Pavillon Blanc Second Vin 2023

Golden-yellow color, fragrant nose, ripe citrus fruit, white peach, linden blossom; crisp palate, plenty of freshness, light-footed, with spice and verve, dancingly light, long finish, saline touch.

Pineapples, white peaches, spice, and orange ring nuances create the perfume. The palate continues with that theme. The citrus is lively, crisp, and sweet, with a bright tone to the fruits in the zesty finish. The wine is produced from 100% Sauvignon Blanc. Drink from 2026-2038.

Peach, apricot, nectarine, white chocolate, smells a little lemongrass and yoghurt on the nose, some richness on the nose. Weighty with a great texture on the palate. Seeing acidity gives the lift straight away - lemon juice, fully citrus, but so clean and so mineral too with oyster shell and salt on the undercurrent. It’s still quite lean, but graceful and very elegant and very moreish. I love the style, sharp and tangy. Fresh, orange, lemon and peach, lovely bitter elements with juiciness and some richness in terms of texture. Bright and alive. It’s very good. I like the tang on the super long finish. Well constructed. The teams picked between August 23 and 30 just in the mornings and pressed gently to preserve acidity. 3.15pH - a little higher than in 2021. 37hl/ha yield. 45% grand vin production, 50% second wine.

The 2023 Pavillon Blanc was tasted against the 2024 and frankly, I prefer the latter. This does not quite have the same éclat or what you might call “spark.” Pleasant scents of Conference pear and grassy meadow though without the charm of the 2024. The palate is well-balanced with ample weight. A keen line of acidity, meliorating toward a tensile finish with orange pith and green apples, a residue of spice lingering on the finish. It actually finishes on a high. Very fine … but I prefer the 2024.

Touch of reductive gunsmoke energy on the opening, with an expansive mid-palate, and a hum of white pear, mango, sage, dill, lemongrass, steel, oyster shell. Spends nine months on the lees during ageing. Harvest August 18-23, 34l/h yield, rebounding after the very low 2022. Philippe Bascaules director. 45% Pavillon Blanc and almost all of the rest in the 2nd wine.

Score: 93–95. A fresh, finely cut nose with notes of vanilla and apricot blossom. The palate is very appealing—creamy, silky, easy-drinking—with notes of green apple and linden blossom.

Pale color. Moderately intense nose, with ripe fruit showing Sauvignon notes. Precise from the attack, fragrant through the mid-palate, with a silky, airy body, the wine finishes long and flavorful.