2001 Chateau Magdelaine Saint-Emilion Grand Cru

(94 Points)  -----   (John Gilman)

I do not have a ton of experience with the wines from the 2001 vintage in Bordeaux, which others term an “inconsistent” vintage, but all of the ones that I have drunk have been absolutely stellar, and this Château Magdelaine is no exception. The bouquet today is just starting to blossom at age twenty-one, offering up a refined constellation of dark berries, black cherries, cigar wrapper, black tea, a lovely base of limestone soil, woodsmoke, menthol and a deft touch of new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, complex and really shows off a lovely core of fruit, with good transparency and grip, still a fair bit of tannin and a very long, complex and beautifully balanced finish. This is a first class vintage of Château Magdelaine.   Review Date: 09/2022