Chateau Les Barraillots Margaux 2017

Tasting Notes

Chateau Les Barraillots is the last small wine producer in the village of Margaux and one of only a few “Crus Artisans” in the Margaux appellation. The vineyard was purchased from Palmer and Durfort in 1928 and 1933. It is situated among the highest elevations in the commune and the soil type is permeable gravel. The modest house and winery are a quarter of a mile away, on the outskirts of town. The Martin family used to raise dairy cows there, not only for the income derived from the milk, but also for the manure used in the vineyard. Yannick Martin, who took over from his father in 2014, still uses exclusively cow manure as fertilizer, today, though the cattle are gone from the property.

The average vine age is 40 years and the varietal mix is 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc/Petit Verdot. The planting is very dense with most sections having 10,000 plants per hectare. No chemicals are used in the vineyard and harvesting is done manually. Fermentations are done in stainless steel and the wine is aged in barrels (20% to 25% new) for twelve months with several rackings. This period of natural clarification is completed with the use of egg whites for fining before bottling in the spring. 12.7% alc.

Food Pairings

Pair with red meats, game and hard cheeses