Pavillon Rouge 2010

A delicate and balanced Second Red Wine from Margaux

The estate

With origins dating back to the 12th century, Château Margaux is among those Grands Crus that have built the legend of the great wines of Bordeaux around the world. In 1855, the estate was elevated to the rank of Premier Grand Cru Classé and was the only one of the four châteaux presented to receive a perfect score of twenty out of twenty. With the acquisition of the estate by André Mentzelopoulos in 1977, Château Margaux opened a new chapter in its history. Elevating the Grand Vin of Château Margaux to the highest level, he reintroduced the estate’s Second Wine, Pavillon Rouge du Château Margaux, first launched in 1908. Following in her father’s footsteps after his untimely passing, Corinne Mentzelopoulos took up the family banner with energy and passion to preserve the standing of Château Margaux, a Bordeaux masterpiece instantly recognizable by its neo-Palladian style. Vintage after vintage, the estate’s wines rank among the greatest in the world.

The vineyard

The vineyard of Château Margaux owes its distinctiveness to its rare and unique terroir, located on a gravel mound. The estate’s varietal mix strongly favors the region’s flagship black grape, Cabernet Sauvignon, without forgetting Merlot, Petit Verdot, and Cabernet Franc. The estate’s clay-limestone soils give rise to legendary wines, with a racy and sensual character, so representative of the great wines of Margaux.

The wine

This Second Red Wine from Château Margaux accounts for 38% of the harvest for this vintage.

The vintage

The winter, cold and dry, delayed the vine’s awakening, and a capricious spring led to uneven flowering, with a bit of coulure in the old Merlots. Yet on the great terroirs, the vine held firm: rapid, consistent, flawless flowering, driven by Cabernets naturally little affected by these vagaries. From the end of June through harvest, a “Bordeaux-style” drought set in—measured, conducive to ripening and concentration—recalling 2005 or 2009. But 2010 had its own cadence: just as dry, but cooler, with no heatwaves and consistently mild nights. This freshness tamed the drought, lifted certain young vines, heightened the aromas—Sauvignon Blancs and Cabernets foremost—and preserved a fine acidity, the ideal counterpoint to elevated alcohol levels. Harvest took place from September 23 to October 15, as in 2009.

Grape varieties

This 2010 Pavillon Rouge du Château Margaux is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (66%), Merlot (30%) and Petit Verdot (4%).