Pavillon Rouge du Château Margaux 2018

A second wine at this iconic Margaux property has been made since the 17th century, though under its present name, only since 1908. It was 'reborn' in 1977, when the property, under mounting debts, was sold to André Mentzelopoulos and it has stayed in the same family since, with Paul Pontallier as techical director for 30 years. Quality also went up further with the creation of both a third and fourth wine. Barely a third of the estate's grapes go into the top wine, and only about a quarter of the harvest into Pavillon, selection is so strict. All the sorting is done manually, in the vineyard. Using a high proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon, this wine has a firm tannic structure to enable serious ageing, even though it's a second wine.