Chateau Marquis d'Alesme 3eme Cru Classe, Margaux 2019

The 2019 Marquis d'Alesme Becker was very impressive from barrel. Now in bottle, it has retained those engaging aromas of blackberry, raspberry, cedar and a pinch of spice, well defined and quintessentially Margaux. The palate is understated on the entry, smooth and sensual in texture, with gorgeous, very pure red fruit. I adore the harmony of this wine, and the way it sashays toward the finish. Deceptively approachable, this will mature beautifully in bottle.

Nice welcoming and inviting nose, expressive and generous. Fresh, juicy, supple and bright, this shines quite brightly with good acidity gives things immediate lift then the tannins come in, filling the palate with dense fruit and wet stone flavours. Seriously mouth filling, but in a pleasant way, structured and well rounded. Defined fruit. Tannins just need to settle a little and let the wine expand.

A perfumed nose of dark cherries, blackberries, mocha, dried flowers, bark, toffee, cedar and baking spices. Medium-bodied with fine, firm tannins. Perfumed and silky with plenty or ripe cherry and sweet spice notes. Framed and layered with a flavorful finish. Drink from 2025.

A bold, extroverted wine the 2019 Marquis d'Alesme is every bit as impressive from bottle as it was en primeur. Black cherry, plum, chocolate, leather, licorice and bittersweet chocolate are all amplified, as are the potent tannins. This is an especially rich, extracted style of Margaux, and yet all the elements come together so well, especially with a bit of air.

The 2019 Château Marquis D'Alesme is terrific and a good follow-up to the brilliant 2018. Sporting a deep ruby/purple hue, it gives up a great nose of ripe darker cherries, blackberries, mulberries, leafy herbs, cedar pencil, and violets. This is followed by a medium to full-bodied Margaux with a rich, fleshy, expansive mouthfeel, polished tannins, plenty of mid-palate depth, and a great finish. I'm not sure it will make terribly old bones, but it shines for its purity of fruit as well as its terrific overall balance and purity. As I wrote from barrel, it's one of those pretty, elegant wines that still packs rocking levels of fruit! Drink it any time over the coming 15-20 years.

Great quality here, powerful but well handled and deftly extracted. Enough plump fruits through the mid palate to keep you smiling, with confident tannins that hold things together, and a sappy, mouthwatering finish. The generosity of the summer comes through in terms of the ripeness of the berry fruits, but this is delicious. Harvest September 26 to October 12.

The 2019 Marquis d’Alesme is medium to deep garnet-purple in color. It strolls out with easy-going scents of plum preserves, baked blackberries, and cherry pie, followed by touches of garrigue and anise. The medium-bodied palate delivers refreshing acidity and soft tannins to frame the lively fruit, finishing with a skip in its step.