1949 is one of the most concentrated vintages of Château Margaux; such tannic power did not appear again until 1961, and then again in 1986. Its colour is stunning, dense, very deep, still youthful. The nose is rich, clean, but does not have the same finesse as other more classic great vintages, such as 1953, 1955 and 1959. The power really comes through on the palate; we can feel just how concentrated the tannins are, and these still give the wine a firmness, even an astringency, which is surprising in a wine of this age. The finish lacks a little smoothness, but generally it is a remarkable wine. It is difficult to say whether it should be drunk now or kept... We believe this wine has potential for improving, but perhaps it will also eventually dry out a little. So, perhaps it would be better to drink it !


(September 2002)