Château Margaux Margaux 2016

99 points Lisa Perrotti-Brown (Wine Advocate): "Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2016 Château Margaux (blended of 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Cabernet Franc, 2% Merlot and 1% Petit Verdot) sashays out of the glass with glamorous red currants, candied violets, kirsch and crushed blackcurrants scents followed by notions of tilled black soil, forest floor, cast iron pan and cigar box with subtle wafts of lavender and oolong tea. Medium-bodied, mineral laced accents hover over the palate with an ethereal sensation of weightlessness, yet it is super intense with layers of red and black flavors supported by a firm texture of silt-fine tannins, finishing wonderfully fragrant and incredibly long. Drink: 2024-2063. (Nov 2018)"

99 points Antonio Galloni (Vinous): "A gorgeous, captivating bouquet gives the 2016 Margaux an irresistible allure. Weightless and yet wonderfully persistent, in the way only the château's wines can be, the 2016 Grand Vin is a wine of exceptional breeding and pedigree. So many wines in this vintage are obvious, but Margaux is a wine that takes time to discover, like a great book or piece of music. Shades of tobacco, cedar, mint, licorice and bright, red-toned fruit reveal themselves over time. And yet it is a sense of total harmony and seductiveness that elevates Margaux into the stratosphere in 2016. Drink: 2026-2066. (Jan 2019)"

99 points James Suckling: "It’s very friendly and warm on the nose showing flowers, such as roses, and red fruit. But then on the palate, it lets you know how serious it is. Full-bodied, yet reserved, extremely tight and well-formed with super polished tannins that go on for minutes. A solid and typical Margaux with all the personality and beauty in strength. Try after 2027. (1/17/19)"

99 points Chris Kissack (Winedoctor): "The blend here is comfortably dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon, at an impressive 94% of the total, with 3% Cabernet Franc, 2% Merlot and 1% Petit Verdot. This took 28% of the crop. The élevage was in 100% new oak of course, and the wine was bottled in July 2018. It presents an appropriately deep concentration of colour, rather in keeping with the new satin-black bottles in which this wine is now presented. There follows an array of fabulously perfumed aromas, heady and exotic, with a chalky freshness, and fragrant wafts of violet, peony and rose. This is such an incredibly perfumed aromatic profile for a blend so dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon, yet it feels so classic for Margaux, being lifted, deft, floral and gravelly. It also swirls with scents of toast, praline and grilled fruits, although it maintains that floral elegance throughout. As a result the aromatic profile seems both complex and contradictory, a fascinating achievement. The palate lives up to the promise of the nose, beginning so elegantly, the poise very correct, with a fresh and polished seam of tannins running through the middle, with the composition of fine-boned china. It is so long and energetic, and yet so reserved in the finish. This is a striking example of the vintage, in a very pure and lifted style. All in all, this is just magnificent. (Dec 2018)"

98 points Neal Martin (Vinous): "The 2016 Château Margaux represents 28% of the entire production this year. It has an alluring, gorgeous bouquet that blossoms with aeration to reveal black cherries, veins of blue fruit, crushed violet petals and a suggestion of vanilla. The poised, mineral-driven palate is medium-bodied with very fine tannin and just the right amount of salinity. The 2015 Château Margaux is ahead by a nose, but this will be a formidable first growth with a five-decade life span. Drink: 2026-2070. (Jan 2019)"

98 points Andy Howard, MW (Decanter): "Refined and typically elegant, 2016 Margaux adds great depth, structure and concentration to the mix. This is a wine to drink in 30-40 years! Only 28% of the production made it into the grand vin and in 2016 much of the Merlot was left out of the final bland. The result is an intense, mineral, black fruit-driven wine with pronounced floral and leafy hints, smooth, ripe tannins and layers of subtle oak. Drinking Window: 2026-2060. (Dec 2021)"

97+ points Jeb Dunnuck: "The grand vin 2016 Château Margaux is a beauty and tastes like the essence of Margaux. Thrilling notes of blueberries, cassis, crushed violets, flowery incense, and spice notes all give way to a full-bodied 2016 that strikes an incredible balance between richness and elegance. A blend of 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Cabernet Franc, 2% Merlot and 1% Petit Verdot brought up in new barrels, it’s more focused and elegant than the 2015, yet I suspect it’s just as concentrated, and readers are going have a blast comparing these two magical vintages over the coming 4-5 decades. Drink: 2023-2083. (2/28/19)"

97 points Wine Spectator: "Beautifully rendered, with a lush and seamless flow of cassis, steeped cherry, warmed raspberry and gently mulled blackberry fruit flavors gliding through. Light lilac, savory, mesquite and mineral accents underline the finish, adding additional texture and length. Deep and long, with sublime definition and gorgeous fruit. Best from 2024 through 2040. (3/31/19)"