Chateau Pavie Macquin 2015
(Saint-Emilion, Bordeaux, France) - [JS 98] [WE 97] [VM 96+] [WS 96] [WA 94] [DM 94]

About the Winery:
Chateau Pavie Macquin owes its name to the grand-father of the current owners Albert Macquin (1852-1911), who used plant grafting as a way to save the Saint-Emilion vineyard, destroyed by phylloxera.

Viticulture:
Surface : 15 ha 
Yields : 47 hL/ha
Plantation density : 6600 feets by ha
Average age of the vineyard : 35 years old
Terroir : limestone clay plateau over asteriated limestone

Vineyard Practices:
Combination of traditional ways (labours) and methods of natural sodding.
Renewal of the vineyard: pulling-out, replanting, massal selection with higher
density. Numerous manual interventions: disbudding, leaf removal, thinning...

Vinification & Elevage:
Aging time : 16-20 months in barrels
Barrels : 60% new, 40% single-use
Distinctive features : Manual harvests. Gravity vatting of whole berries and seperate vinification in concrete tanks. Reductant ageing on fine lees: first racking after 6 to 10 months of aging

Ratings & Reviews

98 Points - James Suckling:
"So much violet and lilac aromas to this with blackberry and blueberry character, too. Full-bodied and delivering limestone, chalk and lavender on the palate. Great structure, too. Needs four or five years to soften. Better in 2022." - James Suckling (Feb 2018)

97 Points - Wine Enthusiast:
This is a beautifully crafted, structured wine. From its ripe black-currant fruits through the acidity and tense tannins, to the full, generous aftertaste, the wine impresses. It has great fruit, balanced acidity and a good potential. Drink from 2025. Roger Voss

96 Points - Wine Spectator:
Ripe, pure and expressive, with a beautiful panoply of loganberry, plum and red currant preserve flavors that meld seamlessly with anise and singed apple wood details and a subtle chalky spine. A bright floral accent on the finish lifts this up a register and lets it sail on, holding that note. Best from 2020 through 2040. 4,583 cases made.

96+ Points - Vinous Magazine:
"One of the highlights of the vintage, the 2015 Pavie Macquin is positively stellar. A veritable explosion of super-ripe red cherry, rose petal and mocha makes a strong opening statement. Silky on the palate, with soft tannins and tons of sheer exoticism, the 2015 is stunningly beautiful. All of the signatures of the site are turned up to the maximum in this vivid, head-spinning wine from estate manager Nicolas Thienpont and his team. Don't miss it! (Drink between 2022-2045)" - Antonio Galloni (May 2020)

94 Points - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate:
Medium to deep garnet-purple in color, the 2015 Pavie Macquin bursts forth from the glass with profound notions of plum preserves, fruit cake, Indian spices and chargrilled meat with touches of black soil, mocha, cedar chest and unsmoked cigars. Full-bodied, voluptuously fruited and decadently styled in the mouth, the packed layers of black fruit preserves and exotic spices are well-matched by firm, ripe, grainy tannins and seamless freshness that sits comfortably in the background, finishing with great length and depth.

94 Points - Decanter:
"Tight and firm, this needs time to open and soften but there is no doubting the quality of the ingredients. Young St-Émilion can be tough to taste in great vintages, as they often present an unrelenting wall of fruit, but this is pristine - the tannins are flexible and the power is well balanced. (Drink between 2023-2032)" - Jane Anson (Dec 2017)