Château Paveil de Luze, Margaux 2019

In the words of Jancis Robinson the 2019 is ‘very Margaux’, which, in our opinion, captures it pretty neatly. Given that Paveil de Luze is on the more reasonably priced side for the appellation, that’s a compliment worth having. The blend is typical for the Left Bank – 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Merlot – and the style follows suit. Perfumed, with floral notes and ripe fruit aromas, it leads into a palate of cassis and red berries, smooth tannins and well-judged oak, with the deeper colour, earthy hints and a faintly salty twist just adding a bit of extra depth.

This is now nicely mature and drinking at its best and will stay that way for a few years yet. Think about pairing with something like partridge or duck.

Château Paveil de Luze is one of the Médoc’s older family-owned properties, in the de Luze family since 1862, and its history is that of a once-grand Margaux estate that fell on hard times in the mid-1900s and has since worked its way back to respectability. Much of that resurgence is down to Frédéric de Luze who, from 2004, renovated the cellars and facilities and tightened up viticulture and winemaking, nudging the style towards a more precise, fragrant and classically framed Margaux. After his untimely death in 2016 at just 54, his sisters Marguerite and Catherine, together with the wider family, have kept the estate firmly on that improved footing.