Chateau Kirwan Margaux Bordeaux, Complete Guide

Learn everything about Chateau Kirwan Margaux Third Growth with wine tasting notes and wine with food pairing tips. Learn the best vintages, a history of the property, information on the vineyards and winemaking. If you want to read about other important, Bordeaux Chateaux: Links to all Bordeaux Wine Producer Profiles

Chateau Kirwan History, Overview

The founding of Chateau Kirwan dates to 1710 when the vineyard was bought by Sir John Collingwood. Collingwood was a popular negociant in Bordeaux in those days. The daughter of Collingwood married Mark Kirwan. After the wedding, both she and the Margaux property took on a new name.

It was while Mark Kirwan was in charge of the estate that the vineyards were increased. Mark Kirwan was also responsible for building the chateau that remains in use today.

Chateau Kirwan was one of the few Medoc properties that Thomas Jefferson, the Ambassador to France and future third President of the United States visited on his Bordeaux wine tasting trip. We know this based on the personal records and diaries of Thomas Jefferson, written in 1780.

Mark Kirwan passed away in 1815 and the estate passed to Camille Godard, the future Mayor of Bordeaux. In 1882 Godard gifted Chateau Kirwan to the city of Bordeaux.

However, the city of Bordeaux was not prepared to own a vineyard, so in 1902, they signed an agreement with the negociant company, Schyler, and Schroder to produce the wine and manage the estate. The Schyler family was quite experienced in the Bordeaux wine trade, having moved to Bordeaux in 1738.

Shortly after their arrival in Bordeaux, they merged with the Schroder family to create the negociant firm, Schroder and Schyler in 1739. Schroder and Schyler are still in business today.

In 1907, the city of Bordeaux sold Chateau Kirwan to another negociant, Georges Guestier, who eventually sold the vineyard to Schroder and Schyler in 1925. Schroder and Schyler continue to own and manage Chateau Kirwan.

Chateau Kirwan The Modern Age

Jumping ahead a century or so, after a long period when Chateau Kirwan was not known for producing the quality of wine the Left Bank estate was able to produce, the management hired Michel Rolland to consult the estate starting in 1991.

Michel Rolland was replaced in 2006 at Chateau Kirwan. Jean Henri Schyler was in charge of managing the chateau until he passed away, November 2016 at the age of 85. It is expected that the three children, Yann Schyler, Sophie Schyler, and Nathalie Schyler, will all help manage the property going forward.

Aside from visiting the beautiful grounds, one of the unique features of visiting the estate is the tasting room. Located upstairs, with couches, chairs, and coffee tables, it feels like you’re sitting in a friend’s living room while tasting the wines instead of a grand chateau in the Medoc. It’s really quite charming.

Chateau Kirwan Vineyards, Terroir, Grapes, Winemaking

The 40-hectare vineyard of Chateau Kirwan is planted to 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc and 10% Petit Verdot. This shows an increase in the amount of Cabernet Sauvignon and a decrease of Cabernet Franc in their vineyards.

As you can see from their grape varietal mix in the vineyard, Chateau Kirwan maintains one of the higher mixes of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot in Margaux.

As it can be difficult for those varietals to reach peak maturity, they are not always fully blended into the Grand Vin. There is also a small amount of Carmenere that was recently planted. Depending on the vintage it’s possible that starting with the 2017 vintage, a tiny portion of Carmenere could be added to the blend.

Chateau Kirwan is quite close to the same size today as it was at the time of the 1855 Classification of the Medoc. With no changes of substance here, they remain one of the few Classified Growths to be the same size and terroir as they had when they were originally classified.

The terroir of Chateau Kirwan is gravel, sand, and limestone soils. The terroir of Chateau Kirwan is located on one of the highest points in the Margaux appellation with their peak elevation being in the Cantenac sector that reaches 21 meters at its high point. This is their best terroir. On average, the vines are close to 30 years of age.

However, they have old vines, some of which are close to 60 years of age. The vineyard is planted to a vine density of 8,000 vines per hectare. The vineyard can be divided into 46 separate parcels.

In 2016 Chateau Kirwan completed a renovation of its wine-making facilities. The new design was created by the noted French architect, Guy Tropes. With the new cellars, they replaced their old stainless steel vats with 37 new, cement, tulip-shaped vats that vary in size from 40 to 50 hectoliters that allow for a parcel by parcel vinification.

At Chateau Kirwan, they prefer co-inoculation in the fermentation process, which means that both the alcoholic and malolactic fermentation take place at the same time in vats. The wine is aged in an average of 40% new, French oak barrels for between 18 to 20 months, depending on the character of the vintage before bottling.

Since 1993, the property started producing a second wine, Les Charmes de Kirwan. On average, Chateau Kirwan produces close to 16,000 cases a year of wine. In addition, beginning with the 2023 vintage, Chateau Kirwan makes a white Bordeaux wine from 100% Chardonnay.

The best vintages of Chateau Kirwan are: 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2012, 2010, 2009, 2005 and 2000.

When to Drink Chateau Kirwan, Anticipated Maturity, Decanting Time

Chateau Kirwan can be enjoyed on the young side with decanting. Young vintages can be decanted for an average of 1-3 hours, give or take. This allows the wine to soften and open its perfume. Older vintages might need very little decanting, just enough to remove the sediment.

Chateau Kirwan is usually better with at least 7-10 years of bottle age. Of course, that can vary slightly, depending on the vintage character. Chateau Kirwan offers its best drinking and should reach peak maturity between 10-25 years of age after the vintage.

Serving Chateau Kirwan, with Wine, Food, Pairing Tips

Chateau Kirwan is best served at 15.5 degrees Celsius, 60 degrees Fahrenheit. The cool, almost cellar temperature gives the wine more freshness and lift.

Chateau Kirwan is best served with all types of classic meat dishes, veal, pork, beef, lamb, duck, game, roast chicken, roasted, braised, and grilled dishes. Chateau Kirwan is a perfect match with Asian dishes, hearty fish courses like tuna, mushrooms, and pasta as well as cheese.

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