Chateau Clos Margalaine Margaux 2014

Chateau Clos Margalaine Margaux 2014 is a Margaux appellation red Bordeaux blending 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Sauvignon at approximately 13% ABV in a standard 750ml bottle. As the second wine of Château Marojallia — widely regarded as the Médoc's first garage wine — Clos Margalaine carries a pedigree shaped by consulting oenologist Michel Rolland and a micro-production philosophy that yields roughly 1,000 cases per vintage.

Quick Facts: ABV: ~13%  |  Origin: Margaux, Bordeaux, France  |  Vintage: 2014  |  Producer: Château Marojallia

Production & Heritage

Château Marojallia was founded in 1999 when Philippe Porcheron acquired the former plots of Roger Rex in the commune of Arsac, situated between the classified estates of Châteaux Du Tertre and Monbrison. The property quickly earned a reputation as a "microcuvée" operation — a true garage wine venture in the heart of the Médoc — with Michel Rolland overseeing winemaking. Clos Margalaine, the estate's second wine, draws from the same vineyards but with a Merlot-dominant blend (60/40 with Cabernet Sauvignon) compared to the grand vin Marojallia's Cabernet-forward profile of roughly 76% Cabernet Sauvignon and 24% Merlot, resulting in a rounder, more immediately approachable wine.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: The nose opens with dark cassis and black cherry, layered with dusty tobacco and cigar-box aromatics. Beneath those primary notes, subtle suggestions of menthol, cedar, and liquorice emerge, with critic Neal Martin detecting a faintly rustic, barnyard-inflected complexity.

Taste: The palate is medium-bodied and mineral-driven, with blackcurrant and black cherry fruit at entry giving way to an earthy, leafy mid-palate. Spice notes and a thread of firm acidity lend the wine structure without heaviness, and the Merlot-dominant blend delivers a supple, approachable texture through the 2014 vintage's moderate concentration.

Finish: The finish is moderate in length, showing leafy, lightly herbal tones alongside lingering cassis and a mineral undertow. Martin described the overall impression as "harmonious" — a wine built to drink sooner rather than later while remaining thoroughly enjoyable.

How to Drink Clos Margalaine

This Margaux is best served at 16–18°C (61–64°F), ideally with 30 minutes of decanting to open the aromatic layers. The 2014 vintage is drinking in its window now and rewards a straightforward approach — neat in a Bordeaux glass is the primary serve. For pairing-driven settings: serve alongside a braised lamb shank, where the wine's earthy tannins mirror the meat's richness; with duck confit, where the cassis fruit cuts through the fat; or alongside aged Comté cheese, whose nutty depth complements the cedar and tobacco notes.

Best For

• Exploring Margaux beyond the classified growths at a more accessible entry point
• Bordeaux enthusiasts curious about the Médoc's garage wine movement
• Weeknight dinner pairing with roasted or braised red meats
• Building a cellar collection that includes second-label Bordeaux expressions

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Clos Margalaine 2014 taste like? It presents medium-bodied dark fruit — primarily cassis and black cherry — with cedar, tobacco, and earthy mineral notes on a supple frame. The finish is leafy and moderate, making it an approachable rather than imposing Margaux.

How does Clos Margalaine compare to Château Marojallia? Marojallia, the grand vin, uses a Cabernet Sauvignon-dominant blend (roughly 76/24 Cabernet to Merlot) and is produced in even smaller quantities of about 500 cases, making it more structured and age-worthy. Clos Margalaine's 60% Merlot composition is designed to be softer and earlier-drinking by comparison.

Is Clos Margalaine 2014 good for drinking now? Yes — Neal Martin's assessment suggested this vintage would "drink sooner rather than later," and at over a decade old the 2014 is squarely within its drinking window for those who enjoy mature, secondary-note Bordeaux.

Where is Clos Margalaine made? Clos Margalaine is produced at Château Marojallia in the commune of Arsac within the Margaux appellation of Bordeaux, France. The estate sits between the classified properties of Châteaux Du Tertre and Monbrison.

What foods pair well with Clos Margalaine 2014? Braised lamb shanks complement the wine's earthy tannins; duck confit plays against its cassis fruit; aged hard cheeses like Comté echo its cedar and tobacco; grilled portobello mushrooms mirror its forest-floor aromatics; and herb-crusted beef tenderloin matches its medium-bodied structure.

What sizes does Clos Margalaine come in? Clos Margalaine Margaux 2014 is available in the standard 750ml bottle format.

Is Clos Margalaine 2014 worth the price? Clos Margalaine positions as an accessible entry into both the Margaux appellation and the Marojallia estate's output, sitting well below the grand vin in price while sharing the same vineyards and the guidance of Michel Rolland. For a second wine from a notable micro-production estate, it represents solid value within the broader Margaux category.

Why Clos Margalaine?

What distinguishes this wine is its direct lineage to one of the Médoc's most singular stories. Château Marojallia helped define the garage wine movement in Bordeaux's Left Bank — an estate producing fewer than 1,500 combined cases of both wines, with Michel Rolland shaping the program from its 1999 founding. Clos Margalaine offers a window into that philosophy at a fraction of the grand vin's scarcity and cost, delivering a Merlot-led, approachable take on Margaux terroir from the commune of Arsac. For drinkers who value provenance and small-lot winemaking over classified growth prestige, it fills a distinctive niche.