Château Margaux

In 2004, I had the chance to try the fabled 1900 Château Margaux from three separate bottles, although they were not the same wine. One was a château bottling, a magnum authenticated and recorked by the château. The others were a pair of Barton & Guestier bottlings. All three were served at a once-in-a-lifetime dinner in Tokyo, hosted by Robert Parker, with the menu prepared by the late Joel Robuchon. The two Barton & Guestier bottles were flawed. They appeared to have had some residual sugar, which refermented, rendering the wines undrinkable. However, the château bottling, a magnum, was an edifying experience, having magnificently preserved the property’s whispery perfume. I was drinking 100-year-old grapes, yet the image of the place was as clear in each sip as it is in a recent vintage, expressing the epitome of grace and elegance.

The first account of vines surrounding Château Margaux dates back to the 1500s. From 1572 to 1582, Pierre de Lestonnac completely restructured the property and vineyard, anticipating the Médoc’s burgeoning wine industry. Throughout the 1600s, the vineyard area expanded and flourished under the d’Auledes family’s ownership. Into the 1700s, the wine of “Margose” (among a series of similar names before becoming “Château Margaux” in the late 1700s) became highly sought after among wine aficionados in London and America, including Thomas Jefferson, who pronounced it top of his list of first growths. The current château—one of Bordeaux’s most impressive if unusual for its neo-Palladian style—was built in 1810 by architect Louis Combes for the Marquis de la Colonilla, who was the first to own the estate after the French Revolution. By 1855, the wine’s reputation and price justified Château Margaux’s classification as one of only three first growths in the Médoc.

In the first half of the twentieth century, the estate was initially owned by Pillet-Will family, who sold to a group of shareholders in 1920, which included the Ginestet and Lurton families. In 1949, Pierre Ginestet traded Clos Fourtet in Saint-Émilion with Francois Lurton for the Lurtons’ stake in Château Margaux, giving the Ginestet family the majority stake in Margaux.

Château Margaux’s image started to slide in the late 1960s and early 1970s, a notoriously difficult period for the Bordeaux wine trade. The Ginestet family didn’t have the financial means to upkeep such a vast estate. Then, as the story goes, Greek tycoon André Mentzelopoulos visited the Château and was drawn to its neoclassical ionic columns adorning the façade, reminding him of the Parthenon in his homeland. He bought the estate in 1977. André tragically passed away in 1980, before he could fully realize his dream of reviving the property in its entirety. His young daughter, Corinne Mentzelopoulos, took over the estate, assuming her father’s ambitions for the restoration of the winery and vineyards of Château Margaux.

Paul Pontallier, fresh out of college, was hired by Corinne in 1983. He took over as managing director for Château Margaux in 1990. He would remain there, producing some of the estate’s greatest modern vintages, until his untimely death in 2016. He was only 59 years old when he passed. Paul was an inspired and inspiring winemaker with whom I had the opportunity to taste a number of times in the early 2000s. I still vividly recall his infectious enthusiasm when showing me the 2005 vintage from barrel—one of the most structured vintages of Margaux ever produced and a wine that will most certainly outlive us all.

Meanwhile, upon the death of Giovanni Agnelli in 2003, news emerged that Corinne Mentzelopoulos was not the majority shareholder in Château Margaux. This was, in fact, the Agnelli family, who had invested in the estate’s holding company in the early 1990s, amounting to a 75% stake, which they sought to sell. Fortunately, Corinne managed to raise funds to regain control of the property that same year, and the Mentzelopoulos family once again became the sole owner of Chateau Margaux. Twenty years later, in 2023, Corinne handed over responsibility of the estate to her son Alexis, naming him CEO of Château Margaux. Her daughter, Alexandra, became president of the supervisory board of the holding company.

Today, Philippe Bascaules is the managing director of Château Margaux, having first arrived at the estate in 1990. He worked closely with Paul Pontellier as the estate’s director until he left in 2011 to work in Napa Valley for Francis Ford Coppola at Inglenook. While he maintains a position as winemaking consultant at Inglenook, Philippe returned to Château Margaux to become managing director in 2017.

“When I first arrived at Château Margaux in 1990, the estate was already an emblem of excellence,” Philippe told me. “However, in our ongoing pursuit of perfection, we have implemented three key transformations since. First, the expansion of the tank room. In 1990, we had 36 tanks; today, we have nearly 100, allowing for far greater precision in our blending. Second, during harvest, grapes are now harvested in crates, and the vats are filled by gravity, a far more delicate and respectful process for the fruit. Third: the rise of computerization. Back in 1990, we had just one computer, used solely for payroll. Today, technology is woven into every facet of our operations, from traceability to monitoring all stages of production.”

