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Chateau Margaux
Of all the first growths Margaux is certainly a strong contender for being the most splendid, the imposing 19th Century chateau, peering over the chai, barrel cellars and other buildings, easily visible from the D2, the road that snakes up the Médoc past the front doors of many of the classed growths. It stands proud, surrounded by broad sweeps of vines, the only challenge being from Chateau Palmer, which is visible in the distance, its pointed rooftops stretching skywards in marked contrast to the more sombre style of Margaux. It is a regal chateau indeed, and certainly fitting in view of the quality of the wines that have been made here over the last couple of decades.
The history of Chateau Margaux stretches back
to the 12th Century,
although this predates the construction of the building that we see today by
about seven centuries. At this time it was in the ownership of French nobility,
and was known La Mothe de Margaux; 'La Mothe' comes from motte,
meaning a small rise in the land, yet another example of the seemingly infinite different number of words that describe such hillocks on the Médoc. Perhaps of
more pertinence, this also predates the arrival of viticulture at
Margaux, the land more commonly being employed in the production of sugar beet,
as was common across much of this part of Bordeaux. It was not until the Lestonnac family
took possession of the estate in the 16th Century that it began to resemble the Chateau Margaux that we know today. In the ten years that followed 1572, Pierre
Lestonnac, in anticipation of a widespread change from arable agriculture to
viticulture on the Médoc, made his mark in a most dramatic fashion. By the
beginning of the 18th Century Chateau Margaux comprised 265 ha, of which
one third was devoted to viticulture. Today the estate has changed very
little in size or layout.
The early 18th Century saw more improvements of considerable significance at Chateau Margaux, led principally by the estate manager Berlon.
These changes may at first seem surprising, as today they sound like common sense,
but at the time these were brave new ideas. Berlon counselled against
picking wet grapes, so as to avoid dilution; he recognised that certain
plots produced better fruit than others, recognising the varied
terroir of his estate; and he began to vinify red and white grapes separately - they had previously
all been vinified together. The wine improved in quality dramatically, as
demonstrated in 1771 when it was the first claret to ever be sold at Christie's.
In addition, Thomas
Jefferson, the American ambassador, oenophile and later President, was
an acolyte and purchased the 1784. Margaux was on a high, and successive owners kept quality to the
fore at Margaux, including Joseph de Fumel and Elie du Barry, but Margaux saw an
end to its good fortune when
the latter saw his end under the guillotine following the Revolution.
The estate came to the citizen Miqueau who paid it little attention, and it fell
into disrepair. It was subsequently rescued from total dilapidation by Laure de Fumel,
Joseph's niece, but she was soon forced to sell, and in 1801 the estate
was purchased by the Marquis de la Colonilla, Bertrand Douat.
Colonilla had little interest in wine or Margaux, and lived in Paris rather than Bordeaux. He was a Basque, and arrived in France having already made his fortune; for him, ownership of such a grand property was intended to assist his social advancement. To that effect, the manor house which had already replaced the original fortified building was deemed inadequate, and it was torn down and replaced with the grand chateau, as designed by the leading architect of the day, Louis Combes. This building, which still stands today, was Colonilla's only major contribution to Margaux, and it is one that he saw little of himself. Work began in 1810, when Colonilla was already in his eighth decade, and he died 26 years later, before the chateau was completed. His death once again prompted the sale of the estate, as his descendants had little interest in taking it on. The new owner this time was the Marquis de la Marismas, Alexandre Aguado, another Spaniard. Unlike Colonilla, Aguado regarded Margaux as a residence and he had a deep interest in the estate and its wines. Aguado and his family saw the estate through the powdery mildew crisis of the 19th Century, and the 1855 classification, when it should go without saying that Margaux was comfortably ranked as a first growth.
