2016 Chateau Marquis d'Alesme Margaux Grand Cru Classe 750 ml

The 2016 Marquis d’Alesme Margaux is a dual-96-point Cru Classé Margaux that deserves to be tucked in the cellar alongside your First Growths. Every time you open one, you’re sure to marvel—not just at the wine’s classic Margaux character, not just at its incredible evolution, but at the fact that you got it on Wine Access for just $59.

This is the Third Growth estate’s finest wine ever, and it represents Marquis d’Alesme’s ascent to the top echelon of Bordeaux. We were taken aback by its exuberant aromas of crème de cassis, black plum, currant jelly, mint, black olive, and Moroccan spices. This is everything you want in a top-flight Margaux: It’s rich and full on the palate, with tightly-knit fine-grained tannins that promise a graceful evolution for three decades.

“Talk about a gem in the vintage,” Jeb Dunnuck’s review began. “I was blown away by the 2016 Château Marquis d'Alesme Becker on each of the three times I was able to taste it.” His score and the matching 96 from Wine Advocate make this not just the greatest Marquis d’Alesme of all time—that’s undisputed—but perhaps the best price-to-score Cru Classé Bordeaux coup ever on Wine Access. If we’ve offered a better one, please drop us a line and jog our memory.

If Château Marquis d’Alesme isn’t on your Margaux radar the way Château Margaux, Palmer, d’Issan, and Lascombes are, we’re not surprised. The production is small—they make just 5,500 cases per year from their 40 acres of vines—less than half of what Château Margaux makes of their Grand Vin. But situated just north of Malescot St. Exupéry, which sits atop Château Margaux itself, the location is as pristine as just about any in the appellation.

Businessman Hubert Perrodo purchased the estate in 2006, but passed away later that year. His daughter Nathalie took over, and under her stewardship the château’s quality has exploded. She put Marjolaine Maurice de Coninck, formerly of Château Fonplegade, at the helm. She also renovated the winemaking facilities and hired Médoc magic-maker Michel Rolland as the consulting enologist.

In 2015 they vinified their first vintage at the new chai, and just a few months later, in early 2016, Wine Spectator asserted that “Château Marquis d’Alesme could soon be a force as quality continues to rise.” But nobody (our wine team included) anticipated that the day would come so soon.

Check out the scores, check out the raves, and pick up this release, because Château Marquis d’Alesme won’t be available at this kind of bargain price for long.