Château Desmirail

As is the case with many vineyards, Desmirail is named after one of its former owners. What is unusual about Desmirail is that the property does not bear the name of the original owner, Marguerite Rauzan du Ribail, but of her husband Jean-Baptiste Desmirail. Desmirail is also unusual in terms of its buildings that stand alongside the D2 (the famous Médoc châteaux route). In addition to an elegant 18th century charterhouse, visitors can admire a “Médocain” gravity-operated vat room (from the end of the 19th century), one of the few that has been very well preserved.

We apply sustainable winegrowing principles. For decades we have banned all chemical weed control and insecticides. As a result of this commitment, the property has had High Environmental Value certification since the 2018 vintage. At Desmirail, we take care to preserve the future of our soil. It is therefore ploughed (although not by our horse, Iris) and the vines are treated depending on the weather conditions and the threats of disease. In this way, we adapt to the challenges presented by each vintage.

In Margaux, wines are made from a blend of the juices of several grape varieties (Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Carmenère). At Desmirail, we vinify the first four. The red colour and tannin structure are extracted during the fermentation and maceration phases, which last for a total of almost three weeks. The decision to separate the juice from the marc (skins and seeds) is taken after several tastings. The marc is pressed and provides a complementary, more structured juice that is incorporated when the juices of the different grape varieties are being blended.

At Desmirail we choose to make a wine that takes advantage of the diversity of the Bordeaux grape varieties with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and recently Cabernet Franc, and that relies on the complexity of Cabernet Sauvignon and the roundness of Merlot. A wine that can be enjoyed both young, when the fruit is predominant, and after a few years of ageing, when it has gained complexity.

Come and discover Château Desmirail: its history, architecture, terroir, classification and its Grands Vins through various themed tours. Open all year round from 9.30am to 12.30pm and from 2pm to 6pm, every day from May to the end of October and from Monday to Friday from November to the end of April (annual closure week 52).
We will also be delighted to welcome you at Château for private and corporate events in a beautiful reception area in our 18th century Charterhouse.

Château Desmirail

28, Avenue de la Vème République
33460 Margaux-Cantenac
France