Regardless of unbelievable sweeping views of the New York skyline from the tasting room, situated on the sixtieth ground of Manhattan in New York’s monetary district, all eyes had been firmly centered on the eight tasting glasses of Château Margaux wines.
Among the 80-strong crowd for this particular masterclass at Decanter’s inaugural New York Tremendous Wine Encounter had flown in to participate, and to say a private whats up to the host, Alexis Leven-Mentzelopoulos.
Scroll right down to see tasting notes and scores for the eight Château Margaux wines within the masterclass
The wines had been generously offered by Château Margaux to showcase all the property’s strengths. Attendees bought to style:
- iconic white wine Pavillon Blanc du Château Margaux from the 2018 classic;
- the comparatively uncommon third wine, Margaux de Château Margaux, from 2015;
- the 2010 classic of the property’s second wine, Pavillon Rouge;
- 5 unbelievable vintages of the grand vin itself, Château Margaux 2004, 2009, 1995, 1989 and 1985.
Contained in the Château Margaux masterclass led by Alexis Leven-Mentzelopoulos at Decanter’s New York Tremendous Wine Encounter
Château Margaux: a quick historical past
This property traces its roots again to the twelfth century, when it was often called La Mothe de Margaux, and commenced to take form as we all know it at this time within the sixteenth century, so it’s no shock to study that there have been many house owners.
First managed by a sequence of rich lords, Olive de Lestonnac purchased the ‘Maison Noble’ of Lamothe Margaux in 1610. Her father, Pierre de Lestonnac, is credited with having planted the primary vines on the property within the second half of the sixteenth century.
From there, it grew to become one of many nascent elite wine producers of Bordeaux, on a path that might finally result in it being named a First Development within the 1855 classification. The property’s 1771 classic was the primary claret to seem in a Christie’s public sale home catalogue.
Quick-forward to the twentieth century, and the fashionable period started with a prescient buy within the Nineteen Seventies.
A reality few individuals could know is that Chateau Margaux was on sale for 2 years within the Nineteen Seventies earlier than it was bought by Alexis’ grandfather, André Mentzelopoulos, in 1977.
Based on oft-told household tales, he noticed an advert that the property was on the market within the Monetary Occasions whereas travelling from the UK to France. ‘Due to the troublesome monetary conditions on the time, no one actually wished it,’ Alexis says.
‘He had the genius transfer to see the potential; he went to test it out for himself, instantly fell in love and purchased it. After all he additionally understood the nice quantity of funding that he must put in to essentially convey again Château Margaux to the highest, to the place it was worthy of.’
Renovations within the winery and cellar rapidly adopted, in addition to on the property’s iconic chateau constructing itself, ‘which was solely restored’.
Alexis says the 1978 classic that was recognised as nice on the time was attributable to each the helpful weather conditions of the yr and the effectivity of his work. ‘In a really quick period of time he was actually capable of restore the standard of the wines and the repute of the property.’
André handed away in 1980, ‘approach too early to witness the renaissance of Château Margaux’, and his daughter, Corinne, took over and nonetheless owns the property at this time. It stays the one First Development to be solely devoted to at least one property.
The present era now leads the best way, with brother and sister duo on the helm; Alexis Leven-Mentzelopoulos got here onboard in 2020 as deputy common supervisor, technique and growth, whereas Alexandra Petit-Mentzelopoulos was appointed deputy managing director, communication and picture, in 2016.
So what’s it like being born right into a First Development household? ‘It’s an enormous privilege’ Alexis says.
‘Very younger as a toddler you get a way of how extraordinary the place is. You’re too younger to know winemaking and the historical past, however the best way individuals react across the wines and the property, you realise that it’s one thing very particular and also you need to be part of it.’
Château Margaux terroir
Château Margaux
One of the distinctive and fascinating points is that Château Margaux is likely one of the few vineyards in Bordeaux to have remained comparatively unchanged for hundreds of years, retaining the identical space below vine at this time as in 1700.
