2018 Pavillon Blanc du Ch Margaux

A vintage where you appreciate the work and skill that goes into delivering this level of quality. The team at Château Margaux selects the freshest, most sculpted parts of the juice to make Pavillon Blanc, and they have produced here a wine that is all apricot and nectarine flesh, well textured and juicy with a smoky edge together with brilliant balance and grip. When I tasted this in bottle last year I described it as having just the right amount of fleshy mouthfeel and knife-edge freshness, and that is still true today. An early harvest of August 27 to 30, ensuring the grapes kept freshness in what was the warmest year since the beginning of the 20th century, with tempeatures 1.8C above the national average, with record-breaking temperatures in the last ten days of June and the first ten days of August, more than 3C above the 30-year average. You see that in the 17hl/h yield, but not in the flavours which have kept their juice. 3.05ph, same as 2017.

All Sauvignon and very very different from the Loire Sauvignons I have just been tasting! Some suggestion of oak and very sleek – almost more like a white burgundy than a Loire. Lots of savoury character but good to see this wine's alcohol is lower than it used to be. Doesn’t look good value, I'm afraid! Quite youthful though and impressively long. (JR)

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. It will require a good 4-5 years in bottle to emerge from this shell and should drink for a good 15 years or more beyond that.