Chateau Marojallia

The only big disappointment I had during my trip to Bordeaux was not being able to visit Chateau Marojallia. My schedule just did not match up with any availability on their part. I did get some pictures of the Chateau.



I have repeatedly heard Chateau Marojallia referred to as a "garage wine" so I was expecting a small, unassuming building in the middle of town. As you can see from the pictures, the French have a very different idea of what a garage is than I do :). All joking aside, it is a surreal experience to see row after row of meticulously tended vines in the middle of town.

The vineyard is small at only 4 hectares, with the average age of the vines at 32 years, and Chateau Marojallia only produces 500 cases a year. The vineyard is made up of 74% Cabernet Sauvignon and 24% Merlot.




Chateau Marojallia is the name Ausonius, a Roman philosopher, gave to what is now called Margaux.

The property is beautiful, hopefully when I return to Bordeaux I will be able to make time to visit the Chateau.

Thunevin Blog

Jean-Luc Thunevin, original winemaker at Marojallia Margaux has his own blog. Its worth a read :).

Review: 2003 Marojallia Margaux

Wine: 2003 Marojallia Margaux



Review: To date, I have reviewed the 1999 and 2001 vintages of this wine. Both were excellent, as reflected not only in my review but in the 91-point reviews they both received from Robert Parker.

The 2003 vintage is 76% Cabernet Sauvignon and 24% Merlot. The wine has a deep purple color and an aroma that contained hints of smoke, blueberries and vanilla. It has a medium body with some tannins, but not overly so. The wine was little young, but with a couple more years it will reach full maturity and should be even better.

Price: $50

Grade: 95

New with this vintage, a little bit about the winery on the back of the bottle:

I'd like to introduce you to Stephane Derenoncourt a Bordeaux "rebel" and creator of right bank garage wines (much like one of my favorite left bank wine makers).

What are the results of Derenoncourt's style? Check it out for yourself.

Why the interest in Derenoncourt? He is the winemaker at a new winery in Middleburg. One that has set out to make wines similar to those in Bordeaux.

We visited the Boxwood Tasting Room on Saturday, and it is impressive. The centerpiece of the Tasting Room is an Italian-imported tasting station that features a variety of left bank and right bank Bordeauxs as well as Boxwood's Topiary. Being able to sample their Topiary against a sampling of other Bordeaux wines really helped put it into perspective.

How does it stack up? Well, it is a medium-bodied Bordeaux that is a blend of 49% Cabernet Franc, 45% Merlot and 6% Petit Verdot. It has a deep color with hints of cherry and a subtle tobacco aroma. Considering that it is a 2005 it has soft tannins and a smooth finish. The Merlot does a nice job of offsetting the pepperiness of the Cabernet Franc, but making Cabernet Franc the primary grape gives it a unique taste and a strong flavor.

The tasting room is a very pleasant experience, and a great opportunity to sample a wide variety of Bordeaux wines in one place.

Wine: 2000 Clos Margalaine Bordeaux



Review: When I first glanced at it this bottle looked strikingly familiar. A little research into the wine showed that it is the 2nd growth of the Marojallia estate. A Marojallia for less than 1/2 price? I had to try it.

The wine is 64% Cabernet Sauvignon and 36% Merlot, which is not a true Bordeaux blend and the lack of complexity hurts it. It has a very pleasing aroma, with the scent of cherries and cranberry. The taste was slightly tannic, but it smoothed out over the evening, making it an enjoyable, though not spectacular wine.

Price: $35

Grade: 85

Review: 2001 Marojallia Margaux

Wine: 2001 Marojallia Margaux Bordeaux



Review: If you have been reading this blog for a while you know about my love of Marojallia Margaux. The 2001 is pretty much the exact same...it is a wonderful wine. Go buy it and drink it :).

Price: $80

Grade: 100

Review: 1999 Marojallia Margaux

Before reading the review, you can get some background information on so-called garage wines. Marojallia Margaux is considered a garage wine. Generally speaking I don't worry about this type of stuff. But, as I have mentioned before, Margaux is, by far, my favorite Bordeaux appellation, and because of the rules they have in place I know that there is a better than average chance that I will enjoy any wine from the Margaux region. While I respect wine makers who do innovative and unique things, it is important to me that they do so only while continuing to make a quality product.

Wine: 1999 Marojallia Margaux



Review: This is the first vintage of Marojallia Margaux wine and it is fantastic. Marojallia is the Latin word for Margaux. This vintage is a blend of 76% Cabernet Sauvignon and 34% Merlot, not a typical Bordeaux blend, but it works well in this case. This particular vintage received 90 point or better scores from the Wine Advocate, the Wine Spectator and Stephen Tanzer.

For me the defining description of this wine is elegance; every aspect of the wine speaks to that elegance. Starting with the presentation the label is simple and understated, not the usual crowded Bordeaux label. When I opened the bottle and poured my first glass, I was immediately struck by the color: a deep rich purple. The wine also has an intense aroma with hints of blackberries and vanilla.

I let it decant in the glass for several minutes before I tasted it. I was awed by the concentration of flavors. I am used to complexity in a Bordeaux, but I was surprised at the range of flavors I could discern. Certainly multiple fruit flavors, but also licorice and tobacco and a very long finish...it stayed on my palette for while allowing me to truly savor the experience.

Price: $90

Grade: 100