There are 82 hectares (ha) devoted to crimson wine grape varieties, and 11ha for white. The remaining 169ha consists of gardens, forest, Château buildings and a lake.
This doesn’t imply, nonetheless, that issues have stood nonetheless. Beneath the present household possession, vital funding was put into the property within the Nineteen Eighties.
Extra just lately, a brand new vineyard was designed and opened in 2015, growing the capability for precision viticulture by including extra vats, to present higher choices for individual-site vinification and so additional encourage expressions of each the classic and the terroir.
Accomplished by Lord Norman Foster, it contains the ‘Foster Room’ for tasting and a wine library that homes the property’s oldest bottle courting again to 1848 – not one which Alexis has tasted, but.
‘We’re now way more exact,’ he says, highlighting stricter grape choice at harvest (200 pickers make a primary choice within the vines earlier than fruit reaches the vineyard) and relating to deciding the ultimate mix.
Groups have additionally grown on the property through the years, with workers devoted to analysis & growth, logistics, commercialisation & gross sales, and extra just lately a division centered solely on sustainability.
Margaux can also be one of many solely Bordeaux estates to nonetheless produce a portion of its personal barrels, round 1 / 4 in whole, from an on-site cooperage.
The property nonetheless works with six different barrel makers to ‘have complexity’, however Alexis maintains the significance of protecting the barrel making instruments and know-how, particularly if there are ever accidents within the cellar. ‘A barrel of Château Margaux that leaks will get very costly in a short time,’ he tells the masterclass viewers in a humorous tone.
Château Margaux at a look
Planted winery: 82 hectares (ha) crimson, 11ha white
Planted to crimson: 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 5% break up between Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. Common age of 35 years.
Planted to white: 100% Sauvignon Blanc. Common age of 40 years.
Second wine: Pavillon Rouge Established: sixteenth century
Proprietor: Corinne Mentzelopoulos, her daughter Alexandra and son Alexis (second and third era); household in place since 1977.
Normal supervisor: Philippe Bascaules, arrived in 2017.
Technical director: Sébastien Verne.
Marketing consultant: Eric Boissenot
Winemaking: Margaux is made in a mixture of conventional oak casks and chrome steel vats, with area put aside for intensive analysis and growth amenities – a micro-vinification space with vats that go right down to 25 hectolitres. Within the vineyards, natural farming has been in place since 2012, with a flock of sheep offering an alternate weeding technique.
Wines on this tasting
Three of the Château Margaux wines poured at Decanter’s New York Tremendous Wine Encounter masterclass
White wine: Pavillon Blanc du Château Margaux
Produced for greater than 300 years and all the time made with 100% Sauvignon Blanc from a plot of round 12ha, however the wine first took this title in 1920 and has had the identical label since then.
‘Our goal is to make a wine that could be very concentrated and mature however on the identical time elegant and recent, to have acidity but in addition fatness,’ says Alexis.
Terroir, age of the vines and correct choosing dates all mix to create the ultimate product, together with strict choice, says Alexis.
He revealed that just one third of the wine finally ends up as Pavillon Blanc, totalling round 1,000 circumstances. ‘We used to provide extra so there could also be a case for introducing a second white for the qualitative leftover white wine sooner or later,’ he hints.
Pavillon Blanc is such a singular fashion that mixes minerality from the proximity to the river and acidity that offers the refreshing attraction, scrumptious when younger but in addition has actual ageing potential.
‘Typically we’ve the event to style some older Pavillon Blancs from the ’80s,’ Alexis says. ‘After all, there’s much less acidity, much less straightforwardness, however simply the aromas and the feel of the wine turns into lovely.’
He provides, ‘It’s typically good to complete a tasting with the Pavillon Blanc, to go away the room with the freshness and acidity within the mouth. However given the 1985 on the desk at this time we’d relatively that was the lasting impression.’
