2023
2023
2023
The Pavillon Blanc harvest took place between September 2nd and 8th, slightly later than in recent years. Harvest conditions were ideal, with no health issues in the vineyard, allowing us to work at a calm, steady pace. The mild summer temperatures and absence of heat spikes favoured gradual ripening, preserving the balance between freshness and concentration. As always, our teams began early in the morning to pick the berries at the coolest possible temperatures for optimal preservation of their aromas and flavours. On our 11 hectares dedicated to sauvignon blanc, plot selection plays a key role in the wine’s production. All our white grape plots are harvested and vinified separately in the modern winery designed by Norman Foster. Conceived to combine precision and excellence, these winemaking facilities allow each batch to be handled with meticulous care, further refining our quest to achieve the purest possible expression of sauvignon blanc. In our pursuit of perfection, we have applied even more rigorous standards. In recent years, less than half of the harvest has been used for Pavillon Blanc du Château Margaux, with the remainder going to the Pavillon Blanc Second Vin. This enables us to further refine the Pavillon Blanc style. (November 2025)
Climate
The winter of 2022-2023 was relatively mild, although there were about ten days of real winter temperatures in the first half of February.
There was also not much rain during the first few months of 2023: 196 mm in Margaux, allowing only a very light replenishment of groundwater reserves after an extremely hot, dry 2022 vintage. In these conditions, bud break occurred between the 3rd and the 10th of April.
Fortunately, spring did not bring any of the feared frosts. Rain was sparse but frequent during the growing season. There were just two weeks of sustained rain in June (72 mm). However, these conditions made it potentially difficult to keep the vines healthy. The high relative humidity in the air created very favourable conditions for downy mildew. Our vineyard teams succeeded in main¬taining healthy foliage to ensure good-quality ripening of the grapes and a successful harvest.
The vines flowered between the 31st of May and the 5th of June in good conditions, with no signs of coulure or millerandage.
2023 was markedly different from the previous vintage in terms of temperature. In 2022, there were very early heatwaves. In 2023, we had just one real heatwave, between the 17th and the 24th of August, the period when the grape skins mature, becoming thinner and more sensitive to the com-bined action of high temperatures and sunshine. The berries that were most exposed to the sun suffered scalding, forcing us to do a lot of sorting during the harvest.
The Pavillon Blanc harvest took place between September 2nd and 8th, slightly later than in recent years. Harvest conditions were ideal, with no health issues in the vineyard, allowing us to work at a calm, steady pace. The mild summer temperatures and absence of heat spikes favoured gradual ripening, preserving the balance between freshness and concentration. As always, our teams began early in the morning to pick the berries at the coolest possible temperatures for optimal preservation of their aromas and flavours. On our 11 hectares dedicated to sauvignon blanc, plot selection plays a key role in the wine’s production. All our white grape plots are harvested and vinified separately in the modern winery designed by Norman Foster. Conceived to combine precision and excellence, these winemaking facilities allow each batch to be handled with meticulous care, further refining our quest to achieve the purest possible expression of sauvignon blanc. In our pursuit of perfection, we have applied even more rigorous standards. In recent years, less than half of the harvest has been used for Pavillon Blanc du Château Margaux, with the remainder going to the Pavillon Blanc Second Vin. This enables us to further refine the Pavillon Blanc style. (November 2025)
Climate
The winter of 2022-2023 was relatively mild, although there were about ten days of real winter temperatures in the first half of February.
There was also not much rain during the first few months of 2023: 196 mm in Margaux, allowing only a very light replenishment of groundwater reserves after an extremely hot, dry 2022 vintage. In these conditions, bud break occurred between the 3rd and the 10th of April.
Fortunately, spring did not bring any of the feared frosts. Rain was sparse but frequent during the growing season. There were just two weeks of sustained rain in June (72 mm). However, these conditions made it potentially difficult to keep the vines healthy. The high relative humidity in the air created very favourable conditions for downy mildew. Our vineyard teams succeeded in main¬taining healthy foliage to ensure good-quality ripening of the grapes and a successful harvest.
The vines flowered between the 31st of May and the 5th of June in good conditions, with no signs of coulure or millerandage.
2023 was markedly different from the previous vintage in terms of temperature. In 2022, there were very early heatwaves. In 2023, we had just one real heatwave, between the 17th and the 24th of August, the period when the grape skins mature, becoming thinner and more sensitive to the com-bined action of high temperatures and sunshine. The berries that were most exposed to the sun suffered scalding, forcing us to do a lot of sorting during the harvest.
Service & tasting
Discover our tips for serving and tasting your wine in the best conditions.
Service & tasting
Discover our tips for serving and tasting your wine in the best conditions.