2012 Chateau Margaux, Margaux, Bottle (750ml)
$545
97JA96RP96DR95WS
Critic key
RP = Robert ParkerWS = Wine SpectatorDR = DecanterJA = Jane Anson
- Rating
- JA97/RP96/DR96/WS95
- Producer
- Margaux
- Vintage
- 2012
- Region
- Bordeaux
- Appellation
- Margaux
- Country
- France
- Grape Varietal
- Cabernet Sauvignon 87, Merlot 10, Cabernet Franc 2, Petit Verdot 1
- Classification
- Premier Cru Classe
- Format
- Bottle
- Volume
- 750mL
- ABV
- 13.0
- Type
- Still
- Color
- Red
We guarantee the authenticity of the wines we sell and are dedicated to ensuring that the wines you receive from us are sourced responsibly and held to the highest standards.
In-stock wines typically ship within one business day, with same-day shipping available for orders placed before 2 PM PST Monday-Friday after shipping confirmation. Adult signature is required upon delivery, and every shipment is packed with care using premium wine shipping materials.
Product Description
JA97 "Graceful, nuanced, totally moriesh. Hugely successful at the 10 year mark, this is rippled with raspberry, white pepper, smoked earth, blond tobacco, cold ash, blueberry and star anise. One of my stars of the lineup, mouthwatering and full of cheer, with waves of fine tannins that are guiding the fruit from beginning to end. Above all finessed but not afraid of pleasure, a balanced Château Margaux that has plenty of time ahead of it." JA for IB Mar 2022
RP96 "Tasted blind at the 2012 Southwold tasting, the 2012 Château Margaux has a taut, linear, pencil lead-infused bouquet with pure blackberry and boysenberry scents, an undercurrent of tobacco that surfaces after five minutes in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, crisp acidity, a life-affirming sense of balance with well-integrated new oak towards the finish. I concur with Robert Parker that his has become more structured and masculine in bottle, yet there is pedigree here from start to finish, a sense of effortlessness that is seductive. This is a top-class wine from the late Paul Pontallier and his team. Tasted January 2016." NM Oct 2016
DR96 " By Margaux standards not a big wine, but beautifully perfumed. Finesse and length on the palate that’s unmatched by any other property in the Médoc in 2012. Making 34% grand vin of a small crop with 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, the team at Margaux read this vintage right, doing something they can do better than anyone else." SP for DR Mar 2022
WS95 "Bay leaf and menthol hints lift a core of crushed plum and warm cherry confiture notes while the background fills steadily with black tea, singed alder and iron elements. Turns a little darker on the finish, with a coating of bittersweet cocoa powder and roasted vanilla bean accents, while the minerality stays buried for now. Remarkably dense and packed, yet refined. Needs some time to unwind." JM for WS Mar 2015
Robert Parker writes, "Like many Medoc first-growths in this vintage, this estate's aim was to make an elegant, supple-styled 2012 that emphasized the fruit, charm and delicacy of this terroir rather than pushing extraction and going for a powerhouse, which would have been difficult to produce in a vintage like 2012. The natural alcohol is 13%." Published: Apr 24, 2013
RP96 "Tasted blind at the 2012 Southwold tasting, the 2012 Château Margaux has a taut, linear, pencil lead-infused bouquet with pure blackberry and boysenberry scents, an undercurrent of tobacco that surfaces after five minutes in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, crisp acidity, a life-affirming sense of balance with well-integrated new oak towards the finish. I concur with Robert Parker that his has become more structured and masculine in bottle, yet there is pedigree here from start to finish, a sense of effortlessness that is seductive. This is a top-class wine from the late Paul Pontallier and his team. Tasted January 2016." NM Oct 2016
DR96 " By Margaux standards not a big wine, but beautifully perfumed. Finesse and length on the palate that’s unmatched by any other property in the Médoc in 2012. Making 34% grand vin of a small crop with 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, the team at Margaux read this vintage right, doing something they can do better than anyone else." SP for DR Mar 2022
WS95 "Bay leaf and menthol hints lift a core of crushed plum and warm cherry confiture notes while the background fills steadily with black tea, singed alder and iron elements. Turns a little darker on the finish, with a coating of bittersweet cocoa powder and roasted vanilla bean accents, while the minerality stays buried for now. Remarkably dense and packed, yet refined. Needs some time to unwind." JM for WS Mar 2015
Robert Parker writes, "Like many Medoc first-growths in this vintage, this estate's aim was to make an elegant, supple-styled 2012 that emphasized the fruit, charm and delicacy of this terroir rather than pushing extraction and going for a powerhouse, which would have been difficult to produce in a vintage like 2012. The natural alcohol is 13%." Published: Apr 24, 2013