Never before has our insistence on quality been so great for the Pavillon Rouge; today we are producing half as much as we did ten years ago. For the 2015 vintage no more than 23% of our harvest went into the blend. Thanks to this severity, the style of the Pavillon Rouge is continuing to approach that of the Grand Vin. The Cabernet Sauvignon constitutes 74% of the blend; it brings a dense texture, an ample palate and a long finish sustained by the peppered mint and sap aromas. The Merlot accounts for 21% of the blend and envelops the wine with a captivating silky veil. The 4% of Petit Verdot brings spicy aromas and the 1% of Cabernet Franc completes the blend. With its structure, its refinement and its length, the Pavillon Rouge 2015 is probably the best Pavillon Rouge that we have ever produced.
(April 2016)
Margaux
Climate
Winter, which was appreciably colder than those of the previous years, caused late, but perfectly regular blossoming. Dry and sunny weather in the spring made for optimal conditions, so flowering took place very quickly and homogenously. This hot, dry weather persisted throughout the months of June and July, to a point where we were afraid there could be water stress, at least in the most sensitive plots. Fortunately a little rain in August arrived just in time to ensure a quick and regular colour-change. The drought, which arrived again in September, together with very warm days and cool nights, enabled the grapes to balance their richness in sugar with good acidity, to render their tannins more silky and to make their aromatic potential more complex.
The harvest of the reds took place from September 18th to October 6th. The small size of the grapes and their thicker skins indicated a very high concentration of tannins. The 2015 weather conditions are, in fact, the feature of very great vintages, like 2005, 2009 and 2010.