The Aguado family subsequently sold Chateau Margaux to Frédéric Pillet-Will, and it was he who was in charge when Phylloxera ravaged the estate, not to mention the rest of Bordeaux and all French vineyards, in the late 19th Century. The solution was to replant on American rootstock which, when this became widely accepted, was a task Pillet-Will undertook. The quality of the wine thereafter, for many possible reasons, was not always as good as might be expected, and it was at this time that a second wine, the forerunner of today's Pavillon Rouge de Chateau Margaux, was introduced. Frédéric's good intentions meant little to his children, however, as after his death the estate suffered serious neglect. Nevertheless a group led by Pierre Moreau, a trusted friend of Frédéric Pillet-Will, formed a committee of purchasing shareholders in order to take over the ownership and running of Margaux. This arrangement worked well, and they tended the estate through the first half of the 20th Century, their most significant contribution to the Margaux of today being the introduction of chateau bottling, contemporaneous with the exact same change being implemented by Baron Philip de Rothschild at Chateau Mouton-Rothschild. This era of committee-led ownership came to a gradual end in the first half of the 20th Century, however, as Fernand Ginestet and his son, Pierre, gradually acquired more and more of the available shares in Chateau Margaux. Finally, with the financial backing of Boylandry, Mayor of Saigon, they purchased the property outright in 1949. Sadly for the Ginestets, however, they had taken on too much. Chateau Margaux was trading on its reputation, and the intrinsic quality of the wines fell off dramatically during the 1960s and 1970s. They held onto the reins here for a little over two decades, but the Bordeaux crisis of the early 1970s, with several disastrous vintages, forced them into selling Chateau Margaux. This is the point at which the Mentzelopoulos family enters the fray.
Greek by birth, André Mentzelopoulos had travelled far, and become a wealthy
man on the back of trading cereals in India, Pakistan and the Far East. Upon
arriving in France in 1958 he purchased a small chain of grocery stores, and
proceeded to built the company into a massive supermarket chain with over 1600
outlets. In 1977, when Margaux had already been languishing on the market for
two years, he bought it from the Ginestet family. In a time of economic
depression for Bordeaux, it was testament to Mentzelopoulos' commitment that he invested heavily
with no expectation for short-term reward. He installed new drainage and
replanted vines, reintroduced the use of a second wine to aid quality,
constructed a new underground cellar, a remarkable achievement in the flat
landscape of the Médoc where few cellars are truly subterranean, and purchased new oak barrels. The
chateau was also renovated. What a tragedy then that André Mentzelopoulos, whose
arrival in the region as an outsider had caused mutterings of controversy, only
for him to be gladly accepted into the Bordeaux fold, died so soon after in
1980, long before he could taste the full fruits of his labours. The family
business, and Chateau Margaux, came to his daughter, Corrine Mentzelopoulos, at
a very tender age. With the aid of general manager Philip Barré, and esteemed
consultant Professor Emile Peynaud, she and the Margaux team continued with the
program of improvements. In 1983 they were joined by Barré's
replacement, Paul Pontallier, who has also been instrumental in the quest for
even greater wines from the hallowed terroir that surrounds the chateau. The
reward for wine drinkers has been exceptional; today, Margaux is no longer an
under-achiever. Corinne has also been amply rewarded; in 2003 she was able to
purchase the majority stake in Margaux held until that time by the Agnelli Group, and thus
she became the sole owner of a very successful first growth estate.
Today the estate is spread over 262 hectares, with 87 hectares entitled to the Margaux appellation; 82 hectares are under vine. Many of the vines lie on the gravelly terroir around the grand chateau, although there are other patches, including a plot on the right of the D2 as you drive north away from Margaux, and also a 12 hectare plot further inland which is given over solely to white grapes. All four common red Bordeaux varieties are planted, these being Cabernets Sauvignon (75%) and Franc (about 3%), Merlot (20%) and Petit Verdot (about 2%), whereas the white vineyards are planted solely with Sauvignon Blanc. The vines average 36 years of age. The soils are gravelly, with a clay subsoil known as Calcaire de Plassac.
The
wines are fermented in oak vats, and on visiting the property at Chateau Margaux
I was informed the wines see no temperature control during fermentation,
although this is contrary to my preconceptions, as well as other sources
concerning Margaux, and I think I might take this possible misinformation with
the proverbial pinch of salt. A little cynicism can sometimes be helpful when
visiting even such hallowed properties as Margaux. The wine is then run off into
vats or barrels, the latter being constructed onsite in the Margaux cooperage
which is situated next to the barrel cellars in the buildings that surround the
chateau. The red wines see up to two years
maturation in oak, the whites up to six months, and they are fined using egg
whites prior to bottling, the bottles subsequently laser etched to act as a
marker of authenticity and traceability. There are generally
12500 cases of the grand vin, Chateau Margaux, produced
each year. The second wine Pavillon Rouge du Chateau Margaux has
a greater production, typically 16500 cases. These figures are considerably
larger than those for Pavillon Blanc
du Chateau Margaux, which is harvested at about 30 hl/ha and has a
typical production of just 2750 cases. In addition lesser wine is sold off in
bulk.
