Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
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.
Barrel Sample: 91-93 -
Wine Enthusiast
Barrel sample. Very floral, this soft wine has smooth fruits and black-currant acidity; it represents Margaux’s elegant side.
Barrel Sample: 91-93 Points -
Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: Over the past three decades, Pavillon Rouge de Château Margaux has risen to become one of the top second wines of the classifies. TASTING NOTES: The 2011 vintage is young, vibrant, and refined. Pair its elegant aromas and flavors of red and black fruit with lamb brochettes. (Tasted: October 25, 2019, San Francisco, CA)
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James Suckling
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.
Barrel Sample: 89-90 Points -
Wine Spectator
Combines both silky texture and good tension, with a light chalky thread running through the middle of the almost plush plum and blackberry fruit. There's a bright cassis bush edge as well (telltale of the Petit Verdot component), and overall there's a very suave feel through the finish, with a lingering jasmine edge. Tasted non-blind.
Barrel Sample: 90-93 Points
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
Silky, seductive and polished are the words that characterize the best wines from Margaux, the most inland appellation of the Médoc on the Left Bank of Bordeaux.
Margaux’s gravel soils are the thinnest of the Médoc, making them most penetrable by vine roots—some reaching down over 23 feet for water. The best sites are said to be on gentle outcrops, or croupes, where more gravel facilitates good drainage.
The Left Bank of Bordeaux subscribes to an arguably outdated method of classification but it is nonetheless important in regards to history of the area. In 1855 the finest chateaux were deemed on the basis of reputation and trading price—at that time. In 1855, Chateau Margaux achieved first growth status, yet it has been Chateau Palmer (officially third growth from the 1855 classification) that has consistently outperformed others throughout the 20th century.
Chateau Margaux in top vintages is capable of producing red Cabernet Sauvignon based wines described as pure, intense, spell-binding, refined and profound with flavors and aromas of black currant, violets, roses, orange peel, black tea and incense.
Other top producers worthy of noting include Chateau Rauzan-Ségla, Lascombes, Brane-Cantenac, and d’Issan, among others.
The best wines of Margaux combine a deep ruby color with a polished structure, concentration and an unrivaled elegance.