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Pavillon Rouge du Château Margaux 2003

RegionBordeaux
Subregion France > Bordeaux > Left Bank > Margaux
ColourRed
TypeStill
Grape VarietyCabernet Sauvignon/Merlot

View all vintages of this wine | View all wines by Margaux

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Tasting Notes

Also a stunning wine, the 2003 Pavillon Rouge du Chateau Margaux is a sleeper of the vintage. Much fresher and less evolved than I would expect a second wine to be from this vintage, it is a Margaux-like effort with a flowery character, good precision and freshness, red and black currant notes, and an attractive, medium-bodied, surprisingly concentrated mouthfeel. It is clearly one of the finest second wines made in this vintage. It can be consumed over the next 5-8 years. Drink 2014-2022

91
Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (214), August 2014
92/94
James Suckling, Wine Spectator (April 04), April 2004

Deep colour and notable freshness and life on the nose. Great finesse with a smooth spread over the palate. Great soft texture yet depth.

17.5
Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com (April 04), April 2004

Dense without being heavy, and with excellent, scented persistence. First-rate Pavillon.

16.5
Michael Schuster, The World of Fine Wine (1), April 2004
Read more tasting notes...

A terrific, value-priced second wine, the 2003 Pavillon Rouge du Chateau Margaux (150,000 bottles produced) may be the finest example of this cuvee I have yet tasted. Its dense ruby/purple hue is followed by creamy aromas of cassis, vanilla, flowers, and licorice. Round, generous, savory, expansive, and amazingly long as well as concentrated, I even joked with Paul Pontallier that this could get him fired as perhaps the selection was too severe! This 2003 should drink well for 15+ years.

92
Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (164), April 2006

To me, this is the best Pavillon Rouge du Chateau Margaux I have ever tasted, and I joked with administrator Paul Pontallier and owner Corinne Mentzelopoulos that “Perhaps your selection was too severe!” Deep ruby purple with a glorious nose of black fruits, flowers, and earth, the wine is voluptuous, fat, even succulently textured, with loads of character and personality, low acidity, and a plump, fleshy, accessible style that will please early drinkers of this beautifully proportioned, concentrated Pavillon Rouge. Anticipated maturity: now-2018.

90/92
Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (158), April 2005

The most impressive second wine I have yet tasted from Chateau Margaux, its maker, Paul Pontallier, believes the 2003 Pavillon Rouge du Chateau Margaux is “his best ever.” A deep ruby/purple color is followed by sweet aromas of jammy black fruits. A blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon and 35% Merlot, it represents 50% of the production. With low acidity as well as a fresh, vigorous personality, it should drink well for 12-15 years.

90/93
Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (152), April 2004
Please note that these tasting notes/scores are not intended to be exhaustive and in some cases they may not be the most recently published figures. However, we always do our best to add latest scores and reviews when these come to our attention. We advise customers who wish to purchase wines based simply on critical reviews to carry out further research into the latest reports.