We find it hard to imagine today the excitement caused by this vintage, whose abundance and generosity appear all the more remarkable when you consider the complete disasters of the two previous vintages (1968 and 1969). Most of the wines produced in the Médoc stayed closed and quite hard for a long time. As with the 1975 vintage, it could have been a question of the Cabernet Sauvignon not being ripe enough when it was picked. In many estates, even in the greatest, the vat cellar equipment, in particular the number of vats, was not able to adapt to such a large crop. The vinification conditions therefore were not ideal. It was the case at Château Margaux, where the 1970 demonstrated the quality of the vintage very well, but lacked a little concentration and flesh. The nose is complex, well developed, deep, and quite harmonious. On the palate, it is fine, pleasant, but a little short and dry in the finish. We think this wine is ready to drink now, but it undoubtedly has good staying power and even has potential for improvement.


(March 2017)