Pavillon Rouge du Château Margaux 2018

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Given that Margaux's second wine contains plenty of fruit that made it into the grand vin just a decade or two ago, great things are to be expected from this bottling. Yet I was nonetheless taken aback by the quality of the 2019 Pavillon Rouge. Wafting from the glass with aromas of raspberries, plums and cherries mingled with rose petals and sweet spices, it's medium to full-bodied, sensual and concentrated, with beautifully refined tannins, racy acids and a long, penetrating finish. This is an exquisite Pavillon Rouge that is well worth seeking out. I confess that I don't buy many second wines, but I did purchase a case of this, with alacrity, right after tasting it.

James Suckling

Blackberry, plum, light earth and undergrowth on the nose. Citrus, too. It’s full-bodied with rich, chewy tannins that turn energetic, fine and tight on the finish. Lively acidity. Second wine of Margaux. A blend of 69% cabernet sauvignon, 19% merlot, 9% petit verdot and 3% cabernet franc. Try after 2024.

Anthocyanes - Yohan Castaing

VertdeVin

The nose is fine, fruity, elegant and offers a beautiful finesse of the grain, concentration as well as a beautiful ripe fruit. It reveals notes of ripe wild strawberry, fresh/fleshy blackberry and small notes of fleshy/fresh raspberry associated with fine touches of fresh flowers as well as fine hints of tonka bean, toasted, chocolate and a very discreet hint of caramelization. The palate is fruity, elegante, well-balanced, racy and offers an acidulous frame, a fine grainy sensation, a beautiful concentration (but full of finesse), a fine power, a small freshness (in the background) as well as tesnion. On the palate this wine expresses notes of ripe/juicy wild strawberry, fleshy/juicy cassis and small notes of blackberry associated with a fine touch of ripe strawberry, fine hints of chocolate, caramelization and discreet hints of toasted. Tannins are fine, elegant and well-built. The finish is finely grainy. Good length.

Wine Enthusiast

This second wine of Château Margaux, grand in its own right, is powerfully dense. It displays its own style and balance between rich black fruits and the acidity that shines through the structure. The wine will age well, its ripeness and concentration likely to soften as it matures. Drink from 2026.