Bordeaux wine

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 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 12 500 cases of the grand vin, Chateau Margaux, produced each year. The second wine Pavillon Rouge du Chateau Margaux has a greater production, typically 16 500 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 2 750 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.