An amazing 2005! The Merlot that was not allowed a place in the blend of the top wine brings incredible power and life to the Pavillon Rouge. It makes up 48% of the blend! The Cabernet Sauvignon (also 48%) contributes both density and restraint which could have been missing with the opulent, fleshy character of the Merlot. The Petit Verdot (4%) plays its discreet and necessary part to the full as an accent in the blend. The wine as a whole is surprisingly powerful, fat and balanced –that’s the magic of blending! The 2005, along with the 2010 and 2015, is the richest Pavillon Rouge, in tannin and alcohol, that we have ever produced. It is already very good to drink, but will benefit from several more years of aging. (October 2018)
Margaux
Climate
The colder than average winter delayed the bud-break by a week compared with the usual dates. Then, a hot, sunny spring brought about even vegetation growth and led to a quick flowering as from the first days of June on exactly the same dates as the previous year. Thanks to excellent weather conditions, the setting was perfect, but the crop potential turned out to be lower than in 2004, displaying significantly fewer bunches per vine.
The weather was fine and sunny throughout the whole of the summer, and above all, particularly dry: barely 100 millimetres of rainfall between May 1 and the beginning of the harvest! We had never seen such weather before. Luckily, the hot weather was not extreme. It doesn't bear thinking what such a drought would have done to the 2003 vintage! But the great terroirs (and this is partly why they are great terroirs) have an amazing capacity to smooth out nature's excesses. They seem to react with the same sense of moderation and balance which is the hallmark of the wines they produce. (Picking began on September 20th)