Château Margaux, Ch. Margaux 1988

89 / 100 Robert Parker
In a somewhat chunky, full-bodied, rather muscular style, with a dark, almost opaque garnet color and a big, smoky, earthy nose, with hints of compost, melted asphalt, black fruits, mushrooms, and new oak, this wine lacks the elegance one expects from Chateau Margaux, but does have plenty of tough-textured tannin and an almost rustic, corpulent style to it. The wine is mouth-staining as well as mouth-filling, but in a relatively chunky style.
Bordeaux Book, 4th Edition Jan 2003

96 / 100 Wine Spectator
Wow. Wonderfully fresh, with currant, blackberry and flowers on the nose. I just want to keep on smelling it. Full-bodied, with ultravelvety tannins and loads of berry and chocolate character. Dense and firm. Big wine, muscular. Drinkable now, but it's going to get a lot better with bottle age.—'88/'98 Bordeaux blind retrospective (2008). Drink now. 25,000 cases made.
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