opulent polish but in a serene, charming way. This has tension and grip as well as bounce and a subtle chew to the tannins. A lingering headiness sustains the finish with moreish accents of salt, graphite and flint - this is seductive and nowhere near tired. Claude and Yves Chardon were in charge for the 1982 vintage. (GH)" (05/2023)

Bid on this 2-bottle lot of 1981 Margaux, Margaux (95WS, 91RP). Wine Spectator: "The other wine of the vintage. Seriously powerful with fabulous color and mint, cassis and berry aromas and flavors. Has a full body and is tannic; still needs time to come around. (JS)" (10/1994)

Bid on this 4-bottle lot of 2016 Giscours, Margaux (96JS, 96WE, 95JA, 94DC, 94VN, 93JD, 93RP). Wine Enthusiast: "This nearly 200-acre estate lies in the south of the Margaux appellation. The wine is another great success in a series of superb years. It is rich but the structure and finely textured fruit give it style and longevity. (RV)" (05/2019)

A blend of 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35.5% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot, and 0.5% Cabernet Franc, the 2019 Rauzan-Segla has a deep garnet-purple color. It storms out of the glass with powerful notes of crème de cassis, juicy black plums, and Indian spices, giving way to fragrant touches of incense, dried roses, and dusty soil. The medium to full-bodied palate is chock-full of flavors of spicy black fruit preserves, framed by velvety tannins and impressive tension, finishing with great length.

Stunning aromas of blackcurrants, dark mushrooms and black cherries with forest-floor notes. Full body that fills your mouth with fine, caressing tannins and dark, flavorful fruit. The tannins are very intense and structural, spreading across the palate in layers and giving intensity and energy. Plenty of energy and verve here. This has gravity, too.

A very elegant and polished Margaux with great structure and an attractive touch of herbal freshness, then a delicate touch of sweetness at the long, fine finish.

The precision, hewn and cut tannins, wet stones, black tea, anis, liquorice root, bilberry and blackcurrant fruit, juicy tannins, understated power, settling in to itself at 10 years old, a superb wine that captures Margaux finesse with the more blunt power and concentration of the year.

An undeniable star in Margaux, the 2022 Château Brane-Cantenac checks in as a blend of 74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, 1% each Cabernet Franc, Carménère, and Petit Verdot. This deep purple-hued beauty offers up a sensational perfume of darker currants and cassis that gives way to more floral, spicy oak and graphite nuances with air. With flawless overall balance, ripe, velvety tannins, terrific purity, and a great finish, this riveting Brane-Cantenac already offers pleasure, yet I wouldn't be surprised to see this firm up with 4-5 years of bottle age, only to reemerge later and drink beautifully for 30+ years. It's one of the truly greats in the appellation, and readers will love to have this beauty in the cellar.

Château du Tertre was named a Fifth Growth in Bordeaux’s historic 1855 Classification. The estate lies in Arsac, one of the communes that make up the Margaux appellation, placing this 2006 red within a distinguished winemaking area on Bordeaux’s Left Bank.

Stunning aromas of blackcurrants, dark mushrooms and black cherries with forest-floor notes. Full body that fills your mouth with fine, caressing tannins and dark, flavorful fruit. The tannins are very intense and structural, spreading across the palate in layers and giving intensity and energy. Plenty of energy and verve here. This has gravity, too.

This was phenomenal from barrel and remains so. The aromas are spellbinding. It smells like a bouquet of pink roses and then goes to currants, berries and citrus. Full body, with wonderfully refined tannins. It starts discretely and then grows to different levels and dimensions like a slow but big high tide. The texture is so beautiful.

Bid on this 6-liter Imperial of 2000 Château Palmer, Margaux (97JS, 96WS, 95JA, 95RP, 94VN, 94WE), from the legendary Margaux Third Growth widely regarded as the appellation’s finest estate after Château Margaux itself, made in the celebrated 2000 vintage from a blend of 53% Cabernet Sauvignon and 47% Merlot. James Suckling calls it “a typical Palmer showing finesse alongside strength,” praising its blackberry, plum, chocolate and cedar character. Once stubbornly closed, this perfumed, racy and powerful Palmer has opened beautifully, revealing cassis, black cherry and plum layered with tobacco, violets, anise and smoky incense, framed by silky, well-integrated tannins and a long, beautiful finish. A spectacular, collectible large format from one of Bordeaux’s great modern vintages, ideal for a milestone celebration.

