1996 Chateau Kirwan

經典 Margaux 的陳年魅力：黑莓與香料交織、單寧柔順但有骨架。

【為什麼選它？】
1) 嚴選田塊 -> 主力於礫石與少量黏土地塊，成就那份礦感與結構，陳年後更顯層次。
2) 精細人工處理 -> 採雙次手工篩選、分地塊小批發酵，保留果實純度與個性。
3) 平衡橡木策略 -> 長期桶陳但新桶比例適中，帶出香料與烘烤調性，沒有蓋住風土。

【侍酒師私房筆記】
倒入杯中是帶成熟邊緣的深寶石紅，聞到黑醋栗、熟李、煙草與溫暖香料。入口中高酸撐起結構，單寧已開始融合為絲質，酒體中等偏厚，尾段清新且延展。開瓶醒45分鐘就能享受到它的開闊性格，想細細品味也會回報你的耐心。

【場景化配餐指南】
週末家宴的烤牛肋排、老友小聚配上熟成硬芝士，或在高級餐廳點一份嫩煎鹿肉，都非常合適。

【降維打擊對比】
擁有三級莊園（3eme Grand Cru Classé）背書與真實的陳年表現，但價格落在主流頭牌之下——是想要Margaux經典感、又講求性價比的最佳選擇。

Soul Hook: Mature Margaux elegance — concentrated black fruits, warm spice and a silky frame that rewards attention.

Why choose it?
1) Vineyard selection & soils -> Best parcels on gravel and clay give classic Margaux minerality and structure for long ageing.
2) Careful sorting & parcel vinification -> Twice-hand-sorted grapes and separate vinification preserve purity and clarity of fruit.
3) Thoughtful oak ageing -> Extended barrel ageing with a measured portion of new oak yields spice and polish without masking terroir.

Sommelier's Notes: Deep ruby with a developed rim, the nose shows cassis, prune and tobacco, edged by cedar and spice from judicious oak. On the palate the wine sits medium-plus in body: silky, merging tannins, bright but integrated acidity and a long, savory finish — ready to enjoy after a short decant, yet rewarding attentive sipping.

Occasion (pairing): Perfect for a special Hong Kong Sunday roast or an intimate dinner pairing with rare beef, braised short rib or a cheese board of aged hard cheeses. Decant 45 minutes to let the aromatics open.

Competitive Edge: Offers Grand Cru Classé provenance and classic Margaux character at a price point well below many first-growth peers — vintage complexity without headline markup.

Specification

• Alcohol %: 13%
• Decant Time: 45 minutes
• Taste: blackcurrant, cassis, prune, spice, cedar, tobacco, silky tannins, gravel minerality, balanced acidity, long finish
• Food Matching: Rare roast beef, Braised beef with dumplings, Roast beef rib, Venison, Aged hard cheese (e.g. Lincolnshire Poacher)
• Grape Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon : 53%, Merlot : 34%, Cabernet Franc : 6%, Petit Verdot : 7%,

Winery

Château Kirwan（3級名莊），由 Godard 家族經營。莊園以礫石為主、局部帶黏土的優良地塊聞名，採取人工兩度篩選、分地塊小批量發酵。使用原生酵母、發酵溫度控制在約31–33°C，部分酒液在新桶完成乳酸發酵，整體桶陳約18–20個月、新桶約三成，強調風土與細緻香料的平衡。

Château Kirwan, a 3ème Grand Cru Classé owned by the Godard family, focuses on best parcels with mainly gravel soils (some clay). Grapes are hand-picked and sorted twice, vinified parcel by parcel. Fermentation uses indigenous yeasts at 31–33°C; malolactic is partly in new oak. Ageing is extended in barrels (around 18–20 months) with roughly 30% new oak, producing wines that balance spice and terroir expression.