2018 Château Pavie Macquin

Description

98    Jane Anson for Decanter
“This is just so good. Not overly big, it has nuance, sapidity and grace, with space between the lines. It’s not sacrificing its concentration but it gives you a chance to get onboard and accompany it along the way. I love the quality of the brambled blackberry and loganberry fruit here, and the touch of austerity that gives a welcome note of bitter chocolate to the finish. It has great tannic grip and there’s no question that this will age well, but it’s also extremely drinkable now. Tasted several times, and each occasion blew me away. My favourite vintage to date from this property.” (4/2019)

97+    Jeb Dunnuck
One of my favorite wines, the 2018 Château Pavie Macquin is 78% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and the rest Cabernet Sauvignon that comes from a cooler terroir above Pavie. This Cuvée is always hard to judge in its youth, since it’s often closed and reserved, but it builds beautifully with bottle age and offers an incredibly classic, complex, powerful, and elegant profile at maturity. Brought up in 70% new French oak, the 2018 reveals a dense purple hue as well as classic Saint-Emilion notes of cassis, black cherries, white truffle, chalky minerality, violets, and tobacco. Playing in the medium to full-bodied end of the spectrum, it has polished tannin’s, a wonderfully pure, elegant texture, and the balance and class to benefit from a decade of bottle age and keep for three decades or more. (3/2021)

97    James Suckling
“Violets, blackcurrants, cloves, tobacco, orange zest and dark chocolate on the nose. It’s medium-to full-bodied with firm, silky tannins and fresh acidity. Sleek and refined with elegant floral and spice notes on a long finish. Interesting hint of bitterness at the end. Try from 2025.” (3/2021)

95-97    Lisa Perrotti-Brown for Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate
“The 2018 Pavie Macquin is deep garnet-purple colored and a little closed to begin, slowly revealing subtle notions of dark chocolate, candied violets and rose hip tea over a core of plum preserves, blueberry compote and cherry coulis plus wafts of woodsmoke and crushed stones. Full-bodied, the palate has a seriously impressive structure of ripe, firm, velvety tannins and bold freshness carrying off all that rich black fruit, finishing very long and mineral laced.” (4/2019)

96    James Molesworth for Wine Spectator
“Sleek, pure, aromatic and streamlined version, with lovely cassis, cherry puree, violet and mesquite notes tightly wound together, while anise and savory hints peek in. Long finish is carried by chalky minerality. A wine of poise. Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. Best from 2024 through 2037.” (3/2021)

94-96    Wine Enthusiast
“The pure black currant fruits of this exemplary wine are matched with bright acidity and ripe, solid tannins. It is impressively rich and will certainly age well.” (4/2019)

92-95    Antonio Galloni for Vinous
“The 2018 Pavie Macquin is terrific. Ample, creamy and flamboyant, Pavie Macquin possesses extraordinary richness and intensity. Super-ripe dark cherry, raspberry, chocolate, spice, new leather, lavender and violets build in a wine of real pedigree. To be sure, Pavie Macquin is a big wine that is going to need a number of years in bottle to be at its best. The flamboyant style may not appeal to every palate. Today, the new oak is a bit imposing, but élevage should take care of that. Tasted three times.” (4/2019)