Pavillon Blanc Du Chateau Margaux 2017 (750ML)

100 DE / 98 WI / 98 JS / 96 VM / 96 JD / 17.5 JR

There is flesh here but it is so precise and well held together that it takes a minute to realise how much weight is in the palate. Tons of creamy white peach, apricot and nectarine fruit, then it pulls together and goes for the vice for the finish. This was a brilliant wine En Primeur and it continues to deliver. So concentrated, it bursts out of the glass and has huge persistency through the palate. If willpower is an issue you could drink it right now, but it will age beautifully. A yield of 20hl/ha. 50 year old vines. 20% new oak. Dark-coloured bottles since this vintage (previously they were transparent), and closed with Diam cork. 3.1pH. Drinking Window 2020 - 2040. - Jane Anson, Decanter

The 2017 Pavillon Blanc from Chateau Margaux needs a little coaxing before it leaves the glass with notes of lime leaves, orange blossom, and yuzu, plus wafts of chalk dust, coriander seed, and sea spray. Medium-bodied, the palate delivers a whole other level of Pavillon Blanc experience, delivering a shimmery backbone of acidity to perfectly frame the intense citrus and floral layers, finishing long and minerally. Stunning - a 20-30 year Bordeaux blanc for sure. From 2017 the cork is Diam 30 and it is in the dark green bottle. - Lisa Perotti-Brown, Wine Independent

Picked in late August, the 2017 Pavillon Blanc offers an enticing mélange of bright Sauvignon Blanc notes and textural depth, all with the energy that is such a signature of the Blanc. Citrus, orchard fruit, white flowers and crushed rocks are all laced together, but it is the wine's superb balance that stands out most. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

Another great white from this team, the 2017 Chateau Margaux Pavillon Blanc doesn't get the recognition it deserves, All Sauvignon, it has a rocking bouquet of white grapefruit, crushed citrus, salty minerality, and hints of mint. Rich, medium-bodied, ultra-fresh yet with terrific fruit, it can be drunk today or cellared for 10-15 years. - Jeb Dunnuck

Always 100% Sauvignon Blanc. But a complex blend of barrels. Nine months in barrel, 20–25% new oak. 40% of the crop went into this wine, the rest sold in bulk. Perfect conditions for the whites in 2017, according to estate manager Sébastien Vergne. They want the wine to be fat and creamy in the mouth but to keep the finish fresh and the hallmark scent of honeysuckle. Fermentation starts in tank, then the wine goes into barrel until a month before bottling. pH 3.1. Slightly higher alcohol than last year but also lower pH. Very scented, intense citrus but also finely floral. Really floral. Peachy. Full in the mouth and great acid tension leaving the mouth clean. A floral scent on the palate too but it is quite delicate. There's a gentle creaminess and a slight lees grip yet the intensity is fruit-driven. Long and complete and just a light saltiness on the finish. (JH) - Jancis Robinson.com