96 James Suckling
Fresh tobacco, currant and earth, opening up to forest flowers. It’s rich in tannins, but very soft and beautiful. Layered, with lots of fine fruit and a velvety texture. Blackberry and chocolate in the finish too. 27% of the crop and a blend of 76% cabernet sauvignon and 19% merlot, the rest petit verdot and cabernet franc. Delicious already, but give it at least six years of bottle age. Better after 2027.
95 Robert Parker
Given that Margaux's second wine contains plenty of fruit that made it into the grand vin just a decade or two ago, great things are to be expected from this bottling. Yet I was nonetheless taken aback by the quality of the 2019 Pavillon Rouge. Wafting from the glass with aromas of raspberries, plums and cherries mingled with rose petals and sweet spices, it's medium to full-bodied, sensual and concentrated, with beautifully refined tannins, racy acids and a long, penetrating finish. This is an exquisite Pavillon Rouge that is well worth seeking out. I confess that I don't buy many second wines, but I did purchase a case of this, with alacrity, right after tasting it.
95 Robert Parker
Given that Margaux's second wine contains plenty of fruit that made it into the grand vin just a decade or two ago, great things are to be expected from this bottling. Yet I was nonetheless taken aback by the quality of the 2019 Pavillon Rouge. Wafting from the glass with aromas of raspberries, plums and cherries mingled with rose petals and sweet spices, it's medium to full-bodied, sensual and concentrated, with beautifully refined tannins, racy acids and a long, penetrating finish. This is an exquisite Pavillon Rouge that is well worth seeking out. I confess that I don't buy many second wines, but I did purchase a case of this, with alacrity, right after tasting it.
18 Rene Gabriel
93 Wine Spectator
92 Vinous
The 2019 Pavillon Rouge is certainly more immediate on the nose compared to the sample I tasted chez moi last year. It now bursts from the glass with black fruit and crushed violets, maybe less of the seaweed-like tincture I noticed from barrel, but beautifully defined. The palate is medium-bodied with crunchy black fruit on the entry, hints of licorice infusing the black fruit, fine salinity, and a well-defined, structured, graphite-tinged finish. It will still require four to five years in bottle but should drink well for 12 to 15 years.
92 Vinous
The 2019 Pavillon Rouge is certainly more immediate on the nose compared to the sample I tasted chez moi last year. It now bursts from the glass with black fruit and crushed violets, maybe less of the seaweed-like tincture I noticed from barrel, but beautifully defined. The palate is medium-bodied with crunchy black fruit on the entry, hints of licorice infusing the black fruit, fine salinity, and a well-defined, structured, graphite-tinged finish. It will still require four to five years in bottle but should drink well for 12 to 15 years.