PAVILLON ROUGE

2016 du Château Margaux

Grapes Cab Sauv, Cab Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot
Colour Red
Origin France, Bordeaux
Sub-district Haut Médoc
Village Margaux
ABV 14%

84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Petit Verdot, 13% Merlot. There is now very serious intent in the making of Pavillon Rouge with production halved compared to ten years ago to allow for greater selection in the vineyard. This is 26% of the total estate harvest. Quite delicate, violet nose. Both suave and juicily bright. Tannins feel very 'managed', but some are quite vigorous and after a very brief edge of sweetness mid-palate, acidity hardens the finish. Difficult to judge where it is going at this stage as it seemed a little anxious but there is an intensity to the fruit. Drinking range: 2028 - 2038 Rating: 91-92 L&S (Apr 2017)


Alternatively, we may well have some bottles in one of our shops - why not give us a call on 0207 244 0522 or send an email to: sales@leaandsandeman.co.uk.

Or, check the RELATED PRODUCTS below for different vintages or wines of a similar style.


The second wine of Château Margaux is the 2016 Pavillon Rouge, a blend of 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot, and 3% Petit Verdot brought up in 60% new barrels. It too is incredibly classic, elegant, and finesse-driven, with textbook Margaux aromatics of cassis, ripe cherries, and spring flower, medium body, subtle background oak, and lively acidity. It has real class and is capable of 2-3 decades of longevity. Drinking range: 2019 - 2049 Rating: 93 Jeb Dunnuck, www.jebdunnuck.com (Feb 2019)

The 2016 Pavillon Rouge du Chateau Margaux contains the highest proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon ever at 84%, with 13% Merlot and 3% Petit Verdot, representing 26% of the total harvest. Matured in 50-60% new oak, it has a very pure redcurrant and cranberry scented bouquet with a touch of graphite. The palate is medium-bodied with quite firm tannin on the entry, thanks to the high percentage of Cabernet, and it is saline in the mouth with a pinch of white pepper towards the finish. It will need three or four years in bottle. Drinking range: 2021 - 2038 Rating: 91-93 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Apr 2017)

Very strict selection (only 28% went into their grand vin cf 35% in 2015). 26% went into Pavillon, 20% into the third wine, and 20% sold off in bulk. 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot. Quite bright cherry red rather than deep crimson. Great quality sandy tannins. Really zesty. But light and very aérien. Really lifted. Drinking range: 2022 - 2032 Rating: 16.5+ Jancis Robinson OBE MW - www.JancisRobinson.com (Apr 2017)

Château Margaux

1855 classification - Premier Grand Cru Classé

Margaux, originally La Mothe de Margaux, has a long history dating back to at least the 12th Century. By the 17th Century, Château Margaux was widely recognised for the quality of its wines - in 1771 it was the first wine sold by Christies, and Thomas Jefferson bought some Margaux when he was Ambassador to France. The French Revolution was a turbulent time for Margaux but, by the turn of the 19th Century, the estate was in the hands of the Basque Marquis de la Colonilla whose singular contribution was to build the château that we see today. Margaux's reputation was recognised by the 1855 classification which placed it among the elite group of Premier Grand Cru Classés.

By the 1960s, however, Margaux was trading as much on reputation as anything else and a run of poor vintages in the 1970's led Margaux to be sold. This was its salvation, for the purchaser was André Mentzelopoulos who, despite some rumblings of discontent locally at such a grand property falling into 'foreign' hands, poured in investment, replanting the vineyards, building a new underground cellar and renovating the château. Also more than renovated was Margaux's reputation as one of Bordeaux's leading estates, a reputation it now richly deserves, still under the benevolent eye of the Mentzelopoulos family. André's daughter Corinne ran the property for an astonishing 43 years, but in 2023 handed over to her son Alexis Leven-Mentzelopoulos. Corinne's daughter Alexandra Petit-Mentzelopoulos will work alongside her brother. Alexis is firmly committed to continuing the family objective of making Château Margaux one of the greatest wines in the world. The managing director is Philippe Bascaules, who took over from the much-missed Paul Pontallier in 2016.

Château Margaux is a large estate, running to 262ha, although under vine there are only 87 hectares of red and 12 hectares of white. For red wines the vines are Cabernet Sauvignon 75%, Cabernet Franc 3%, Petit Verdot 3%, Merlot 20%. Barrels are made in the château's own cooperage, the reds spending eighteen months to two years in new wood. In recent vintages the proportion of Cabernet in the Grand Vin has increased significantly.

The second wine of the estate is Pavillon Rouge de Château Margaux which has been produced since the 19th Century, making it among the longest established of such wines, and there's now a third (since 2013) and even a fourth wine.

Château Margaux also produce a very successful white wine - Pavillon Blanc de Château Margaux - 100% Sauvignon Blanc, aged in wood for six months. This is classified as AOC Bordeaux as there is no appellation for white Margaux.

Aprroximate annual production is:
Château Margaux: 120,000 bottles
Pavillon Rouge du Château Margaux: 100 000 bottles.
Margaux du Château Margaux: 60 000 bottles.
Pavillon Blanc du Château Margaux: 10 000 bottles.

This wine isn't currently part of a mixed case, but you can always browse our full selection of mixed cases here.
  • For full delivery details see our Delivery page.
  • We offer free nationwide* delivery for all orders over £150 with our own vans. We also offer an express delivery service for an additional charge.
  • Order & Collect from any of our 5 London shops. Order by Midnight for collection the next working day from 11am.
  • Private wine storage: we offer a full In Bond and Duty Paid private wine storage service - find out more here.

ORDER     COLLECT

ORDER ONLINE AND COLLECT FROM ONE OF OUR SHOPS