2013 Château Margaux Pavillon Blanc

94 POINTS

James Suckling

This has loads of dried lemon, aniseed and fennel seeds aromas and flavors. Lemon zest as well. Full body, dry with bright acidity and fruit. Very intense. Powerful finish. Drink now.

94 POINTS

Antonio Galloni MW - Vinous

Lemon, grapefruit, mint, crushed rocks and slate wrap around the palate in the 2013 Pavillon Blanc, a wine that deftly balances bright, focused aromatics with gorgeous textural finesse, all supported by beams of intense, vibrant salinity. The Pavillon Blanc is a drop-dead gorgeous white with tons of potential. Sadly, only 40% of the crop made it into the bottle.

93 POINTS

Tim Atkin

Made, as it always is, with 100% Sauvignon Blanc, this was far easier to vinify than the reds at Château Margaux. It’s a sappy, smoky, reductive style, with notes of pink grapefruit and smoked lemons, tangy acidity and a long, tapering finish.

93 POINTS

Roger Voss - Wine Enthusiast

An explosion of fruit on the nose gives this wine a wonderfully fresh character and tropical fruitiness. The wine is bright and full of dense pineapple and apricot flavors, with ample final acidity.

93 POINTS

James Molesworth - Wine Spectator

Bracing, lively, mouthwatering verbena, thyme and white asparagus notes show crackling mâche and chive notes through the finish, with a flicker of sel gris. Not as much of a rapier as the 2011, but it’s close. Tasted non-blind. —J.M.

92 POINTS

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate

Already in bottle, the 2013 Pavillon Blanc du Chateau Margaux (100% Sauvignon Blanc) reveals stunning notes of honeyed grapefruit, lemon zest and a hint of tropical fruit in a medium-bodied, crisp, fresh, lively style. Despite being fermented and aged in wood, the oak component is pushed to the background. The wine shows terrific acidity, purity and personality. Drink it over the next decade or more.

92 POINTS

Neal Martin - Wine Advocate

The Pavillon Blanc was picked from 19 to 27 September, which Paul Pontallier mentioned was before the botrytis hit. The blend has not physically been made although the sample is representative of the final blend. They key to its success is that being 100% Sauvignon Blanc, this grape variety is less prone to rot. It has a delicate bouquet with gooseberry and grapefruit scents, a hint of gravel in the background. The palate is well balanced with fine acidity. It is perhaps not the most complex Pavillon Blanc I have tasted, although it has great persistency in the mouth.

91 POINTS

Stephen Tanzer - Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

Pale, gold-tinged straw.  Clean, fresh aromas of apricot, gooseberry and green fig, with a distinct suggestion of exotic fruits.  Concentrated and full, showing impressive volume for the year.  Lively, integrated acidity gives the wine very good life in the mouth and extends the bright gooseberry and kiwi flavors on the back end.