2008 Chateau Margaux Premier Cru Classe, Margaux 12x75cl

Producer Profile

Château Margaux 

Château Margaux is arguably the grandest, most impressive and imposing
building in the Médoc. It’s often called the ‘Versailles of Médoc’ due
to its Neo-Palladian style of architecture.

Margaux is a Premier Cru (First Growth) estate on
the left bank of the Garonne. Its lands were producing wine in the 15th
century with the names ‘Margou’ and ‘Margous’ being used by local wine
merchants. The Lestonnac family really brought
wine production to the fore on the estate with a marriage into the
Château Haut-Brion family in 1654 that helped Château Margaux to raise
its quality levels.

It was in the UK that the estate’s reputation began to grow abroad, with The London Gazette
advertising barrels of ‘Margose’ Bordeaux first growths in 1705.
English Prime Minister Sir Robert Walpole was a regular customer and in
1771 Margaux was one
of the first wines to be sold by Christie’s auction house in London.
Then in 1787, Thomas Jefferson noted that Château Margaux was one of
‘four vineyards of first quality’. Sadly, the estate then went on to
suffer a period of neglect and upheaval around the
French Revolution resulting in a dip in its prestige, but through good
management they turned things around and obtained their Premier cru
status in 1855.

After another period of chequered ownership in the 20th century, it
wasn’t until 1977 that the estate returned to the big time when Greek
supermarket and retail mogul André Mentzenopoulos obtained the estate.
After ruffling a few feathers along the way, the
first ‘Héllene in the Médoc’ passed the reins to daughter Corrine in
1980 upon his untimely death.

Château Margaux’s grand vins often exceed $1000 a bottle, as a testament
to the continued rise of this historic, iconic estate. Château
Margaux’s whopping 262 hectares produce mainly Cabernet Sauvignon and
Merlot, with Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Sauvignon
Blanc and Pavillon Blanc also in the mix.

OUR VERDICT:

A historic and beautiful château which in the last
30 or so years has consistently produced the wines to match.  There is
no mistaking the perfumed beauty of Margaux for the other left bank
First Growths and its increasing reliance on Cabernet
Sauvignon in the current warmer epoch has produced a jewel-like
clarity, lustre and purity in recent vintages. Unforgettable and
occasionally haunting wines.