Château Margaux ( French pronunciation: [ʃato maʁɡo] ), archaically La Mothe de Margaux , is a wine estate of Bordeaux wine located in Margaux-Cantenac , France , and was one of five wines to achieve Premier cru (first growth) status in the Bordeaux Classification of 1855 . The estate's best wines are very expensive, with a bottle of Château Margaux grand vin reaching over $ 1,000. The estate is located in the commune of Margaux on the left bank of the Garonne estuary in the Médoc region, in the département of Gironde , and the wine is delimited to the AOC of Margaux .
62-454: The estate also produces a second wine named Pavillon Rouge du Château Margaux, a third wine named Margaux de Château Margaux, a dry white wine named Pavillon Blanc du Château Margaux which does not conform to the Margaux appellation directives, as well as a second dry white wine named Pavillon Blanc Second Vin, launched in 2024. The estate has been occupied since at least the 12th century, with
124-516: A common sense of belonging and national identity through collective identification at Gianni Agnelli's Funeral. At the end of the 1990s Sergio Garavini claimed that, "Fiat seems like the Austro-Hungarian empire on the eve of the First World War. ... When the big push came, it fell to pieces while the royal court continued to fight over succession." L'Avvocato's death was associated with
186-528: A controlling stake in the publicly listed holding company Exor . The family has sometimes been described in American media as "the Kennedys of Italy" for their role in the country's contemporary history and their activity of patronage in modern art and in sports . As of 2020, the extended Agnelli family comprised about two hundred members. In 1899, Giovanni Agnelli (1866–1945) and a group of investors founded
248-459: A lower price than the Grand vin . In less favorable vintages , an estate may choose to release only a second label wine rather than to release a smaller than normal quantity of its Grand vin or a wine that would not be consistent with past vintages under that name. The practice has its roots in the 18th century but became more commercially prominent in the 1980s when consumers discovered these wines as
310-452: A more affordable way to drink the product of a First growth or classified Bordeaux estate without paying the premium for the estate's label and classification. The opposite phenomenon, of only releasing a top wine in exceptional years (rather than in most years) is seen in Iberia ( Spain and Portugal ) in " Gran Reserva " reserve wine and vintage port . From the producer's point of view,
372-426: A second wine allows the winery to use a stricter selection for its Grand Vin , while still capitalising on its name and distribution channels in selling the second wine, which will be much more profitable than selling off lesser wine "anonymously" to be used in e.g. negociant bulk bottlings. The practice of establishing a second wine began in the 18th century as way for Bordeaux winemakers to be more selective of
434-466: A third devoted to viticulture , which is nearly identical to the modern layout. As with many of Médoc's châteaux, the early 18th century saw the wine develop from a pale watery drink that faded within only a few years, to the dark, complex liquid that has been stored in cellars ever since, and a transformation was largely due to an estate manager named Berlon, who revolutionised techniques of wine-making by introducing novel ideas such as banning harvesting in
496-406: Is also known for managing, since 1923, and being majority investors of the conational Serie A football club Juventus FC since the club's conversion to a società a responsabilità limitata (similar to a limited liability company ) in 1949, as well as being the first shareholders of Sisport . Most members of the family are stakeholders in privately owned Giovanni Agnelli B.V., which in turn has
558-462: Is an "individual privately-owned oligopoly". Giovanni Agnelli & C. (GA&C), the family's limited partnership was Gianni's command center. By 2003, when he died, "The GA&C partnership was worth about 1.3 billion euros, and its assets consisted of listed holding companies Istituto Finanziario Industriale (IFI) and Istituto Finanziaria di Partecipazioni (IFIL), through which the family controlled Fiat and IFIL's stakes in other companies." By
620-545: Is an Italian multi-industry business dynasty family founded by Giovanni Agnelli , one of the original founders of the Fiat motor company which became Italy's largest automobile manufacturer. They are also primarily known for other activities in the automotive industry by investing in Ferrari (1969), Lancia (1969), Alfa Romeo (1986) and Chrysler , the latter acquired by Fiat after it filed for bankruptcy in 2009. The Agnelli family
