Château Margaux is primarily renowned for its esteemed red wines, but the First Growth estate has also produced a highly-rated white wine since the early 18th century.
The wine was named Pavillon Blanc du Château Margaux in 1920, and it has earned rave reviews from critics in recent years.
Jane Anson gave the 2017 Pavillon Blanc a perfect 100-point score in Decanter, and Rebecca Gibb MW awarded it 98 points. Georgina Hindle described Pavillon Blanc 2018 as ‘extremely impressive’ after awarding it 96 points.
Château Margaux has become increasingly discerning when selecting which grapes to use for its Pavillon Blanc bottlings.
The estate now often uses less than half of its Sauvignon Blanc harvest to create the wines after conducting ‘extensive analysis and understanding of the different soils in the plots of white grapes’.
However, the winemaking team decided that the remaining grapes were too good to waste.
The estate determined that ‘the second selection was of such high quality’ that it decided to bottle Pavillon Blanc Second Vin, starting with the 2022 vintage.
It is just the fifth white wine released by Château Margaux in the past five centuries.
Only 8,000 bottles of Pavillon Blanc Second Vin were produced from this initial vintage, as 2022 was the hottest and driest year on record for Château Margaux.
Yields were among the lowest in the estate’s history, but the intense heatwaves led to ‘an amazing vintage producing wines with aromatic complexity and concentration’, according to Château Margaux.
Pavillon Blanc Second Vin is said to have a complex and floral nose, leading to a creamy palate balanced by a fresh, saline finish.
The wine will be available soon at specialist retailers. It can be enjoyed in youth, but it will also age harmoniously for at least 20 years.
