In the middle of Easter weekend, it is with great sadness that we learned of the passing of Paul Pontallier, the oenlogist, director and spirit of Château Margaux.

It is hard to imagine going through the doors of Château Margaux without spotting Paul Pontallier behind a tasting counter, walking through the cellar or strolling the elegant passageways drawn by Norman Foster and recently inaugurated. For more than 30 years, Paul Pontallier, faithful guardian of the temple of Château Margaux, perfectly embodied the style of the wine he brilliantly produced He joined the château in 1983 as winemaker before becoming general manager in 1990, forming an exceptional duo with Corinne Mentzelopoulos.

Paul Pontallier was absolutely unique in his ability to share and engage with the quality of the wines produced at Château Margaux: the grand vin, Pavillon Rouge and the very appealing Pavillon Blanc. He was always extremely enthusiastic for the release of each new vintage and we were always looking forward to hear his vision and thoughts. We could indeed perceive the joy and satisfaction of producing such legendary wine, “a horse racer in a velvet glove” as he liked to describe it.

His courtesy, elegance and smile will be sorely missed in Bordeaux. The team of iDealwine expresses its condolences to his family and especially his son Thibault, who works for Château Margaux in Asia, Madame Mentzelopoulos and the entire team of the estate.