682-454: Is the lawyer of the family. In 2009, he was prosecuted for market manipulation in the equity swap of Ifi-Ifil (now Exor), Agnelli's holding company and Fiat's financial company. Stellantis , a multi-national company and a core business of the clan, was established in 2021 after Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) and Groupe PSA merged. They have also majority control and some participation in several organizations, including La Stampa ,
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#1733086326576744-588: Is the oldest son of Alain Elkann and Margherita Agnelli de Pahlen. In 2004 John Elkann married Donna Lavinia Borromeo, an heiress of the Borromeo family. His grandmother, Marella Agnelli (1927–2019) gave her shares to him to secure his control of the family empire. She divided up Gianni Agnelli's (1934–2003) personal assets with her daughter, Margherita Agnelli de Pahlen. Fiat formerly represented 4.4% of Italy's GDP. From 2001 to 2004 Fiat had lost more than 6 billion euros and
806-571: The Financial Post , in February 2007 Consob , Italy's market regulator, fined the Agnelli family holding company, then-called Ifil (now known as Exor), for engaging in a complicated illegal trade in 2005. They signed contracts with Merrill Lynch which allowed Ifil "to retain its 30 per cent of Fiat in spite of banks in the same period converting billions of euros of debt owed to them by Fiat into equity in
868-653: The French Revolution , the owner Elie du Barry was executed by guillotine and the estate expropriated , eventually becoming the property of the citizen Miqueau who neglected its care and maintenance. Briefly rescued by Laure de Fumel, she was soon forced to sell, and in 1802 the estate was purchased by the Marquis de la Colonilla, Bertrand Douat for 654,000 francs. The estate's old château was torn down and completely rebuilt when Douat commissioned one of Bordeaux' foremost architects, Louis Combes [ fr ] , to create
930-400: The Grand vin or first label. In some cases a third wine or even fourth wine is also produced. Depending on the house winemaking style, individual plots of a vineyard may be selected, often those of the youngest vines, and fermented separately, with the best performing barrels being chosen for the house's top wine and the other barrels being bottled under a separate label and sold for
992-640: The Independent Fiat survived the early first years of the twentieth century thanks to "generous government subsidies paid by Italian taxpayers." "As recently as 2002, Italy accounted for more than a third of Fiat's revenue, and the company built more than 1 million vehicles at six plants in the country." Gianni Agnelli was considered to be the most prominent spokesperson representing the Italian economic elites. Gianni explained his popularity in Italy by saying that he
1054-544: The (only) five Châteaux with Premier Cru status. In 2003, Corinne Mentzelopoulos bought back the majority stake and became the sole shareholder of Château Margaux. 2023 marks a new era with a generational change within the Mentzelopoulos family. After 43 years been Chief Executive Officer, Corinne hands over the reins to her children and appoints Alexis as CEO of the Estate. As for her daughter Alexandra, she becomes President of
1116-466: The 1855 classification or other classifications. They are, however, entitled to use the same appellation as the Grand Vin, as they originate from the same terroir . As an example, Les Forts de Latour is an AOC Pauillac just like Château Latour, but is not a First Growth or any other kind of classified growth. Agnelli family The Agnelli family ( Italian pronunciation: [aɲˈɲɛlli] )
1178-459: The 2009 vintage, Château Margaux has produced three wines that are bottled, and a fourth wine which is sold in bulk. Having a second wine is generally a part of the recipe prescribed by Michel Rolland and similar wine-making consultants. As an example, Château Kirwan , a Third Growth in Margaux , added their second wine Les Charmes de Kirwan in 1993, after Rolland was brought in. In many ways
1240-463: The Agnelli family. His son Andrea later followed in his footsteps as chairman of Juventus until 2022. Margherita Agnelli de Pahlen (born 1955), the only daughter and sole surviving child of Gianni Agnelli, received an estimated inheritance of $ 2 billion when her father, Gianni Agnelli died. In a lawsuit filed in 2007 and rejected in 2010, Margherita Agnelli asked the annullation of the 2004 inheritance agreement signed with her mother; she said that it
