Château Margaux Pavillon Rouge 2025

Pavillon Rouge is the second wine of Château Margaux, drawn from the same Margaux estate on the left bank of the Gironde. The appellation sits on deep beds of Garonne gravel over clay and limestone, free draining soils that warm quickly and force the vines to root deep for water, concentrating the fruit and giving the wine its fine grained tannin. The blend follows the classic Médoc model, Cabernet Sauvignon for structure and dark fruit, Merlot for flesh and roundness, with Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc adding spice and aromatic lift. Fermentation is followed by malolactic conversion, which softens the sharp malic acidity, and ageing in French oak barrels rounds the tannins through slow oxygen exchange while adding cedar and spice. The 2025 is deep ruby, with aromas of blackberry and cherry over anise, liquorice and delicate floral petals. The palate is structured and savoury, carrying dark fruit, graphite and a long, firm finish. Serve at 16 to 18 degrees and decant an hour ahead. It suits roast lamb, beef and game.