The Tb points given to this wine are the world’s most valid and most up-to-date evaluation of the quality of the wine. Tastingbook points are formed by the Tastingbook algorithm which takes into account the wine ratings of the world's 50 best-known professional wine critics, wine ratings by thousands of tastingbook’s professionals and users, the generally recognised vintage quality and reputation of the vineyard and winery. Wine needs at least five professional ratings to get the Tb score. Tastingbook.com is the world's largest wine information service which is an unbiased, non-commercial and free for everyone.
Wine Description
The Story
Since the 17th Century, the first wine of Château Margaux has been recognised as being one of the greatest wines in the entire world. It owes its unique qualities to the genius of its terroir as well as to the passionate work of a succession of generations. It’s a remarkable wine that comes from a combination of characteristics that are only rarely found: finesse, elegance, complexity, density, intensity, length and freshness. Although its tannic concentration may be exceptional, it’s rare to detect astringency.
The great vintages are distinguished by their formidable ability to move us. The lesser vintages give pleasure to wise enthusiasts. They offer the advantage of evolving very rapidly and, reveal, after a few years, instead of power, this subtlety that is the prerogative of great terroirs. Château Margaux has an extraordinary ability to evolve. Over the years, it has developed a finesse, an aromatic complexity and a remarkable presence on the palate.
Château Margaux has sought to achieve excellence in its wines for over 400 years now through painstaking and necessarily long studies of its terroir, through a constant desire to learn and innovate, by remaining sensitive to demanding markets, and above all through a passionate commitment that has been shared by the families that have succeeded each other at the estate. At the end of the 17th century, it became part of the nascent elite “First Growths” – long before being established officially by the Classification of 1855. Since then, Château Margaux has known fame and fortune, seeing by experience how ephemeral both are.
The estate has 200 acres under vine. Each plot and each variety are treated differently from pruning throughout the growing season. Chateau Margaux’ goal is to nurture and maintain vines for as long as possible, as they believe vines need to reach 20 years of age to produce great wine. The estate is constantly trying to understand through experimentation how to improve soil health and fruit quality. Today, no insecticides are used, there is an important balance of healthy insects to counter pests, and any number of experiments with ploughing, organic farming, and biodynamic applications are ongoing. A final key point to note, Margaux has for the last 30+ years had among the lowest yields in the Medoc.
The wine was aged for 15 months, in 10% new oak and 90% second use barrels. Because of the particularities of the vintage, Cabernet Sauvignon made up an extremely high 88% of the blend, with Merlot only 12% of the blend. Importantly, the wine is held in bottle until ready to drink, which may not mean that vintages are released sequentially.
Wine Information
1957 was hard and tannic for its first years. Today, the bouquet is fine and clean, typical of the noble vintages of that era. The palate is tender at first, then becomes a little thin with slightly dry tannins coming through in the finish. But the overall impression is one of a great vintage; the dryness in the finish is actually quite representative of a generation of wines which were slightly more acid and which had livelier tannins than today. It is a wine that should be drunk now; the magnums are showing very well and some of them could still be kept aside. (September 2002)
Weather
It was a difficult start to the growing season, with some damage from spring frosts. The weather then became satisfactory, but cool, until the harvest. Record high temperatures were registered in October, which saved this late-ripening harvest. (The picking began 4th October)
Vintage 1957
Bordeaux: The weather conditions in Bordeaux during the 1957 growing season were mixed. The year began with a cold winter and a late spring, which delayed budbreak and flowering. While the summer months were relatively warm and dry, they were also marked by periods of rainfall. This inconsistent weather had a significant impact on grape ripening and overall quality.
Bordeaux 1957 Reds: The red wines of Bordeaux from the 1957 vintage are often considered to be of moderate quality. The wines typically display a ruby-red color with some showing signs of aging, such as a slight brick or garnet rim. On the nose, they offer aromas of red berries, dried herbs, and hints of tobacco and cedar.
In the mouth, the 1957 Bordeaux reds are characterized by their medium body and relatively mild tannins. The acidity is generally balanced, but the wines lack the depth and concentration that are found in exceptional Bordeaux vintages. While some wines from this vintage have aged gracefully, others may have reached or passed their peak, making it important to choose bottles carefully.
Bordeaux 1957 Whites: The white wines of Bordeaux from the 1957 vintage also produced mixed results. The wines typically have a pale to medium gold color with aromas of citrus, green apple, and a touch of honey. While they may lack the complexity and depth of some other vintages, the best examples have retained their freshness and vibrancy over the years.
Overall Impressions: The Bordeaux 1957 vintage is generally regarded as a moderate vintage in terms of quality. While it may not have reached the heights of some of the region's legendary years, it still produced wines that can offer enjoyable drinking experiences, especially when carefully selected bottles from reputable producers are chosen.