Pavillon Blanc du Château Margaux 2018
Third wine: Margaux du Château Margaux
The primary classic was 2009, earlier than which the wine that was not used for the primary or second wine was bought in bulk.
‘In 2009 we had an distinctive classic the place we made a strict choice to maintain one of the best for the grand vin and Pavillon Rouge, and we actually believed that the remaining wine was approach too good to be bought as common bulk wine,’ Alexis says.
It provides a extra accessible approach into the Château Margaux steady and is geared toward a youthful drinker for earlier consumption.
‘We might have put extra into the grand vin however we thought this was the higher method to go,’ Alexis provides.
Margaux du Château Margaux shouldn’t be bought by way of the en primeur system and as a substitute is launched onto the market when it’s able to be drunk. The 2015 is the present classic, being bought principally by way of eating places.
As an apart, Alexis provides that 2015 was an ‘distinctive classic for Bordeaux but in addition an emotional classic for the property’.
It was the yr the place the label for the grand vin was modified for the primary time. Alongside the brand new Lord Foster-designed cellar, 2015 marked the 200-year anniversary of the Château, initially designed by architect Louis Combes with work accomplished in 1815.
It was additionally the final classic of Château Margaux’s late winemaker and common supervisor, Paul Pontallier, who handed away in 2016. ‘So, a number of historical past for us’, he mentioned.
Margaux du Château Margaux 2015
Second wine: Pavillon Rouge de Château Margaux
This wine has been in manufacturing for the reason that seventeenth century, and adopted this title completely in 1908. It’s not constituted of particular plots however all the time with the concept of ‘growing the extent of high quality from the primary wine’, Alexis says.
Due to the choice course of, some plots that had been beforehand producing grapes for the grand vin are actually a part of the Pavillon Rouge make-up.
‘So, in some methods,’ Alexis mentioned, ‘we’ve a Château Margaux that’s on one other stage in comparison with what we had 20 or 30 years in the past, and we actually have a Pavillon Rouge that’s on the identical stage or very near the Château Margaux we had 20 or 30 years in the past.’
He concedes that it doesn’t have the identical character, however the aromas and the mix of focus and energy with magnificence and freshness are comparable. ‘It’s a wine that may open up and be drunk often earlier however on the identical time has ageing potential,’ mentioned Alexis.
There isn’t any recipe for the mix at Château Margaux; all of the grapes grown have the potential to enter the grand vin and as such will all be vinified with that in thoughts. Last blends are determined by way of a number of tasting classes searching for high quality of mouthfeel.
‘Nothing is set earlier than the harvest and there’s no set plan,’ mentioned Alexis, however he concluded that ‘Cabernet Sauvignon is on the coronary heart of what we do, planted to 75% within the vineyards’, including, ‘on the correct stage of maturity these grapes present the last word expression of terroir and magnificence’.
There’s an ageing distinction, versus the grand vin, with the Pavillon Rouge aged in 60% new oak for 20 months.
Bordeaux’s 2010 classic is taken into account one of many greats total. Alexis mentioned the classic expresses itself very effectively, a bit like 2015 and 2009. ‘Dry however a bit [of a] cooler classic, so it has extra freshness and acidity. It wants extra time to open up however has magnificence and precision when it comes to aromas and texture.’
Pavillon Rouge de Château Margaux 2010
Château Margaux: the grand vin
At Château Margaux, the primary wine often represents about one third of the crop. It’s a Cabernet Sauvignon-led mix with Merlot (between 5% and 10%), Petit Verdot (about 2%), and Cabernet Franc (about 2%). Ageing takes place in 100% new oak for 20 to 22 months. ‘[Because] our wines have the capability to digest it, it’s helpful,’ Alexis says.
The vintages
Alexis Leven-Mentzelopoulos, deputy common supervisor, technique and growth talking on the masterclass
Alexis on Château Margaux 2009:
An distinctive classic, mentioned Alexis, and one which ‘Paul Pontallier mentioned couldn’t be higher – that was till 2010 arrived’.
