Château d’Arsac, Cru Bourgeois Margaux, 2017

Château d'Arsac is a brilliant property that we simply love selling, as each bottle gives the near guarantee of a broad and heart-warming smile. It is charming and rewarding, classy and classic: the perfect wine for a feast or for no food at all. Margaux seldom disappoints and this is a wine that shows that you don't have to scale the heights of the village to get a very special glass of wine.

It really does show that you can still find excellent value in Margaux and the other villages that are the traditional homes to Cru Classé wines, which is why we are so happy to get it again. Here in the 2017 vintage, which saw reduced crops in some parts of Bordeaux due to April frost, the Château was able to rely on deep soils and proximity to the Gironde river (that protects from frost) and benefit from the relatively long and warm summer that followed. 

When you open the bottle, you'll see a stunning colour with a perfume to match: this is pure, fragrant and layered from the moment you pour a glass. Notes of red and black fruit, cassis, tobacco and gingerbread spice, all decorated by gorgeous floral nuance. A medium to full bodied palate, it shows a satisfying, classic structure with ripe, fine tannins, supporting acidity, and a long finish. Now at seven years old it is beginning to show its full potential.

Chateau d’Arsac dates back to the 12th century. The original buildings were destroyed during the French Revolution and the current building dates from 1830. However, it didn't progress to Cru Classé status in the 1850s and subsequently fell into disrepair with some of the vineyards being sold to keep costs manageable. During the Depression winemaking was almost entirely stopped and the property instead becoming a chicken farm... Then in 1986 art-lover and general excellent chap Philippe Raoux bought the estate and its 54 hectares of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Merlot, and began a serious period of renovation and modernisation. 

In employing the services of architect Patrick Hernandez, elements of the property became suffused with light and modern colour schemes, while retaining the charm of the 19th-century buildings. But the most obvious impact was the foundation of a modern sculpture garden (the story of which you can read on the label) and its most noticeable intervention is the off-centre pillar in front of the Château, which makes its very proud appearance on the label of every bottle. 

And we're not the only ones who rate it.

92 Points, Wine Enthusiast

"Owner Philippe Raoux collects modern sculpture that surprises along every vista of the Château's park. This vintage of his wine is structured and has a fine future. Ripe tannins will shortly open up to allow the rich black fruits to come through, promising ageing and adding to the complexity. Drink from 2023. Roger Voss"

Margaux is a very special village and though critically and commercially dominated by one or two of the largest names, the produce of smaller properties has become something of a specialist topic for wine-lovers who cannot keep up with the crazy prices being charged by the dominant presence of Château Margaux itself. This leaves room for most of us to search for lesser-known Châteaux like d'Arsac. Though some properties will vary based on site specificity and wine-making philosophies, Margaux should be perfumed and expressive - they are referred to as the most elegant and instantly attractive wines from the Bordeaux communes that, if anything, should be a unifying target to which anyone of the village's Châteaux would be happy to aspire.