"Chateau Margot" - a wine that is considered one of the most famous around the world. The name of the drink comes from the place where the grapes grow and wine is produced.
As early as 1855, a winery appeared in the Bordeaux region, in the commune of Margot in the Medoc district.
Dry red wine "Chateau Margot" belongs to the highest category of wine classification Bordeaux. Also among the five best wine producers in France.
The history of the famous French drink
The first mention of Chateau Margot wine dates back to the 8th century AD.
On the site of the farm, which was already formed in the 19th century, there was La Motte castle. But at the time of its appearance, the drink had a different name. And the first mention of the name "Margot" wine received after 7 centuries in the 15th century.
Wine began to be considered special from the moment the Lestonyak family came to the farm. It was with their appearance that the area of vineyards increased significantly.
After that, only relatives became the owners of the farm. Most often this happened through marriage. All this was done so that the estate did not fall into the wrong hands.
By the beginning of the 17th century, the farm territory occupied more than 250 hectares. A third of the territory was occupied by vineyards.
Already at the end of the 18th century, thanks to the new owner, Count El du Barry, the vineyard was recognized as one of four of the best quality. Since it was during this period that the Chateau Margot wine was first sold at the Christie's auction.
The next owner, who completely launched the farm, was Miko. And only thanks to Laura de Fumel, who bought the estate, they managed to save the vineyards .
The old buildings were completely demolished and already in the 18th century they built a new estate, which is known to this day.
The next owner of the farm was the well-known merchant of Bordeaux Fernand Gineste. With his arrival, wines began to withstand until vintage.
The development of vineyards of the Chateau Margot variety in the 20th century
Until the 70s of the last century, the representatives of the Gineste clan remained the owners of the vineyards.
It was only in the early 80s that the millionaire, the owner of the Felix Poten chain of food stores, bought the farm.
By that time, the vineyards had experienced another period of decadence. Due to the fact that the heirs of a certain kind completely launched it. Nobody wanted to engage in the development of winemaking, but only plundered the ancestors acquired.
The new owner took more than 4 years to bring him to his previous state. In addition to labor, more than one million dollars was invested in order to restore the economy to its former glory. The results were not long in coming. And already in the eighties, the brand "Chateau Margot" experienced a revival.
At that time, a bottle of Chateau Margot wine cost at least $ 260. Since then, the cost has been growing in parallel with the popularity of wine.
By the beginning of the 21st century, the demand for wine was so great that the vineyards, which at that time were grown on 70 hectares, were not enough. Of these, 75% are Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, and the remaining 5% were Cabernet Franc.
As already indicated, "Chateau Margot" - vintage wine, therefore, can not be produced by conveyor. No more than 200,000 bottles were produced per year, the rest is produced by Povilon Rog wine. The latter, of course, is inferior in quality to the vintage.
Although the winery in the early 90s of the last century was sold to the owner of the Fiat concern, the daughter of the previous owner remained the manager.
It is believed that it was thanks to the relative of the owner who breathed new life into the French economy that wine became so popular and the brand successful.
Climate and geography of the region
Bordeaux wines became known not only due to production technologies and grape varieties from which they are made. An important role is played by the unique climatic conditions in which the grapes grow.
The soil is rich in limestone calcium, and the Dordogne and Garonne rivers are responsible for irrigation, which provides the province with a mild oceanic climate. In addition, the soil contributes to the deep rooting of vines and drainage.
The local terroir also affects the taste and quality of the wine.
Features of production technology
Already ripe berries are harvested, cleaned of everything superfluous and crushed. When the wort is ready it is subjected to shaptalization. This process allows you to artificially reduce the acidity of the wine by adding sugar to it. The fermentation process takes place in stainless steel tanks. After pressing the pulp, the young wine is sent for storage in oak barrels.
Before the wine is bottled, it is blended. After that, it can go through an additional aging process. Another characteristic feature when clogging the Chateau Margot wine is to put another capsule on top of the native one in order to increase its shelf life.