The vineyard at Château Margaux is roughly the same size today as it was in 1855, with just over 80 hectares (~200 acres) devoted to red varieties (~75% Cabernet Sauvignon). Most of these plantings are on gravel terraces of varying depths, but there is also clay and even limestone in some areas, which help to maintain freshness even in hotter vintages such as 1983, 2003, 2018, and 2022. A little further away, in the Soussans commune, to the west of the château, the estate also has about 12 hectares (~30 acres) of Sauvignon Blanc for the production of Pavillon Blanc. I asked Philippe what he considered to be uniquely extraordinary about the terroir of Château Margaux.

“What is truly extraordinary about Château Margaux is the profound influence of people,” he said. “It’s the dedication of its owners and the unwavering commitment of the teams. For over five centuries, individuals have devoted themselves to the preservation and enhancement of this exceptional terroir. It is this continuous transmission of knowledge, this culture embedded in every action and decision, that enables us to be ‘uniquely extraordinary’ today. More recently, the Mentzelopoulos family has been instrumental in accelerating the quality of our wines by providing the necessary resources to support this ongoing evolution. Paul Pontallier, too, added a scientific and reasoned approach to our decision-making. This blend of tradition and innovation is what makes Château Margaux so singular.”

And yet, even working with one of the most extraordinary terroirs in the world is not without its challenges.

“Château Margaux wines are renowned for their perfume and elegance, but they are not naturally the most powerful,” Philippe pointed out. “Today, however, power is considered an important aspect of quality. Our challenge is, therefore, to balance elegance and perfume with a certain degree of power. To achieve this, we pay meticulous attention to tannin extraction. Depending on the specific terroir of each plot, we adjust the quantity of tannins we extract in order to achieve the optimal density while maintaining the elegance and finesse texture that defines our wines.”

One of the greatest challenges winemakers around the world are facing today is climate change.

“Climate change presents two major challenges according to us,” said Philippe. “These are rising temperatures and summer droughts. In response, we have initiated several trials. To address rising temperatures, we are adjusting row orientation, using kaolin to protect the grapes, practicing early deleafing, and experimenting with shade nets. To combat water scarcity, we are conducting trials with different rootstocks, experimenting with ancient grape varieties, and conducting studies on canopy height. Each solution is carefully considered, seeking the perfect balance between adapting to new climatic conditions and preserving the integrity of our terroir.”

I threw Philippe a controversial question: If you could break one INAO rule about how and what you farm, what would it be?

“We have always respected the rules set forth by the INAO, as they are integral to maintaining the quality and reputation of French wine,” he answers diplomatically. “However, as we look to the future, it’s clear that new challenges—particularly those linked to climate change—are emerging. If there were one area that could merit thoughtful discussion and perhaps adaptation, it would be the prescribed vine density. In regions increasingly affected by water scarcity, adjusting vine spacing could be a practical solution to reduce competition for limited water resources while maintaining the quality of our grapes. This isn’t about breaking rules but rather evolving together, as an industry, to meet the demands of a changing environment while preserving the essence of what makes our wines unique.”

And what is Philippe’s favorite vintage of Château Margaux?

“If I had to choose a vintage purely for the pleasure of drinking it, it would be the 1990,” Philippe replied. “It’s an experience, a journey through time. It evokes a profound, almost intangible emotion, offering the perfect balance between power and finesse, with a timeless freshness that lingers.”

I’ve tasted 1990 Margaux a handful of times and recently had the opportunity to taste it again. The nose positively explodes—a detonation of crème de cassis, plum preserves, and blueberry pie aromas, which is, given time and much swirling, followed by that classic Margaux perfume of candied violets, incense, fragrant soil, and fallen leaves. The medium-bodied palate is jam-packed with black fruit and exotic spice layers, supported by beautifully plush tannins and just enough freshness, finishing long with loads of mineral sparks. If you are lucky enough to have a bottle, settle in for an absolute thrill ride with this legendary wine. The epitome of grace and elegance with a nuclear core, the 1990 beautifully represents Château Margaux, not only reflecting this extraordinary terroir but also its diligent caretakers.