2019 Pavillon Blanc du Château Margaux

The 2019 Pavillon Blanc de Margaux has an open and quite intense bouquet, scents of fresh pear, orange pith and citrus peel, and just a touch of smoke. The palate is well-balanced with a fine bead of acidity, lively with Clementine and mandarin notes. Cohesive with well-integrated oak this gradually builds towards a very convincing finish. Excellent. Best Pavillon Blanc in recent years? You bet. Tasted blind at the Southwold annual tasting.

Tasted blind. Creamy texture and sleek, understated, very ‘cool’ impression. Bone dry – drier than most of its peers. Utterly confident. Not rich but beautifully balanced. (JR)

I continue to absolutely love the white from this estate, and their 2019 Château Margaux Pavillon Blanc is another brilliant release. All Sauvignon Blanc, it has a vibrant sense of minerality and chalkiness as well as notes of honeyed grapefruit, melon, and white flowers. As pure, focused, and balanced as they come, it's medium to full-bodied, has bright acidity and a great mid-palate, as well as concentration. It's approachable today yet will benefit from a year or three in the cellar and should be very long-lived.