Chateau Margaux - Pavillon Rouge 2019

JAMES SUCKLING: "Fresh tobacco, currant and earth, opening up to forest flowers. It’s rich in tannins, but very soft and beautiful. Layered, with lots of fine fruit and a velvety texture. Blackberry and chocolate in the finish too. 27% of the crop and a blend of 76% cabernet sauvignon and 19% merlot, the rest petit verdot and cabernet franc. Delicious already, but give it at least six years of bottle age. Better after 2027."

WINE ENTHUSIAST: "The wine is rich, open and generous. The bold black fruits mask the tannins and bring out the fine balance between structure and fruit. Drink this very fine wine from 2026."

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "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."

WEINWISSER: "76 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 19 % Merlot, 3 % Petit Verdot, 2 % Cabernet Franc, 14,2 %-vol., 47 hl/ha. 27 % der Ernte. Dichtes Purpur mit rubinrotem Rand. Verführerisches Bouquet mit reifen schwarzen Johannisbeeren, Schattenmorellensaft und Schokotrüffeln. Am eleganten Gaumen mit seidiger Textur und leicht stützenden reifen Tanninen, dann schiesst die Rasse hervor und ummantelt den Wein, gibt ihm einen regelrechten Flash. Im gebündelten Finale Wildkirschen, Graphitspuren und royale Adstringenz. Ein genialer Zweitwein mit grandioser Balance. Top-Leistung aufgrund der Balance."

JEB DUNNUCK: "The 2019 Château Margaux Pavillon Rouge is absolutely brilliant, and jaw dropping stuff as a second wine. Deep purple-hued with a beautiful bouquet of ripe red and black fruits as well as sandalwood, spice, and tobacco, it's medium to full-bodied, has polished, seamless tannins, great overall balance, and a stunning finish. It has more than a little Château Margaux class, and while it’s already impossible to resist, it has another 20-25 years of longevity."

FALSTAFF: "Dunkles Rubingranat, violette Reflexe, dezente Randaufhellung. Feine schwarze Beerenfrucht, Nuancen von Zimt und Edelholz, reife Herzkirschen und Noten von Orangenmarmelade sind unterlegt. Komplex, saftig und elegant, finessenreich strukturiert, gut integrierte Tannine, salzige Mineralität im Abgang, verfügt über eine tolle Frische, sicheres Entwicklungspotenzial, kann aber bereits angetrunken werden. Noch vor zehn Jahren wäre das wohl die Qualität des Grand Vins gewesen ... (2025–2040)"

DECANTER: "Lovely perfumed Merlot type fragrance on the nose, soft, delicate but defined giving blackcurrant and cherry aromas. Lovely texture here, so smooth, with an element of ripeness in the dark berry fruit but also seering freshness that lifts the palate, juicy and highly toned. Such a nice nuance of freshness and cooling fruit. The texture is dense but so soft you get an impression of cream. There's a real quality to the tannins and framing of the fruit, textured and fresh. Delicious. 2% Cabernet Franc completes the blend."

WINE SPECTATOR: "Delivers a gorgeous velvety mouthfeel, with cassis, warmed plum and blackberry preserve flavors infused with black tea and incense. Features a fresh minerality that echoes through the suave finish. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Drink now through 2035. 8,333 cases made."

JANCIS ROBINSON: "Glowing crimson. Creamy texture, buttery nose. Round fruit, which really grabs the palate and brain, and almost disguises the tannic power behind it. Really nice wine! Accessible. Long."