Chateau Desmirail Margaux Bordeaux, Complete Guide

Learn everything about Chateau Desmirail 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 Desmirail History, Overview

Chateau Desmirail is not well known today. In fact, it’s one of the more obscure, 1855 classified growths in the entire Medoc. But it was not always that way. In the 17th century, the wines of Chateau Dauzac were quite popular.

Chateau Desmirail was founded in 1661 by Jean Desmirail, who obtained the vineyard as many people did in that day, as a dowry through marriage to one of the daughters from the Rauzan family.

Jean Desmirail renamed the chateau, taking his own name and using it for the moniker. At the time, Chateau Desmirail was still a part of the massive array of Rauzan family-owned Bordeaux properties.

Skipping ahead to the next century, when it became time to organize the 1855 Classification, the massive Rauzan estate was broken into three completely unique vineyards.

The new properties were Chateau Rauzan Segla, Chateau Rauzan Gassies and Chateau Desmirail. And don’t forget Chateau Marquis de Terme was also a part of the Rauzan Segla estate as well! In 1891, a large parcel of vines was sold to form another Margaux vineyard, Chateau Tayac.

Chateau Desmirail The Modern Era

At one point in time, Chateau Desmirail was owned by the Zuger family, that owns Chateau Malescot Saint Exupery. The Zuger family purchased the chateau while the vineyard and brand name were sold to the owners of Chateau Palmer.

In fact, in 1963, Chateau Palmer declassified their entire harvest and placed the entire crop into Chateau Desmirail, which explains why no bottles of 1963 Palmer exist.

Today, Chateau Desmirail is owned and managed by the well-known Lurton family who owns a myriad of other vineyards that are located in almost every Left Bank appellation. In 1997, the cellars of Chateau Desmirail were modernized when they added stainless steel tanks.

In 2010, they added new oak tanks. Those improvements in the cellars, along with increased efforts in the vineyards really started paying off with the 2015 vintage, which is probably the finest wine ever produced at Chateau Desmirail.

Chateau Desmirail Vineyards, Terroir, Grapes, Winemaking

The 37-hectare vineyard of Chateau Desmirail is planted to 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, and 1% Petit Verdot. This represents an increase in their Cabernet Sauvignon vines. On average, the vines are more than 25 years of age. The vineyard is planted to a vine density ranging from 6,666 vines per hectare to 9,000 vines per hectare. The higher levels of density are for the newer plantings. The terroir consists of deep gravel, sand, and clay soils.

The vineyard of Chateau Desmirail is much larger today than it was at the time of the 1855 Classification. In those days, they had parcels in communes of Cantenac and Soussans. Today, they also have vines in the commune of Arsac, not too far from Chateau du Tertre.

To produce the wine of Chateau Desmirail, fermentation takes place in a combination of large wood tanks and stainless steel vats in one of three different vat rooms. The older vines are vinified in the large, oak vats.

The remaining grapes are vinified in the stainless steel tanks. Unique to Chateau Desmirail, they have three vat rooms specially designed to recall various time periods in the history of Desmirail, making them interesting to visit.

Malolactic fermentation takes place in vat. The wine of Chateau Desmirail is aged in an average of 40% new, French oak barrels for between 12 to 18 months.

There is a second wine, which is sold under two different names. When sold in France, the second wine is sold as Chateau Fontarney, while export markets are offered the same wine under the name of Initial de Desmirail.

The best vintages of Chateau Desmirail are: 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2012, 2010, 2009 and 2005. 2019 and 2020 are perhaps the best wines produced in the history of the estate making this a property to keep your eye on.

The estate also owns vines in the Haut Medoc appellation which are used to produce Desmirail Haut-Medoc de Desmirail.

When to Drink Chateau Desmirail, Anticipated Maturity, Decanting Time

Chateau Desmirail can be enjoyed on the young side with decanting. Young vintages can be decanted for an average of 1-2 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 Desmirail is usually better with at least 7-9 years of bottle age. Of course, that can vary slightly, depending on the vintage character. Chateau Pibran offers its best drinking and should reach peak maturity between 10-20 years of age after the vintage.

Serving Chateau Desmirail, with Wine, Food, Pairing Tips

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

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

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