Chateau Pavie Macquin Premier Grand Cru Classe B, Saint-Emilion Grand Cru 2017

Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2017 Pavie Macquin comes charging out of the glass with exuberant scents of warm black cherries, blackberry pie and wild blueberry coulis plus hints of menthol, licorice, candied violets and charcuterie. Medium-bodied, the palate is an exercise in precision and poise, featuring a beautiful frame of wonderfully ripe, very fine-grained tannins and bold freshness, finishing very long and multilayered. Simply stunning! The blend here is 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc. It was aged for 16 months in French oak barrels, 70% new.

Drunk at home over supper with friends, this gorgeous Pavie Macquin was more proof for me that the 2017s - particularly those on St Emilion's clay limestone plateau - are tasting exceptional right now. It's not a vintage with the kind of structure to really lay down for long ageing, but I thoroughly recommend enjoying the sappy blueberry and redcurrant fruits, saffran and salt-scrape of limestone with sculpted tannins. A definite contender for Christmas drinking.

The 2017 Pavie Macquin is a rich, deep and super-expressive wine with remarkable persistence. As always, Pavie Macquin is a potent Saint-Émilion, but the 2017 has terrific energy as well. In 2017, Pavie-Macquin is not as forthcoming in its youth as it can be, and is going to need a few years in bottle to truly come together. A bit of time in the glass brings out very pretty floral top notes and rich, sensual fruit that is such a signature of this site. Tasted three times.

Coming from a cool terroir located on the upper plateau, just behind Chateau Pavie, the 2017 Chateau Pavie Macquin checks in as a mix of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc that spent 16 months in 70% new French oak. This wine is always closed, tannic, and hard to understand in its youth, yet blossoms with 7-8 years of bottle age. The 2017 sports a deep, purple/ruby color as well as beautiful notes of black raspberries, cassis, huge minerality, white flowers, and loamy earth. Medium to full-bodied, concentrated, yet silky and seamless on the palate, it doesn't have the sheer weight and flesh of the 2015 and 2016 yet is flawlessly balanced, has terrific tannins, and a great finish. It will be drinkable with just 4-6 years of bottle age and cruise for 15-20 years or more.

A mouth-filling wine with supple and complete tannins that are caressing and engaging. Fascinating aromas and flavors of blackberries, iodine and violets. Extremely long and beautiful. Wait until 2024.

The 2017 Pavie-Macquin was impressive from barrel and now in bottle, it continues to show potential. The bouquet is very pure with small dark cherries, cassis, violet and peony aromas. The new oak is nicely integrated. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins that belie the backbone of this Saint-Émilion. There is a citric element that suffuses the intense black fruit laced with graphite and tar, the limestone soils offering freshness on the finish. Excellent.