Pavillon Rouge du Château Margaux

Once upon a time, in the history of the great wines of Bordeaux … The Château Margaux, known since the twelfth century. It is under the yoke of Eleanor of Aquitaine and especially by the adoption of his son Richard Coeur de Lion of the Bordeaux wine at his daily table that will be born the vines of the Château. As early as 1572, the Lestonnac family began the work that will give Château Margaux its current configuration. At the end of the XVIIth century, Château Margaux occupied 265 hectares, surface of which it will not deviate any more, a third of the field is devoted to the vine. Château Margaux becomes a reference of the art of making wine and the hierarchy between the different Bordeaux wines is already drawing. Apart from a few minor changes, Château Margaux’s label has remained remarkably stable since the end of the 19th century. In 1950, the Ginestet family became owner of the estate, before giving way to the Mentzelopoulos family, by the father and his daughter Corinne, now sole owner of the Château. Perhaps its sobriety and elegance correspond so well to the personality of the wine that it has never seemed appropriate to change anything. Pavillon Rouge is the white second wine of the Château.

A terroir, became an appellation and a Château: what a symbol. This famous official classification of 1855 which divides in five levels of quality about sixty wines of the Médoc région and a property of Graves. Only four wines are classified as “Premier Grand Cru Classé”; Margaux is the only one to be rated 20 out of 20. This classification, which remains valid today, only confirms the qualitative hierarchy illustrated by the large price differences practiced by the world market for a long time. A blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot Noir, 3% Petit Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc composes Château Margaux wine, on a gravely clay-limestone soil. The Château Margaux vineyard covers 82 hectares. The vines are on average 35 years old and the harvest is done traditionally by hand. The wine is aged between 18 and 24 months in 100% new barrels. All bottles of Château Margaux labeled from March 7, 2011 are equipped with a security system by bubble code that allows to verify the authenticity. This new system is in addition to the many measures that have been taken since the 1989 vintage (laser code, secure capsules).

At the tasting, this wine combines everything you can expect from a Premier Grand Cru Classé: the finesse and freshness of a magical terroir, and the complexity and aromatic richness worthy of the know-how of the Château Margaux’s teams. We then obtain a wine with obviously exceptional aging potential. For years, the first wine of Château Margaux is considered by all to be one of the greatest wines in the world.

Their Team

• Owner & Manager: Corinne MENTZELOPOULOS
• Chief Executive Officer: Philippe BASCAULES
• Chief Executive Officer: Olivier PINON
• Deputy Director General, Communication & Image: Alexandra PETIT-MENTZELOPOULOS
• Deputy Chief Executive Officer: Aurélien VALANCE
• Director of Operations: Sébastien VERGNE
• Cellar Master: Philippe BERRIER