Classification:
First
Growth
Second
label:
Pavillon
Rouge
de Chateau
Margaux
Grape
variety:
75%
Cabernet
Sauvignon
20%
Merkit,
5% Petit
Verdot
and
Cabernet
Franc.
Average
vine
age
at Chateau
Margaux
is 35
years.
History:
Chateau
Margaux
was
founded
in the
1400's.
Once
the
residence
of Edward
III,
King
of England,
it was
one
of the
most
stately
fortified
chateaux
in Guyenne.
Over
the
centuries,
the
property
changed
ownership
several
times.
In 1804,
the
Marquis
of La
Colonilla
acquired
the
property,
razed
the
old
Gothic
manor-house
and
built
in its
place
the
chateau
which
still
stands
today.
In
1977
the
property
was
purchased
by
Laura
and
Andre
Mentzelopoulos.
Lavish
amounts
of
money
were
immediately
spent
on
the
vineyards
and
the
winemaking
facilities.
Emile
Peynaud
was
retained
as
a
consultant
to
oversee
the
vinification
of
the
wine.
Apprehensive
observers
expected
it
would
take
several
vintages
before
all
the
improvements
would
show
up
in
the
wine.
It
took
just
one
vintage,
1978,
for
the
world
to
see
just
how
great
Chateau
Margaux
could
be.
Unfortunately,
Andre
Mentzelopoulos
died
before
he
could
see
the
fruits
of
his
labor.
His
wife
Laura
and
daughter
Corinne
run
the
show
now
with
the
expertise
of
the
winemaking
team
of
director
Paul
Pontallier,
cellar
master
Jean
Grangerou
and
consulting
oenologist
Emile
Peynaud.
Vinification
and
aging:
Time
honored
techniques
still
prevail
here.
Harvesting
of
the
grapes
are
always
done
by
hand
so
as
to
discard
grapes
that
are
overripe
or
unripe.
The
wine
is
fermented
in
oak
vats.
Once
the
assemblage
has
been
performed
,
the
wine
is
placed
in
new
oak
barrells
from
the
Troncais
Forest
for
two
years.
These
barrels
are
always
new
and
most
are
handcrafted
by
the
estate's
cooper.
Racked
several
times
and
clarified
with
six
egg
whites
per
barrel
after
one
year.
Style:
Chateau
Margaux
makes
wine
that
is
opulent
and
rich.
A
multidimensional
bouquet
with
a
fragrance
of
ripe
black
currants,
spicy
vanilla
oakiness
and
violets.
1929
Chateau
Margaux
That
legend
of
vintages
that
will
always
be
remembered
as
the
year
of
the
century.
Its
reputation
was
made
all
the
more
glorious
by
the
fact
that
immediately
after,
the
1930s
were
really
catastrophic,
and
then
war
broke
out...
It
was
not
until
1945
that
anything
comparable
in
quality
was
produced.
It
was
only
a
space
of
sixteen
years,
but
everyone
had
the
genuine
impression
that
it
had
been
a
century...
Château
Margaux
1929
is
indeed
a
marvellous
wine,
whose
bottles
have
unfortunately
become
inconsistent.
We
had
the
opportunity,
a
few
years
ago,
to
open
a
few
at
the
same
time.
Around
one
out
of
three
was
in
decline,
another
was
fine,
but
a
bit
tired,
and
the
last
one...
just
marvellous
!
An
incomparable,
indescribable
finesse;
a
silky,
long,
delicate
feeling
on
the
palate...
Sheer
happiness...
1982
Chateau
Margaux
This
vintage
heralded
a
new
era
of
perhaps
unprecendented
prosperity
for
Bordeaux,
thanks
to
a
run
of
extraordinary
vintages
and
the
opening
up
of
international
makerts.
The
1982
vintage
can
be
considered
as
the
first
representative
of
a
new
generation
of
wines
which
are
enjoyable
to
drink
in
their
youth
but
which
lose
none
of
their
ability
to
age
a
long
time.
1961
Chateau
Margaux
It
has
sometimes
been
said
that
1961
was
the
greatest
vintage
since
1900.
Our
memory
does
not
always
serve
us
well,
but
there
is
no
doubt
that
this
vintage
displays
quite
extraordinary
qualities,
which
we
were
not
to
find
again,
in
any
case,
until
the
1982
vintage.
2003
Chateau
Margaux
"Rated
100
-
In
an
appellation
that
was
not
nearly
as
homogeneous
in
quality
as
Pauillac
and
St.-Estephe,
manager
Paul
Pontallier
has
produced
a
prodigious
2003
Chateau
Margaux
that,
qualitatively,
towers
over
all
the
other
Margaux
estates.
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