2023 Chateau Pavie Macquin, Saint-Emilion Grand Cru, France (750ml)

WINEMAKER'S NOTES: 

Blend: 82% Merlot, 17% Cabernet Franc, 1% Cabernet Sauvignon

TASTING NOTES:

This shows limestone, plum, citrus and mineral character with a savory, almost saline twist and touches of oyster shells, dried meat and oranges. Really quintessential and full of chalky fruit that unwinds and dissolves through the finish. So much character and personality. Best Pavie-Macquin ever? Precise in every wy. 84% merlot, 15% cabernet franc and 1% cabernet sauvignon. Drinkable now, but better from 2027.

- James Suckling, 99 pts. 

The 2023 Pavie Macquin is one of the stars of the vintage. An exceptional, vibrant wine, Pavie Macquin dazzles from start to finish. Seamless tannins wrap around a core of inky red/purplish fruit, lavender, mint, spice and blood orange, all framed by bright, salivating acids. The transition toward higher-density vineyards and greater freshness is paying huge dividends. This is a stellar effort from the château and long-time consultant Stephane Derenoncourt, who has kept Pavie Macquin as one of just a handful of estates he personally follows these days. In a word: Brilliant! Tasted two times. –Antonio Galloni
Barrel Sample: 95-97

- Vinous, 97 pts. 

Super fragranced on the nose, really floral and evocative with heady aromas - expressive, ripe and sweet fruit elements too. Super high acidity on the palate, but actually this really works with a soft chalky, powdery bite to the tannins. It’s touching on lean, more straight and less concentrated than Larcis Ducasse at this point. The focus here is the fun, lifted side. So precise, finessed, and detailed with layers of fine tannins, bright fruit and tons of energy yet still with concentration and firm red summer berry fruit. I love it.
Barrel Sample: 96

- Decanter, 96 pts. 

Aromas of sweet raspberries, cherries and plums mingle with notions of licorice and creamy new oak, introducing the 2023 Pavie Macquin, a medium to full-bodied, layered and concentrated wine with a deep core of fruit, tangy acids and powdery tannins. As higher density plantings on the plateau with superior vine genetics start to enter into production, and as the south of the property is restructured, this estate's tannins are becoming more refined, even if the very low pH of 3.35 still tends to foreground the wine's structure.
Barrel Sample: 93-95

- Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 95 pts. 

Subtle underlying tension runs from start to finish, keeping the mix of bitter cherry, mulled plum, iris and sandalwood notes focused and streamlined in feel. A savory flicker at the end brings you back for more. Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon.

- Wine Spectator, 95 pts. 

A Merlot-dominant blend of 82% Merlot, 17% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Cabernet Sauvignon from a cooler, north-facing terroir, the 2023 Château Pavie Macquin is always one of my favorite wines in Saint-Emilion. Aged 18 months in 50% new barrels with the balance in second-fill oak and a portion in cement tanks, it sports a deep ruby/plum hue as well as great aromatics of darker, almost blue fruits, crushed stone, and graphite. Medium-bodied on the palate, it has a concentrated, structured, mineral-laced profile with the integrated acidity that's the hallmark of this terroir. Hide bottles for a decade if you can, and it will see its 30th birthday in fine form. Drink 2036-2053. Rating: 94+

- Jeb Dunnuck, 94 pts.