Pavillon Blanc du Château Margaux 2023

The 2023 Pavillon Blanc from Château Margaux, harvested during the morning hours of the August 23-30 heatwave, possesses a deep, complex bouquet of spring flowers, lemon oil, ripe orchard fruits, lemongrass and sweet gooseberries, followed by a medium to full-bodied, round and concentrated palate that's animated by lively acids, concluding with a long, taut, delicately phenolic finish. This bottling amounts to only 45% of the entire crop, the rest being relegated to a second wine.

The 2023 Pavillon Blanc is showing nicely, offering up fresh aromas of sweet orange oil, lime leaf, white flowers and crushed mint that reflect the August harvest. Medium- to full-bodied, ample and fleshy, with attractive texture from maturation on the lees, it will offer a broad drinking window. Drink 2026-2043.

The 2023 Pavillon Blanc was picked from August 23 to 30 during the heat wave, so the fruit was picked only in the morning. The yield clocked in at 37hL/ha. It has a crisp nose with green apples, nettle and grass clippings, perhaps not as complex as I expected. The palate is well balanced with touches of melon and orange rind on the entry. Modest in depth and quite fresh with a touch of lemongrass, it is a fine and comparatively opulent Pavillon Blanc, even if I would not place it on the mantelpiece with the great vintages in recent years.

This is quite a big Pavillon Blanc with sliced pineapple, ripe apple, lemon and stone. It's full-bodied, layered and phenolic with a ripe sense to it, but then it’s citrusy and salty. Like fresh oysters. Reminds me of vintages from the 1980s, but with more freshness and clarity. 100% sauvignon blanc.