Pavillon Blanc du Château Margaux, 2022
With the good fortune to have a frost protection sprinkler system at their disposal, Pavillon Blanc was entirely spared any frost damage, despite temperatures plunging to -6ºC on the 27th April. As ever, the blend is 100% Sauvignon Blanc, from 45 year old vines in Virefougasse. A tremendous success, wonderfully crystalline and pure, with notes of essential citrus oil, lemon pith, rock salt and bergamot that reverberate around the palate, lifting towards the finish that is long and mouth-watering, probably the result of the very low pH of 3.07. Laser-like and beautifully balanced.
critic reviews
This is 100% Sauvignon Blanc as always, and represents 50% of the crop, after picking in mid-August, the earliest picking for the whites here. The other 50% was split between a second wine for the first time, and the rest sold in bulk as usual. A beautifully expressive and pure Sauvignon Blanc nose, with delicately bitter citrus fruits, peach skin and smoky matchstick. The palate is broad shouldered, with a soft and supple presence, easy-going and filled with powdery texture, but a very light presence of acidity reflecting the warmth of 2022, and some phenolic grip. It lacks a little form for me, but this is the overarching style of whites in 2022 I feel. This will probably age on those phenolics but I doubt it will tighten up. The alcohol on the label is 13.5%.
The 2022 Pavillon Blanc has a light bouquet compared to recent vintages. It's clean and precise, but missing the usual vigor as I noted from barrel. The palate is actually more promising, with citrus lemon, lime and orange rind notes. It finishes with pleasing brightness and openness. This is not a long-term Pavillon—I would drink this over the next decade.
The 2022 Pavillon Blanc, 100% Sauvignon Blanc, is creamy, open-knit and quite seductive. A warm, dry year softened the edges, yielding an especially suave Blanc that can be enjoyed with minimal cellaring. Pear, spice, chamomile, dried flowers and mint all meld together. The 2022 offers plenty of upfront appeal and tons of charm. Harvest began on August 18, one of the earliest starts here ever.
An impressively vibrant wine for this warm vintage, the 2022 Pavillon Blanc offers up inviting aromas of sweet gooseberries, mango, lemongrass and pastry cream, followed by a medium to full-bodied, fleshy palate that's bright and nicely concentrated, concluding with a finish marked by elegantly mordant dry extract. Harvest for Sauvignon Blanc began on 18 August at Chateau Margaux.