1302-501: The Supervisory Board of the holding company. Since 1989, a bottle of Château Margaux 1787, bearing the etched initials of previous owner Thomas Jefferson , holds the record as the most expensive bottle of wine ever broken, insured at $ 225,000 (equivalent to $ 550,000 in 2023). Margaux Hemingway received her given name from this wine; born Margot, she changed the spelling to Margaux when her parents – who drank
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#17330863265761364-512: The Turin daily paper owned by the family through GEDI Gruppo Editoriale , and The Economist , part of The Economist Group , the clan owns over 47% of the share. Agnelli are also the owners of Juventus , the most renowned Italian association football club, and one of world's most successful teams, which was operated by the Agnellis since 1923 to 1943 and since 1947 to date. That society between
1426-455: The age of 40 by Fortune magazine. He was chosen as heir to the family empire in 1997 by his grandfather Gianni Agnelli who died in 2003. Currently, Elkann chairs and controls the automaker Stellantis (which owns the Abarth , Alfa Romeo , Chrysler , Citroën , Dodge , DS , Fiat , Fiat Professional , Jeep , Lancia , Maserati , Mopar , Opel , Peugeot , Ram and Vauxhall brands). He
1488-512: The age of 81, after a prolonged battle with prostate cancer". At one time the Agnelli assets represented 4.4% of Italy's GDP. At the prestigious 2008 photography exhibition in Rome entitled Gianni Agnelli: An Extraordinary Life , the Agnelli family and the Italian government honoured L'Avvocato. Gianni Agnelli married Marella Agnelli (1927–2019) They had one son Edoardo Agnelli and one daughter Countess Margherita Agnelli de Pahlen . According to
1550-543: The assets" from January 24, 1993, forward. D'Antona & Partners, a Milan-based public-relations firm, provided The Wall Street Journal with news of the lawsuit before the Agnelli family was aware of it. In Turin, Italy in March 2010 Judge Brunella Rosso rejected the lawsuit filed against Margherita's mother Marella Agnelli and advisers Franzo Grande Stevens and Gianluigi Gabetti. She had three children John, Lapo and Ginevra from her first marriage with Alain Elkann who inherited
1612-452: The barrel aging when the winemaker will isolate the best performing barrels that most reflects the house style of the estate label with the remaining wine being bottled under second or even third and fourth labels. The second wine may have some hints and characteristics of the estate wine but is typically less polished and structured than the estate wine. An estate will rarely promote its second wines and most wine labels will not even mention
1674-585: The buildings in the First Empire style, the mansion for the Marquis to move into by 1812. On 17 August 1835, Margaux was bought by the Spanish magnate Alejandro María Aguado, 1st Marquess of Marismas del Guadalquivir , who had amassed a vast fortune as a banker. Large portions of shares in the estate were bought by the Bordeaux wine merchant Fernand Ginestet (then owner of the adjacent Château Lascombes ) in 1925, and
1736-431: The closing of a chapter by "commentators, politicians, and institutional representatives". Giorgio Agnelli (1929–1965) was a member of the Agnelli family. He was the second son of Virginia Agnelli and of the industrialist Edoardo Agnelli . His brother, Gianni Agnelli, was the head of Fiat until 1996. Umberto Agnelli (1934–2004) was Gianni Agnelli's youngest brother. He was CEO of Fiat from 1970 to 1976. When he knew he
1798-609: The club and the Torinese industrial dynasty is the oldest and most uninterrupted in Italian sports history between a club and an investor , making the Old Lady one of the first professional sporting clubs ante litteram in the country. The Agnellis have the club's majority shares since it was constituted as a private limited company under the legal entity of società a responsabilità limitata in 1949, and have been credited for much of
1860-496: The company Fabbrica Italiana di Automobili Torino (Fiat), being after senator of the Italian government. Edoardo Agnelli (1892–1935), industrialist and vice-president of the Italian car company Fiat and IFI, was the son of Giovanni Agnelli (1866–1945), the founder of Fiat. He had seven children, Clara (1920–2016), Gianni (1921–2003), Susanna (1922–2009), Maria Sole Agnelli (1925–), Cristiana (1927–), Giorgio Agnelli (1929–1965) and Umberto (1934–2004). Agnelli's daughter Susanna Agnelli
1922-528: The company." In the words of the Financial Post , Gabetti, Marrone, and Grande Stevens "were suspended from holding posts in public companies for between two and six months." Gianluigi Gabetti was director general of IFIL Group, the family investment company since 1971 and worked there as Gianni's closest financial adviser for over 30 years. When Gianni died in 2003, Umberto asked the octogenarian to return as CEO of Ifil. Franzo Grande Stevens (born 1928)
