Pavillon Blanc du Chateau Margaux 2018
Country
France
Region
Bordeaux
Appellation
Bordeaux Blanc
UPC
0 15643 73660 5

I'd say the finest white I've ever tasted from this estate, the 2018 Chateau Margaux Pavillon Blanc is all Sauvignon brought all in barrel. Its vivid gold hue is followed by an incredible bouquet of candied lemons, white grapefruit, crushed stone-like minerality, and a rich, flower oil-like character that develops with time in the glass. Medium to full-bodied, racy, yet incredibly concentrated, with serious extract, richness, and glycerol, it has an almost red wine-like sense of structure and length. Whites in 2018 don't get any better than this. Enjoy this sensational white any time over the coming 15-20 years.
A dynamic dry white with lemon rind, pears and sherbet, as well as vanilla and lilac character. It's full-bodied with a tight, focused palate of lovely ripe fruit and vivid acidity. Timid, yet classy at the finish. Energetic acidity.
As mentioned during my barrel tasting of this wine, the 2018 Pavillon Blanc is made of 100% Sauvignon Blanc that was picked at the end of August. The vines here are 40-50 years old, going some way to helping them cope with periods of extreme heat and drought, as was the case in 2018. The nose begins a little reticent, requiring a fair bit of swirling to unlock youthful, pristine notes of freshly squeezed limes, lemon tart and fresh grapefruit with touches of sea spray, green mango and acacia with a waft of crushed rocks. The medium-bodied palate delivers a seriously racy backbone of acidity, supporting the super intense citrus and chalky flavors layers, finishing long with great purity.
From a vineyard to the west of the main Margaux estate, this 100% Sauvignon Blanc is rich, packed with yellow fruits as well as a straight line of citrus. Wood aged, it shows toastiness that underlines the richness and ripe fruit.
This ripples with tension as the core of gooseberry, chalk, white asparagus and fleur de sel is chiseled and taut while the sides of the wine glisten with floral notes. There's a late flurry of thyme and tarragon for additional range and length, as if it needed any. About as pure and unencumbered an expression of a grape as you can get.