PAVILLON ROUGE of Chateau Margaux, Margaux 2004 MAGNUM
Red Still Wine | France | Bordeaux | Margaux | 150cl
£445.00
/
£2,670.00
£2,536.50 case
ABV: 13%
Size: 150cl
Closure Type: Cork
Country: France
Region: Bordeaux
Sub-Region: Margaux
Wine Style: Full Bodied
Description
90/100 Neal Martin, Vinous
"The 2004 Pavillon Rouge has a really lovely, peppermint-tinged bouquet that is very well-defined and full of vigor. The palate is medium-bodied with impressive concentration. It is not a complex wine, and it might feel just a bit forceful on the slightly leathery finish. But it has a sense of swagger about it that I really like. Maybe just give this a couple more years if you fancy. Drinking window 2024 - 2048."
A Deeper Dive;
Château Margaux
Château Margaux, a First Growth property, has been owned by the Mentzelopoulos family since 1978. It has since consistently produced some of the finest wines in the Médoc.
One of the grandest, most imposing buildings amongst the Médoc châteaux, Ch. Margaux in its current form was built in the early 19th century, although viticulture had been practised on the estate for several centuries before. A chequered period of ownership in the 19th and early 20th century meant that the quality of some vintages was patchy. But the change which restored the property to its rightful status came in 1977 when it was bought by André Mentzenopoulos, Greek by birth but who had lived in France since 1958 and had made a fortune through supermarket retailing. André immediately instigated much-needed investment in vineyard and cellar. His untimely death in 1980 saw his daughter, Corinne, take up the reins. Corinne’s shrewdest move was the recruitment of talented young winemaker Paul Pontallier to oversee the production.
Paul would lead the estate for 33 vintages. He sadly passed away in 2016. Today, the estate is overseen by director Philippe Bascaules and technical director Sebastien Vergne, working with consultant Eric Boissenot.
The estate has 82 hectares under vine, with Cabernet Sauvignon inevitably dominant (75%) with 20% Merlot making up most of the rest, along with a smattering of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Unusually in Margaux, there is a white wine made here, Pavillon Blanc, from 100% Sauvignon Blanc, while the two red wines are, of course, Ch. Margaux itself and Pavillon Rouge. Typically, about 30,000 cases of red wine are made, with the Grand Vin usually accounting for just over 40% of the total. Production of the white wine amounts to less than 3,000 cases.
Margaux wines are renowned for their perfumed elegance, but this should not be construed as meaning that these are light-bodied. Far from it, as the best have an enviable structure, layers of complexity, and formidable length.