Chateau Margaux - Pavillon Blanc 2019

JAMES SUCKLING: "This is very linear and minerally with subtle mango and apple, as well as some pineapple and bitter lemon. It’s medium-to full-bodied with a creamy texture and great tension and energy. Heather and lavender undertones. Steely. Tangy finish. Subtle and fine. This is a joy to taste and drink now, but will age beautifully."

WEINWISSER: "Helles Gelb mit zarten lindgrünen Reflexen. Betörender Duft nach frischer Pomelo, Zitronengras und Renekloden. Am komplexen Gaumen mit reifem Extrakt und spürbarer Mineralik, beeindruckende Tiefe zeigend. Im aromatischen saftigen Finale mit edler weisser Pfeffernote und Agrumen. «Der Wein hat den Trockenstress gut verdaut, es wurde daher früher gelesen. Ein reifer Sauvignon Blanc, dicht und trotzdem mit Spannung, komplex, wir haben den perfekten Stil gefunden,» meint Direktor Philippe Bascaules stolz. Gehört zu den besten weissen Gewächsen in diesem Jahr!"

DECANTER: "Expressive and generous on the nose with white stone fruit, apricot and peach nuances and a hint of white flowers. Lovely impact on the tongue, quite an opulent opening, round and full but with an energetic core and the acidity coming through strongly on the finish. Stoney with apple nuances, clean, lively and precise. Such lemon juiciness at the finish, the flavour goes on and on. Extremely crystalline and flavourful but not overthetop with an appealing grapefruit element on the finish. You could drink this now but it will age very gracefully. grapefruit element on the finish too. Managing director Philippe Bascaules says both 2018 and 2019 were good surprises for whites, with picking for the 2019 vintage starting at the beginning of September to retain acidity. 'The pH is low (3.10) and we've found the style we want, ripe flavours but also tension on the palate', he said. Drinking Window 2027 - 2035"

JEB DUNNUCK: "I continue to absolutely love the white from this estate, and their 2019 Château Margaux Pavillon Blanc is another brilliant release. All Sauvignon Blanc, it has a vibrant sense of minerality and chalkiness as well as notes of honeyed grapefruit, melon, and white flowers. As pure, focused, and balanced as they come, it's medium to full-bodied, has bright acidity and a great mid-palate, as well as concentration. It's approachable today yet will benefit from a year or three in the cellar and should be very long-lived."

LISA PERROTTI-BROWN: "The 2019 Pavillon Blanc skips out of the glass with bright, cheery scents of fresh grapefruit, lemongrass, and green apple, plus suggestions of sea spray, lime blossoms, and chalk dust. Medium-bodied, the palate bursts with intense citrus and mineral flavors, framed by a compelling acid backbone and satiny texture, finishing long and chalky. Pavillon Blanc went over to using Diam 30 closures in 2017."

FALSTAFF: "Helles Gelbgrün, Silberreflexe. Mit einem Hauch von Röstaromen unterlegte Nuancen von Grapefruit, Zitronenzesten und Guaven, weiße Blüten, Maiglöckchen, facettenreiches Bukett. Stoffig, elegant, weißer Pfirsich, finessenreiche Säurestruktur, frische Litschi, mineralisch, ein Hauch von Süße im Abgang, ausgewogen und gut entwickelt, Nuancen von Ananas, salziger Abgang."

WINE SPECTATOR: "A very stylish and understated white, featuring verbena, quinine and Key lime notes that breeze through, with sneaky length on the finish thanks to a mineral hint that runs underneath. This relies on purity and precision, with a long, subtle sel gris note that just won't quit on the finish. Beautiful. Drink now through 2035. 833 cases made."

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "Reflecting the trend toward a more vibrant, earlier-picked style for this cuvée, the 2019 Pavillon Blanc exhibits notes of pear, grapefruit and crisp white peach, followed by a medium to full-bodied, satiny and chiseled palate, concluding with a saline finish. Its low pH of 3.05 reflects a rigorous selection of only the first (and lowest pH) juice at the press."

JANCIS ROBINSON: "Tasted blind. Creamy texture and sleek, understated, very ‘cool’ impression. Bone dry – drier than most of its peers. Utterly confident. Not rich but beautifully balanced."