Margaux Hemingway, the 1970s model and granddaughter of Ernest Hemingway, was named after Chateau Margaux, the Bordeaux First Growth her parents drank the night she was conceived. She was born Margot and changed the spelling to match the wine once she learned the story. Chateau Margaux is one of the four estates ranked First Growth in Bordeaux's 1855 classification.
Margot Louise Hemingway was born in Portland, Oregon, in February 1954. Her father, Jack, was Ernest Hemingway's eldest son. When she found out where her name came from, she changed the spelling from Margot to Margaux.
By 1975, she was on the cover of TIME and had signed a million-dollar contract as the face of Faberge's Babe fragrance, widely reported as the first deal of that size for a fashion model. Her later years were hard ones, and she died in 1996.
I like this story because it shows how far a wine's name can travel. In the early 1950s, a bottle from one estate in the Médoc was famous enough that an American couple named their daughter after it. I told the story on camera below. The part that matters in a wine shop comes after it: what the word Margaux actually means on a label.
What Her Parents Opened
Chateau Margaux sits in the commune of Margaux, on Bordeaux's Left Bank in the Medoc. When Bordeaux ranked its top red wines in 1855, it was one of four estates placed in the first tier, the First Growths. Mouton Rothschild joined them in 1973. The reputation was old even then. Visiting Bordeaux in 1787, Thomas Jefferson listed Chateau Margaux among the region's four vineyards of first quality.
The estate covers 262 hectares, with about 80 hectares planted to red grapes: roughly 75% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Merlot, with Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot making up the rest. The grand vin averages about 150,000 bottles a year. The Mentzelopoulos family bought the estate in the 1970s, restored a property that had been neglected, and still runs it today.
If you want the full 1855 ladder, I walk through the top tier in First Growth Bordeaux and the next one down in Second Growth Bordeaux.
What "Margaux" Means on a Label
This is where the name gets confusing, and where most buying decisions get made. The same word can point to one estate, to that estate's other wines, or to an entire appellation of roughly 1,400 hectares.
The appellation takes in five villages: Margaux, Cantenac, Labarde, Soussans and Arsac. It holds 21 of the 61 chateaux ranked in 1855, more than any other commune in Bordeaux, and it is the only one with an estate in all five tiers. The vineyards are unusually intermingled, so neighboring estates often farm rows side by side. For how Margaux fits among the other Bordeaux appellations, see Bordeaux Appellations: An Introduction.
What Margaux Tastes Like
Margaux is Cabernet Sauvignon country, almost always blended with Merlot and a little Cabernet Franc or Petit Verdot. The commune's reputation rests on perfume and fine-grained tannin more than sheer weight, and its vines tend to ripen seven to ten days ahead of the rest of the Medoc.
In my tasting, Margaux leads with aroma more than any other Left Bank commune. It is the Bordeaux I open for people who are convinced the region is all muscle.
How to Buy Margaux Without Overpaying
- Decide between the estate and the place. Chateau Margaux is a collector's bottle. The appellation around it is where a drinker's money goes further.
- Read the classification line. "Grand Cru Classe en 1855" tells you the estate made the 1855 list. It doesn't tell you the tier, so check where it ranked.
- Look at second wines. Classified estates bottle a second selection under a different name, at a lower price than the grand vin.
- Shop the vintage, not just the name. A strong year from a lesser-known Margaux estate often gives you more in the glass than an off year from a famous one.
FAQ
What wine was Margaux Hemingway named after?
Chateau Margaux, the Bordeaux First Growth her parents drank the night she was conceived. She was born Margot and changed the spelling to Margaux to match the wine.
Is Chateau Margaux a First Growth?
Yes. It was one of four estates ranked First Growth in Bordeaux's 1855 classification. Mouton Rothschild was added in 1973, making five.
What is the difference between Chateau Margaux and Margaux?
Chateau Margaux is a single estate. Margaux is the appellation around it, which covers five villages and 21 of the chateaux ranked in 1855.
What is Pavillon Rouge?
Pavillon Rouge du Chateau Margaux is the estate's second wine, grown on the same property and priced below the grand vin.
How do you pronounce Margaux?
Mar-GO. The x is silent, so it sounds the same as the name Margot.
Who owns Chateau Margaux?
The Mentzelopoulos family, who bought the estate in the 1970s. Alexis Mentzelopoulos became CEO in 2023.
A Name Worth Knowing
Margaux Hemingway carried the name of a wine her whole life. On a Bordeaux label, that same word covers 21 classified estates and many more outside the ranking, and nearly all of them cost less than the bottle her parents opened.
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