Pavillon Rouge du Château Margaux 2023

Some people are drawn to wines for their stories. They believe the tales associated with each vintage are just as important as the contents inside each bottle. If you love a good comeback story as much as a good bottle of wine, you will love Château Margaux. Pavillon Rouge is the second wine of Château Margaux.  Approachable even when still young, yet with cellaring potential. A perfect companion wine to drink while letting the grand vin Château Margaux to cellar for decades to come.

The history of Château Margaux is one of innovation and countless winemaking “first.”  In the 17th Century, the château was the first to consider terroir’s effect on certain varietals and vinifying white and red grapes separately. Château Margaux also pioneered “night picking,” the practice of picking grapes later in the day to get the fullest, most concentrated expression of fruit.  The château was rightfully designated a First Growth in the 1855 Classification - the only estate to receive a perfect score of 20/20.  

During the economic crisis of Bordeaux in the 1960s and 1970s, Château Margaux suffered due to mismanagement and financial constraints.  Its name was tarnished and was for sale for over two years before its was acquired by André Mentzelopoulos, a Greek supermarket magnet who fell in love with the gorgeous Neoclassical architecture of the estate.  After his passing in 1980, his French-born and educated daughter, Corinne, inherited the estate and proceeded to make substantial improvements to the property.  

Initially, Corinne worked with the general manager already in place. In 1983, she appointed the young professional Paul Pontallier as general manager to lead new efforts to renovate the vineyard.  Paul led the construction of a new cellar. He was general manager for over 30 years until his premature death from cancer.  The last vintage Paul supervised, the vintage of 2015, became the most storied vintage in Château Margaux’s recent history.  It garnered 100 pts, a perfect score, from influential critics.

Château Margaux currently hosts 192.7 acres of vines that are on average 35 years old. It produces roughly 400,000 bottles of wine a year. The vineyards are painstakingly tended to by hand, and the grapes that go into the Grand Vin are organically farmed. Red varietals such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot, and Cabernet Franc are planted on the white gravely soil.  Château Margaux also produces one of the most well-respected white wines in the entire Médoc - Pavillon Blanc du Château Margaux. This enchanting stunner is composed of entirely 100% Sauvignon Blanc and dazzles with its fruity depth and subtly herbal, oaky qualities.

Château Margaux produces some of the most ravishing, multidimensionally rich and balanced wines in all of Bordeaux. They are known for their sensuously opulent bouquets of black currents, violets, and spicy vanilla.

During the 1980s, many claimed that the best wine in all of Bordeaux was from Château Margaux and these claims were not unfounded. Curiosity is integral to the spirit of Château Margaux and those in charge have learned from past issues that in the pursuit of sustained excellence, complacency is not an option.  The story of Château Margaux is of redemption, and proof that with determination and efforts, one can bounce back from struggle. 

Somewhat reminiscent of a cooler-fruited version of the lovely 2019, Château Margaux's 2023 Pavillon Rouge wafts from the glass with aromas of cassis, raspberries, licorice and pipe tobacco, deftly framed by creamy new oak. Medium to full-bodied, ample and fleshy, with a sweet core of fruit, ripe tannins and a lively, succulent profile, it's a blend 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc that attained 13.3% alcohol.

"An aromatic punch of white and red roses, feels very much in the DNA of the estate, with perfume, richly nuanced cassis, bilberry, tobacco leaf, cigar box. Fine tannins, with energy and clear - and this is a 2nd wine that elevates the possibilities of the 2023 vintage. September 11 through to October 5 for harvest, 30% of the production in Pavillon." - Jane Anson, (05/06/2024), Ratings: 93

"Subtle aromatics, dried flowers, pot pourri, rose, blackcurrant and raspberry. Deep purple colour to the rim, vibrant but intense, some graphite and herbal Cabernet notes on the nose too. Bright and sharp, quite linear and a touch austere at this point, lean and straight - well defined and focussed with lovely fruit intensity and purity. Not fleshy, but there's lots of energy and precision to this. Very classic and will round out nicely. 14% press wine. 60% new oak. 2% Cabernet Franc completes the blend. 68 IPT, 3.6pH, 30% second wine production." - Georgina Hindle, Decanter, (04/10/2024), Ratings: 93

"Philippe Bascaules describes the 2023 vintage as "another hot, dry year" at Château Margaux but one characterized by regular rains and comparatively overcast skies. Picking began on September 11 and concluded on October 5. Some fruit was lost to sunburn in the late-season heat wave, and removing those berries during harvest took time (sorting remains entirely manual at this estate, performed by the pickers in the vineyards). Some lots, especially Merlot, were very rich in juice and thus saw a saignée of up to 15%. It's also the first vintage in organic conversion at this address." - William Kelley, The Wine Advocate, (04/26/2024), Ratings: 92-94