The season was dry however comparatively heat with some plots that had hydric stress. The following wine has deep focus, a bit like 2005, however nice freshness and texture that Alexis likens to the 1990 classic. He says 2009 is at the moment extra charming and open than 2010, however the latter may take the lead in future.
‘A wine that we love and one that’s solely originally,’ he says of the Château Margaux 2009. ‘It’s giving a lot pleasure now however will acquire a lot extra complexity and depth within the years to come back. That’s the magic of the wines that we do. We don’t solely make wine to age, we make wine that may get higher in time.’
This was additionally the primary classic that used gravity expertise to fill the vats after harvest.
Alexis mentioned the winemaking crew don’t attempt to make a selected fashion and a number of components are determined at fermentation. ‘We don’t need to extract an excessive amount of, we would like the terroir to specific itself, all the time to have an magnificence which comes from being cautious with extraction within the cellar.
‘Then we’ve the mixing – we’re simply seeking to make one of the best wine potential, the one which brings essentially the most pleasure primarily based on what the terroir has provided that yr.’
If there was a grand vin signature, Alexis mentioned it might be the perfumed components that come from Château Margaux and the softness of the tannins.
‘We hear typically that Château Margaux has much less tannins than a few of the different First Growths however that’s not true in any respect, the distinction is how integrated they’re.’
Chateau Margaux, Margaux Premier Grand Cru Classe 2009
Château Margaux 2004
Pouring the Château Margaux 2004 at Decanter’s New York Tremendous Wine Encounter masterclass
Alexis says Margaux 2004 ‘actually represents completely the fashion of Château Margaux’. A lot in order that he jokingly informed the group, ‘In case you don’t just like the 2004, I’m questioning the way you’re going to love any vintages of Château Margaux.’
There was no extra in temperatures or rain all year long. It’s a wine of maximum focus but in addition a wine that was drinkable very early in its life – ‘a really younger grownup’, Alexis says.
The one drawback with 2004 is that it comes after 2003 and earlier than 2005, which had been each exceptional vintages in their very own proper, he says.
The 2005 is taken into account to be a extra prestigious classic, nevertheless it takes longer to open up, he says. In numerous current blind tastings between 2004 and 2005, Alexis says the desire is unanimously for 2004 just because it’s extra charming and pleasurable [at its current stage]. The 2005 is so highly effective, whereas the 2004 is extra charming and brings pleasure, he says.
Chateau Margaux, Margaux Premier Grand Cru Classe 2004
Château Margaux 1995
Alexis describes 1995 as a fantastic classic with warmth, drought and essential hydric stress in the summertime – though a number of plots suffered, particularly the youthful vines.
There was some rain in the course of the harvest, greater than in 2004, however the rain was helpful in serving to the grapes attain optimum maturity and including some freshness, he says. It additionally taught the crew to be rather less fearful of rain throughout or simply earlier than harvest, he provides.
The wine has larger shoulders in comparison with 2004, with a extra spectacular tannic construction that wanted a number of time to open up, he says. ‘5 or 10 years in the past, this wine wouldn’t have given as a lot pleasure because it did at this time.’
To match with different Nineties vintages, Alexis says the largest vintages are 1991 – virtually nearly as good as 1990, 1995 and 1996, which he says are ‘scrumptious’, and 1997 ‘which is taken into account to be a much less prestigious classic however at Margaux it’s beautiful’ and the ‘elegant’ 1999.
Chateau Margaux, Margaux Premier Grand Cru Classe 1995
Château Margaux 1989
This was a classic the place the crew noticed a number of warmth and drought. ‘In case you take a look at the weather conditions of the yr it was optimum from A-Z,’ Alexis says.
There was ‘not one drop of water in the course of the harvest’, he says. ‘Extraordinarily concentrated, [it’s] a wine that took a very long time to open, a bit austere at first.’
He provides, ‘We harvested the reds early in 1989, [and] the primary parcels across the 10 September, which is extraordinarily uncommon for Château Margaux – so uncommon in actual fact that the one classic which might examine for the same date was in 1893.
