A few days ago, I had the (once in a lifetime) opportunity to taste Chateau Margaux 1988. I can’t even describe the joy and the “dream coming true” feeling this bottle gave me, but I can definitely tell you 5 thing you might not know about this Estate:
🍷 Château Margaux is going (mostly) organic.
Although it is not officially designated as such, much of Margaux’s vineyard uses organic farming methods. In 2017, 100 percent of the vines for the Grand Vin were farmed organically, according to the Wine Cellar Insider.
🍷 The estate produces four wines
While the estate is best known for its highly rated (and very expensive) first growth Grand Vin, it also produces a second wine, Pavillon Rouge du Chateau Margaux, and a third named Margaux de Chateau Margaux. It also releases a dry white wine, Pavillon Blanc du Chateau Margaux, that does not conform to Margaux appellation directives.
🍷 It was Thomas Jefferson’s favourite wine
Before he was President of the United States, Thomas Jefferson lived in Paris for a few years, during which he served as Minister to France. It was the time when he created his own hierarchy of wines, and placed Margaux at the top of this list: “There couldn’t be a better Bordeaux bottle,” he wrote.
🍷 It’s often mentioned in popular culture
The Margaux name shows up in the works of Edgar Allen Poe, movies such as Withnail and I, Sherlock Holmes, Intolerable Cruelty, Thank You for Smoking, and Batman v Superman, as well as TV shows such as Downton Abbey and The Office. In the world of celebrity wines, few invoke class and sophistication quite like this one. That’s what makes it one of the most famous wines among cinephiles.
🍷 Château Margaux has been around for more than 300 years.
As one of just five first-growth châteaux, Margaux has been classified as a top-tier wine since 1855 and it was the only given a 20/20 rating.