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1984-507: The directives of the Margaux AOC. The remainder of the production, what is determined to be "lesser grapes", is sold off in bulk. 45°02′40″N 0°40′07″W / 45.044418°N 0.668706°W / 45.044418; -0.668706 Second wine Second wine or second label (French: Second vin ) is a term commonly associated with Bordeaux wine to refer to a second label wine made from cuvee not selected for use in
2046-420: The dry white Pavillon Blanc. The average annual production of the Grand vin , Château Margaux, is 150,000 bottles, while the second wine Pavillon Rouge du Château Margaux has an average production of 200,000 bottles. The dry white Pavillon Blanc du Château Margaux has a production of around 35,000 bottles, and must be sold under the generic Bordeaux AOC as the cultivation of Sauvignon blanc does not fall under
2108-401: The early morning to avoid dew-covered grapes and subsequently dilution, and acknowledged the importance of soil quality in the various terroir found on the estate. In 1771, wine from the estate became the first claret to be sold at Christie's , and upon visiting Bordeaux in 1787, Thomas Jefferson made note of Château Margaux as one of the "four vineyards of first quality". Following
2170-496: The estate's second wine and Mouton Cadet evolving into its own brand with a distinctly different marketing strategy. In the drive to higher quality that has taken place in recent decades, additional Bordeaux châteaux have added second wine. With the increased market competition since the 1980s, estates became more selective in the assemblage stage, making greater parts of the production disposed to be either sold off in bulk, or blended into second (or third) wine. For example, since
2232-644: The family share was gradually increased to allow his son Pierre Ginestet to take complete ownership in 1949. In 1965, Pierre Ginestet controversially declared a new estate policy that the vintage year would only be affixed to great vintages, while selling the wine of lesser years as non-vintage wine, like the customary practice of Champagne . Following the Bordeaux economic crisis of 1973 , the Ginestet family were forced to sell Château Margaux. An attempt by National Distillers & Chemical Corporation to acquire Château Margaux
2294-401: The family with a steady stream of reliable dividends that offset the wild fluctuations of profitability—and lately, loss—at Fiat. Up until 2000, IFIL's profits had grown every year for 15 years, and it had paid 82.7 million euros in dividends to IFI, its parent company, in 2000. Umberto Agnelli was chairman and later honorary chairman of Juventus , the football team long-associated with Fiat and
2356-460: The firm from 28 February 1996 to 22 June 1998. Romiti was instrumental in the company's return to profitability during this period. Paolo Fresco succeeded him in the aforementioned post. February 1992 saw the start of the mani pulite (Clean Hands) judicial inquiry into Tangentopoli , nationwide corruption with a large number of politicians, bureaucrats and entrepreneurs involved including senior Fiat executives. In 1996 when Gianni reached
2418-547: The largest shares of the Agnelli fortune. She had other five children from her second and current husband, Count Serge de Pahlen . John Elkann (born 1976) is the CEO of Exor , an investment company controlled by the Agnelli family, which controls Stellantis , CNH Industrial , Ferrari , Juventus FC , Cushman & Wakefield and the Economist Group . In 2013 he was considered to be the world's fourth most influential manager under
2480-549: The major car builders of Europe. Gianni was a Fiat CEO. By 1956 he had become the "richest businessman in modern Italian history". In the 1960s and 1970s Fiat produced millions of modest cars including tiny 500 and 600 hatchbacks. Its Mirafiori plant in Turin, built 600,000 autos a year. In the 1970s Gianni and Umberto Agnelli hired Cesare Romiti , known as Il Duro or the tough guy . During that time Fiat's production in Italy "peaked in 1970, when it employed well over 100,000 people there and made 1.4 million cars." Romiti led
2542-458: The management remained in the hands of Mentzelopoulos' daughter Corinne Mentzelopoulos . She promoted Paul Pontallier – whose dissertation for his PhD in Oenology was on the effect of barrel ageing on red wines – to managing director of First Growth ( Premier Cru ), and their owner/director partnership is credited with elevating Château Margaux in its standing amongst
