Michael Schuster: Dense nose, ripe, scented, restrained; perfect balance of ripe but not overripe fruit, fresh acidity, concentration, without heaviness and satiny tannins; very long, intense yet delicate flavour, fresh red and blackberries, restrained, scented and minerally; effortlessly graceful, pure, beautifully defined. Wonderfully classy Margaux. 19

Michel Bettane and Thierry Desseauve: Hugely successful: a perfect, even monumental wine with an archetypal Margaux nose, despite the torrid vintage. Subtle, almost balmy aromas of spice mingled with scents of old roses and cherries. Fabulously sleek, super-polished tannins. Some growths, and Margaux is one of them, are far more important within the AOC as a whole than any scoring system can express. The Rauzan Gassies is, in its way, probably the closest in style. The Pavilion Rouge is particularly well built, while the Pavilion Blanc is slightly less alcoholic than in previous years, with a highly original nose tinged with unusual hints of resin, and sensationally dense texture. 19/20