‘We love the 1989 and wish to share it at tasting, nevertheless it nonetheless has so a few years in entrance of it. You probably have some ’89 in your cellar don’t be in a rush to open all of them,’ he tells the viewers.
Chateau Margaux, Margaux Premier Grand Cru Classe 1989
Château Margaux 1985
Being the identical classic as Alexandra’s birthday, Alexis revealed they ‘don’t have many 1985s left’, and the wines we’ve are ‘intently guarded’ – giving masterclass friends an additional particular deal with.
‘It’s a wine I don’t get to style quite a bit however one which I’m very pleased to share right here. Each time I’ve tasted it, I’ve by no means been dissatisfied by it. It’s much less concentrated than 1989, it has extra finesse and is extra discrete in a approach. So clean and one which was able to drink virtually right away. It exhibits that we will make wines at Margaux that may age even when they weren’t from tremendous highly effective vintages.’
He provides, ‘In 1985 we weren’t as selective as we’re at this time, or as exact or cautious, and but we’ve this wine that’s so fantastic.’
A becoming lasting impression from such a superb masterclass.
Chateau Margaux, Margaux Premier Grand Cru Classe 1985
The long run for Margaux
Alongside the tasting, a captivating discovery on the masterclass was the quantity of trials and experiments occurring at Château Margaux.
Seeking to the long run and in relation to world warming, Alexis mentioned the property crew is planting a little bit bit extra Cabernet Franc and simply beginning to see some plots of Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc planted 20 years in the past coming into the mix of Pavillon Rouge.
The property can also be planting just a few rows every of Carménère and Malbec.
Alexis mentioned the crew is eager to see how these grapes ‘react to the terroir’, though he mentioned ‘you gained’t see Carménère within the grand vin earlier than a really very long time, it simply could also be a part of the answer’.
There are additionally many different tasks. The property’s R&D crew takes centre stage right here and has been engaged on completely different rootstocks and biodynamic trials within the vineyards, in addition to completely different vinification and ageing strategies within the vineyard – and even completely different corks relating to bottling.
‘We’re pleased with our historical past and our know-how however we all the time need to query ourselves and by no means relaxation on our laurels,’ says Alexis. ‘We need to enhance and ideal what will be finished.’
He says there are virtually 10,000 bottles of experimental wines at the moment sitting within the Chateau Margaux cellars.
Nevertheless, he says, ‘If we resolve to vary one thing, it gained’t be for advertising and marketing or following the style, we’ll do it as a result of we’re 100% positive of the outcomes and due to the experiments behind us.’
He provides, ‘The target is to stability our conventional know-how with modern-day expertise. For the primary wine 20-30 years in the past we produced roughly 200,000-250,000 bottles, whereas now it’s between 100,000 and 120,000.
‘Once you consider the superb vintages like 1982, 75% of the harvest in these days went into the grand vin, [and] all the remaining in Pavillon Rouge. So think about what the wines we’re producing at this time will probably be like in 30 or 40 years, the nice vintages, with such a excessive stage of choice – they are going to be on one other stage. All we’ve to do is be affected person.’
See tasting notes and scores for the Château Margaux masterclass wines
{}
{“wineId”:”60706″,”displayCase”:”commonplace”,”paywall”:true}
{“wineId”:”60707″,”displayCase”:”commonplace”,”paywall”:true}
{“wineId”:”60708″,”displayCase”:”commonplace”,”paywall”:true}
{“wineId”:”1505″,”displayCase”:”commonplace”,”paywall”:true}
{“wineId”:”60709″,”displayCase”:”commonplace”,”paywall”:true}
{“wineId”:”60710″,”displayCase”:”commonplace”,”paywall”:true}
{“wineId”:”60711″,”displayCase”:”commonplace”,”paywall”:true}
{“wineId”:”46290″,”displayCase”:”commonplace”,”paywall”:true}
{}