Bid on this 3 liter of 2009 Palmer, Margaux (3L) (99JD, 98JS, 98WE, 97DC, 97RP, 96VN, 95ST, 95WS). Jeb Dunnuck: "The 2009 Palmer is unquestionably one of the greatest young Bordeaux I’ve tasted, and it has a rare mix of richness and elegance that’s incredible. Blackcurrants, violets, lead pencil shavings and a touch of minerality all emerge from this rich, massively concentrated Margaux that still glides across the palate with no sense of weight or heaviness. It’s perfectly balanced, has a ripe, hedonistic core of fruit, as well as integrated acidity. It’s a dream today, but is going to have 30-40 years or more of prime drinking." (12/2017)

Bid on this bottle of 2020 Malescot-St-Exupéry, Margaux (97JS, (95-97RP), 95TWI, 95VN, 94JD). Wine Advocate: "Sporting a deep purple-black color, the 2020 Malescot St. Exupery prances out of the glass with showy scents of ripe black and red currants, black cherries, raspberry leaves and ground cloves, plus wafts of lilacs and tilled soil. Medium to full-bodied, the palate delivers mouth-coating black and red fruit layers with a firm, grainy texture and well-balanced acidity, finishing on a lingering fragrant-earth note. (LPB)" (05/2021)

Sweet currant and berry aromas with hints of blackcurrants, black cherries and flowers. It’s full-bodied and layered with beautifully polished tannins that last for minutes. Tight and very focused.

Fresh currants and raspberries pop out of the glass, together with oranges and cedar. Such purity of fruit in the nose. Full-bodied, yet so refined and vertical. It goes deep and long with tight, compressed tannins that are pure and exciting. Really tight and focused. Precise. Try after 2026.

This has attractive, glossy, ripe red-plum and licorice aromas with cedar, flowers and red berries, as well as a stony edge. A very fragrant, cabernet-driven nose. The palate has elegance and grace with sleek and charming, balanced style and a discreet tannin structure that holds the finish long and fresh. A blend of 81% Cabernet Sauvignon and 19% Merlot. Try from 2023.

Rich, deep, powerful, still just at the start of its life. This is a stunning wine, the standout in the vertical. Luscious black fruits, with a careful climb of freshness and acidity through the palate, carefully placed and so delicious, waves of subtle cumin, cocoa and liquorice spice, cassis, cedar, mint leaf, smoked tea, oyster shell, slate tannins. Can easily hold for another few decades, but honestly it is tasting so good right now, you might want to at least open one bottle so you can begin to follow its progress.

This is really luxurious, showing blackcurrants and orange peel with cedar and dried-mushroom aromas following through to a medium to full body that grows on the palate. This has crunchy and lightly chewy tannins that are slightly austere but in an elegant, classical Bordeaux way. Chewy at the end. So much energy and vibe. So complex. Probably the greatest wine ever from here. *#1 Wine of the Year*

Just hover your nose over the glass to get excited about this wine. Inky purple in colour, cigar box, tobacco bud, pencil lead, tight cassis and bilberry fruit. Where the 2015 is generous, the 2016 is tighter, less expressive at the five year mark, but with layers and potential to fire up an entire room. Has the structure and the chiselled fruit that signposts great Bordeaux in an exceptional vintage, with the nuanced whisper of violet and peony that takes you to the Margaux appellation. Powerful and muscular, still austere but the morieish juice on the finish tells you how much this has to give over the next few decades.

