The delicious, sexy 2011 Pavillon Rouge du Chateau Margaux reveals a dense ruby/purple color along with broad, expansive red and black fruit, flower and spice notes. Supple and round with finesse, elegance, complexity and richness, it is everything a second wine should be. Enjoy it over the next 15+ years.
The Pavillon Rouge is a blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 8% Petit Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc. It has a very fine, elegant bouquet with blackberry, briary, black olive and a strong mineral content. It is finely focused, but not potent. The palate is medium-bodied with crisp, tensile tannins on the entry and a core of brine-tinged black fruit. It errs towards a more masculine Pavillon than feminine, prioritizes focus over flamboyance with a tightly-wound, citric finish. This is very fine, but it will need two or three years in bottle. Tasted April 2012.
The second wine of first growth Margaux shows some strength with muscular tannins and pretty fruit with hints of flowers and minerals. Slightly hollow in the mid-palate but very pretty.
The 2011 Pavillon Rouge du Chateau Margaux is one of the finest examples of this cuvee I have ever tasted. It hit 13% natural alcohol and represents only 28% of the harvest. This blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot and the rest Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc reveals more structure than most vintages in addition to lots of dark berry fruit intermixed with hints of wood smoke, forest floor and spring flowers. Very pure with striking minerality as well as a long finish, it should drink well for two decades or more.
