Château Kirwan is one of the oldest estates of Margaux, ranked a third growth in 1855. It takes its name from Mark Kirwan, an Irish wine merchant who married into the property in the eighteenth century — one of several Irish families who shaped Bordeaux at the time.

The estate covers around 35 hectares on the gravel plateau of Cantenac, in the heart of the Margaux appellation, and has been owned by the Schröder & Schÿler family since 1925.

The style follows the appellation: perfume before power. Cabernet Sauvignon leads the blend, with a substantial share of Merlot filling out the middle, and the wines are known for their floral aromatics rather than their weight.

2003 is the heatwave vintage — the summer that broke temperature records across France and produced Bordeaux unlike any before it: very ripe, low in acid, with tannins softened early. Margaux, on its lighter gravel, handled the heat better than most of the Left Bank.

Two decades on, this is fully resolved: stewed dark fruit and leather over tobacco and dried violets; rich on the palate, tannins soft, closing warm and savoury. Drink it now — it will not gain from further waiting.

Supplied in six-bottle case.