The 2018 Chateau Margaux Bordeaux Blend from the esteemed Margaux sub-region of Bordeaux, France, is a wine that has garnered exceptional acclaim from various professional reviewers. This vintage is a blend of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot, with an alcohol content of 14%. It is bottled with a traditional cork closure.
James Suckling awarded this wine a perfect score of 100, praising its "ash, tobacco, and earth" aromas alongside "bright blackberry and currant." He noted the wine's "seamless tannins" and "loads of ripe-berry, cherry, currant, and chocolate character." Suckling lauded it as "extremely refined and elegant, despite the structure," recommending it be enjoyed after 2025.
The Wine Enthusiast's Roger Voss also extolled the wine's virtues with a near-perfect score of 98, emphasizing its "richness and density" while acknowledging its "elegance." Voss described the wine as "powerful and beautifully structured," predicting that it will "age magnificently" and advising consumption from 2028 onward.
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, represented by Lisa Perrotti-Brown, also awarded a perfect 100 points. She highlighted its "deep purple-black" color and "tantalizing scents of crème de cassis, wild blueberries, and Black Forest cake." Perrotti-Brown noted its "rock-solid structure of exquisitely ripe, finely grained tannins" and its "fantastic length," suggesting that while it is approachable now, it will be best enjoyed in 6-8 years and could potentially evolve over the next 40+ years.
Jeff Leve from The Wine Cellar Insider matched these sentiments with another perfect score, describing the wine as "perfectly poised between opulent and refined, rich and elegant." He praised its "intense notes of lilacs, violets, cigar box, red fruits, and espresso," and highlighted its "silky texture" and "gorgeous sense of purity."
Decanter's review, with a 98 score, also spoke highly of the wine, mentioning its "silky yet intense and powerful" nature and "sweet, fleshy, and succulent raspberry" flavors. The reviewer pointed out the unusual weather conditions during the harvest, which resulted in varied yields but ultimately high-quality production.
Jeb Dunnuck, awarding another perfect 100, described it as a "magical, incredibly sexy expression" of Chateau Margaux, noting its "thrilling bouquet" and "ethereal texture." He remarked on its "notable freshness and brilliant length," suggesting it will be drinkable relatively early but will last for decades.
Vinous' Neal Martin scored it 97, noting its "luxurious" nature and "supremely pure bouquet," while Wine Spectator and The Wine Independent also provided high praises with scores of 98 and 99, respectively. Their reviews highlighted the wine's "cashmere-textured structure" and "epic length."
In summary, the 2018 Chateau Margaux Bordeaux Blend is an exceptional wine, celebrated for its balance, elegance, and aging potential, with multiple reviewers awarding it near-perfect or perfect scores.