The 2022 Château La Tour De Mons is a blend of 57% Merlot, 36% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Cabernet Franc, and 3% Petit Verdot. It’s a beautifully ripe Margaux offering notes of red and blue fruits, rose petals, and background spicy oak. Medium to full-bodied, it’s beautifully balanced, with fine tannins and an elegant, seamless mouthfeel. Aged in 20% new oak for 12 months, it’s a classic, well-made Margaux that should evolve gracefully over the next 15+ years.

Stunning aromas of blackcurrants, dark mushrooms and black cherries with forest-floor notes. Full body that fills your mouth with fine, caressing tannins and dark, flavorful fruit. The tannins are very intense and structural, spreading across the palate in layers and giving intensity and energy. Plenty of energy and verve here. This has gravity, too.

More dense and yet more soft than the Pavillon Rouge, fully anchored in place and yet rising through the palate, with rose petals, pomegranate, cassis and damson fruits, so juicy and full of character, slate and crushed rocks, peony and iris, with volume that is expansive and striking. These guys held on to harvest after the rains and have been rewarded for it - can't have been easy as everyone was picking around them, but this was a great decision that shows just what was capable in this vintage. 22hl/ha yield across the vineyard, harvest September 8 for young Merlot, then Cabernet Sauvignon began September 19 and finished September 29. 14% press wine, so a little less than usual because of the natural concentration. 22hl/ha yield across the vineyard, IPT81,3.76ph. 37% 1st wine. I dont give 100 points En Primeur, but if I did, this would get it. It's a slam dunk.

Impressive aromas of fresh summer berries, slate and toasty oak. This has a very succulent array of ripe red plums and berries and delivers a smooth, long and appealingly grainy edge of very plush, flavorful tannins. A lot to like here. A blend of merlot, cabernet sauvignon and petit verdot. Try from 2021.

From an estate in the southern part of Margaux, this wine has just the right mix of rich tannins and taut black-currant flavors to give upfront freshness and potential for further aging. Structured and fruity, it should be drunk from 2027. *#1 Enthusiast 100 2021, Editors’ Choice* (RV)

Tight and closed but clearly going to power out of the gate in five or six years. Shows depth and persistency, with precision and balance to the fruit flavours, feels like every base is covered, laced through with liquorice, cinnamon and black chocolate, and although there is power it has a light touch. A delicious wine, long life ahead, note it down for the future.

Am I being too stingy with the 2003 Chateau Margaux? A wine of extraordinary complexity and intensity, it reveals a deep purple color, a style not unlike the 1990 Margaux (possibly even more concentrated), a velvety texture, and notes of spring flowers interwoven with camphor, melted licorice, creme de cassis, and pain grille. Not a blockbuster, it offers extraordinary intensity as well as a surreal delicacy/lightness. There is riveting freshness to this offering, which tips the scales at a lofty (for this estate) 13.5% alcohol, as well as an alluring sweetness and accessibility. It probably will tighten up over the next few years. Nevertheless, it is a profound Chateau Margaux that brings to mind a hypothetical blend of the 1982 and 1990. Anticipated maturity: 2011-2035.

At ten years of age this wine still displays a dense hue, lightly hazy and concentrated in the glass, with a touch of degradation to the cherry red rim. The nose is brimming with confidence, smoky with blackcurrant skins, juniper berry and bay leaf, along with notes of smouldering charcoal. There are also some fresher notes too, celery seed and celeriac leaf, interwoven with the dark fruit. Texturally full and confident on the palate, with a velvety yet also sinewy and savoury substance through the middle, run through with ripe and tightly grained tannins, peppery and slightly warm, with a long and confident finish. An excellent showing, so present and energetic, and with such length. As with previous notes, there are some methoxypyrazine threads here which some may find dissuasive, but I think it all works really well together, while maintaining a distinctive and slightly idiosyncratic style.

Bid on this 3 liter of 1964 Margaux, Margaux (3L). A four-star vintage, according to late wine critic Michael Broadbent, who said: "Dismiss the idea that this was anything other than a very good vintage..."