Wine "Chateau Margot": description
As already noted, the quality of wine is affected not only by varieties of products and production technologies. But climatic conditions also play an important role. Therefore, even if the manufacturer observes all the technologies every year, this does not guarantee him the ultimate result in a quality product. Since weather conditions vary from year to year.
In this regard, 1990 is considered truly successful, since it is the harvest of this period that is considered the best. "Chateau Margot" - this year's wine, combines the rare aromas of currants, grapes, flowers that grow near the vineyards. Plus, the aroma of burnt oak is mixed. Although the taste of the drink is felt tannin, while it is soft and aromatic. Thanks to the storage conditions, wine of the ninetieth year will not lose its qualities until the twentieth year of the 21st century. To its taste, it resembles a 1953 vintage wine.
Wine in 1986 is considered the most powerful. It even surpasses the famous wines of the 28th and 45th years of the last century. Its purple-ruby color with a currant aroma is difficult to confuse with any other wine. Red wine "Chateau Margot" of this year is considered a truly masculine drink. The quality of this year's wine will only improve over time. And it can safely be maintained until 2050.
The Chateau Margot of '85 is distinguished by the sweetish taste of currants in combination with the aroma of oak bark and spring flowers. It can be stored until the 30th year of the current century. The drink reached its peak of aging in 2002.
The wine of the harvest, taken two years earlier than the previous one, differs from the rest in that the grapes were well ripened then. Due to this, the drink has the aroma of ripened currants, violets, vanilla and oak bark. What is characteristic, its taste is felt in the mouth for a long time. Like the previous one, it is stored until 2030.
Another masterpiece of wines "Chateau Margot" was produced in 1982. It has a characteristic aroma of caraway seeds, currants, spring flowers and licorice. It has low acidity. Compared with its predecessors, it has the longest exposure time - 25 years. Accordingly, it can be stored at least two to three times longer than those wines mentioned above. By its taste, it is approaching the wine of the 1900 harvest. Wine of this period is today considered almost legendary. A photo of the Chateau Margot wine of that time is posted in satie.
The drink was released in the amount of 30,000 boxes, six in one. This year's wine retains its qualities, liveliness to this day. This wine is worthy of a record - you can use it, as already mentioned, inclusively until the 30s of the 21st century. A drink older than 100 years old can only be tried by a select few.
Label
Not taking into account some of the little things, the Chateau Margot label has not practically changed today since the end of the year before last.
This is due to the fact that its appearance accurately conveys the severity and elegance of the drink, so manufacturers in subsequent years did not consider it necessary to make fundamental changes.
The original label has the inscription Mis En Bouteille Au Château, which indicates the region in which it was produced. If it is not, then this may indicate that the wine has nothing to do with the original. And its producers do not have their own vineyards. They just buy wine and bottle it under their own brand.
How to drink premium wines
It is very important to pay attention to the choice of a glass from which you are going to drink expensive wine.
Mostly use a tulip glass with a volume of at least 300 ml.
In order to open a thin bouquet of the drink, the glass is filled only a third of its volume. When serving, the temperature of the wine should be between 15 - 18 degrees.
Before drinking wine, it is necessary to shake it a little and inhale its aroma. After that, you can take a sip. But in no case do not swallow. The first sip of wine needs to be held in your mouth for a while in order to feel its aroma.
It is very important not to forget about snacks. Since we are talking about red wine, then red meat, game or soft cheeses are perfect for it.
Wine selection
The first thing you need to pay attention to is the label. Its features were mentioned above.
It is very important to understand that we are talking about top-class wine. Accordingly, its cost will be quite high. Since Chateau Margot is a fine wine, it is not possible to buy it in a supermarket. It can be found in specialized stores, on sites. In the second case, you must be confident in the supplier. Otherwise, you risk paying money for a cheap fake. Read the label very carefully: the year of the harvest, when and by whom it was bottled, what year the wine is aged.
Chateau Margot: customer reviews
Those who managed to try this exquisite drink are often satisfied. The main thing is to choose the right wine. For women - this is the "Chateau Margot" with a slight aroma of currants and flowers. Men better choose wine with the aroma of wood, currant and oak bark.