Despite some troubled times, Chateau Kirwan has risen to become one of the great properties of Margaux.
Originally bought as 'Domaine de Lassalle' by John Collingwood in the eighteenth century, it became Chateau Kirwan when his daughter married an Irish merchant, Mark Kirwan (today, the estate remains counted amongst the 'Wine Geese' of Bordeaux). The next decades of Chateau Kirwan's history was plagued by misfortune; it was seized in 1789 during the French Revolution (whether or not Mark Kirwan went to the guillotine or not is a hotly contested matter) and subsequent economic depressions and phylloxera outbreaks plagued the estate.
The passing of the estate to the Schyler family in 1925, however, saw the coming of a new golden age. Having carefully restored the wine estate and vineyards to their former glory, Chateau Kirwan now produces some of the most powerful, elegant, and rich wine in Margaux. Classified as one of fourteen Third Growths in the historic Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855, its wines are typically a blend of 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 10% Petit Verdot. All wines are created under the watchful eye of Michel Rolland, who has been consulting at Kirwan since the early 90s. His influence is evident in the final wines, which since his appointment have been displaying richness of aroma, depth of fruit, and significant grip and body.