Bid on this 3-bottle lot of 2018 Malescot-St-Exupéry, Margaux (97JS, 95JD, 95RP, 95VN, 95WS, 94TWI). James Suckling: "A seductive Margaux with an intense nose of black fruit and red plums. Some herb and wood notes, too. It’s full-bodied with pretty, pure-berry flavors with some crushed stones and cement. The texture is silky and fine-grained and the tannins melt into the wine. Precise, flavorful finish with length." (01/2021)

Bid on this bottle of 2000 Lascombes, Margaux (94JA, 90RP). Jane Anson: "Plum-purple in colour, and once again a controlled freshness is on display, as has been the case in all of these older vintages. Significantly darker than the others tasted so far, just 10 years between this and the 1990 but the colour difference is far greater than between 1970 and 1990. Impressive wine, with plenty of balance, still relatively young, with none of the tertiary characeristics that you find in the older wines. Here instead you get cassis bud, grilled toast, tobacco, blackberry and blackcurrant, with curling edges of campfire and crayon, plenty of Left Bank signature. Lacks a little weight through the mid palate which turns into rigidity on the final moments, but this is enjoyable. 65% new oak (the last year when it sits at around this level until 2017). Bruno le Moine technical director. At this point they had routinely stopped including Cabernet Franc in the blend of the 1st wine." (10/2023)

Bid on this 3 liter of 2015 Margaux, Margaux (3L) (100DC, 100JD, 100JS, 100WE, 99VN, 99WS, 98TWI). Wine Enthusiast: "Predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon, this wine shows a wonderful black-currant purity on the palate, along with intense, vibrant acidity. The background is all tannin, which speaks to its aging potential. This wine is the last vintage produced by Paul Pontallier, who was general manager from 1990 until his death in 2016. It's a memorable wine and one for aging. *Cellar Selection* (RV)" (04/2018)

Bid on this 3 liter of 2003 Margaux, Margaux (3L) (95WS, 93RP). Wine Spectator: "Shows a note of torréfaction typical of the vintage, but uses it to its advantage, coupling it with accents of ganache and dark tobacco leaf along with rich plum, currant and fig compote flavors. The finish is slightly firm, with alder and plum skin details, but this has pretty impressive composure considering the vintage. (JM, Web-2018)"

Bid on this 3-liter Double Magnum of 2002 Château Margaux, Margaux (93RP, 92ST, 92WS), the legendary First Growth from the vintage’s late, gorgeous September, which favored Cabernet Sauvignon. The blend includes a very low 8% Merlot. Robert Parker writes: “This wine reveals a dense ruby/purple color in a style somewhat reminiscent of the 1988 but with more power, concentration, and volume. It has a beautifully elegant nose of black fruits intermixed with truffle, flower, and oak. The wine is medium to full-bodied, dense, with wonderful precision, freshness, and a long, full-bodied finish with impressive levels of concentration.” (04/2005)

Bid on this 3 liter of 2005 Malescot-St-Exupéry, Margaux (3L) (97WS, 96RP, 93ST). Wine Spectator: "Exhibits blackberry, mineral, currant and dark chocolate. Full and velvety, with lots of fruit and chewy tannins. Long and caressing, with incredibly sweet fruit and tannins on the finish. Goes on for minutes. A thoroughly gorgeous wine. *Ranked #18, Top 100 Wines of 2008, Highly Recommended* (JS)" (03/2008)

The 2016 Cantenac Brown seems to have grown aromatically since I last tasted it a few months ago. More complex than I remember, this offers a cornucopia of scents: blackberry, briary, cedar and a lovely mintiness that recalls Palmer. The palate is silky smooth with great depth and delineation, satin-like, multi-layered, precocious black fruit laced with black pepper, tea leaves and cloves, all fanning out gloriously towards the finish. Bon vin! Tasted at the Cantenac Brown vertical at the château. (NM)

Smoky, floral and fabulous. Violet-edged, this stands out over the 1982 for its complexity of aromatics and flavours. Brambled blackberry notes meld with soft leather and liquorice, all perfectly finessed. Harvest 28 September until 13 October, around one week later than the 1982. A touch of Petit Verdot finishes up the blend. Peter Sichel, who was making the wine at the time, was convinced straight after harvest that the 1982 was better than the 1983. 'He was right,' says Thomas Duroux today. Certainly sugar levels were a touch higher than the previous year, and the fruit character generous from the earliest years. (JA)

Château Cantenac Brown is distinguished by its Tudor-style château, an architectural landmark among the estates of the Médoc. A third growth in Bordeaux’s 1855 Classification, this Margaux property produces the 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon-based red on Bordeaux’s Left Bank, linking a historic estate with its celebrated appellation.

