Château Margaux Margaux Pavillon Rouge 2015

96 points James Suckling: "This is very tight and compacted with a condensed palate of currant and dark-berry character. A salty and mineral undertone to the wine. Full body and firm and linear tannins. Focused and intense. Long and precise on the finish. This is the best ever second wine of Margaux. Drink after 2023. (2/1/18)"

95 points Chris Kissack (Winedoctor): "The second wine of Château Margaux has seen an élevage in 60% new oak, racked every three months, and bottled in July 2017 after about 22 months élevage. It takes 23% of the crop in this vintage, with 45% destined either for the third wine, or sold off. I find dark and spicy, tightly grained fruit on the nose, dark and savoury, very serious, with black cherry, hawthorn and black olive notes. It is clearly concentrated, and clearly ahead of the appellation pack in this vintage, superior to many grands vins I have tasted. It is concentrated, polished, very finessed, precise, with savoury black fruits. Gently balanced, with silky-tannins, a chalk-dust edging, but also toasted and grilled fruit, the oak coming through a little. An impressive second wine. (May 2018)"

94 points Jeb Dunnuck: "The second wine of the estate is the 2015 Pavillon Rouge and its 74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot and 1% Cabernet Franc raised in 60% new French oak. It’s a sensational wine in its own right, offering smokin’ good notes of crème de cassis, blueberries, toasted spices and ample minerality. Rich, full-bodied, opulent and concentrated with notable tannin, give bottles 4-5 years and enjoy over the following two decades or more. Drink: 2022-2042. (11/30/17)"

94 points Neal Martin (Vinous): "The 2015 Pavillon Rouge de Margaux has a detailed, wonderfully focused bouquet of violet-infused black fruit, sublime mineralité and real sophistication; the oak is seamlessly integrated. The very well-balanced palate offers filigreed tannin and layers of sweet black cherry and cassis fruit that segue into a tensile, mineral-driven finish. Pure joy, pure class. Tasted blind at the Southwold 2015 Bordeaux tasting. (Jul 2019)"

94 points Wine Enthusiast: "This wine's beautiful tannins are complemented by the ripe black fruits. Together they give a wine that is succulent, rich and firmly structured for long aging. Black currants, blackberries and intense crisp acidity come together in this intense wine. Drink from 2026. Alcohol 14%. (Apr 2018)"

93 points Jane Anson (Decanter): "At six years old, this remains at the very beginning of its drinking life, where you feel the rich texture as your nose hovers over the glass, way before you get anywhere near the ripe berry fruits on the palate. It's a welcoming, powerful and drawn out Pavillon, with the highest level of tannins (and alcohol) that they had seen to date, but manages to never step over the line, as the tannins are supple and juicy, and the crushed raspberry fruits totally moreish. Just 23% of the crop went into the blend, around half as much as they would have used even a decade earlier. 1% Cabernet Franc completes the blend. 60% new oak. Drinking Window: 2022-2038. (6/25/21)"

93 points Antonio Galloni (Vinous): "The 2015 Pavillon Rouge is supremely inviting. Silky and medium in body, with wonderfully fragrant aromatics, the 2015 is a wine of total seduction. Bright red plum, mint, spice, cedar and white pepper are laced together in a racy wine endowed with terrific palate intensity and persistence. The 2015 is already quite open and delicious. I imagine it will continue to drink beautifully for the next 15-20 years or more. Drink: 2020-2035. (Feb 2018)"