Chateau Margaux				1978	Margaux

7/95. Bought in auction Feb-95 for $130 (imported from Chicago for $145).
Tonight another chapter in the self-taught Bordeaux course we're taking < g >.
Dinner consisted of the following un-classic combination: Various Hoes d'ouvre, beef noodles in oyster sauce, steak tartar, cheese plate, fresh fruit.
The wine was decanted 15 minutes prior to dinner as I wasn't sure how long it will either need breathing or hold open.
COLOR: Very deep purple-red, hardly any paling towards the rim. A bit surprising as it is an 18 years old wine after all.
NOSE: Very distinct (but not totally pleasant) 'Bordeaux nose'. A tarry smell I believe you folks refer to as cedar or something similar. I found this bouquet in all Bordeaux I lately tasted, so I guess it comes with the territory, and require getting used to (well 'Bourgogne nose' is something one immediately falls in love with, right? no need for getting used to... < gg >). The bouquet is complex, heavy, but almost devoid of fruit! Over a long time the aroma lost some of its dominant character, and revealed new caramelish qualities.
TASTE: A mouthful of winyness (what?). A fleshy, meaty wine, alcoholic, full of zest, surprisingly strong tannins, but again, the most striking feature is the lack of fruit! Excellent finish but the overall impression in the mouth is too austere. Very good wine, but not really delicious in the straightforward meaning of the word.
LENGTH: Medium good aftertaste that follow the tinge of acidity in the finish (the attack and middle taste are a bit austere).
TEXTURE & BALANCE: For its alcohol, vitality, acidity and strong tannins, I would never have thought this is an 18 years old wine, but the total lack of fruitiness distracts from what, in all other respects, seems like a very well-structured wine. Perhaps the wine is past its peak, or perhaps it never had fruity qualities. I have very little experience with great Bordeaux and their development, but my bet is that this wine has many more years ahead in its present state.
OVERALL: I was under the impression that Ch. Margaux is a delicate, 'feminine' wine. Well, maybe they switched the labels on this one, but this wine had nothing feminine about it. It was an impressive wine, full of good qualities, but lacking in what I consider the most important quality in women - charm. The Ch. Ausone 1978 we had a few weeks ago was a MUCH better wine.
MARK: 18/20.aaaaaaaaBUY MORE? No.

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Jacob "Yak" Shaya.