Chateau Margaux - Pavillon Rouge 2020

JAMES SUCKLING: "Blackberry and graphite with dark fruit and violets on the nose. Very complex. Full-bodied with lovely, fine tannins that are lightly chewy. Extremely long and polished. Really refined. Integrated tannins. Wonderful length."

WEINWISSER: "Betörendes Bouquet nach reifen Schattenmorellen, zarter Vanilletouch und heller Tabak, dahinter rote Johannisbeernektar und Moschus. Am eleganten Gaumen mit weicher Textur und herrlicher Extraktsüße. Im gebündelt feinaromatischen Finale ein Korb roter Kirschen, Sanddorn sowie eine feinsandige Adstringenz. WOW!"

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "Flowers, incense, cherries, and licorice aromas create the nose. Supple, fresh, and lush, with silky tannins, and layers of sweet, ripe, elegant, red berries that leave a lasting impression. The end note is fresh, balanced, long, and pure. The wine was made by blending 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot, and 2% Cabernet Franc. Drink from 2023-2045."

WINE ENTHUSIAST: "This wine is dense, with rich black fruits that give elegance and considerable potential. Powerful tannins are cushioned by the ripe fruits. The wine has a great future. Drink from 2026."

DECANTER: "Liquorice and aniseed tinged blackcurrants on the nose, very medicinal, deep, heady, perfumed too but softly scented, more savoury and spiced. Smooth and supple, fully tannic - they coat the mouth but seamlessly still leaving the vibrant, lively, forward and upfront fruit to shine. So much energy, crisp and crunchy dark fruit - blackcurrant, black cherry, raspberry and plum. A sense of heat enters on the finish with liquorice and clove coming through reminding you this is a serious wine with plenty of ageing potential. Excellent length and sense of classicism - a totally moreish Pavillon. 2% Cabernet Franc completes the blend."

JEB DUNNUCK: "As to the reds, the 2020 Château Margaux Pavillon Rouge is classic Château Margaux with its finesse, elegance, and purity. A blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot, and 5% Petit Verdot aged in 50% new French oak, it has a great perfume of cassis and darker cherries as well as notes of dried flowers, sandalwood, and graphite. Beautifully balanced, layered, and concentrated, it's a gem of a second wine with plenty of Grand Vin character. It will benefit from just a few years of bottle age and keep for two decades."

FALSTAFF: "Dunkles Rubingranat, violette Reflexe, dezente Randaufhellung. Feine dunkle Waldbeeren, frische Pflaumen, ein Hauch von Lakritze, floraler Touch, einladendes Bukett. Saftig, elegant, mittlere Komplexität, rote Waldbeeren, feines Säurespiel, mineralisch, zarte Fruchtsüße im Abgang, ein facettenreicher Speisenbegleiter."

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "The 2020 Pavillon Rouge is excellent, offering up aromas of raspberries and dark berries mingled with hints of cedar and rose petals, followed by a medium to full-bodied, vibrant palate with excellent depth and tension, concluding with a long, chalky finish. It's more tightly wound than the exceedingly demonstrative 2019, though in the fullness of time, it wouldn't surprise me if it ended up being just as good."

LISA PERROTTI-BROWN: "A blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot, and 2% Cabernet Franc, the 2020 Pavillon Rouge du Chateau Margaux is deep garnet-purple colored. It flows gently out of the glass with notes of black cherries, kirsch, and black raspberries, giving way to classic cassis, pencil shavings, and tar scents with a touch of lavender. The medium-bodied palate is finely knit and elegant, with seamless freshness and a compelling, grainy-textured, earth-laced finish."

JANCIS ROBINSON: "Pronounced fruit and freshness with finely matted, powdery tannins that provide elegance and a suavity of texture. Aromatic and juicy on the finish. Medium to long ageing potential."