Pavillon Rouge 2024

The richness and elegance of a second wine from Margaux

The estate
A centuries‐old testament to the influence of Bordeaux’s great crus, the Château Margaux traces its origins back to the 12th century. Classified First Growth in 1855, it was the only estate to receive the maximum rating in this famous classification. In 1977, the arrival of André Mentzelopoulos marked a turning point in the estate’s history, driven by a clear ambition to elevate the Grand Vin to the pinnacle of excellence. He also relaunched the château’s second wine, Pavillon Rouge, created in 1908. Today, his daughter Corinne carries on this quest for excellence with passion, continuing the family legacy at the helm of this emblematic estate, whose elegant neo-Palladian architecture remains a symbol.

The vineyard
The vineyards extend over an exceptional terroir situated on a gravel ridge in the heart of the Margaux appellation. The plots are planted predominantly with cabernet sauvignon, complemented by merlot, petit verdot and cabernet franc. This gravelly, clay-limestone soil, combined with rigorous viticultural expertise, yields wines of rare finesse, brilliantly expressing the terroir’s typicity.

The wine
Pavillon Rouge is the estate’s second wine.

The vintage

The 2024 vintage began under exceptionally heavy rainfall, with over 1000 mm falling between October and March—a record. The mild winter accelerated the vine’s cycle, causing early bud break at the end of March. Persistent humidity imposed strong downy mildew pressure, complicating access to the plots and requiring constant vigilance. Flowering, slightly delayed, took place in early June, followed by an extended véraison in August, in a humid climate reminiscent of the 2014 and 2016 vintages. While the deep, cool soils suffered, the well-draining gravels held up better. Despite these challenges, the teams maintained high standards, with rigorous sorting and moderate yields (30 hL/ha), preserving the balance between concentration and finesse. Sourced from well-drained terroirs, less sensitive to excessive moisture and more resistant to heavy rains and downy mildew attacks, this cuvée represents 28% of the harvest this year.

Blend
This Pavillon Rouge 2024 is the result of a blend of 77% cabernet sauvignon, 11% merlot, 9% cabernet franc and 3% petit verdot.