Did you know Thomas Jefferson was a wine nerd?
America’s first big wine collector was the third President of the United States, Thomas Jefferson, the man who wrote the declaration of independence. From 1784 to 1789, he was the Minister to France during the Revolutionary War, and he took that opportunity to explore the Bordeaux region, falling in love with Margaux in particular.
He noted that the finest wines came from Margaux where the laborers in the vineyards and the wineries were served good white bread, while laborers from lesser areas had to make do with black bread.
He ordered 180 bottles of the 1784 Chateau Margeaux in 1788, first shipped to his residence in France, then to the US. He insisted on ordering directly from the Chateaux to ensure no one monkeyed with the wine.
Seven decades before the famous Left Bank Classification of 1855, he rated Chateau Margaux, Chateau Latour, Chateau Hau Brion, and Chateau Lafite, as the best quality wines in Bordeaux, all of which were awarded “First Growth” Status.
The wines of Margaux are better than ever today, after suffering through a period of underwhelming quality in the 80’s and 90’s. Chateau Margaux has always been fantastic, but now you can get fine Margaux without paying $100 per bottle.
Margaux is located in the southern part of the Haut Medoc region, on the west bank of the Garone Estuary. The dominant grape in Margaux is Cabernet Sauvignon, which grows well in the gravel soils. Gravel helps the grapes to ripen by reflecting heat into the vines, but it also puts just the right amount of water stress on the vines to concentrate the flavors of the grape.
Bordeaux is a Maritime climate, which means it rains like hell through most of the year- the gravel helps to drain the rainwater so the grapes don’t become dilute. In a maritime climate, there is always a risk of mold outbreak, so the vinters plant different varietals as a form of insurance. Margaux also features clay soils, and Merlot does very well in clay, ripening earlier than Cab Sauv. The wines of Margaux of primarily blends of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, with some Petit Verdot thrown in, as well as a bit of Cab Franc.
The wines from Margaux are all about perfume, finesse and elegance, and are described a feminine. They have a much larger percentage of Merlot in them than the classified appellations to the North, and that makes them softer and silkier. They are well known for their floral aromas, particularly violets. But don’t let the softness fool you- they have incredible depth and complexity, and can age for many years. Luckily they can also be enjoyed young.
The wine I am going to drink today is the 2018 Chateau Kirwan, a Third Growth from Margaux, and one of the wineries Thomas Jefferson himself visited! The varietal breakdown is:
43% Cabernet Sauvignon
29% Merlot
15% Cabernet Franc
13% Petit Verdot
…so it really is a true blend. With seven years of bottle age, it is entering its drinking window, and should prominently feature ripe black fruits- blackberry, black plum, black currant, black cherry. Wines from Margaux also feature graphite as a flavor, as well as some tobacco. I prefer my wines a little on the younger side because I like fruit in my wine, not musty, dusty old leather and prune.
This is a wine to drink in a proper Bordeaux glass, served at about 60 degrees F. I actually like it at 55 degrees, and it will warm up to around 60 degrees with a proper five ounce pour. I’ll definitely decant this wine since it’s a blend. My favorite thing about blends as you go through the bottle is you can literally feel the wine start to come together when you hit the end of glass two- it grabs hold of your mind and starts to take you places.
Enjoy!
-John Alanis,
Certified Sommelier
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