Margaux Wine

Chateau Margaux 2015: A unique design for an already legendary vintage

The property

With origins dating back to the 12th century, Chateau Margaux is one of those Grands Crus that have built the legend of great Bordeaux wines around the world. In 1855, the estate achieved the title of Premier Grand Cru Classe and was the only one of the four chateaux presented to obtain a score of twenty out of twenty. With the acquisition of the property in 1977 by Andre Mentzelopoulos, Chateau Margaux wrote a new page in its history. Raising the Grand Vin of Chateau Margaux to the highest level, he reintroduced the estate’s second wine, Pavillon Rouge du Chateau Margaux, which was first created in 1908. Following in her father’s footsteps after his untimely death, Corinne Mentzelopoulos took up the family banner with energy and passion to maintain the rank of Chateau Margaux, which has become a Bordeaux masterpiece, recognizable by its Neo-Palladian style. Vintage after vintage, the estate’s wines are among the greatest in the world.

The vineyard

The Chateau Margaux vineyard owes its particularity to its rare and unique terroir, located on a gravel mound. The estate’s grape varieties give pride of place to the flagship black grape of the area, Cabernet Sauvignon, along with Merlot, Petit Verdot, and Cabernet Franc. The clay-limestone soils of the estate give birth to legendary wines, with a distinguished and sensual character, so representative of the Margaux appellation.

The wine

This is the first time in its history that the Premier Grand Cru Classe of Margaux has marked a vintage with a unique design. The reasons for the creation of this highly elegant label are diverse. It is above all a tribute to Paul Pontallier, who passed away too soon in March 2016; the 2015 vintage was the last one produced under his direction. This special edition also celebrates the 200th anniversary of the chateau’s architecture and the inauguration of the new cellars designed by Lord Norman Foster. Finally, it is quite simply one of the greatest vintages in the property’s history. 35% of the total harvest was selected for the first wine.

The vintage

The climatic conditions of 2015 are in fact characteristic of very great vintages like 2005, 2009, and 2010. The red wine harvest at Chateau Margaux took place from September 18 to October 6. The small size of the berries and their thicker skins suggested a very high tannic concentration. This wine is part of a very special context. 2015 is a historic year, in the literal sense, at Chateau Margaux since the property celebrated both the bicentenary of the construction of the estate’s buildings in 1815 and inaugurated the new premises built or redesigned by Norman Foster. It is easy to imagine how much the Margaux teams dreamed of 2015 being a great vintage!

Blend

Cabernet Sauvignon (87%), Merlot (8%), Cabernet Franc (3%), and Petit Verdot (2%).