Chateau Margaux
In January this year Claire and Sam were fortunate to visit Chateau Margaux for a tour of the estate and winery. It was an invaluable experience to witness first hand the history and operations of this 650 acre first growth establishment which is now nearly 1000 years old.
The recent renovations (completed in 2015) encompassed a full upgrade of the cellars, improved production facilities, a new grape reception area, upgraded laboratory facilities, a redesign of the famous bottle library, an onsite cooperage and new reception facilities to welcome visitors. Fascinatingly this was the first substantial modernisation since the cellars were constructed in 1810...our own cellar extension after 45 years in operation does now not make us feel so bad!
Incredibly, Chateau Margaux remains owned and operated by the Mentzelopoulos family (purchased by Andre Mentzelopoulis in 1976) with Andre’s daughter Corinne reclaiming the sole shareholding in 2003.
Whilst the scale of operations at Chateau Margaux is slightly larger than ours at Mount Mary (a team of 80+ full time employees and 250+ harvest employees!) we took great interest in how they have adapted their processes and procedures in the modern era, in particular, their commitment to organic farming and technological advancements in the vinification processes.