To sum up succinctly, Chateau Margaux is an estate clearly worthy of its position as a first growth. Look back just a few decades and it would be rather more difficulty to make this statement with such conviction, but today (and over the last twenty to twenty-five years) the wines that bear the distinctively elegant label of Chateau Margaux are without doubt some of the greatest wines of all Bordeaux, showing finesse, perfume, concentration and longevity. I admire the delicate balance coupled with intensity of aroma that many of the recent vintages seem to demonstrate, even in supposedly lesser vintages. The wines are expensive, but for once such prices may be justified. (24/8/04, updated 9/1/07)
Contact details:
Address: Chateau Margaux, 33460 Margaux
Telephone: +33 (0) 5 57 88 83 83
Fax +33 (0) 5 57 88 31 32
Internet:
www.chateau-margaux.com
Chateau Margaux - Tasting Notes
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Chateau Margaux (Margaux) 2007:
This year the grand vin accounts for just 32% of the harvest, and at 87%
Cabernet Sauvignon predominates, with 11% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc. Alcohol
13.2%. There is a great concentration of fruit on the nose, a spicy and elegant
style, with a fresh and stony lift. Full, balanced, with a good backbone of
tannin, fine acids and a lovely balance, but there is also substance and style.
It opens out in the glass to reveal some peppery perfume. Impressive stuff; not
a truly great Margaux by a long shot, but in the context of this vintage, really
very good indeed. 16.5-From my
2007 Bordeaux
en primeur assessment. 17.5+/20 (April 2008)
Pavillon Rouge de Margaux (Margaux) 2007: The second wine, this is 58% Cabernet
Sauvignon, 37% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot. Alcohol 13.2%. There is a lovely
aromatic character here, pure and elegant, and lifted. Nice flesh on entry,
gentle tannins which are nicely covered, and fresh acids. A lovely balance and
freshness, but there is some substance here too. Fleshy, with some grip at the
finish. Just a little green peppercorn edge. Nice. From my
2007 Bordeaux
en primeur assessment. 15-16+/20 (April 2008)
Pavillon Blanc de Margaux (Bordeaux) 2007: This is 100%
Sauvignon Blanc, fermented in oak, one-third new, and 50% of the wine underwent
batonnage on the lees. The alcohol is a whopping 15.5%, although you
would not think it quite this high on tasting. Fresh and aromatic on the nose,
pure and rather green in style. Full rather peppery, with an inordinate amount
of grip on the palate reflecting the use of oak I think. Very structured, and
despite that high alcohol level very good. From my
2007 Bordeaux
en primeur assessment. 16-17+/20 (April 2008)
Pavillon Blanc du Chateau Margaux (Bordeaux) 2005: A vibrant,
yellow-gold wine which has obvious youth. This is also evident on the pungently
impressive nose, which is vibrant with herby, green Sauvignon character,
although with the suggestion of richness and good delineation. Full palate,
broad and firm, with a fine, grippy-pithy structure, layered with a coating of
elegant fruit and a little texture. There is finesse, but also the untamed power
of youth here. Excellent potential. 17.5+/20 (November 2006)
Chateau Margaux (Margaux) 2002: A deep and glossy hue on inspection. Unsurprisingly
there is much in common with the 2000 Pavillon on the nose here; this young wine
also shows lots of toffee-toast-oak character, with a burnt sugar, marshmallowy
feel, over some pure black fruits beneath. Nicely restrained texture on entry
though, the palate showing very good definition and a fine structure with a
gentle coating of fruit. It opens up through the midpalate, showing more warmth
and texture, but never losing that fine, grippy structure. Good freshness. This
should be fine, but needs much time a decade as a bare minimum. 17.5-18+/20 (November 2006)
Chateau Margaux (Margaux) 2001: A lovely colour here, and a really
attractive nose, smoky and yet perfumed, certainly rather gravelly. very
classic, and showing very well considered its age. cassis fruit, just a little
tobacco, and showing great potential. Very cool entry, showing a firm structure
but with an elegant texture through the midpalate. Very nicely composed indeed,
quite harmonious, with a lot of structure showing at the end (which is fine) and
a very persistent finish. Good, fresh style of fruit. Excellent potential.
17.5+/20 (December 2006)
Pavillon Rouge du Chateau Margaux (Margaux) 2000: This is dark and
glossy, with a deep core showing good concentration out to a claretty-pink rim.
Still showing its youth on the nose, with barrel-derived aromas of toffee and
toasted oak which dominate the fruit. Clearly this remains very embryonic. Full
and unsurprisingly sweetly creamy on entry, smothered in toasty oak, but with
lots of structure beneath this superficial layer. Deep, slightly brawny fruit
character, very high quality, with a tannic finish. Still so young, but with
great potential. 17.5+/20 (November 2006)
Chateau Margaux (Margaux) 1999: Quite a deep colour at the core here,
leading out to a pink-red rim. Quite fine on the nose, well defined black fruit,
with subtle gravelly perfume and iodine, and even a little roasted herb. It
flatters with a rich entry but thins out a little on the midpalate; it maintains
a good texture but the structure is a little naked. It has a classic body of
tannin, and is very well composed, but lacks the charm that many of the other
wines demonstrate. Nevertheless, it has very good potential, but needs a
decade-plus in the cellar. 16.5+/20 (November 2006)
Pavillon Rouge du
Chateau Margaux (Margaux) 1998: Another vibrant and youthful
coloured wine. A lovely nose, plainly different from the
other wines in this flight. This is the ringer! Notes of
toffee, caramel and tar. More toffee like notes on the
palate, with good fruit and huge tannins, showing
especially on the finish. Found hiding in a Chateau
Rauzan-Ségla blind tasting. 16+/20 (November
2001)
Chateau Margaux (Margaux) 1996: An interesting vintage for Paul
Pontallier, who became a father this year but regretfully informed his wife
partway through the year that it was not to be a great vintage. Then the weather
changed, and the results were fabulous. This shows a little more maturity than
the preceding two wines, but also more depth, with a deep, dark core with just a
little oxblood-pin at the rim. The nose is fine and very, very impressive. There
is definition and maturity, with wonderful, classic aromatics of iron, mineral
and rose petal Margaux character. On the palate, this wine has the classic
composition that I associate with the left bank wines of 1996; pure, rounded now
maturing fruit, finely structured and very delineated. Wonderful grip and style,
the major change being a yielding to the pure black fruits of youth to a more
mature style. Broad and brilliantly balanced, but still displaying much tannin.
Needs ten years at least, but this is truly a great. 19+/20 (November 2006)
Pavillon Rouge du Chateau Margaux (Margaux) 1996: This wine is losing a little
intensity at the rim, especially when compared to the 2000 poured alongside.
Deep and maturing at the core. The nose also shows good maturity, with a lovely,
forward, open, stylish character rich in notes of iron, blood, iodine and
quintessentially perfumed, gravelly minerals. Quite creamy on entry, obviously
fine, showing lovely maturity, although still with some peppery tannins. Iron
and mineral streaked flavours supported by good acidity. Ultimately it does not
have the concentration of a first growth through the midpalate, but this is
the second wine. And the quality is very good. Approachable, but will be better
in five years and more. 17+/20 ()
Chateau Margaux (Margaux) 1993: This has less concentration than the
other vintages, perhaps unsurprisingly and also forgivably. Not so expressive on
the nose at first, but soon opens up to reveal a nice, stony, mineral character
that carries a nice perfume and a little liquorice. Quite some finesse but
perhaps not the depth we might hope for. Elegantly textured and composed, fading
tannins mean that this wine is much more approachable than those that precede.
Lacks a little brightness of flavour though. Can be appreciated now, but not the
most attractive style and it would benefit from a further year or two in the
cellar. 16.5/20 (November 2006)
Pavillon Blanc du Chateau Margaux (Bordeaux) 1993: Sampled from two
different bottles. An interesting nose here, rather smoky, with notes of iodine,
mineral and fresh surf with a little green-edged fruit. This all hints at full
maturity for this wine which is after all from a lesser vintage. It has good
freshness on the palate, although is not the most expansive of wine. But it has
a broadness, and an appropriate structure with a nicely grippy finish. In truth
it lacks the concentration of even the second wine of a first growth, an
although intrinsically it is merely good, I suspect for the vintage it is an
excellent effort. 16.5/20 (November 2006)
Pavillon Rouge du Chateau Margaux (Margaux) 1990: A dark, maturing hue. This is
quite distinct from the other wines, with a floral, elegant nose, like
rose-petals edged with toffee. Full flavoured palate, with a creamy, fat
texture. Plenty of structured to underpin this, with spicy tannins which
show especially on the finish. Some elegance is apparent. This is very
typical of the commune, and extremely good wine. From a
Bordeaux 1990 blind
horizontal tasting. 18.5/20 (May 2003)
Chateau Margaux (Margaux) 1989: A wine from a remarkable vintage, at
the time the earliest harvest since 1893. This hasa mature appearance, a little
tawny at the rim. Ah, but what a delightful nose! Deep, minerally, meaty, iron
filings, stylish and in possession of depth, and yet light and lifted at the
same time. Evolved and very seductive, fine and displaying great balance on the
palate. Very complete, still showing a firm tannic backbone but with a lovely
composition of mature fruit and acidity. A touch creamy, really very fine, but
also upright and rather aloof. This is divine, and yet has so much to offer
still. It will improve over another five to ten years yet I think. 19+/20 (November 2006)
Pavillon Rouge du
Chateau Margaux (Margaux) 1989: A good colour here. Another fruit
laden wine, much more evident on the nose here. A touch
of caramel oak (just a touch), some good ground coffee
notes and a hint of sooty tannins. Another big wine on
the palate. Very tannic, rich, with loads of fruit. More
fresh coffee, some fragrance developing, leading into a
big, tannic finish. A good length. Overall a serious
wine. Needs another
five years. From a Bordeaux 1989
blind horizontal tasting. 17.5+/20 (May 2000)
Chateau Margaux (Margaux) 1988: Not quite the mature appearance of the
1989, and on the nose there is more restraint. Very classic, but rather more
reticent, but what aromas it does release are very appealing. Very finely
composed, broad and expressive on the palate. Clearly this is of very high
quality, but it does not have the evolution and open approachability that the
preceding wine possesses. There is a finely balanced presence of acidity and
tannin, and good freshness, but really this needs cellar time, and a bare
minimum of a decade is required I think. With that, it should be magnificent.
18.5+/20 (November 2006)
Pavillon Rouge du
Chateau Margaux (Margaux) 1988: Again an attractive red-caramel hue
in the glass. The nose is less intense, with nuances of
fruit, violets, and a herbaceous element. On the palate
tannins are soft, acidity likewise not strongly apparent.
Has a soft and rounded mouthfeel. Some pleasant fruit,
spicy oak overtones, and a sweet fruit finish. From a
Bordeaux 1988 blind
horizontal tasting. 16/20 (May 2000)
Chateau Margaux (Margaux) 1986: A remarkable colour here, this wine is not hugely
concentrated but has a fine, claretty hue. The nose is firm and rather sooty, a
characteristic I have noted before in many other wines of the 1986 vintage, and
have come to associate with the tannins in these wines. Otherwise there are some
appealing, minerally notes. Sweetly elegant on entry, with a beautiful,
light-footed dance across the midpalate. This is remarkable. Only at this point
to the tannins that come with this vintage make an entrance, but they are still
coated with plenty of fruit and a worth y texture. Not as evolved as the 1989,
or even the 1988, and will benefit, like those, from more time in the cellar.
One can only hope those tannins will fade. 18+/20 (November 2006)
Chateau Margaux (Margaux) 1983: A deep, concentrated but mature
appearance with a very attractive hue. The nose is lovely, not particularly
showy or evocatively seductive in the manner of the 1989, and in fact is a
little high-toned, but still very attractive. It has an iodine-meat minerality
and a typical perfume, giving the wine a very feminine feel. On the palate,
beautiful balance and yet a firm composition with a lovely structure. A very
good vintage for Margaux, and although this is delightful to drink now there is
no rush; more time will just bring more complexity at this stage. Gravelly grip
with a feminine touch is what the wine offers at the moment though, and very
appealing it is too. Very stylish and cleanly snapped finish. Lovely. 19+/20 (November 2006)
Chateau Margaux
(Margaux) 1981: A dense
purple wine. Austere blackcurrant and mineral aromas,
quite sexy and powerful. A touch curranty. This is a
delightful wine to open the second flight. Near perfect
balance on the palate, There are still some dry tannins,
but these lie with a layer of sweet and luscious fruit.
Finishes well, with a length that goes on and on and on.
This wine has plenty of life in it yet. Surely a first
growth. From a Bordeaux 1981
horizontal blind tasting. 18.5+/20 (September 2001)
Chateau Margaux (Margaux) 1961: This undoubtedly has more depth than the
other wines so far, it has maturity, and just a slight lack of clarity which may
be related to decanting. On the nose there are notes of roasted meats, with
rather bright fruit despite its maturity. There is also undeniably a mustiness
to it, although later this disappeared leaving some cinder toffee and honeycomb
notes. A full, sweet and rounded palate, with much more texture and grip than
some preceding wines. This wine has a little more to give than any other from
this commune, but this musty note makes it difficult to believe this wine is in
tip-top condition and other bottles may be much better. From a
1961 Bordeaux tasting. 17?/20
(June 2007)
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