Anson: Margaux 2011 vs 2012 – How the wines taste now

They're much better than originally billed, they're ready for drinking and you can find them in the shops; Jane Anson reports on a re-tasting of Margaux appellation wines from 2011 and 2012 and offers advice on bottles to look for.

This has been one of the most interesting and enjoyable tastings of recent months; the entire appellation of Margaux wines over two supposed ‘off’ vintages, Bordeaux 2011 and 2012, that are both coming into their drinking window right now.

Not only that, but a lot of bottles here are not only affordable but can still be found relatively easily in the market, not just in shops but also on restaurant wine lists, because generally don’t cost a fortune and are starting to open up and prove great partners to food.

Scroll down to see Jane Anson’s top scoring wines from this tasting

At least, that’s if you have managed to avoid restaurants that take the easy option and offer younger vintages that have just been delivered even though they are too tight to be comfortably drinking.

Neither Château Margaux nor Château Palmer sent their wines to the (blind) horizontal by the way, although I am happy to see that my colleague Andrew Jefford recently gave the Palmer 2011 96 points.

Despite that, we had an extremely good turnout with almost 90 wines over the two years, including both 1st and 2nd wines of classified and non-classified properties, giving a true overview of what is the largest ‘prestigious’ appellation in the Médoc at 1,500 hectares.

There were 14 classified wines per year, everything from 2nd to 5th Growths, 14 second wines or special bottlings, a handful of Cru Bourgeois and Cru Artisans, and two 100% Merlot wines that are extremely unusual for the appellation.

Both of these vintages are often overlooked or dismissed, but they are ripe for reappraisal, at least by drinkers rather than collectors.

The past decade has seen so many big, structured and extremely ripe years – 2009, 2010, 2015, 2016 of course, and 2014 to a lesser extent. Those vintages will ideally need to be cellared for a long time, which means there is a clear opening for wines that can be opened and enjoyed sooner.

Of recent years, this is where 2011 and 2012 come to the fore. I’d argue that both should be considered ahead of taking a gamble on 2013, where the quality really isn’t there on a wide enough scale for confidence.

2011 is turning into a fine vintage

Looking at the results, it confirmed what I have increasingly noticed over the past year.

The 2011 vintage is rapidly losing its awkward angles and gaining flesh as it ages, turning into a fine vintage after an early austere phase.

The 2012, in contrast, was sometimes easier to love when young. It still has many qualities, but perhaps won’t have quite the same staying power as 2011.

This is particularly true of the 2012 second wines, which were clearly sometimes sacrificed to maintain the quality level of the main estate bottling.

Vintage conditions for 2011 and 2012 in Margaux

Just to briefly recap the vintage conditions in Margaux; 2011 saw a hot and dry spring, and an early summer, then difficult flowering under a mix of heat, hail and thunderstorms.

This basically meant a raft of Atlantic Ocean-inspired conditions that eventually saw harvest dates pushed back later than expected, although still a few weeks earlier than in 2010.

Almost all grapes in Margaux were brought in during September, with a few stragglers going into October. Many estates saw exceptional ripeness, particularly in the Cabernet Sauvignon.

By contrast, 2012 was constantly veering between different conditions, making the team at Kirwan comment at the time that it was ‘not for the faint of heart’.

After a mild month of March, a cold and wet April meant late budding, followed by a warm May and again a cold June. There was plenty of heat and drought over the summer, and August was the warmest on record in Margaux since 2003.

Just as everyone was getting worried about grapes shrivelling, rain arrived on the eve of harvest – welcome in places but again complicated in its timing. Harvest in 2012 was on average two weeks later than in 2011, finishing in mid-October for many estates.

Standout wines in this tasting

Neither years are packed full of stand-out 100 point wines, but there are some stunning bottles that I don’t hesitate to recommend.

I gave three 95-point scores to wines that are utterly delicious, full of complexity and finesse, and had at least a dozen more at 93 and 94 points that I would also highly recommend – see below.

Because the years had contrasting conditions in many ways, those estates tasting great in both vintages were especially impressive – and particularly the good value ones like Châteaux Paveil de Luze, Siran and Cambon la Pelouse. Wines from all three were ready to drink across both 2011 and 2012.

Overall, looking back over these tasting notes, which were written just over one month ago, reminded me that these two vintages are full of hidden pleasures. These are wines that should be brought out today and enjoyed.

Their price tags also make them an appealing way to search out Margaux typicity without paying the prices of the biggest years.

See all Margaux 2011 wines retasted here

See all Margaux 2012 wines retasted here

Margaux appellation snapshot:

• 1500ha, covering 9% of the Médoc vineyard.
• Covering the five communes of Arsac, Cantenac, Labarde, Margaux and Soussans

Margaux 2011 vs 2012: Jane Anson’s top scoring wines from this tasting

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