CHÂTEAU MARQUIS D'ALESME
2017 3ème Cru Classé Margaux
This is another estate on the move. Under the ownership of the Perrodo family (also owners of Labégorce) since 2006, the quality here is improving all the time. The 2017 is another very impressive showing with bright, perfumed cherry fruit and some sweet spice. There is a good silky weight to the mid-palate and the tannins are very fine-grained. A textbook Margaux that will bring a great deal of pleasure from 2022 onwards. Drinking range: 2022 - 2035 Rating: 91 L&S (Apr 2018)
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The 2017 Marquis d'Alesme is a powerful, dark Margaux. Black cherry, plum, crème de cassis, tobacco, leather, menthol, espresso and tobacco accents add to the wine's decidedly potent feel. Ample and creamy on the palate, the 2017 shows the important presence of Merlot in the blend, which among other things, gives a real sense of immediacy. Drinking range: 2025 - 2037 Rating: 93 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Mar 2020)
The 2017 Marquis d'Alesme Becker matured in 65% new oak. The 2017 is very deep in colour. It has a high-toned and quite opulent bouquet thanks to the 30% Merlot in this blend. Veins of blue fruit and violet emerge with time. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins and fleshy in texture. A saturated mouthfeel towards the finish has a slight headiness about it. A finely made, though not profound Margaux. Drinking range: 2024 - 2042 Rating: 92 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Feb 2020)
The 2017 Marquis d’Alesme Becker was picked from 25 September to 6 October and matured in 65% new oak. It has a very pure bouquet with black cherries, blueberry and violet aromas that are detailed and pure. This is quite a sophisticated Margaux and it manifests more and more complexity with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with supple black fruit laced with spice and white pepper. This feels very cohesive with impressive weight in the mouth, good grip with a dense, almost sinewy finish that is determined to make an impression. This is a very fine Margaux that deserves four or five years in bottle. Drinking range: 2022 - 2040 Rating: 92-94 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (May 2018)
Deep crimson. Super-inviting fragrance of pure, mildly leafy black fruit. Very pure and lifted. On the palate, moderate depth with dry finesse in the tannins. Straightforward and correct with fragrance the key. Drinking range: 2022 - 2030 Rating: 16.5 Julia Harding MW, www.JancisRobinson.com (Apr 2018)
Rich in colour, with spicy cinnamon and black pepper notes followed by a silky texture in the mouth with good persistency. It's a success in the vintage, layered and appealing with a gourmet dash of grilled oak. It's confident and extends its hand, with a nod to Margaux typicity. Drinking range: 2025 - 2038 Rating: 92 Jane Anson, Decanter (Apr 2018)
A very solid Marquis with dark-berry and dark-cherry character. Medium to full body, firm tannins and a fresh finish. Very pretty. Rating: 91-92 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Apr 2018)
Warm and friendly plum sauce and blackberry puree flavors drape easily while light licorice snap and black tea accents fill in the background. The fresh acidity is nicely embedded. Rating: 90-93 James Molesworth, The Wine Spectator (Apr 2018)
Here the harvest began on September 25th, and it was completed on October 6th. The vinification included a pre-fermentation cold-maceration. It has a very dark and concentrated hue in the glass, and this translates into a ripe character on the nose, showing dark fruit, with sweetly ripe blackcurrant and cherry flavours, along with a chalk-dust fragrance. The palate shows a fresh and open character, with appropriate grip and a nice substance for the vintage, some rather fine-grained tannins, and a plush weight of fruit. This is a rather modern style of Margaux, but it has ripeness and substance in its favour. A lot of oak here. I hope this character can be transmitted through into the finished wine, which may drink well over five to ten years, maybe longer. Tasted twice. Rating: 90-92 Chris Kissack, www.thewinedoctor.com (Apr 2018)
Château Marquis d'Alesme
Established by the Marquis d'Alesme in 1585, the estate was originally planted in 1616. The property was acquired in 1809 by Monsieur Becker, who attached his name to that of the estate, and for a period the wine was called simply "Becker" in Bordeaux. In the early 20th Century, the property was bought by Comte Jean-Jules Théophile Chaix-d'Est-Ange, who had also inherited neighbouring Château Lascombes from his father, who intended to combine the two estates, but died in 1923 before carrying out the plan. The original Marquis d'Alesme château became offices for Lascombes, with the original château of Desmirail taking its place. The estate saw a succession of owners, including English firm WH Chaplin & Co and the Zuger family, until it was sold in 2006 to petrochemical industry businessman Hubert Perrodo . Apparently with elaborate plans of combining several of his Margaux estates, no changes took place after Perrodo was killed in a skiing accident in late 2006. The estate is currently run by Nathalie Perrodo.