History

Chateau Margaux

It’s difficult to summarise in a few lines, the long and passionate history of the estate, it could be entitled “Once upon a time Château Margaux”.

XVI Century : Birth of the estate XVII century : Berlon

XVIII : The golden century

1801 : The marquis de La Colonilla

1810 : The "Versailles of the Médoc"

The 1830s : Alexandre Aguado

1855 : The official classification

XIX century : Count Pillet-Will

The 50s : The Ginestet Family

1977 : André Mentzelopoulos: "A Hellene in the Médoc"

1980 : Corinne Mentzelopoulos : In her father's footsteps

XXI century :

2015 : Two Centuries of Architecture in Tribute to a Great Wine

Château Margaux’s history and renown stem equally from the intrinsic genius of the place as from the contrbutions made by the various people who have served it for five centuries. But there has probably not been an owner who has played such a decisive role, in such a short time, as André Mentzelopoulos, who purchased the Estate in 1977 and who would have been 100 years old today.

Vineyards

The domaine of Château Margaux extends 262 hectares, of which 87 hectares are entitled to the Margaux AOC declaration. 80 hectares are planted with 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, with 2% Cabernet Franc and Petit verdot. 12 hectares are cultivated with Sauvignon blanc to make the dry white Pavillon Blanc.

Wines

The average annual production of the Grand vin, Château Margaux, is 150,000 bottles, while the second wine Pavillon Rouge du Château Margaux has an average production of 200,000 bottles. The dry white Pavillon Blanc du Château Margaux has a production of around 35,000 bottles, and must be sold under the generic Bordeaux AOC as the cultivation of Sauvignon blanc does not fall under the directives of the Margaux AOC. The remainder of the production, what is determined to be "lesser grapes", is sold off in bulk.

The estate also produces a second wine named Pavillon Rouge du Château Margaux, a third wine named Margaux de Château Margaux, as well as a dry white wine named Pavillon Blanc du Château Margaux which does not conform to the Margaux appellation directives.

A bottle of Château Margaux 1787 holds the record as the most expensive bottle of wine ever broken, insured at $225,000.