2015 is a historic year, in the literal sense of the word, for Château Margaux. We celebrated the bicentenary of the construction of the estate buildings in 1815 and inaugurated the new headquarters built or renovated by Norman Foster. It is easy to imagine how much we dreamed that 2015 would be a great year! Part of the result is undoubtedly due to the decisions made at the time of the blends: only 35% of the total harvest was kept for the first wine, a record of severity for a year of this level. As usual, Cabernet Sauvignon forms the backbone with 87% of the blend; in addition to concentration and finesse, this year it presents an unusual vigor and strength. Merlot did not have a negative performance, at least in the large plots; it makes up 8% of the first wine. Cabernet Franc (3%) and Petit Verdot (2%) also find their place in this very elite blend, confirming that great vintages generally allow all grape varieties to express their genius. How does the 2015 compare to its predecessors? It is a thankless and somewhat pointless task, especially for the greatest vintages. There are of course similarities, similarities and even some differences where we do not expect them... But we can also mention the strength of the 2005, the body of the 2009, the finesse of the 2010 and the inimitable charm of Château Margaux. It is clear that Paul Pontallier's latest vintage expresses the best qualities of Château Margaux. For all these reasons, Château Margaux wanted to create special packaging for its Grand Vin 2015. A unique case was designed, decorated with a magnificent silkscreen whose design, specially studied for this vintage, is affixed to the glass in place of the usual labels. The vintage, like its bottle, seems to have been created for eternity. (October 2018)