Chateau Margaux Pavillon Blanc 2016

They started harvesting the whites here on 8th September, three or four days earlier than last year and earlier than planned after checking the acidity levels - an excellent decision as this is easily one of the best white wines of Bordeaux this year. It has grip, tension and a wealth of aromatics that is surprising as it is 100% Sauvignon Blanc, and it was the Semillons that resisted the heat a little better down in Pessac. With steely citrus, slate, mineral and a sappy finish, it hugs throughout the palate. All the white grapes had come in by 13th September, and the pH is a vibrant 3.2. Valerie Lavigne, long-time associate of Denis Dubourdieu, works with the team on the white wine.

The depth and intensity is very beautiful, yet with electrifying acidity that gives this wine energy and excitement. Full to medium body with a fine, dense mid-palate that takes over at the finish. Lots of dried-lemon and fresh-fennel flavors at the end. Exuberant. Drink or hold.

95 Points - Wine Spectator

Features bracing hints of lemon pith, chalk, thyme and fleur de sel, but leans toward the plumper side in the end, with delicious shortbread and yellow apple notes stretching out through the finish. Shows remarkable purity and serious length. Sauvignon Blanc. Drink now through 2028.

94 Points - Jeb Dunnuck

Always based on Sauvignon Blanc and brought up in 20% new French oak, the 2016 Pavillon Blanc shows a racy, reductive style that slowly opens up in the glass and shows more and more richness. Beautiful notes of crushed citrus, tart peach, and bright minerality all emerge from this medium-bodied, concentrated white that has high yet integrated acidity, flawless balance, and a great finish. It’s hard to resist, yet I suspect it will keep for decades.

94 Points - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

The 2016 Pavillon Blanc du Château Margaux features fresh grapefruit, white peaches and lemon juice scents springing from the glass, followed by lime leaves, wet pebbles and elderflower plus a touch of honeysuckle. The palate is medium-bodied, elegant and fresh with loads of vivacity and a long, mineral-laced finish.

94 Points - Wine Enthusiast

Fully ripe with herbal flavors and a crisp texture, this wine shows the richness that come out of whites in the Médoc. It has a salty edge along with some minerality that gives this rich wine its texture.