New Release: One 2015 Margaux to End Them All?
Posted on: 05/14/18 12:38 PM
If any of you have been following the 2015 Bordeaux vintage, from when we first offered the wines as futures in the summer of 2016, to the recent lavish praise for the in-bottle wines (which we’ll start taking delivery off around June) from the wine press- you will have seen that a vast amount of the attention has been focused on Margaux. From Neal Martin “In 2015 I would be setting my sights on the rejuvenated appellation of Margaux”, Antonio Galloni “Readers will find a bevy of spectacular wines in Margaux in 2015” James Molesworth in the Wine Spectator “If you were to stick to just one appellation on the Left Bank in 2015, the answer would be easy: Margaux.” Or Jeff Leve for Wine Cellar Insider “Simply put, 2015 Margaux is the result of a close to perfect growing season.”
The bad news is that following all this praise, the vast majority of the wines have sold, and prices have risen quite sharply. Château Margaux itself was originally offered at $550, it now has an average price of $1619 in the States, and is fast disappearing even at those prices. Nearly a 200% increase in less than two years, well done if you bought that one!
As a result of all this, I’ve been anticipating the release of today’s wine for months. I knew it would be one last chance to go big on Margaux 2015. Many of you will know our regard for the Neal Rosenthal portfolio of wines. His Bordeaux portfolio includes some of Bordeaux’s most fascinating, and often stunning value properties. Clos Saint Andre, Domaine de Jaugeret, Tellus Vinea, Château Le Puy, and several others that you’ll often find me waxing lyrical about. They’re all tiny estates, sold outside the usual Bordeaux sales channels, and you’ll find they’re not reviewed by the major publications, but they are remarkable wines made by remarkable families.
One of those properties is the spectacular value Margaux estate of Moulin de Tricot. Only about 1,000 cases of this are made per year, from 3.7 hectares of average 30 year old vines on a gravel outcrop in the western part of appellation around the village of Arsac. Winemaking is staunchly traditional. While many in Margaux have begun to increase quantities of Merlot, this remains heavily reliant (80%) Cabernet Sauvignon.
I love that when current proprietor Bruno Rey was asked in an interview how many generations of his family work at the château (founded by his ancestors in the 19th century), he responded “Only one generation can work on the estate. It is too small for two”
A rare gem of a wine, from a gem of a producer, in what is not just a great vintage for Bordeaux as a whole, but one that might well be the best for Margaux specifically for more than 30 years. This is your chance to get involved in these legendary wines early. I guarantee that they will not hang around- buy a case now, drink some young, hold some back to age, and your future self will thank you.
2015 Château Moulin de Tricot, Margaux
So small and under the radar is the estate that I can’t find a single critics review of the wine. I tasted it last month and you’re going to need to take my word for it that it is astonishingly good. My shorthand notes from the tasting say “Smells so Margaux. Blackcurrants and violets. Gentle spice, fine tannins, massive length”. My favourite bit of the wine is those first three words- “Smells so Margaux”. Of course this is a young wine, but even at this early stage of its life I find it delicious, and amazingly impressive. Having tasted a few older vintages of the wine, I know that this will also age majestically.
Back to Blog