Chateau Margaux Pavillon Rouge 2020

Subtle and attractive aromas of blackcurrants and flowers with hints of spices. Black truffles as well. Medium to full body, with fine tannins that are nicely integrated and racy. Succulent at the end. Umami, too.

The second wine of Château Margaux is beautiful, smoky with acidity that is intense and yet integrated with the perfumed fruits. The wine's freshness is very much a product of the vintage, giving the tannins a fine lift. Of course the wine will age.

94 Points - 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.

As to the reds, the 2020 Chateau Margaux Pavillon Rouge is classic Chateau 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.

93 Points - Robert Parker's 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. Best After 2027