2015
2015
2015
2015 was a historic year—literally—for Château Margaux. We celebrated both the bicentenary of the estate’s buildings dating from 1815, and the inauguration of the new facilities designed by architect Norman Foster. It is easy to imagine how much we dreamed of 2015 becoming a great vintage!
Part of the result is undoubtedly due to the decisions made during blending: only 35% of the harvest went into the Grand Vin—a record level of strictness for a vintage of this quality. As usual, cabernet sauvignon forms the backbone of the blend, accounting for 87%; in addition to its concentration and finesse, it displays unusual vigour and strength this year. The merlot has nothing to be ashamed of, at least in the best plots, and makes up 8% of the Grand Vin. Cabernet franc (3%) and petit verdot (2%) also earned their place in this highly selective blend, confirming that truly great vintages generally allow all grape varieties to express their full potential.
How does 2015 compare to its predecessors? It is a thankless—and somewhat futile—task, when it comes to the greatest vintages. There are, of course, similarities and resemblances, along with some unexpected differences… But one can evoke a combination of the strength of 2005, the flesh of 2009, the subtlety of 2010, and the inimitable charm of Château Margaux. Still, it is best to wait patiently, as its potential is immense.
Fittingly, the final vintage overseen by Paul Pontallier, Managing Director of Château Margaux from 1989 to 2015, expresses the estate’s most beautiful qualities.
For all these reasons, Château Margaux chose to create a special design for its 2015 Grand Vin.
A unique case was designed and adorned with a magnificent screen print, specially conceived for this vintage, and affixed directly to the glass in place of the usual labels. The vintage seems to have been built for eternity. (March 2025)
Climate
Winter, which was appreciably colder than those of the previous years, caused late, but perfectly regular blossoming. Dry and sunny weather in the spring made for optimal conditions, so flowering took place very quickly and homogenously. This hot, dry weather persisted throughout the months of June and July, to a point where we were afraid there could be water stress, at least in the most sensitive plots. Fortunately a little rain in August arrived just in time to ensure a quick and regular colour-change. The drought, which arrived again in September, together with very warm days and cool nights, enabled the grapes to balance their richness in sugar with good acidity, to render their tannins more silky and to make their aromatic potential more complex.
The harvest of the reds took place from September 18th to October 6th. The small size of the grapes and their thicker skins indicated a very high concentration of tannins. The 2015 weather conditions are, in fact, the feature of very great vintages, like 2005, 2009 and 2010.
2015 was a historic year—literally—for Château Margaux. We celebrated both the bicentenary of the estate’s buildings dating from 1815, and the inauguration of the new facilities designed by architect Norman Foster. It is easy to imagine how much we dreamed of 2015 becoming a great vintage!
Part of the result is undoubtedly due to the decisions made during blending: only 35% of the harvest went into the Grand Vin—a record level of strictness for a vintage of this quality. As usual, cabernet sauvignon forms the backbone of the blend, accounting for 87%; in addition to its concentration and finesse, it displays unusual vigour and strength this year. The merlot has nothing to be ashamed of, at least in the best plots, and makes up 8% of the Grand Vin. Cabernet franc (3%) and petit verdot (2%) also earned their place in this highly selective blend, confirming that truly great vintages generally allow all grape varieties to express their full potential.
How does 2015 compare to its predecessors? It is a thankless—and somewhat futile—task, when it comes to the greatest vintages. There are, of course, similarities and resemblances, along with some unexpected differences… But one can evoke a combination of the strength of 2005, the flesh of 2009, the subtlety of 2010, and the inimitable charm of Château Margaux. Still, it is best to wait patiently, as its potential is immense.
Fittingly, the final vintage overseen by Paul Pontallier, Managing Director of Château Margaux from 1989 to 2015, expresses the estate’s most beautiful qualities.
For all these reasons, Château Margaux chose to create a special design for its 2015 Grand Vin.
A unique case was designed and adorned with a magnificent screen print, specially conceived for this vintage, and affixed directly to the glass in place of the usual labels. The vintage seems to have been built for eternity. (March 2025)
Climate
Winter, which was appreciably colder than those of the previous years, caused late, but perfectly regular blossoming. Dry and sunny weather in the spring made for optimal conditions, so flowering took place very quickly and homogenously. This hot, dry weather persisted throughout the months of June and July, to a point where we were afraid there could be water stress, at least in the most sensitive plots. Fortunately a little rain in August arrived just in time to ensure a quick and regular colour-change. The drought, which arrived again in September, together with very warm days and cool nights, enabled the grapes to balance their richness in sugar with good acidity, to render their tannins more silky and to make their aromatic potential more complex.
The harvest of the reds took place from September 18th to October 6th. The small size of the grapes and their thicker skins indicated a very high concentration of tannins. The 2015 weather conditions are, in fact, the feature of very great vintages, like 2005, 2009 and 2010.
Service & tasting
Discover our tips for serving and tasting your wine in the best conditions.
Service & tasting
Discover our tips for serving and tasting your wine in the best conditions.