Chateau Margaux - Pavillon Rouge 2021

JAMES SUCKLING: "This wine has a tightness and linear energy, with red currants, herbs, plums and hints of dark chocolate. Medium-bodied with beautiful integration and length. Racy and focused. Just the right amount of wood and fruit with tannins. Second wine of Chateau Margaux. 73% cabernet sauvignon, 18% merlot, 5% petit verdot and 4% cabernet franc."

WINE ENTHUSIAST: "The aromas of rich black-currant fruits dominate this second-label wine. With its blackberry fruits and rich, supple tannins, this shows strongly in its structure, complex black fruits and acidity. Drink from 2027."

WEINWISSER: "Seine dunkle Fruchtkomponente ist noch sehr verschlossen und massiv, mit ausgereiften und vielschichtigen Aromen im Hintergrund. Dunkelbeerig beginnt er auch im Mund, mit massiver Intensität und enorm viel Kraft. Nein, das ist kein kleiner Jahrgang dieser Margaux- Ikone. Salzig, ewig lang und rassig will der Pavillon Rouge noch ein wenig in der Flasche reifen. Zarte 13.1 Vol.-% verleihen ihm Eleganz und Balance."

DECANTER: "Rich and intense on the nose, fragranced red and pink flowers with red cherries and plums. Really vibrant pink rim to the glass too. Touches of dark chocolate, cedar and green pepper, herbal, and eucalyptus. Round and vibrant, a playfulness - super high acidity, almost sharp and tart and tangy, with grippy tannins that give the texture and structure. Half crushed velvet and half lean and austere so you get both weight and direction. Feels quite youthful and buzzy right now but this has a nice juiciness, great fresh acidities, bite on the tongue, a clean - wet stone slate feeling and texture. A touch of green peppercorn and toast gives the spicy angles and the minerality on the finish. Well constructed, not the most easy to drink at the moment, this is more serious, but there's good potential and a lot of flavour. It has a certain intensity, a touch of green leeness sets it apart from being totally charming right now, but this certainly carries interest and nuance."

FALSTAFF: "Dunkles Rubingranat, opaker Kern, violette Reflexe, zarte Randaufhellung. Zarte Kräuterwürze, rote Kirschen, etwas Lakritze und Orangenzesten, facettenreiches Bukett. Saftig, elegant, reife Herzkirschen, frisch strukturiert, feine Tannine, kalkig-mineralisch im Abgang, ein finessenreicher Speisenbegleiter mit Reifepotenzial."

JEB DUNNUCK: "Mostly likely the second wine of the vintage, the 2021 Château Margaux Pavillon Rouge boasts a deep ruby/purple hue as well as beautiful aromatics of red and blue fruits, smoke tobacco, violets, and graphite. It's medium-bodied, has remarkable purity, integrated acidity, and one heck of a beautiful finish. You can taste more than a little Grand Vin in this, yet it clearly has more up-front charm and appeal. A blend of 73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot, and the rest Cabernet Franc, it benefits from air and should be at its best from 2029-2041."

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "Quite floral in nature, the nose exudes white and purple flowers, black cherries, spice, and just a hint of espresso. The palate is medium-bodied, vibrant, crisp, and chalky, with a sweetness to the lifted, chewy red fruits with a touch of citrus in the finish. The wine blends 73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot, and 4% Cabernet Franc, 13.1% ABV, 13.5 pH. Drink from 2025-2037."

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "The 2021 Pavillon Rouge offers up aromas of raspberries, sweet cherries and white flowers, followed by a medium to full-bodied, lively palate that's quite taut and youthfully structured out of the gates, with good depth at the core and powdery tannins. It will reward a bit of bottle age."

LISA PERROTTI-BROWN: "A blend of 73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot, and 4% Cabernet Franc, the 2021 Pavillon Rouge du Chateau Margaux was bottled in July 2023. It has a deep garnet-purple color and skips out of the glass with eager-to-please notes of black raspberries and fresh blackcurrants, leading to suggestions of rose oil, cardamom, and powdered cinnamon. The medium-bodied palate is refreshing and elegant, with silky tannins and soft-spoken red and black berry layers, finishing with a comforting spiciness."