The Auswine Forum

1983 Château Margaux
After working 14 hours a day from Monday-Saturday for successive weeks completing various wine and beverages-based takeovers, the end had me yearning for something special for myself, and entirely for myself. The 1983 Margaux seemed to fit the bill. Deep red with only the very faintest trace of brown. Opaque at centre. Brilliant for a 22-year-old wine. Bouquet is supremely elegant with sweet blackfruits, striking fragrant violets, lovely vanilla essence. Nose is very fine and highly focussed, but not powerful or deeply complex. Still very youthful. Exceptional length and stunning balance are this wine’s hallmarks. Drinking very well now but will clearly hold for many years, although I doubt it will gain further from additional time in the cellar. Very fine with velvety texture. Clearly outstanding wine but, to me, it remains a tad underwhelming to be granted the rare “grand vin” nomenclature, and lacks the 1st growth “wow” factor.
94/100

Kind of disappointing to read this. '83 Margaux is one of those 'dream wines' for me; something I'll probably wait a long time to taste, and hope to be blown away. Prob'ly because I recall some suggestion that for Margaux, 83 was better than 82, and that this wine was the epitome of the best the Chateau can do. Hmmm. Not quite prompted to fork over $450-odd at auction on the basis of this report...

cheeres,
Graeme

The 83 is superb and worth the money (relative). The 90 and 86 are even better. The 90 is a 100 pointer for me.
GW

The 83 was superb 5-10 year go and is now sliding. Even Parker thinks so. Go for the Palmer which is a far superior wine. Not juts me - plenty of lukewarm TNs on 83 Margaux on Arpy. Agree 90 and 86 are even better. The 90 is a 97 pointer for me (refuse to give it 100 until I try the 1900 or 1928 Margaux - generally regarded as two greatest).

Had the Palmer and Margaux side by side last year with an excellent duck confit. You can't go wrong with either.

Palmer to the left of me, Margaux to the rightÂ…here I am stuck in the middle. Which is the better wine? Hard to choose. The Â’83 Palmer is beautiful with leaf, cinnamon and spice, flowers and raspberry all vying for attention. It is silky and ripe with everything perfectly in balance. Concentrated and ready to drink now. What a great wine.

The Â’83 Margaux is cedary with beefstock and soy, violet, cocoa, earth and ripe blackcurrant. Very powerful with grippy tannins this is a wine clearly in need of more time in the cellar. Tamed by the duck fat it has exceptional complexity and flavour and the finish goes on and on. Superb.

GW

YEs, I think I preferred the Margaux on the day.

BCP may have had a bad bottle.