Margaux · vintage 2011
Château Kirwan 2011
Ageing potential20 years and beyond
Why this vintage
- The 2011 vintage in MargauxA scorching spring followed by a wet August turned the seasons upside down: classic wines, shorter but true to type.
- Ageing potential20 years and beyond
The 2011 vintage in Margaux
Vintage benchmark: 87/100 (appellation benchmark, not a score for this wine)
Vintage character: A scorching spring followed by a wet August turned the seasons upside down: classic wines, shorter but true to type.
Overall reading of the year’s season across Margaux. An estate can depart from it sharply, in frost or hail years, where two neighbours did not make the same vintage. What this particular wine actually gave is on its technical sheet and in the scores above.
Tasting
Ripe fruit dominates at this stage, even if the Cabernets add subtle spicy notes. Of the wine's three tactile components, alcohol, tannin and acidity, none dominates, but each complements the other two to good effect. The whole has great breed, and the sensations on the palate build in crescendo. Even though the wine is generous at this early stage, there is no doubt that its ageing potential is great.
Blend of the 2011 vintage
- 55 % Cabernet-sauvignon
- 21 % Merlot
- 15 % Cabernet franc
- 9 % Petit verdot
Shares for this vintage, as recorded on the 2011 technical sheet. The vineyard itself is planted with 47 % cabernet sauvignon, 34 % merlot, 10 % cabernet franc, 8 % petit verdot, 1 % carménère — a vintage blend departs from the area under vine as the year dictates.
Figures from the 2011 sheet
- 13 % vol.Alcohol
- 45 hl/haYield
- 27 yrsVine age
- 90,000 bottlesProduction
Winemaking
Vinification is carried out differently depending on the plot. Alcoholic and malolactic fermentation are carried out simultaneously to preserve the fruit and aromatic purity. Blending is done at the first racking, after three months in barrel. Ageing continues with manual rackings, then fining with egg white, adapted to the qualities and needs of the wine. Bottling takes place 18 to 21 months later.
Ageing
18 to 21 months in French oak barrels
Annual renewal of 1/3 of the barrel stock with new barrels
Terroir
With 40 ha of vines and 46 separate parcels, Kirwan continues to develop the rich potential of its terroir, adapting viticulture to the soil and the climate. Situated on the gravel rise of Cantenac, bordering the river born of a thousand-year erosion, this terroir reveals and expresses its geological capital. Recently confirmed by a soil study aimed at better understanding the composition of the soils, the role of the gravels is essential: by aiding drainage and warming, it encourages the roots to explore deep down. The clay captures water and preserves its freshness, playing a key moderating role during severe droughts or heatwaves.
An offer on Château Kirwan 2011
Availability, allocations and terms: the Compagnie Médocaine will reply promptly. The estate and vintage are already filled in in the message.
Texts and documents 2011
The texts below copy in one click for your product sheets, catalogues and social channels. The printable sheet condenses the whole page onto a single A4 page.
Visuals
For this vintage, the media library contains: packshots. High-definition packshots, labels, back labels and lifestyle photos are reserved for clients and partners, on the Compagnie Médocaine’s VinCod media library.
Sheet checked on September 21, 2026. Technical data: the estate’s VinCod sheets. Critic scores: sources cited above, with their date. Vintage benchmarks and character: Compagnie Médocaine’s own editorial read. Soils and relief, where shown: the Compagnie Médocaine’s parcel survey and the Mapbox/IGN terrain model.