Four decades of Château Margaux: A Decanter Fine Wine Encounter Masterclass

At Decanter’s Fine Wine Encounter, few masterclasses feel quite as electrifying as Château Margaux. Yet tasting nearly four decades of the Bordeaux first growth’s wines alongside a member of the owning family remains a rare privilege.

Led by Alexis Leven-Mentzelopoulos, Château Margaux’s CEO and the third generation of his family to steward the estate, the special occasion offered not just a vertical tasting, but a window into time, place and precision.

From the outset, Leven-Mentzelopoulos set the tone by anchoring Margaux firmly in history. Although classified as a Premier Grand Cru Classé in 1855, the estate’s roots stretch back far earlier, with vines planted on the gravel mound of La Mothe de Margaux from the 16th century.

Ownership has changed many times, but the modern era began in 1977, when Leven-Mentzelopoulos’ grandfather, André Mentzelopoulos, purchased the estate after it had languished on the market for two years.