Reviews
James Suckling 93
A sleek wine with plenty of tannins, but they are already so well integrated that this has a very elegant personality. The long finish is rather mineral and very pure.
by JS, James Suckling , 2018
Robert Parker 90
The 2015 Kirwan has a deep garnet-purple color and nose of crushed red currants, black cherries and black plums with wafts of tilled soil, fallen leaves and bark. The medium-bodied mouth offers nice intensity with soft, fine-grained tannins and plenty of freshness on the finish.
by LPB, Robert Parker , 2018
Wine Enthusiast 96
Editors' Choice
This rich wine is full of fruit and structured with layers of tannin. It's also stylish and elegant, with a suave texture that is already attractive. Black fruits mix with the structure to give a wine that will age well.
by RV, Wine Enthusiast , 2018
Wine Spectator 92
Leans toward the old-school side, with singed cedar and alder notes, perfumy black tea and mulled spice aromas and a core of gently steeped plum and black currant fruit, all carried by lightly dusty tannins through the finish. Balanced, charming and certain to age gracefully.
by JM, Wine Spectator , 2018
Technical Details
Harvest
September 18 to October 9
Tasting notes
A rich, deep color that immediately announces the tone of the vintage. It appears as a highly concentrated wine. The rich, complex nose confirms this impression, with a blend of black fruit and spices such as black pepper, cinnamon and vanilla.
In the mouth, the attack is at once fresh and profuse. The sense of volume continues midpalate while velvety tannins gradually develop, giving the wine its body without ever becoming overbearing. Everything is in perfect balance. A few notes of cocoa and coffee
complement he broad aromatic palette right up to the prolonged finale, supported by extremely mature tannins. While the pleasure it procures may tempt some to drink it young, I suggest waiting a few years. Indeed, everything indicates long and propitious aging.
Yield
51 Hl/Ha (2.7 tons/acre)
Technical data
After complicated years in 2011, 2012 and 2013, followed by a very encouraging 2014, we now have a great vintage that will delight all lovers of Bordeaux wines. This vintage will go down in history, particularly in Margaux: it was the driest year since 2005. Only 214 mm of rain fell throughout the active growing period, from April to September, and only 504 mm over the entire year. Thanks to good winter reserves, the soil was able to withstand the drought through the spring
and summer, up until August. Water stress played a fundamental role by stopping early growth. At that time, the vines also had to deal with a July heat wave (24 days >25°C, including 10 days >30°C). In late July, both the vines and the wine growers took a break. That was the vines' way of resisting the heat and drought. The ripening process was thus drawn out. Ripening accelerated only in early August, the 7th to be precise, with the first real rainfall of the season (15 mm), finally allowing the maturation phase to begin.
Six weeks later, on September 18, we began harvesting the Merlot. 22 days later, on October 9, we celebrated the end of the harvest with a smile, sure that we were contributing to something wonderful. We will not soon forget this vintage, as it served to inaugurate our new fermenting room. This is always a significant investment in the life of an estate. In our case, it was the result of careful consideration, commensurate with our ambitions for utmost quality.
Harvesting in small 6-kg crates, transfer of the grapes by the force of gravity into 37 vats (for 37 ha or 91.4 acres). We opted for concrete to construct these tulip-shaped vats, which make for extremely precise yet gentle vinification, perfectly in line with our plot selection.
Like all great vintages, 2015 offers fine balance.
The alcohol (at a considerable level of 13.9%) is imperceptible and perfectly balanced by a refreshing natural acidity (pH 3.7) and discreet tannins (IPT 65). The tannins give the wine a velvety unctuousness. In the end, the wine is wonderfully fruity and refined, with a gourmand, tactile character that far outshines it simple potency. 100% Margaux.
Vinification
Selected yeasts and bacteria
Fermentation temperatures around 25 Celsius
Simultaneous alcoholic and malolactic fermentation
Maceration period: 18 to 25 days