2023 Pavie Macquin
Buying options
Tasting notes
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.
Critic scores
Average Score
James Suckling
William Kelley, Wine Advocate
More reviews and scores
The 2023 Pavie Macquin is a wine of power and structure. Dark fruit, mocha, grilled herbs and incense are some of the notes that open in the glass. In most vintages, Pavie Macquin is a much showier wine. The 2023, on the other hand, is going to need at least a few years in bottle to be at its best and most expressive. It emerges nicely with aeration.
The 2023 Pavie Macquin has a slightly more tertiary, forest-floor-tinged bouquet than its peers. Touches of pine filter through the black fruit, well-defined and focused. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, velvety in texture, closing up toward the finish that exerts insistent grip. Good substance here, but it will require longer in bottle before it is open for business.
About the producer
On the hill of Pavie, this property’s 15 hectares of vines neighbour those of Troplong Mondot and Pavie. Under Stéphane Derenoncourt and Nicolas Thienpont, the property was promoted to Premier Grand Cru Classé B status in 2006.