1996 Château Margaux

Château Margaux is one of the world’s most famous wine producers, and with good reason. The estate’s history dates to the 12th century, and by the 16th century its owners were rotating vineyards into their grain fields. Its wines were being exported by the early 18th century and they quickly became Bordeaux’s gold standard for quality. Thomas Jefferson, when he was ambassador to France, was especially fond of Château Margaux and noted approvingly that “there cannot be a better bottle of Bordeaux.” As one of the First Growth Chateaux – one of the four recognized as outstanding in France’s historic 1855 Bordeaux classification – Margaux has always been one of the aristocrats of the Medoc. Château Margaux’s 193 acres of vineyards yields an annual average of 200,000 bottles of Château Margaux and 200,000 bottles of Pavillon Rouge Château Margaux, its secondary line. Grape varietals grown at the chateau are 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.

Margaux is one of Bordeaux’s most famous appellations and also one of its largest, with about 3,400 acres of vineyards. Located on the Left Bank of the Gironde River, Margaux has the greatest number of classified-growth châteaux (or crus classé) according to the 1855 classification. There are twenty-one crus classé, including the most famous estate, the first growth Château Margaux. The Margaux appellation includes vineyards around the village of Margaux and the villages of Arsac, Cantenac, d’Issan, Labarde and Soussans. Wines from the best Margaux châteaux and vintages are prized for their perfumey fragrance and elegant, silky mouthfeel. Margaux wines are predominately Cabernet Sauvignon blended with Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc.