Chateau Margaux Pavillon Rouge 2016

Professional Ratings

• 95 James Suckling
  The blackcurrant and floral aromas with brick and hot stones are tantalizing. Flowers underneath it all. Medium to full body, firm and silky tannins with beautiful ripeness that highlights the palate. Second wine of Château Margaux. Try after 2024.
• 94 Wine Enthusiast
  With its dense texture and high proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend, this is an impressively powerful second wine of Château Margaux. Acidity and dark blueberry flavors are concentrated, with layers of tannins that demand aging. Drink from 2023.
• 93 Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
  Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, the 2016 Pavillon Rouge du Château Margaux (composed of 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot and 3% Petit Verdot) bursts forth with exuberant Morello cherries, black raspberries and cassis scents accented by touches of menthol, dark chocolate and garrigue plus a waft of tree bark. The palate is medium-bodied, very elegant, vivacious and fresh with satiny tannins and a nice long finish.
  Rating: 93+
• 93 Jeb Dunnuck
  The second wine of Château Margaux is the 2016 Pavillon Rouge, a blend of 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot, and 3% Petit Verdot brought up in 60% new barrels. It too is incredibly classic, elegant, and finesse-driven, with textbook Margaux aromatics of cassis, ripe cherries, and spring flower, medium body, subtle background oak, and lively acidity. It has real class and is capable of 2-3 decades of longevity.
• 93 Wine Spectator
  Very refined and focused, with fine-grained sandalwood and alder accents lining a core of stylish, gently mulled cherry and blackberry fruit flavors. A perfumed lilac note weaves around the fruit on the elegant finish. Approachable now, but buried minerality lurks, and this is sneaky long, so cellaring is easily doable. Best from 2022 through 2035.
• 92 Decanter
  This has softened and deepened over the 18 months of ageing yet still has a touch of austerity and will take a few years to settle down. It's not as plump or generous as the 2015, but it's a beautiful wine that has balance and effortless class - a wonderfully poised Pavillon Rouge. 60% new oak has lent it some toasted almond and tarry notes. It represents just 26% of the harvest, making this the smallest ever percentage of the crop to make it into the second wine.