Winery of the Quarter

We explore one of the world’s great wine producing gems; the venerable Chateau Margaux, one of the five First Growths of the Bordeaux wine region of France. 

First a brief introduction into the Bordeaux region, long recognized as producing some the the finest wines in the world. Why? Because many of the planet’s most popular and enjoyable wines are made from grapes that come from this region.  Most celebrated for its luscious, big red wines relying upon the blending of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot grapes, all of which emanate from this region in France, Bordeaux grapes have spread to many of the worlds’ premier wine regions, contributing greatly to local production of excellent wines around the world. One of the most recognizable regions relying heavily upon Bordeaux grapes for its most famous wines is the Napa Valley in California.  

While Bordeaux also produces some very nice dry white wines made mostly from Sauvignon Blanc and Sémilion grapes, and the iconic, sweet dessert wines of the Sauternes appellation, because Chateau Margaux produces some of the finest red wine in the world, we will limit the focus of this article to the red wines.

First, let’s take a look at some basics about the region. The Bordeaux region sits on both sides of the huge Gironde estuary, fed by the Dordogne and Garronne Rivers to the southeast and the Atlantic Ocean to the northwest. Large ocean going vessels use this estuary for commerce and tourism. The land to the north of the estuary is known as the right bank, and the land to the south as the left bank.  Wine estates on the right bank generally use mostly Merlot and Cabernet Franc in their wines, while estates on the left bank traditionally use mostly Cabernet Sauvignon, blended with various lessor quantities of the other red Bordeaux grapes.

On the left bank, and just north of the city of Bordeaux, rests the area of the Medoc, a large peninsula bordered to the east by the Gironde estuary and on the west by the Atlantic Ocean. This area is blessed with gently sloping land that rolls down into the estuary, and soils consisting of limestone, sand, gravel, stones and clay that provide excellent drainage for the vineyards, and a moderate climate heavily influenced by the nearby Atlantic. Four of the five most prestigious appellations of the left bank are located on the Medoc. They include, from south to north, the appellations of Margaux, St Julien, Pauillac and St Estephe. In France, an appellation is an officially designated region for growing wine, usually recognized because of some unique quality about the geographical area, such as its topography, climate or soil.  Sometimes regional or local politics/issues get involved in the designations.

Under direction of Napoleon III, in 1855 most of the better estates on the left bank were rated as to the quality of their red wines, comprising of 5 different grades. The First Growths were the highest grades, and the Fifths Growths the least. Dozens of chateaux were rated. Chateau Margaux was rated as one of only 4 original First Growths. The list at the top has only changed once; when Chateau Mouton Rothschild went from a Second Growth to a First Growth in 1972. So Chateau Margaux has a storied tradition of being a top notch estate.

The Chateau has a rich and long history, even long before the 1855 classification. Serious wine making here began in the 16th Century, so they’ve been at it awhile.  Today, in most vintages a bottle of the premier red wine from the estate sells for anywhere between $500 to $900 when first released. Bottles from excellent vintages tend to appreciate in value over time.  

One attribute of red Bordeaux wines in general, and it’s especially true of Chateau Margaux, is that the individual bottles are very age worthy.  In a good vintage and with proper storage, a bottle will still be excellent well more than 20 years after the vintage date. In most cases the bottles will improve for quite a number of years, before finally starting to decline gracefully in quality. Sort of similar to us humans! With most vintages, the bottles should be kept for a number of years before consumption. The length of time to keep a bottle will usually depend upon the climatic conditions affecting the vintage, the year that the grapes that made the wine were harvested. To figure out when to open that special bottle of Margaux, one should reference a knowledgeable wine critic who has reviewed the wine produced in the applicable vintage. All Bordeaux wines should be stored over time at a temperature of between 56-58 degrees, and are generally best served at a temperature of about 66 degrees.  

So what makes the wines of Chateau Margaux so special? As with most wines, this usually comes down to two factors: the terroir and the winemaker. Terroir is a French word that roughly means all the natural factors that effect the wine, such as soil composition, climactic conditions, altitude of the vineyard, proximity to water or the effects of water and so on. Of course the weather conditions vary somewhat year by year, especially in France, so the annual climate for a particular year will have a profound impact upon the quality of the harvest, and is often the most salient factor in determining the quality of a vintage.  

As to the actual production of the wine, Corinne Mentzelopoulos has owned the Chateau ever since her father’s passing in 1980. Since taking over the leadership role, she has passionately devoted herself to insuring the continued excellence of the wine, and with the help of a team of highly experienced and respected wine prodigies, headed by managing director Philippe Bascaules, has continued the tradition of excellence that earned the esteemed Chateau a First Growth rating way back in 1855. As a sample of what wine critics typically say about the estate’s wine from an excellent vintage, see the attached photo of vintage ratings from numerous established wine critics describing the 2016 vintage of the wine. These reviews were provided by the K&L Wine Merchants as an aid to potential customers.  

In 2007 I had the good fortune to visit and taste wine at Chateau Margaux. It provided a truly grand and memorable experience. Reservations are always required for such a visit. According to their website, the Chateau is open for reserved visits on weekdays, but is closed during the month of August, and during the harvest season (late September, early October). Apparently the current visitation plan does not include any wine tasting, unless you are a “professional.” If true, that’s unfortunate, because the wine is divine!