| Region of Production: | Margaux AOP |
| Winery Location: | Margaux |
| Year Established: | 16th century |
| Classification: | Premier Grand Cru Classé, Médoc 1855 |
Vineyard Holdings
- Bordeaux AOP: 12 ha (Sauvignon Blanc)
- Margaux AOP: 80 ha
- 75% Cabernet Sauvignon
- 20% Merlot
- 5% Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot
Top Wines Produced & Inaugural Vintages
- Château Margaux: Typically 85-90% Cabernet Sauvignon, with Merlot, Cabernet Franc and occasionally Petit Verdot. 20-24 month élevage occurs in 100% new oak. 130,000 bottle production (The grand vin represents approximately 1/3 of the total red wine production).
- Pavillon Rouge: Typically 60-70% Cabernet Sauvignon with a remainder of Merlot. Aged 20 months in 50% new oak. 120,000 bottle production. Inaugural vintage 1978.
- Pavillon Blanc: 12,000 bottle production. Inaugural vintage 1920.
- Margaux du Château Margaux: 30,000 bottle production. Inaugural vintage 2009
Summary
One of five Premier Grand Cru Classé of the Médoc, Château Margaux is the top property in the Margaux appellation. (It is unclear if the original château, a 12th-century castle, preceded the Margaux village.) Its destiny as producer of one of the world’s most coveted red wines began with 16th-century owner Pierre de Lestonnac, who managed a transformation of the property’s farms by planting vineyards in place of cereal grains. By the end of the 17th century Château Margaux occupied a 265-hectare estate, with one-third of the domain planted to vines. Nearly a century later, the 1771 Château Margaux was advertised in the pages of Christie’s catalog – it was the first vintage Bordeaux claret to appear in its pages.
In 1801, Bertrand Douat acquired the property and demolished the old castle, erecting the neo-palladian château emblazoned on the grand vin label in its place in 1815. The price and prestige of the estate’s wine garnered Château Margaux inclusion in third place (as a first growth) behind Châteaux Lafite and Latour in the 1855 Classification of the Médoc.
The château passed through several owners in the 19th and 20th centuries, suffering a period of wavering quality in the middle of the last midcentury. In 1977 André Mentzelopoulos purchased Château Margaux and his family has restored its name and reputation as one of the preeminent wines of Bordeaux and the world. His daughter Corinne now owns the property; Paul Pontallier was the managing director until his passing in 2016.
Style & Vinification Techniques
Highly regarded for its opulence and perfume rather than power. The fruit is hand-harvested by a team of over 250 pickers, sorted in the vineyard and in the winery by hand and eye alone, and fermented in stainless steel and large, old wood casks. Macerations typically last up to three weeks. Cap management is by remontage alone, and after pressing the free-run juice undergoes malolactic fermentation in tank. Tronçais is the preferred forest; while the château relies on several coopers 20% of the barrels are made by Margaux’s in-house tonnelier. The final blend is assembled in February of the year after harvest, before the en primeur tastings. Collage (with 5-6 beaten egg whites) occurs before bottling, but the wines are never filtered.
Producer Website: Château Margaux