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2604-442: The mandatory retirement age of 75 after serving as Fiat chairman for 30 years, Romiti replaced him as chairman. A year after Romiti took over as chairman of Fiat, he was convicted of "having falsified company accounts, committing tax fraud and making illegal payments to political parties." Romiti "was one of the most prominent people convicted since the start of Italy's campaign against corruption in 1992." Even though Gianni Agnelli
2666-461: The ownership is renowned for. Juventus success in the first half of the 1930s allowed that management to influence in the management model from other Serie A clubs since the end of World War II , emerging as the reference organisational model for the sport in the Peninsula . An Italian società per azioni since 1967, Juventus was presided since 2010 to 2023 by Andrea Agnelli , fourth member of
2728-504: The parent estate because of the desire to keep the estate solely associated with its Grand vin . However, some high end producers market their second wine as a "wine for earlier consumption" (i.e., quicker to mature) rather than "a lesser wine". Second wines often do not have the word "château" in their name, but they frequently sport some other part of their winery's name to add name recognition. The second wines of classified growths, since they are different wines, are not themselves part of
2790-409: The poor 1927 vintage, then named Carruades de Mouton, followed in 1930 by Mouton Cadet as a second label, selling wine from previous difficult harvests considered unfit as château Grand vin vintage at reduced prices, eventually to successful response. The estate has since expanded with more labels pushing Mouton Cadet further down its portfolio, with Le Petit Mouton de Mouton Rothschild currently
2852-467: The production of a second wine mirrors the production of estate's Grand vin being made from the same vineyard, with the same blend of grapes and by the same winemaker. Some selection takes place already after harvest, when plots that are often underperforming or are planted with younger vines will be earmarked for the second wine, which means that they receive a "cheaper" treatment with a lower percentage of new barrels. Additional selection will be done after
2914-519: The site occupied by a fortified castle known as Lamothe or La Mothe (from motte , a small rise in the land), and wine under names such as "Margou" and "Margous" was known in the 15th century, but it was with the arrival of the Lestonnac family in the 16th century that wine production became of particular importance, and in the 1570s Pierre de Lestonnac expanded the property and cleared many of the grain fields to make way for vines . The lineage of ownership
2976-405: The team's success and by extension in the development of football in Italy due an administrative gestion model and sporting ethos called by the country's mass media since the 1930s as Stile Juventus , or Juventus Style, based in patience, consistency and a kind of effective and efficient long-term strategic planning unusual for the administrative model generally used in Italy, both of which
3038-469: The time of Gianni Agnelli's death in 2003, the "Agnelli family controlled Fiat through a chain of three separate holding companies." Giovanni Alberto Agnelli, Gianni's nephew, who died of cancer in 1997, had been in line to take control of the family companies. In 1997 Gianni publicly announced that his grandson, John Elkann, who was then 21, would succeed him as the head of the family empire. Edoardo Agnelli, Gianni's first-born son died in 2000. He "died at
3100-455: The vineyard through restoring the neglected vineyard, chais, and mansion and the consultancy of oenologist Émile Peynaud . By the time of Mentzelopoulos' death in 1980, Château Margaux was considered substantially restored to its former reputation, with the 1978 and 1979 vintages declared "exceptional". At the beginning of the 1990s, an exchange of shares was negotiated with the Agnelli family but
3162-697: The wine going into their estate label wine without wasting the remaining wine. According to records, Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande shipped its "second wine" of the 1874 vintage to the 1891 Exposition française in Moscow, although La Réserve de la Comtesse would not be for sale to the public until 1973. Château Brane-Cantenac may have had a second label some time in the 18th century according to Decanter , but more evidently, Château Léoville-Las Cases first produced its Clos du Marquis in 1904, and Château Margaux followed with Pavillon Rouge produced from 1908. Château Mouton Rothschild released
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#17330863265763224-422: The wine on the night she was conceived – told her this background. The domaine of Château Margaux extends 262 hectares (650 acres), of which 87 hectares (210 acres) are entitled to the Margaux AOC declaration. 80 hectares (200 acres) are planted with 75% Cabernet Sauvignon , 20% Merlot , with 2% Cabernet Franc and Petit verdot . 12 hectares (30 acres) are cultivated with Sauvignon blanc to make
