The second wine, the 2010 Pavillon Rouge (essentially two-thirds Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest mostly Merlot with small quantities and Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc) looks to be a wine to age for 20 or more years, but it is quite drinkable already. Soft, supple and luscious, with oodles of blue and black fruits, the floral character one expects, and not a trace of herbaceousness, oak or aggressiveness, this is a beautiful, round, generous wine to drink over the next 18-20 years.
This the greatest Pavillon Rouge ever made. Aromas of flowers, smoke, currants and raspberries follow through to a full body, with super silky tannins and a long, long finish. This is balanced and refined with wonderful depth. Hard to believe it's a second wine. Better after 2018.
Deep garnet in color, the 2010 Pavillon Rouge du Chateau Margaux offers up scents of blackcurrant cordial, wild thyme and fertile loam with hints of cedar chest, pencil lead and tar. Medium-bodied, the palate is just a tad lean with chewy tannins and bold freshness, finishing on an herbal note. 2020-2036
Smudgy garnet. Very subtle nose and obviously top-quality oak used here. Sumptuous texture. Really rather glorious for relatively early drinking. Very long and both fresh and ripe. Scrummy really. No excess tannins but no dangerously short life. QGV 14%
Drink 2017 – 2037
Fragrant red fruit, almost silky/taffeta texture, beautiful length and perfect balance, the best Pavillon Rouge ever. Drink 2018-30.
Actually higher in alcohol than its bigger sister, Chateau Margaux, the 2010 Pavillon Rouge (66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and the rest Petit Verdot) hit 14% natural alcohol. Paul Pontallier proclaimed it the best they have ever made, representing only 38% of production. (This wine also undergoes a serious selection.) Plenty of black fruits, violets, forest floor and earth are present in this wonderfully textured, opulent wine, which will provide immediate gratification when it is released in a year. It should drink nicely for up to 15 or more years.
Bottled in June 2012, the Pavillon Rouge represents 38% of the total production. A blend of 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 4% Petit Verdot, it has a fragrant bouquet of black cherries, briary and crushed stone that is delicate and precise. I expect the aromatics to open up with bottle age. The palate is silky smooth on the entry, gliding across the palate on its super-fine tannins. It is exquisitely balanced, very pure with one of the most elegant finishes that I have encountered on a Pavillon at this stage. Wonderful. Coming back, there is a cheeky hint of black olive tapenade on the aftertaste. Tasted November 2012.
A blend of 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Petit Verdot (from plots replanted by Paul Pontallier 14-15 years ago) and 30% Merlot, the Pavillon has a very dense bouquet of blackberry, a touch of cassis, violet and a little graphite/oyster shell. The palate is medium-bodied with very structured tannins, the acidity very prominent on the entry and cutting a swathe though that blackberry, graphite and just a faint hint of blueberry. There is bewitching symmetry towards the long finish. Superb. Tasted March 2011.
A wine that shows a lovely finesse and beauty with orange peel, flowers, blueberries and raspberries. Full and super fine texture. It goes on for minutes. I love the refinement. Paul Pontailler says it's the best Pavillon that he has ever made
Very noble indeed on the nose. Lovely supple stuff with clear first-growth influence. Very polished and dense and on the back the tannins really, really build up! This is a wine for the long term! Cool, dry finish. Very graceful. Feminine and very Margaux.