Well, this is my wine of the year. I realize that some of you, most probably, are sick of reading about Bel Air bloody Marquis, so I apologize. I’m sipping this as I write.
I bought this at auction recently, for not very much, possibly because of the level, just above the shoulder, possibly the vintage, not as renowned in Margaux perhaps, possibly also that BAMA hasn’t ever been a headline grabber over here.
The cork crumbled and I had to push the rest in and decant the lot, so I wasn’t over-optimistic, but no reason, the bottle was fine - as soon as it was in the decanter, fresh aromas of flowers and blackberries emerged and the first glass confirmed there was nothing wrong: slightly faded roses, blackberry and sandalwood notes, before a fresh, quite vibrant attack of wild strawberry and blackberry. After a while, the wine opened to show more wild strawberry, with raspberry liqueur and a soaring second section of red cherries, before a long, elegant finish. As I sip now, it has developed further, showing hints of loganberries, rose hip syrup and generally more depth. There’s a wonderful sweetness, but it’s not cloying, it’s perfectly balanced with just enough crispness to the finish.
Nothing more to say, except that it reminds me strongly of the 2000 - it’s just an older version. As usual, it’s a trip down memory lane, but the similarity to the 2000 shows how little the style has changed over the years, if at all. It’s a pity there aren’t more wines like this still made.
Compared to other 82s tasted over the years, this is perhaps not quite as good as Gruaud, but it’s certainly the best I’ve had from Margaux.
So far, this is also the best ever BAMA I’ve had.
A masterpiece.