Pavillon Rouge du Château Margaux 2023 en Primeur

Very Chateau Margaux, with perfumed violets, currants and other berries, as well as oranges. Medium body with fine, caressing tannins that are tight and vivid. Racy and refined. Brightness and beauty to this second wine. Succulent. Refined. One of the best Pavillon Rouges in a while. 30% of the production. 79% cabernet sauvignon, 14% merlot, 5% petit verdot and 2% cabernet franc.

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.

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.