Pavie Macquin 2016 (750ML)

99 WCI / 98+ JD / 98 JA / 98 VM / 98 FS / 97 JS / 97 WI / 96 WE / 95 WS / 16.5+ JR

#96 Jeb Dunnuck’s Top 100 Wines of 2019

Just fabulous, the wine fills your glass with palate staining fruits, rocks, stones, flowers, licorice, smoke and juicy, perfectly ripe, fresh cherries and plums. Full-bodied, pure, fresh and vibrant, the energy in the wine and purity in the silky, sensuous fruits is just great! This is gorgeous and if it is your style of wine, (I am sure you can tell it's mine) you should have this wine in your cellar.-Jeff Leve, Wine Cellar Insider

Possibly the finest vintage of this cuvée to date, the 2016 Château Pavie Macquin comes from a cooler, later terroir on the upper plateau and checks in as 82% Merlot, 16% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Cabernet Sauvignon aged in 50% new oak. This deep, inky-colored effort boasts a rock star bouquet of blackcurrants, black cherries, white truffle, graphite, and spice. Deep, rich, and powerful on the palate, yet also balanced, elegant, and seamless, with ultra-fine tannins, this seamless beauty needs a decade of cellaring and will keep for 4-5 decades. - Jeb Dunnuck

A perfect example of coiled sinewy tannins, a fist of steel wrapped in velvet. This is so juicy yet so reserved, fully walking the tightrope of light and shade. Meticulous layers of butterscotch, cigar, turmeric, dill, mandarin peel, with sculpted clarity to the cooly-reserved blackcurrant and bilberry fruits, extremely complex and clearly determined to be around for many decades. Part of the oustanding vintages series within this vertical - and where you could just about drink the 2017 today, I would strongly suggest not doing so with the 2016. 60% new oak. - Jane Anson, Decanter

The 2016 Pavie Macquin is a total stunner. Rich, lush and inviting, the 2016 is a drop-dead gorgeous beauty. Sweet red cherry, plum, rose petal, lavender and mint are all given an extra kick of allure by silky tannins that caress the palate from start to finish. There is a level of precision and nuance here that is simply breathtaking. The purity of the fruit is just mind-boggling. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

Deep dark ruby, firm core, purple reflections, faint brightening on the rim. Highly attractive bouquet with intense ripe berry fruit, fine floral aspects and noble wood savouriness. Juicy, ripe cherry, fine, supporting tannins, great freshness and raciness, dark berries and some nougat on the finish. Great length and very successful.-Peter Moser, Falstaff

Pavie Macquin 2016 has a deep garnet color and is a little closed to begin, offering glimpses of plum preserves, Morello cherries, and blackberry pie scents, followed by hints of menthol, candied violets, dark chocolate, and wood smoke, with a touch of crushed rocks. Full-bodied, rich and opulent in the mouth, the palate delivers amazing tension to counter the richness, textured by plush, rounded tannins, finishing on a lingering ferrous note. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Wine Independent

This is very linear and driven with a precise and driven center palate. Full-bodied, tight and compact. Energetic and well formed. Give it at least five years. Try from 2024. - James Suckling

Engaging, with a gush of warm raspberry, plum and boysenberry compote flavors leading the way, while red licorice, apple wood and sweet tobacco notes strut through the finish. Nice intensity overall gives this a mouthwatering echo and pulls you back for more. Best from 2023 through 2038. - James Molesworth, Wine Spectator

This juicy wine wears its alcohol lightly, contrasting the tannins and firm structure with freshness and acidity. Blackberry flavors dominate along with attractive perfumes. Drink this impressive wine from 2025.-Roger Voss, Wine Enthusiast

Tasted blind. Pretty smart lusciousness on the nose – concentration without exaggeration. Then a savoury coolness. Dry finish but promising. Bit edgy – quite marked acidity.-Jancis Robinson