Pavillon Blanc du Margaux

Pavillon Blanc du Margaux

Classification: Third Wine of Château Margaux
Pavillon Blanc du Margaux is the rare Third Wine of  Château Margaux and is part of an age old tradition at the château. It was sold in the 19th century as 'vin blanc de sauvignon'. The 30 acre vineyard is made up exclusively of Sauvignon white grapes. It is located on a very old plot belonging to the estate and the Sauvignon grapes reach a level of ripeness which rids them of their vegetal characters and brings out floral and fruity notes.

Château Margaux  is the Médoc's only First Growth outside of Pauillac. The history of Château Margaux  stretches back to the 12th Century when it was known as La Mothe de Margaux. La Mothe comes from the French word motte, meaning a small rise in the land. The château was once the residence of Edward III, King of England, and was one of the most stately fortified châteaux in Guyenne. The château that we see today was built by the Marquis of La Colonilla when he acquired the estate in 1804.

The wines of Château Margaux  have been famous for centuries - in 1705, the London Gazette offered the first sale of great Bordeaux wines: 230 barrels of 'Margoose'! The 1771 vintage was the first claret to appear in a Christie's catalogue. The English Prime Minister, Sir Robert Walpole bought 4 casks of Margaux every 3 months and Thomas Jefferson, the President of the United States wrote, 'there cannot be a better bottle of Bordeaux'.

Château Margaux  was purchased by Laura and Andre Mentzelopoulos in 1977 and Andre was affectionately known as “the Greek in the Médoc”. The Mentzelopoulos family invested heavily in the château and Emile Peynaud was retained as a consultant to oversee the vinification of the wine. The second wine Pavillon Rouge du Château Margaux  was reintroduced and Pavillon Blanc du Château Margaux was redefined. The château is now run by Andre's daughter Corinne.

The 30 acre vineyard that makes Pavillon Blanc du Château Margaux lies further inland than the red grape vineyards and the soil is gravel over a subsoil of clay known as Calcaire de Plassac. The vineyard is 100% Sauvignon Blanc and the wine is fermented in oak, 1/3rd new, and 50% of the wine undergoes batonnage (stirring to increase flavour extraction) on the lees.

Wine Style
Pavillon Blanc du Château Margaux is fresh and aromatic with lots of grassy, green pepper notes characteristic of the Sauvignon Blanc grape. It's a yellow gold wine which is elegant and luscious with notes of melon, lemon, honey and hay with a hint of minerals.  Pavillon Blanc du Château Margaux has the depth, power and complexity you would expect from Château Margaux.

Owner: Corinne Mentzelopoulos
Château Website: www.chateau-margaux.com
Oenologist: J Boissenot