Kirwan

Château Kirwan

Classification: Third Growth (3ème Cru)
Château Kirwan is located in the commune of Cantenac, close to the village of Margaux and dates back to the 1600s but takes its name from Irishman, Mark Kirwan, who married into the estate in 1751. The château is unusual in the Médoc as it is exactly the same as it was in Napoleon's times and has not altered since the 1855 Classification. It's wines were loved by Thomas Jefferson, the President of the United States and was visited by him in 1787. He wrote that “Château Kirwan is of a second quality after  Châteaux Margaux, Latour, Haut Brion and Lafite.” 

Château Kirwan was purchased in 1858 by Camille Godard, the famous botanist responsible for the Parc de Bordelais, in central Bordeaux and its grounds are covered in flower gardens, a rose arbour and trees over 100 years old. In 1904,  Château Kirwan was sold to the Schyler family (of the Bordeaux merchants, Schroeder and Schyler) and the family own it to this day.

The vineyards of Château Kirwan cover 86 acres and lie on the Cantenac plateau, with near neighbours  Châteaux Prieuré Lichine and Desmirail. The soil is sand and gravel covered by a thin coat of clay. The grapes planted are 40% Cabernet sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 10% Petit Verdot. This percentage of Petit Verdot is unusually high but gives the wine backbone and personality. The average age of the vines is 27 years and once they reach 50 years of age they are uprooted and the soil is allowed to rest for at least 3 years before replanting.

There has been regular investment into the château since the Schyler family purchased it and in 1991 the services of Michel Rolland were engaged. Rolland left in 2005 after his 60th birthday and the wines are now supervised by his protégé A Fakorellis.

Wine Style
The wines of  Château Kirwan are feminine and elegant showing heady aromas of black fruits, cherries, oak driven nuttiness, spice and have a refreshing acid backbone. They are well balanced and have an earthy quality. They age well and should be kept for at least 5 years before drinking to let the tannins soften.

Owner: The Schyler Family
Château Website: www.chateau-kirwan.com
Oenologist: A Fakorellis