(100% SB; 13.2% ABV)
Pale lemon; fresh, fragrant, peach, nectarine, and citrus-vivid to smell; a concentrated, elegant, vital, wonderfully harmonious constitution; bone-dry, crisply ripe in flavor, long, racy, fragrant, and fresh, a beautifully proportioned, intensely aromatic midweight of enormous class and definition, great length of flavor, and great, fragrant, mouthcoating length. A notable performance to celebrate the centennial of Pavillon Blanc, first produced in 1920. 2025–55.

The 2020 Pavillon Blanc is gorgeous. Rich, creamy and expansive on the palate, the Blanc captures all of the radiance of the year. Apricot, passionfruit, mint, lime, crushed rocks and sage all open in the glass. As with the red wines, Pavillon Blanc is at first quite opulent, but then shows the more energetic side of the year on the mid-palate and finish. That's a pretty fabulous combination in my book.

The 2020 Pavillon Blanc bursts with aromas of lemongrass, crisp green apple, white flowers and fresh mint, followed by a medium to full-bodied, ample and fleshy palate that's pure, racy and charming, exhibiting a somewhat more giving profile than the more chiseled 2019.

The 2020 Pavillon Blanc de Château Margaux was picked on 24 and 25 August after rain had lent more acidity and freshness. The pH is low at 3.10. It has a delightful bouquet with enticing scents of green apple, white peach and pressed flowers, conveying a sense of energy and playfulness. The palate is very well balanced with an underlying salinity that gets the saliva flowing. Very good tension here, impressive considering the warmth of the summer, it offers discrete touches of stem ginger and Nashi pear on the finish. This was virtually the final blend as it was due to be bottled the following week. N.B. As this is the centennial Pavillon Blanc, Philippe Bascaule hinted that it may come in a specially-designed bottle.
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100% Sauvignon Blanc. Cask sample.
Fresh and aromatic with citrus and pear notes and a brush-stroke of vanilla oak that adds an extra tone. Appealing depth, texture and weight and everything in balance. (JL)

Tasted blind. Very little on the nose. A bit green. Very tight on the palate. Certainly fresh and vibrant on the mid palate. Slightly green on the finish. Very Sauvignon (it is 100%). (JH)