| Region | |
|---|---|
| Subregion | France > Bordeaux > Right Bank > St Emilion |
| Colour | Red |
| Type | Still |
Inky bluish/purple in color, Pavie Macquin produced a prodigious effort from St.-Emilion in 2005. Its crushed, chalky rock minerality, massive body, and high tannin make for a wine to forget for another decade. Super-loaded, concentrated and powerful, this wine should turn out great, but patience will be required. The blackberry and cassis fruit are there in abundance, but so is a massive structure. Anticipated maturity: 2020-2035.
I find that there is a touch of over-ripeness and brettanomyces on the nose of this Pavie-Macquin: sloes, liquorice, mulberry and dark plum smudged by alcohol. The palate is ripe and decadent on the entry and then it ebbs away as if it has been tapped on the shoulder and reminded that Bordeaux should be elegant. Ergo, I much prefer the refined finish compared to the unruly entry. Give it a few years to coalesce. Tasted December 2012.
Tasted blind. Dark crimson. Attractively mellow nose. Pretty heavily charged with tannin but also with fruit. Acidity in evidence and there seems to be enough fruit for the tannin.
Drink 2017-2032
Very ripe slightly raisined plums and sweet black cherry fruit. Much fresher on the palate. Lush though still firm. Fine acidity balances the ripeness but lacks elegance. Pretty chewy. Drink 2009-2016.Date tasted 12th Feb 08.
Bright ruby-red. Superripe, perfumed nose dominated by griotte cherry, raspberry and cocoa. Lush, smooth and impressively concentrated, with enough acidity and minerality to leaven the wine's almost port-like ripeness (the pH here, always low, is barely 3.55 in 2005, according to Nicolas Thienpont). Very deep flavors of sweet cherry and dark berries carry through on the mounting, palate-saturating finish. A massive example of Pavie-Macquin whose thick coat of baby fat is currently making the wine hard to view. This one is going to require a minimum of a decade of patience.
Came 95th out of 184 wines
Big noble wine, even more sharply focused than Larcis-Ducasse (made by the same team Derenoncourt and Thienpont). Great truffle/spicy flavour and impressive length, though Decesse has perhaps a little more body and more integrated ripeness of fruit. Great future. Drink from 2017.
It appears consumers can’t go wrong with any 2005 with the word “Pavie” in its name. This outstanding terroir, elevated to Premier Grand Cru Classe status in St.-Emilion’s reclassification, is run with impeccable attention to detail by Nicolas Thienpont, who is assisted by winemaking guru, Stephane Derenoncourt. The 2005 Pavie Macquin may turn out to be this duo’s finest wine to date. This is a moderately large vineyard (37 acres) for the area, and the blend tends to be 70% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. A black/purple color is accompanied by aromas of charcoal, burning embers, crushed rocks, sweet, pure, blueberries and blackberries, chocolaty creme de cassis, and licorice. It possesses massive concentration, phenomenal levels of tannin, and good acidity, but it is even more backward than either Pavie or Pavie Decesse. A modern day elixir that should prove to be monumental in 15-20 years, it will last for 40+ years.
As of 2006, Pavie Macquin is one of St.-Emilion’s new Premier Grand Cru Classes, although the 2006 reclassification of St.-Emilion has been suspended by a Bordeaux judge because of a pending lawsuit from three estates that were demoted (justifiably in my opinion.) Their 2005 may be the finest wine they have yet produced – even better than their brilliant 2000 and 1998. From a 37-acre vineyard, this blend of 70% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon is fermented in open top tanks with pigeage, malolactic in barrel, aging on its lees, and batonnage, all a la Burgundy. It achieved 14.5% natural alcohol, which must be an all-time record at this estate. Over 4,000 cases will be produced. A fascinating wine that reminded me of a top vintage of Ausone, it represents the essence of its terroir as well as richness. Black/purple to the rim with an extraordinary, intense nose of crushed rocks, spring flowers, blueberries, blackberries, creme de cassis, licorice, and camphor, it possesses superb depth, huge tannin, and massive concentration as well as freshness (from acidity and definition). This legendary effort should be drinkable in a decade, and last for 35+ years. Out of this world!
Looking more like a young vintage port than a Bordeaux, Pavie-Macquin’s inky/purple-colored 2005 exhibits notes of graphite, melted licorice, espresso roast, crushed rocks, white flowers, blackberries, and creme de cassis. Packed and stacked and stuffed with extract, power, and tannin, this 75% Merlot/20% Cabernet Franc/5% Cabernet Sauvignon blend’s technical numbers are unprecedented. It should enjoy a remarkably long life of three decades or more. The 2005 is capable of challenging this estate’s brilliant 2003 and 2000.
Aromas of licorice and blackberry. Violets. Full-bodied, with chewy tannins and lots of berry and cherry character. A blockbuster. Is it better than 2003? We will see. This is monumental.
