Château Pavie Macquin 2017

Noticeable extract right from the outset, with a fleshy, even imposing structure, consistent with the en primeur tasting.

Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2017 Pavie Macquin comes charging out of the glass with exuberant scents of warm black cherries, blackberry pie and wild blueberry coulis plus hints of menthol, licorice, candied violets and charcuterie. Medium-bodied, the palate is an exercise in precision and poise, featuring a beautiful frame of wonderfully ripe, very fine-grained tannins and bold freshness, finishing very long and multilayered. Simply stunning! The blend here is 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc. It was aged for 16 months in French oak barrels, 70% new.

Features a delightfully pure aromatic burst of cassis and cool plum fruit leading off, followed by a rush of violet and lilac notes that add lift. Underneath, a subtle graphite edge injects sneaky length through the finish. Built on purity and cut. Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. Best from 2022 through 2040. 4,833 cases made.

A mouth-filling wine with supple, complete tannins that are caressing and engaging. Fascinating aromas and flavors of blackberries, iodine and violets. Extremely long and beautiful. Wait until 2024.

The 2017 Pavie-Macquin was impressive from barrel and now in bottle, it continues to show potential. The bouquet is very pure with small dark cherries, cassis, violet and peony aromas. The new oak is nicely integrated. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins that belie the backbone of this Saint-Émilion. There is a citric element that suffuses the intense black fruit laced with graphite and tar, the limestone soils offering freshness on the finish. Excellent.

With a strong sense of minerality, flowers, smoke, red pit fruits and licorice, the wine lets you know it's going to be good. After sensing the concentration, freshness and sweetness in the berries, you get the same idea. But the wine will take 7-8 years to soften and come around.

Deep dark ruby with purple reflections and a delicate bright rim. There are aromas of fresh tangerines, dark berry and cherry fruit beneath, with just a hint of ripe plums and nougat. This is a full-bodied, elegant wine, balanced by fine, supporting tannins and cherry flavours on the lingering finish. It will age well.

Coming from a cool terroir located on the upper plateau, just behind Chateau Pavie, the 2017 Chateau Pavie Macquin checks in as a mix of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc that spent 16 months in 70% new French oak. This wine is always closed, tannic, and hard to understand in its youth, yet blossoms with 7-8 years of bottle age. The 2017 sports a deep, purple/ruby color as well as beautiful notes of black raspberries, cassis, huge minerality, white flowers, and loamy earth. Medium to full-bodied, concentrated, yet silky and seamless on the palate, it doesn't have the sheer weight and flesh of the 2015 and 2016 yet is flawlessly balanced, has terrific tannins, and a great finish. It will be drinkable with just 4-6 years of bottle age and cruise for 15-20 years or more.

Deep ruby red with violet highlights. Enormous, seductive fruit intensity with blueberry notes: Alpine blueberries, blackberries, and elderberry. On the supple palate, a creamy texture and tremendous juicy freshness and precision give the wine great finesse and energy.

Kunz barrel sample 18: (80% Merlot, 18% Cabernet Franc, 2% Cabernet Franc, 34 hl/ha) Velvety, delicately jammy, sweet bouquet, raspberry jam, cherries, licorice. Velvety, broad palate with powerful, sweet aromatics, generous structure, finely sandy tannins, long, opulent finish.

(80% Merlot, 18% Cabernet Franc, 2% Cabernet Franc, 34 hl/ha) Silky, slightly jammy, sweet bouquet with raspberry jam, cherries, licorice. A silky, broad palate with powerful, sweet aromas, a plush structure, fine sandy tannins, and a long, opulent finish. 17/20 2024 - 2040

Drunk at home over supper with friends, this gorgeous Pavie Macquin was further proof to me that the 2017s — particularly those from Saint-Émilion’s clay-limestone plateau — are tasting exceptional right now. It’s not a vintage with the structure for long cellaring, but I thoroughly recommend enjoying the sappy blueberry and redcurrant fruit, saffron, and the salty scrape of limestone, with sculpted tannins. A definite contender for Christmas drinking.

The 2017 Pavie Macquin is medium to deep garnet in color. It rolls out of the glass with expressive notes of warm redcurrant, black raspberries, and mulberries, plus suggestions of sauteed herbs, cast iron pan, and dried rose, with a hint of aniseed. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is taut and muscular with chewy tannins and a bright, refreshing finish.

Lovely aromas of black cherry and pepper, an enveloping, voluptuous palate with great substance, an intense grain of tannin, all concluding in a beautiful, sapid finish.

A generous, moreish wine: juicy, fruity, elegant and silky, with round, integrated tannins.

Garnet red with violet highlights. A complex, multifaceted bouquet that reveals itself slowly. At first, the élevage notes take the lead, then give way to spicy and fruity nuances. An inviting, moreish attack. On the palate, the wine is dense, compact, and supported by broad, precise tannins. They have the substance needed to match the acidity of the structure. A wine that combines charm and character.

Dark, bright, and intense color. Very aromatic, intense nose with ripe fruit. After a delicate entry on the palate, the wine is smooth, with very vibrant fruit at mid-palate. Full of energy, it stretches into the finish, very well-constructed, flavorful, and long. I note that from this vintage onward, the proportion of Cabernet Franc in the blend increases (18%).

There is no such thing as a “small vintage” at Pavie Macquin. The contained power and the infinitely chalky touch inherent to this telluric terroir are once again on display in this classy 2017. These strengths come adorned with an array of prune d’Ente and licorice, a hint of blackcurrant liqueur, and a finely peppery backbone. The texture, satin-smooth and electric, stretches out long to a subtly mentholated finish. A total triumph.

Powerful yet well-balanced and carefully extracted, this shows St‑Emilion’s confident power with plenty of wonderful slate character to keep everything in check. There are walls of damson and dark chocolate to climb here, and it breaks right out of the 2017 pigeonhole. Great stuff, one of the best in the lineup, and a clear step up from how it was showing En Primeur.

This wine is driven by power and dense tannins. Weight and concentration are keys to the wine's potential. At the same time, the juicy fruit and richness promise well for the future. Drink this big wine from 2024.