A don't miss wine, this has wonderfully powerful fruits delivered with class and character. The abundant tannins have slate-edged grip and the black cassis and bilberry fruits sit alongside waves of oyster shell, liqourice, sage and black pepper. Delivers depth and personality and an effortless Margaux finesse. Harvest September 23 to October 2. Marjolaine de Coninck technical director, owner Nathalie Perrodo.

Black cherry and berry character with plenty of cedar and walnut aromas and flavors. It’s full and rather juicy with a solid backbone of tannins. Flavorful finish. Give it three or four years to soften and open. Muscular second wine. Try after 2025.

The 1989 growing season was warm in Margaux, leading to one of the earliest vintages of the century for Château Palmer, with the end result being a wine of exceptional quality. The 1989 Château Palmer is a simply magical wine, which clearly depicts the pedigree of this grand Château and the quality that can be achieved in a historic vintage like ’89. Today, this magnificent blend of 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 41% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot and 1% Cabernet Franc offers striking aromas of black cherries, cassis, sweet pipe tobacco, roasted coffee, tar and spring florals, which are just about impossible to resist. It still shows plenty of weight on the palate, with a seamless, velvety texture and remarkable balance as it expands beautifully on to the supple finish where it leaves behind sweet fruits, tobacco and espresso notes. Today, after 25 years, this is a complete knockout and still looks to have some wonderful years ahead. (JD)

The 2016 Château Margaux is nothing short of pure perfection in this vintage, as this complex, elegant and beautifully textured wine has it all. Assemblage was quite rigorous Château Margaux in 2016, as only 26% of the harvest was selected for the Grand Vin, with the final blend consisting of 94% Cabernet Sauvignon with 3% Cabernet Franc, 2% Merlot, 1% Petit Verdot. As for the wine itself, it instantly begins to dazzle as it takes on an incredible aromatic range, which includes fresh wild blueberries and dark currants, along with tar, mocha, anise and fresh florals that all emerge as this is already shining brightly aromatically. The palate is incredibly structured and intense, giving way to an exceedingly deep core that leads seamlessly into the long, graceful finish. While all the elements are in there, the 2016 is merely an infant and needs at least a decade in the cellar before it will be fully accessible. Nonetheless less it pedigree and potential are clearly evident and there is no doubting that this will be a tremendously long lived wine with an absolutely sensational future ahead. (OB)

To call Kirwan a rising star is no longer true, since this property, owned by the Schyler family, and with Michel Rolland as consultant, is now firmly back in its right quality place among classed growths. It is modern in style, as is expected, but the dark, black currant, extracted fruits, new wood and structure don't detract from its elegance. *Editors' Choice* (RV)

A ripe and layered red with lots of currant and chocolate character, as well as some walnut and cocoa powder. Crushed stones, too. It’s full and layered with round tannins and a juicy and plush texture. Crushed velvet that turns to silk. Very cool and long. Plenty going on here. Give it three to four years to come together. But will age beautifully for years to come.

A complete sauvignon blanc with sliced pear, apple and lemon aromas and flavors with a full body and a polished texture that is caressing and beautiful. It is crunchy and a bit richer than many Pavillon Blancs.

The 2015 Pavillon Rouge is supremely inviting. Silky and medium in body, with wonderfully fragrant aromatics, the 2015 is a wine of total seduction. Bright red plum, mint, spice, cedar and white pepper are laced together in a racy wine endowed with terrific palate intensity and persistence. The 2015 is already quite open and delicious. I imagine it will continue to drink beautifully for the next 15-20 years or more. (AG)