Château Margaux

Château Margaux is the first growth of the Margaux appellation. The estate reports about 82 hectares of red varieties (mostly Cabernet Sauvignon) and 12 hectares of Sauvignon Blanc for Pavillon Blanc. It has been owned by the Mentzelopoulos family since 1977. The grand vin is made in roughly 130,000 bottles in a normal year — about a third of the harvest — with the rest going to Pavillon Rouge and a third wine.

Founded: 1572
Region: Bordeaux
Ownership: Mentzelopoulos family
Vineyard: 94.0 ha232 ac
Annual output: 390Kbottles, all wines

Wines

Château Margaux, vintage by vintage

One square for each year. The darker the square, the better the weather was for the grapes. Tap a year to read about it.

2025 2024 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996

ExceptionalExcellentVery goodGoodMixedDifficult

The essentials

Economic profile

Margaux's selection is severe: the estate has said publicly that only about a third of the red crop goes into the grand vin, which is why production is smaller than Lafite's or Mouton's from a comparable vineyard. The 2015 vintage, released in a commemorative bottle after the death of managing director Paul Pontallier, is the estate's most expensive modern release. Margaux sells en primeur through the Place de Bordeaux and ages the grand vin in 100% new oak from its own cooperage.

Deep dive

Land

SAFER reports Margaux AOC vineyard land below Pauillac's, but the estate's own vineyard — contiguous, on the deepest gravel of the appellation — would not trade at the appellation average. Its holdings have been stable for decades; the imputed land cost in Corkonomics' first-growth model uses the Pauillac range as the closest reported comparable.

The detailsClassification, ownership, land and output

Founded

1572Vineyard established in the 16th century; current château built 1810–1815; Mentzelopoulos ownership since 1977

Classification

Premier Grand Cru Classé, 1855

Ownership

Mentzelopoulos family (family)

Vineyard holdings

94.0 ha (232 ac)≈ 82 ha red + 12 ha white, per the estate

Annual production

390,000 bottles, all winesGrand vin ≈ 130,000 bottles (about a third of the red crop, per the estate); Pavillon Rouge and Pavillon Blanc make up the rest

First vintage made

1810

Website

chateau-margaux.com/

Grape mix (red vineyard)

≈ 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit VerdotChâteau Margaux

Second wine

Pavillon Rouge du Château Margaux

White wine

Pavillon Blanc (100% Sauvignon Blanc, ≈ 12 ha)Château Margaux

We estimate it costs about $28 to $95 to make one bottle at an estate like this. See the full breakdown

Land-value contextWhat a hectare of vineyard sells for around here

Input	Low	High	Unit	Source
Vineyard land, Margaux2024	900,000	2,000,000	EUR/ha	SAFER 2024
Vineyard land, Pauillac2024	1,700,000	4,000,000	EUR/ha	SAFER 2024
Vineyard land, Pomerol2023	1,500,000	3,000,000	EUR/ha	SAFER
Vineyard land, Saint-Émilion2024	150,000	2,500,000	EUR/ha	SAFER 2024

Every wine in a tableBottles made, years covered and how hard each is to find

Wine	Bottles made in a typical year	Vintages covered	Great years	How rare (0–100)
Château MargauxPremier Grand Cru Classé, 1855 · Margaux	130,000	36 1990–2025	13	44
Pavillon Rouge du Château MargauxSecond wine of a first growth · Margaux	—	24 2000–2023	10	—

Every year in a tableChâteau Margaux: How each year was rated, and the price the producer first asked

Vintage	How the year was rated	Release price	How rare (0–100)	The growing season
2025	Excellent	—	38	A dry spring and early summer comparable to 2022, then about 60 mm of rain in late August…
2024	Mixed	≈$309	38	More than 1,000 mm of rain between 18 October 2023 and 28 March 2024, and mild…
2023	Very Good	≈$403	39	Little rain early in the year; a single heatwave in late August scalded some grapes…
2022	Exceptional	≈$578	39	Hot, dry summer; small berries, low yields, high concentration.
2021	Mixed	≈$470	40	Frost, mildew and a cool summer; variable quality and small crops.
2020	Excellent	≈$484	40
2019	Excellent	≈$369	41
2018	Excellent	≈$457	41
2017	Good	≈$390	42
2016	Exceptional	—	42	Wet spring then a dry summer; a large, balanced crop widely rated with 2009 and 2010.
2015	Excellent	—	42
2014	Very Good	—	43
2013	Difficult	—	43	Cold wet spring, poor flowering, rot at harvest; small crops and severe selection at the…
2012	Good	—	44
2011	Good	—	44
2010	Exceptional	—	44	Cool nights and a dry summer gave high tannin and acidity; released at prices above 2009…
2009	Exceptional	—	45	Warm, dry, long growing season; widely described as one of the great modern vintages…
2008	Very Good	—	45
2007	Mixed	—	45
2006	Very Good	—	45
2005	Exceptional	—	46
2004	Good	—	46
2003	Mixed	—	46
2002	Good	—	46
2001	Very Good	—	46
2000	Excellent	—	47
1999	Good	—	47
1998	Very Good	—	47
1997	Mixed	—	47
1996	Excellent	—	47
1995	Very Good	—	48
1994	—	—	48
1993	—	—	48
1992	—	—	48
1991	—	—	48
1990	Exceptional	—	49

Each dot is the opening price of one bottle as reported in the trade press. A drop from one year to the next is the estate cutting its price to bring buyers back.