Château Margaux
Château Margaux (Premier Grand Cru Classé)
Margaux
2000
Vintage
Varietal
Bordeaux Blend
ABV
Where it is, June 2026
At Peak: in the heart of its drinking window (2005-2035).
In 2026 this is a mature, mid-peak First Growth drinking beautifully. The window opened in 2003, but the 2000 was famously slow to soften, taking the better part of two decades to shed its stubborn, richly tannic frame. It is now well inside its 2005 to 2035 plateau, fully resolved and showing the perfume and silk that patience promised. There is no urgency: hard decline is not forecast until 2047, leaving roughly two more decades of graceful drinking. Bottles held in good storage have the structure to coast through the peak rather than fade, so you can open one tonight or cellar the rest without anxiety.
Related vintages
The ‘00 Château Margaux (Premier Grand Cru Classé).
The 2000 Château Margaux at mid-peak: a classic millennium First Growth whose once-imposing tannins now pour as fine silk over perfumed Margaux gravel.
Drinking window
Tasting note
The 2000 Château Margaux captures the perfume of this great estate in a vintage of near-perfect ripeness: black currant, violet, fresh cedar, graphite, and sandalwood rising over the deep gravel terroir's mineral elegance. With tannin rated 8, this was an imposing wine in youth, yet at full maturity the structure now offers fine silk rather than resistance, the grain polished and woven seamlessly into the fruit. Body sits at a generous 8, lush and concentrated with black and red berries, while acidity of 6 keeps the whole lifted and fresh in the way the Margaux appellation does best. The mid-palate is deep and resolved, carrying that signature violet-and-cedar lift through a long, savory close threaded with graphite and sweet tobacco. This is Cabernet-dominant Bordeaux at its most aristocratic: powerful on paper, weightless in practice, and finally drinking as the estate intended.
The 2000 vintage
The 2000 was the much-touted millennium vintage and, for many, the finest in the Médoc since 1990. The season began shakily, a mild winter giving way to a wet, warm spring and early summer that brought mildew pressure, but from mid-July near-uninterrupted sunshine took over. Harvest ran in ideal conditions across roughly three weeks to 11 October. The classic Left Bank communes fared best, with Margaux, St-Julien, and Pauillac all reaching a consistently high level. Unlike the more approachable 2001 alongside it, the richly tannic 2000 proved one of the more stubborn years to open up, which is exactly why it shows so well now.
About Château Margaux
Château Margaux is a First Growth of the Margaux appellation, sitting on the deep gravel soils that give its Cabernet-dominant blend such perfumed elegance. The estate is owned by the Mentzelopoulos family, with Corinne Mentzelopoulos at its head. The 2000 was crafted by Paul Pontallier, who joined in 1983 and served as managing director from 1990, overseeing a celebrated run of vintages here and counting 2000 among his acclaimed work before his death in 2016.
From the cellar: pair with
Roasted rack of lamb with thyme and a red wine jus
The full body (8) stands up to rich roasted lamb, while the still-firm but silky tannins (8) cut through the fat and bind to the protein, leaving the fruit clean and lifted.
Dry-aged ribeye with a peppercorn crust
A well-marbled steak meets the wine's concentrated structure head-on: its tannin (8) scrubs the palate between bites and the body (8) matches the beef's intensity without either overwhelming the other.
Roast squab with morels and a touch of foie
An earthy, savory game bird flatters the wine's cedar and graphite notes, and the fresh acidity (6) keeps the buttery morel and foie richness from turning heavy across the meal.
Service & cellaring
- Serving Temp
- 60-64F (16-18C)
- Decanting
- Decant 60 to 90 minutes before serving. At full maturity the tannins are already silk-resolved, so air is about coaxing the violet, cedar, and graphite perfume into bloom rather than softening grip. Decant gently off any sediment a mature First Growth will have thrown, and pour into large Bordeaux bowls.
- Cellar Storage
- 55F (13C), 60-70% humidity, bottle on its side.
The drinking window on this bottle is calculated with the Cellared Ageability Index (CAI) v1.0, a 10-factor model. Try the free drinking window calculator on any wine, or read when to drink wine for the practical signals.
More from Margaux
Frequently Asked
When should I drink the 2000 Château Margaux?
Now is an excellent time. As of 2026 it is mid-peak and fully resolved, sitting comfortably inside its 2005 to 2035 plateau. It opened back in 2003 but took nearly two decades to soften, and it will hold gracefully until hard decline around 2047, so there is no rush either way.
Should I decant the 2000 Château Margaux?
Yes, decant for 60 to 90 minutes. The tannins are already silk-resolved at maturity, so decanting mainly lifts the violet, cedar, and graphite perfume and lets you pour cleanly off the sediment a wine of this age will have thrown. Use large Bordeaux glasses to capture the aromatics.
What food pairs best with the 2000 Château Margaux?
Reach for rich red meat: roasted rack of lamb, a dry-aged ribeye, or roast squab with morels. The full body and still-firm but silky tannins handle fatty, savory dishes, while the fresh acidity keeps everything lifted so the wine's perfume stays in the foreground.
Can I keep cellaring the 2000, or should I drink it soon?
You can comfortably hold it. Stored on its side at 55F with 60 to 70 percent humidity, it has the structure to coast through its 2005 to 2035 peak and on toward the 2047 decline. Bottles in good provenance are in no danger, so cellar with confidence and open them on your own schedule.
What should I open next in a similar style?
Stay on the Left Bank for that perfumed, Cabernet-led profile. Explore our [Bordeaux cellar guide](/wines/region/bordeaux) for the appellations, browse more [Bordeaux Blend wines](/wines/varietal/bordeaux-blend) for the grape style, or step up to Pauillac with the [2001 Château Mouton Rothschild](/wines/chateau-mouton-rothschild/pauillac-premier-grand-cru-classe/2001).