Château Margaux

This illustrious wine producer survived the French Revolution and the phylloxera epidemic, and is now housed in a neo-Palladian building designed by architect Louis Combes in 1812. Across 203 acres (82 hectares), the winery cultivates a range of varietals, including Cabernet-Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and, unusually for the region, Sauvignon Blanc.

Château Margaux is a popular stop on tours of the Médoc wine route, even though the winery is typically closed to the public. In addition to photo stops at Château Margaux, most tours of the region include expert-led tastings at other revered wineries—such as Château Lascombes, Château Dauzac, and Château Paloumey—and tend to include hassle-free transfers from central Bordeaux.

• Be aware that Château Margaux’s wines are among the most counterfeited in the world, and it uses advanced labeling technology on its bottles to certify authenticity.
• Tours of the winery are made by appointment only, and tastings are reserved for wine-industry professionals.
• No bottles are sold at the winery; all of Château Margaux’s releases are handled by Bordeaux wine merchants.

Château Margaux is located in Margaux, part of the Médoc commune. To get there using public transport, take TER services from Bordeaux’s main train station, Bordeaux Saint-Jean, to the local train station, Gare de Margaux, after which it’s a brief taxi trip away. The winery is roughly an hour’s drive north of Bordeaux proper via the D2 or D209; guided tours make getting there even simpler.

Château Margaux is open Monday–Friday, though note that tours and tastings are exclusively for wine-industry professionals. The winery is also closed during harvest time, which typically occurs in September or October.

Château Margaux produces four different wines. Its main, and most prestigious, release is its Grand Vin, which is a blend of red varietals and one of the world’s most celebrated and expensive bottles of wine. Its second wine, Pavillon Rouge, and its third wine, Margaux du Château Margaux, offer slightly more affordable ways to sample its red blends. Unusually for the region, it also flouts appellation rules to produce its Pavillion Blanc, made from 100% Sauvignon Blanc.

The esteemed Château Margaux wine estate produces some of Bordeaux’s most prestigious—and expensive—wines. Château Margaux is famously one of just five Bordeaux wineries classified “Premier Cru,” and boasts five centuries of winemaking history. The château’s Grand Vin is renowned among oenophiles as one of the world’s greatest wines.

The Château Margaux is located within the Margaux AOC (Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée), which includes the communes of Margaux, Cantenac, Labarde, Soussans, and Arsac. The estate sits in the Médoc region on the Left Bank of the Gironde estuary and is about a 50-minute drive north of the city of Bordeaux.

Château Margaux is not generally open to the public except by prior appointment, although many tours still include a photo stop outside the famous wine estate. The château and grounds are closed on weekends, public holidays, and during the month of August, as well as throughout the fall harvest season.

Yes, but tours of Château Margaux are available by prior appointment only from April to July and are notoriously hard to secure—contact them well in advance. Wine tastings are for wine professionals only. However, visitors can still admire the Château Margaux from outside and walk through part of the grounds.

No. Wine tastings at Château Margaux are only available to wine professionals, and most Bordeaux wine tours that pass by the château include a photo stop only. However, there are many other renowned châteaus in the Médoc wine region that offer wine tastings, vineyard tours, and cellar visits.

No. Even if you’re lucky enough to book a guided tour of the château, you won’t be able to purchase any of the famous wines on site. The château’s five wines—Grand Vin, Pavillon Rouge, Margaux, Pavillon Blanc, and Pavillon Blanc Second Vin—are sold exclusively through Bordeaux wine merchants.