The Black Collection

Château Mille Roses is a rare story of rebirth among the hallowed vineyards of Margaux. Re-established in 1999, a young David Faure inherited a centuries-old Château and a tiny half hectare plot from his parents, and since has done everything to revitalize this venerable place. Named for the rose bushes his mother was so fond of, their four hectare plot in Margaux boasts the same large gravel stones, and yellow clay that’s made this appellation one of the world’s greatest. Cared for by hand without the use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, or herbicides, the Cabernet and Merlot grapes that grow here, are hand-picked, and hand-sorted before they end up in oak barrels, at least 30% of which are new. Theirs is a fresher, more vibrant style of Margaux, that still retains the power and structure these wines are revered for.

Lying just 30 meters above sea level, the 25-year-old vines draw from classic Garonne gravel with veins of yellow clay. Rows are oriented north–south to maximize sunlight, a subtle but critical detail in a region with minimal slopes. Certified organic since 2013, these vines stand shoulder-to-shoulder with classified growths of Margaux.

2021 was a cooler year, pushing harvest later than usual. Yields were low, just 26 hl/ha, but the sacrifice delivered concentration and balance. Cabernet Sauvignon dominates, imparting tension and freshness, while Merlot adds roundness, culminating in a classically styled Bordeaux.

Fermentation and maceration in stainless steel, followed by malolactic fermentation in oak. Aged 18 months in barrel (one-third new oak), on fine lees, before delicate filtration.

Margaux is the southernmost commune of the Médoc, and perhaps the most elegant of Bordeaux’s great names. Though the Médoc is a patchwork of famous appellations, Margaux stands apart for its singular gravel soils, which impart finesse where neighboring villages often deliver power. A sommelier once remarked that “Margaux is the perfume of Bordeaux,” and it’s true: the wines carry both structure and a haunting aromatic lift. Deep beds of Garonne gravel, flecked with clay and limestone, drain quickly yet force the roots deep, creating wines of concentration without heaviness. At their best, Margaux wines remind us why this appellation has been revered for centuries: they combine the strength of Cabernet with a texture and grace unmatched anywhere else in Bordeaux.

Imogen Berry and Robin Althoff, a young married duo, are making waves across France with wines of precision and vitality. With cellar experience spanning Burgundy, Napa, Chile’s Maipo, and South Africa’s Stellenbosch, they have distilled global insight into a singular local expression. From their refurbished cellar in the village of Aubais, they hand-pick old-vine parcels and craft wines that somms across France are already championing, soon, the wider world will follow.

At 120 meters on a plateau of Valanginian limestone, 57-year-old vines are gobelet-trained to shade grapes in the southern heat. The cuvée comes from the first “little plot of land,” that Berry and Althoff acquired, marking the genesis of their estate’s journey.

2023 opened with a wet spring, followed by a bone-dry summer and harvest under clear skies. A late August heatwave briefly tested the vines, but early picking preserved freshness and balance. The result: vibrant acidity carried by healthy, concentrated fruit.

12-day destemmed maceration in stainless steel, followed by temperature-controlled fermentation (22–25°C) with daily pumpovers. The wine aged 12 months in a trio of vessels: used oak foudres, 400 L French oak, and Italian amphora. The triad achieves nuance and textural complexity.

The Languedoc and Aubais
Although the Languedoc may be widely-known as a region replete with affordable and forgettable red wines, there are pockets in this massive region that hold the promise of some of the world’s best wines. Imogen Berry and Robin Althoff carefully hand-selected the parcels they would work with as they began their winery project, and this, their first parcel, shows that it isn’t always about the larger region, but about the vineyard itself. Decorated with gnarly, once-abandoned Cinsault vines, and boasting ancient, rare, limestone soils, the wines from this parcel in the Aubais taste more like Burgundy than anything close to their neighbors.