3286-545: Was "always present". "There was a war and I, like many others, took part. Then there were other events such as closer relations with the Americans, and I was there. ... We had difficult moments such as terrorism, and I never pulled back. In the course of our lives, of our generation, there also have been happier moments." Professor Gaspare Nevola of the Università degli Studi di Trento, explained that Italian society celebrated
3348-411: Was based on incomplete information. On 30 May 2007, she filed a lawsuit against three long-time advisors of her father: Gianluigi Gabetti, Franzo Grande Stevens , and Virgilio Marrone. The lawsuit was also against her own mother, Marella Agnelli. The lawsuit demanded that Gabetti, Grande Stevens, and Marrone provide a report on her father's estate "with information pertaining to the historic evolution of
3410-466: Was close to bankruptcy. CEO Sergio Marchionne returned the company to profit in 2005. In 2009 as the U.S. automobile industry was collapsing Fiat became a trailblazer by acquiring an initial 20% stake in the then-bankrupt Chrysler company in a deal with the Obama administration. This saved Chrysler. By 2013 Fiat was taking full control of Chrysler and merging Fiat-Chrysler into a global giant. By 2013 Chrysler
3472-615: Was dying and Fiat was in financial trouble, Gianni asked Umberto to return as Fiat's CEO. Fiat had taken out a three-billion-euro loan in 2002 and was unable to pay it back. If they were unable to find a solution, Fiat would belong to its creditor banks. Umberto Agnelli was chairman of IFIL Group, the family investment company. IFIL's fat investment portfolio included stakes in Club Méditerranée, French conglomerate Worms & Cie., and department store chain La Rinascente, and provided
3534-403: Was left unchanged since the scandal of tangentopoli ("bribesville") emerged. "Mr. Romiti and Mr. Mattioli had approved a series of slush funds from 1980 through 1992 to provide for Fiat's illegal political contributions and had falsified accounts to hide the payments." While Fiat was a family-controlled company, Gianni Agnelli alone held the family's controlling stake for nearly 60 years. Fiat
3596-598: Was not implicated by the magistrates, some believed that he had lacked judgement in not denouncing Italy's endemic corruption and in downplaying Fiat's responsibilities. Gianni Agnelli in fact had defended the actions of Romiti and the co-accused Francesco Paolo Mattioli, Fiat's chief financial officer. A 1997 article published in The Economist quoted Gianni Agnelli confidence in the Turin Two's innocence and concluded that business attitudes among Italy's powerful ancien régime
3658-549: Was profitable again but an article in The Economist questioned the financial future of the merged company. In 2005, Lapo Elkann , (born 1977) John's brother, was forced to leave the family company because of a scandal but by 2015 was still one of the largest shareholders in the family business along with John, and their sister Ginevra Elkann (born 1979). Gianni Agnelli's longtime financial advisors were Franzo Grande Stevens and Gianluigi Gabetti . According to an article in
3720-495: Was the first woman to have been Minister of Foreign Affairs in Italy. Gianni Agnelli (1921–2003) was the oldest son of the industrialist and principal family shareholder of the Italian car company Fiat, Edoardo Agnelli . After WWII he earned a law degree at Turin University and his nickname was L'Avvocato ("The Lawyer"). He was the head of Fiat from 1966 to 2003 and made the company into the most important company in Italy and one of
3782-529: Was to continue in a relatively direct path from the Lestonnacs, though through the female side, with proprietors' names such as d'Aulède, Fumel, d'Hargicourt, including an alliance of marriage with the Pontac family of Château Haut-Brion in 1654, which became crucial to the inclusion of Château Margaux among the four first growths. By the beginning of the 18th century, the estate comprised 265 hectares (650 acres) with
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#17330863265763844-501: Was vetoed by the French government on grounds that the estate was a national treasure. This was later reported to be an attempt backed by The Coca-Cola Company , and was directly prevented by French President Valéry Giscard d'Estaing . A successful acquisition took place in 1976 by French grocery and finance group Félix Potin , headed by Greek André Mentzelopoulos, for a sum near 72 million francs, or US$ 16 million. Mentzelopoulos transformed
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