Château Margaux dinner

Dinner hosted by Sotheby's featuring the wines of Château Margaux.  Thibault Pontallier was on hand.

R and L Legras Brut Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru - always a nice drink, with good acidity balance.

2011 Pavillon Blanc de Château Margaux en magnum - pure sauvignon blanc.  Very big nose, with pipi de chat, green apple, muscat grapes, and lemon citrus notes.  Lovely fragrance.  Very round and smooth on the palate, especially after some food in the mouth.  Nice acidity here.  So fresh and vibrant!

2001 Pavillon Blanc de Château Margaux en magnum - more mature, ripe and full-bodied.  Richer on the palate with a longer finish, featuring more sweetness upfront and a dry finish.  A little straw in the nose.  An hour later the nose was sweet and caramelized.

2009 Pavillon Rouge de Château Margaux - double-decanted for more than 3 hours prior to serving.  Nose of forest, pine needle, a little smoke and pencil lead.  Slightly more sweet fruit on the nose.  Surprisingly this was not to tannic for a wine so young.  Pretty enjoyable now, but what amazing potential in the years to come!

2000 Pavillon Rouge de Château Margaux - double-decanted for more than 2 hours prior to serving.  Love the big and smoky nose.  More fragrant, floral, and elegant, with cedar and slight earthy notes, along with exotic spices.  Naturally this was softer than the 2009 and drinking incredibly well.

2004 Margaux - there's a certain amount of ripeness and sweet fruit here, with some spices.  Fresh, young, and vibrant.

1996 Margaux - first whiff of the nose was more medicinal, but this quickly gave way to a big and smoky nose that was open and lovely, with cedar and pencil lead notes.  Slightly alcoholic on the nose.  Soooo nice, and definitely wine of the evening for me.

1983 Margaux - nose was very grassy and sweet, and the smokiness came out a little later.  Nice and fragrant nose.  Silky smooth on the palate, naturally.

Full post on dinner is here.