Pavillon Rouge 2025 is a refined and structured second wine of Château Margaux, showcasing impressive depth, purity, and elegance for the vintage. Predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon with Merlot, Petit Verdot, and Cabernet Franc, it reveals expressive aromas of dark berries, blueberry, violet, rose petals, liquorice, graphite, and subtle spice. Medium- to full-bodied, it combines juicy fruit concentration with a creamy, polished texture and finely grained tannins. Balanced by vibrant acidity and a mineral-driven finish, Pavillon Rouge 2025 is both generous and precise, offering early approachability while retaining excellent ageing potential. A serious and beautifully crafted expression of Margaux’s Grand Vin style.

Decanter | D 96
Published: Apr 1, 2026
Drink: 2030-2044

Fresh prune, some balsamic notes, fresh rose petals. Fragrant and dark notes, a touch of spice, some soft minerality. Juicy and succulent – there’s acidity for sure but what stands out is the texture, so soft and creamy on the palate with bright but cool blueberry acidity, some liquorice spice, violet touches and a lot of graphite and pencil lead salinity on the finish. Clearly structured but so generous in terms of fruit purity. Quite a serious Pavillon. Started harvesting young vines on the 8 September, Merlots on 11th and Cabernets on 19th, finishing on the 29th. A yield of 22hl/ha. 3.68pH. 78IPT. 28% second wine production, usually 30%. 12% press wine. 4% Cabernet Franc completes the blend.

The Wine Advocate | RP 91-93
Published: Apr 30, 2026

The 2025 Pavillon Rouge is a serious, youthfully structured second wine, unwinding in the glass with notes of dark berry fruit mingled with notes of anise, licorice and petals. Medium- to full-bodied, supple and lively, with a deep, tightly wound core of primary fruit and a long, vibrant finish, it will reward a bit of patience. This year, Pavillon Rouge represents 28% of the harvest, and it's a blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Merlot, 10% Petit Verdot and 4% Cabernet Franc.

Cropped at 22 hectoliters per hectare, the 2025 vintage is one of the lowest-yielding vintages in Margaux's recent history. Berries were small, and 60 millimeters of August rain was welcomed. Philippe Bascules and his team took the risk to pick late, bringing in most of the Merlot between September 11–19 and following up with the Cabernet Sauvignon, concluding on September 29. Macerations were adapted tank by tank, ranging from 12–28 days and at temperatures from 25 to 30 degrees Celsius to match extraction to the profile of the fruit.

Jancis Robinson | JR 17
Published: Apr 15, 2026
Drink: 2032-2050

70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Merlot, 10% Petit Verdot, 4% Cabernet Franc. 28% of the production. Cask sample.
Aromatically fragrant and fresh. Quite a powerful tannic frame but the tannins cushioned by the succulent fruit. Plenty of drive on the finish. Fine despite the alcohol. (JL)

Chateau-margaux.com

The Pavillon Rouge 2020 blend is fairly classic: 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc. Pavillon Rouge represents 31% of the harvest. Even though our selection criteria were as strict as for previous vintages, the percentage of Pavillon Rouge is slightly higher this year thanks to the consistency of quality conducive to great vintages. Besides this year's climatic conditions, we hope that this increased quality is also the fruit of our efforts in the parcels whose quality approaches that of the Grand Vin. (April 2019)

Please read the full En Primeur terms & conditions.

Technical Specs

Alcohol: Not yet confirmed
Closure: Natural cork (expected; final packaging not confirmed)
Harvest: 2025
Oak: French oak barrel ageing; duration and proportion of new oak to be confirmed
Varietals: 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc
Farming: Environmentally conscious vineyard management; specific vintage details not yet confirmed
Vineyard Area: Château Margaux, Margaux, Médoc, Bordeaux, France
Vinification: To be confirmed following completion of the 2025 vintage's production and official technical release
Winemaker: Château Margaux winemaking team
Region: Margaux AOC, Bordeaux, France

Serving Temperature: 16–18°C
Decanting: To be assessed on release; typically 1–2 hours for young Bordeaux, depending on the wine's structure
Food Pairing: Roast lamb, grilled beef tenderloin, duck breast, venison, braised short ribs, and aged hard cheeses.