Château Pavie Macquin 2023

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 edging on lean, straighter and less concentrated than Larcis Ducasse at this stage. 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.

Flowers, red berries, spice, licorice, lavender, and sea salt define the perfume. On the palate, the wine is electric, edgy, fresh, and fruity. The berries are ripe, sweet, and pure, with a strong sense of minerality that you really feel as the wine lingers on your palate. The key to the wine this year is twofold. First, the newer plantings from 2013–2016 have begun to mature. In the cellars, the aging program is gentler, with close to half the number of punch-downs, so there’s less extraction, allowing the wine to feel more relaxed on the palate. Clearly, this is a contender for the best vintage of Pavie Mac (as it’s affectionately known) ever produced. The wine blends 82% Merlot, 17% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Cabernet Sauvignon. 14.1% ABV, 3.5 pH. The harvest took place September 18–October 3. Drink from 2029–2055. 97–99 pts.

Dark ruby, deep core, purple reflections, brightening on the rim. Liquorice and candied violets, fine wood spice, ripe red cherries, intense bouquet. Juicy, red-berry character, showing accentuated freshness, ripe tannins, mineral, subtle fruitiness, a very charming style; an animating food wine with certain ageing potential.

Touch of gunsmoke reduction softens to show gentle grilled oak notes, skilful construction, cocoa bean, espresso, blueberry, pomegranate, oyster shell salinity. This has grip and intensity, tension, energy, a brooding quality that switches into a vertical lift through the palate. Brilliant construction, and a joyful reflection of the power of terroir. 48hl/ha. Thienpont-Derenoncourt team, celebrating 30 years of collaboration, Corre-Macquin family, Nicolas Thienpont director. Tasted twice.

Fascinating bouquet, ripe fruit, spicy notes, violets, floral tea, herbs; powerful on the palate, with spice and verve, delicate red fruit, fine-grained tannins, fiery finish. A lot of elegance this year.

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. Best from 2027 through 2040. 3,916 cases made.