2021 PAVILLON BLANC du Château Margaux, Lea & Sandeman

PAVILLON BLANC

2021 du Château Margaux

Grapes Sauv, Sémillon
Colour White
Origin France, Bordeaux
ABV 13.5%

The 2021 Pavillon Blanc is fascinating to taste next to the 2020, as the two wines represent total stylistic opposites. Bright citrus, mineral and saline notes are at the heart of the 2021, a Pavillon Blanc that sizzles with tension an energy. Drinking range: 2024 - 2030 Rating: 96 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Feb 2023)


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.


Since I reviewed the 2020 last year, I tasted the bottled 2021 Pavillon Blanc during my visit. The nose is a little stubborn at first, opening with discrete white peach and yellow plum scents, a touch of jasmine. It's certainly less flamboyant than the barrel sample. The palate is well balanced with a lively entry, citrus fresh with lemon verbena, menthol and pineapple notes. Strangely, it's got something…Chardonnay about it! Vibrant, maybe a little exotic compared to previous vintages, full of joie-de-vivre on the finish. Drinking range: 2023 - 2038 Rating: 93 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Feb 2023)

100 Sauvignon Blanc | 25% new oak | Lees stirred for a few months. | Will be bottled in June 2022. | 13.3% alc | pH 3.04 lowest ever pH | This wine represents 52% of the harvest. Superbly defined and Ninja-like with its expressive fruit and combative acidity, this is as keen-edged as Pavillon gets, and it is seriously challenging with brittle acidity and amazing deft citrus flavours over lighter moments of lantana and honeysuckle. Crisp pear, ginger and white peach notes swirl, but citrus holds fort making this a superstar in 2021. Rating: 19 Matthew Jukes www.matthewjukes.com (Jun 2022)

This is a really serious white. Vibrant and tangy with fantastic energy. Plenty of lime zest, pineapple, crushed stone, cedar, anise and white lavender. Grapefruit, too. Medium body. So much tension at the end. Focused and precise and it just keeps on going. The pH is 3.04, yet it has intense ripeness. A masterpiece of sauvignon blanc. The chateau says it is the best Pavillon Blanc ever. 100% sauvignon blanc. Rating: 99-100 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (May 2022)

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, Margaux was widely recognised for the quality of their wines - in 1771 Château Margaux 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 who's 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 1960's, 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 Mentzelpoulos 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 Mentzelpoulos family. After 43 years, Alexis, supported by his sister Alexandra, has taken over from his mother Corrine. Alexis state he is "firmly committed to continuing the family objective of making Château Margaux one of the greatest wines in the world." Château Margaux is a large estate, running to nearly 265ha, although under vine there are only 82ha. For red wines the vines are 75% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Merlot with smaller plantings of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Wines are fermented and aged in barrels made at Margaux's own cooperage, the reds spending up to two years in wood. 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. 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.

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.

RELATED PRODUCTS

ORDER     COLLECT

ORDER ONLINE AND COLLECT FROM ONE OF OUR SHOPS