Wine Advisor
Pavillon Rouge du Chateau Margaux 2017
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2017 Pavillon Rouge is soft, luscious and very pretty. Sweet red cherry, red plum, mint, spice, blood orange, cedar and tobacco contribute lovely touches of freshness. There is some firmness in the tannin that needs time in bottle to soften; otherwise, the 2017 is very nicely done. This is a very pretty, classy wine built on aromatic depth and persistence more than anything else.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2017 Pavillon Rouge is a very pretty wine. Fresh, floral and beautifully lifted, the 2017 is all class. There is a purity to the flavors here that is simply remarkable. Estate Manager Sebastian Vergne told me the winemaking team opted to raise temperatures at the end of fermentation to gain a bit more color, depth and polymerization of tannins. Pavillon Rouge represents 22% of the estate's production.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2017 Pavillon Rouge represents 22% of the harvest. It has an attractive bouquet with brambly red and black fruit, pressed roses, orange rind and a touch of incense, very comely and welcoming in style. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannins on the entry and more black than red fruit. The sappy finish comes crisp and slightly brittle but fresh with blackcurrant lingering on the aftertaste. Very fine.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2017 Pavillon Rouge de Margaux, which is matured in 50% new oak, has a lovely, melted tar-tinged bouquet with plenty of black fruit. I like the definition and focus here. The palate is medium-bodied with slightly gritty, rigid tannin on the entry that lend this Pavillon Rouge quite a firm backbone. It does not convey the elegance of the 2016 but there is plenty of spice and vigour on the finish.
Reviewed by: James Suckling
There is very pretty purity of fruit to this with lots of currant, strawberry and plum character. Lots of chocolate and hazelnut too. Full body, velvety tannins and a chewy finish. Excellent for the vintage. About half the normal production. This is the same level of quality as 2016.
Reviewed by: James Suckling
The quality of tannins in the Pavillon Rouge is really beautiful with extremely fine grain. It’s medium-bodied, fresh and silky. Racy and extended on the palate. Really pretty. Strength with elegance. Drink after 2022.
About the Producer
Sold under the name of “Château Margaux 2nd wine”, it took its permanent name of Pavillon Rouge du Château Margaux in 1908. After an eclipse between the thirties and the mid-seventies, its production restarted on the arrival of André Mentzelopoulos in 1977 and at first greatly increased in order to improve the quality of the first wine. From the mid – 1990s, the creation of a third wine in its turn, allowed for a more and more rigorous selection for Pavillon Rouge. For a few years now, a third of the harvest has gone into the first wine, barely 30% into the Pavillon Rouge, and the remainder is divided between the third and fourth wines. The quality of Pavillon Rouge has become very close to that of the first wine because all the plots involved contributed to the blending of Château Margaux not so long ago. Of course there isn’t the same complexity, the same depth, the same “magic” but the flavours are close and the balance in the mouth leads to the same subtle senses of power and softness. In general it is ready to drink a little earlier whilst retaining an excellent potential to age largely beyond 30 or 40 years.
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