This is very tight and compacted with a condensed palate of currant and dark-berry character. A salty and mineral undertone to the wine. Full body and firm and linear tannins. Focused and intense. Long and precise on the finish. This is the best ever second wine of Margaux. Drink after 2023.

Revved up and ready to go, tender melted tannins at the 10 year point, and yet full of life, expertly managed in its delivery of juice and spice, brambled autumnal fruits, really one to look out for. The frame is still fully in place - elegant chalk, crushed rocks, woodsmoke and roses, so delicious. A buy. Paul Pontallier's final vintage as technical director.

The 2015 grand vin was the last vintage produced by Paul Pontallier (see pXX) and is a contender for wine of the vintage, so I would expect good things from this Pavillon Rouge. Initially lovely and floral, incredibly delicate. Perfumed and fine, with so much elegance. Fresh acidity, balancing the richness of the harvest well. Very charming with a savoury edge. This is really superb.

The exceptional second wine of the famous Château Margaux. Very pure, direct, floral and ripe red fruit nose. Charming and delicate, softly structured, lovely depth and balance. Freshness and ripeness together. Fine. (74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot, 1% Cabernet Franc.)

The 2015 Pavillon Rouge du Chateau Margaux, which represents just 23% of the total production, was quite open on the nose, leaning more toward the red side of the fruit spectrum rather than black with scents of cranberry, wild strawberry, blueberry and a touch of crushed stone. The palate is medium-bodied with crunchy red berry fruit. This is a little firmer and more structured than I was anticipating, its backbone derived from the higher percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon (74%) than in previous vintages. As such, do not be deceived by the aromatics, because this Pavillon Rouge will deserve 3 or 4 years in bottle for those tannins to soften, but there is certainly very good potential here. Anticipated maturity: 2021 - 2035. 


– eRobertParker.com, Feb 2018

The 2015 Pavillon Rouge is supremely inviting. Silky and medium in body, with wonderfully fragrant aromatics, the 2015 is a wine of total seduction. Bright red plum, mint, spice, cedar and white pepper are laced together in a racy wine endowed with terrific palate intensity and persistence. The 2015 is already quite open and delicious. I imagine it will continue to drink beautifully for the next 15-20 years or more. vinous.com, February 2018

Blended of 74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot and 1% Cabernet Franc, the 2015 Pavillon Rouge du Chateau Margaux has a medium to deep garnet-purple color and an expressive, alluringly spicy nose of cloves, cinnamon stick and fenugreek with a core of red and black currants, black cherries and wild blueberries plus a waft of pencil shavings. Medium to full-bodied with very fine, grainy tannins and wonderful freshness, it finishes long and satisfying.

Tasted blind. Quite a rich nose. Still quite unformed with tannins present but it may will get there. There is lots of fruit to counterbalance the tannin. (JR)