Pavillon Rouge 2020

A delicate and aromatic red Second Wine from Margaux

The estate

With origins dating back to the 12th century, Château Margaux is a legendary estate and one of the most prestigious Classified Growths of Bordeaux. In 1855, the château was awarded the title of First Classified Growth and was one of only four estates to obtain a rating of twenty out of twenty. With the acquisition of the property by André Mentzelopoulos in 1977, Château Margaux is today writing a new page in its history. Having elevated the Grand Vin of Château Margaux to the highest level of quality, Mentzelopoulos also reintroduced the château’s Second Wine, the Pavillon Rouge of Château Margaux, first produced in 1908. Following in the footsteps of her late father, Corinne Mentzelopoulos took over the family estate and, with her energy and passion, elevated the Château Margaux estate to that of a masterpiece, recognised by wine lovers around the world by its neo-Palladian allure. Vintage after vintage, the estate's wines are among the greatest in the world.

The vineyard

The Château Margaux vineyard owes its unique character to its rare terroir, situated upon an outcropping of gravel. The vineyard of the property gives pride of place to the area's flagship red grape, Cabernet Sauvignon, which is complemented by Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. The clay-limestone soils of the estate produce legendary wines with a distinguished and sensual allure, so representative of the Margaux appellation.

The vintage

The year 2020 was marked by some of the highest temperatures ever recorded, due in particular to successive peaks of heat, and a particularly hot and dry summer. The rainy days at the end of 2019 preceded a very mild winter, leading to early bud burst (from March 22 to 26, depending on the grape variety, i.e. 10 days ahead of the norm). While the high temperatures in spring promoted homogeneous flowering without coulure or millerandage, the heavy rainfall led to strong pest pressure, which was controlled by the teams at the château. The summer season brought heat waves and drought. No rain was recorded from June 19 to August 10. Veraison took place between July 23 and 26. The thunderstorms during the month of August reduced the impact of water stress by lowering the temperature, thus limiting the sunburn of the grapes and helping to conserve the acid potential of the fruit. The ideal conditions during the month of September, characterised by sunny days, low rainfall and cool nights, lasted throughout the harvest, which started early. While the yields were lower than usual, due to the weather conditions, the small grapes gave way to concentrated and high-quality juices.

The blend

The Pavillon Rouge 2020 by Château Margaux was made from a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (75%), Merlot (18%), Petit Verdot (5%) and Cabernet Franc (2%).

The tasting

Due to the consistency and the high quality of this vintage, the Pavillon Rouge 2020 from Château Margaux represents 31% of the harvest, a percentage slightly higher than that of the last few vintages. Developed with the same rigour as the property's Grand Vin, the Pavillon Rouge 2020 seduces with its delicacy, the finesse of its tannins and its balance.