The Château Margaux 2005 has a near-perfect bouquet with brilliant precision and remarkable focus: mainly black, mineral-soaked fruit that grows more and more intense in the glass. That graphite note becomes more pronounced with aeration, lending it an almost Pauillac-like style. The palate is effortless, with sumptuous ripe tannins, perfect acidity, layers of sensual ripe red fruit, and a precise mineral finish. This is sheer class, a crystalline beauty, and the persistence is simply breathtaking.

Grape: 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot, 1% Cabernet Franc

Rating: JS100, RP99, Vinum 20, JR19