Haute Cuisine
Château Margaux BETWEEN MYTH AND LEGEND
Margaux is a small town situated on the Gironde estuary in the Médoc in south-west France. It is part of the Bordeaux wine-producing area, known all over the world as one of the best of such on account of its unusual ‘terroir’, a French term which encompasses the climate, natural environment, and the chemical and physical properties of the land. Not by chance it is right here that one of the most prestigious wine producer on earth is to be found: the Château Margaux.
The estate dates back to the twelfth century, when it was known as the ‘La Mothe de Margaux’. The Lestonnac family purchased the property in the sixteenth century and laid the foundations for Château Margaux’s legendary fame.
Its wines were included in Christie’s catalogues in 1776, and its position was consolidated in 1855. In that year, as part of the ‘Exposition Universelle’, the emperor Napoleon III asked a small group of experts to draw up a classification of the best wines of the Médoc which were present at the exhibition. Château Margaux was labelled ‘premier grand cru’ within the ‘Classement 1855 ‘, the highest level of recognition. After that, the property passed through the hands of several owners until, after a period of decline, it was bought in 1977 by a Greek, André Mentzelopoulos. He it was who, with the help of the famous sommelier Émile Peynaud at the beginning, restored the estate to its former glory.
The holding is run today by André Mentzelopoulos’ daughter Corinne that she has maintained unchanged the fascination and prestige of this illustrious wine producer. Current production utilizes four labels: Château Margaux, Pavillon Rouge du Château Margaux, Pavillon Blanc du Château Margaux and Margaux du Château Margaux.
Margaux, January 2017