▻ Margaux with Jane Anson

10 Minute Masterclass

12 Sep

Written By Sarah Kemp

In conversation with Jane Anson

Episode Summary:-

Margaux is the largest of Bordeaux’s Medoc appellations, with the most varied terroir. Jane Anson and Sarah Kemp take a deep dive into this celebrated appellation in their latest 10 Minute Masterclass. Find out why the appellation was named after Château Margaux and why arguments about the boundaries meant it took 20 years longer to establish the appellation than for Pauillac and St Julien.

There are 64 different winemakers, with 21 of them classified. Jane discusses how the terroir is complicated, as it is the only appellation which has all six of the terraces T1 -T6, leading to very varied soil types. The grapes planted are a little closer to what is planted in Pessac-Léognan than Pauillac, with 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot and 3% Cabernet Franc. The price per hectare is similar to St Julien at 1.5-3.0 million euros (excluding First Growths).

The two big star names are Château Margaux and Château Palmer, closely followed by Châteaux Rauzan-Ségla and Brane-Cantenac. One to watch? Château Lascombes, which has recently hired star winemaker Axel Heinz, previously at Ornellaia. The character which identifies the wines of the Margaux appellation is floral, especially violets and peonies. Margaux vintages are not always the same as in Pauillac or St Julien; Jane points out how the 1983 vintage was more successful in Margaux than the famed 1982, and 2015 was better in Margaux than elsewhere. Though Margaux is a red wine appellation, it is responsible for the Medoc’s most famous white wine, Pavillion Blanc, which has 11 hectares right in the heart of the appellation. Jane’s obscure fact? The winegrowers have established an endowment fund to help develop tourism and environmental practices – look out for bicycle paths and more bats and bees.

Running Order:-

0.00 – 5.27

“Everyone wanted to be attached to Château Margaux because of the name and power of this château.”

– Location of the Margaux appellation.
– Number of winemakers.
– How the appellation was named after its most famous winery.
– Margaux’s varied terroir.
– Percentage of grapes in the region.
– Price per hectare.
5.28 – 10.38

“Taste – look for the floral.”

– Star names in the appellation and the one to watch.
– What Margaux wines taste like.
– How Margaux wines vary in vintages from other appellations.
– Pavillion Blanc, the famous white wine of Margaux.
– The Margaux winegrowers’ endowment fund.