Pavie Macquin 2021 (750ML)

96 JS / 95 DE / 95 WI / 94+ AG / 94 JA / 93 WA / 93 VM / 93 JD

A very juicy and rounded young 2021 with berry, chocolate, cedar, balsamic, and redwood aromas and flavors. Medium to full body. Velvety tannins. Excellent finish. Extremely well done for the vintage. 79% merlot, 19% cabernet franc and 2% cabernet sauvignon. Best after 2028. - James Suckling

Iris and raspberry notes on the nose, delicately floral but fresh and lively - just shy of mouthwatering acidity - but enough to create such a lift on the first taste which has a juicy effect. The acidity is nicely balanced but this has such a gentle charm, a suaveness and sensuality to it, tannins are sleek and agile with some bitter dark chocolate and slate edges while the fruit is full of black cherry, plum and blueberry touches. But it’s the texture and the aromatic display that are so captivating - having density and weight but no heaviness. You get the ripeness in the flavour but the overall feeling remains cool and refreshing with tension and terroir on show in the wet stone nuance underpinning the fruit. Just pure grace and precision. An exceptional effort for the estate's 150th vintage. 'The worst thing on the label is the vintage' says general director Marielle Cazeaux "because people think it’s bad, but this is really the DNA of La Conseillante". 3.6pH. Merlot picked from 28th September to 1st October, Cabernet Franc on the 6th and 12th October. - Georgina Hindle, Decanter

The 2021 Pavie Macquin has a deep garnet-purple color. Fragrant notions of star anise, lilacs, and fertile loam give way to a core of juicy plums and mulberries, plus a touch of dried lavender. The medium-bodied palate delivers an impressive intensity of bright, pure red and black berry flavors, supported by velvety tannins and great tension, finishing on a lingering, exotic spice note. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Wine Independent

The 2021 Pavie Macquin is deep, bold and luscious, but within the smaller-scaled style of the year. It is an intensely aromatic, savory Grand Vin that emphasizes finesse more than sheer power. I admire its understated elegance more than anything else. Bright acids drive through a core of black cherry fruit, mocha, spice, new leather and licorice. This beautifully balanced, harmonious Saint-Émilion captures the essence of the vintage in style. Tasted two times. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

Beautifully poised, dark ruby in colour, full of rippled fruit flavours, stands out in the appellation. It hasn't got miraculously riper than all the rest but it is handled with skill, and has a truly juicy mouthwatering finish and slate tannins that show grip and tenacity against the serious, austere structure. Expect raspberry, greengage and redcurrant fruits that need to fatten out a little over ageing, but everything is in place to do so. This is the plateau speaking. 37hl/h yield, harvest October 4 to 19, 50% new oak. Tasted twice. - Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux

The 2021 Pavie Macquin offers up aromas of cherries, blackberries and raspberries mingled with mint, spices and bay leaf. Medium to full-bodied, with a deep core of fruit framed by chalky tannins that assert themselves on the comparatively structured, mineral finish, it's a strong effort. - William Kelley, Wine Advocate

The 2021 Pavie Maquin has an exquisite bouquet in context of the growing season, very pure with black plum, redcurrant jus, cassis and violet flowers—lovely definition here. The palate is medium-bodied and cohesive with fine tannins, linear in style but with impressive tension and mineralité. Touches of white pepper and flint surface toward the finish, completing a Saint-Émilion that has perhaps meliorated slightly during its élevage. This comes highly recommended. - Neal Martin, Vinous Media

The 2021 Château Pavie Macquin is a beautiful wine in the vintage, bringing rock-solid concentration and depth as well as its hallmark purity and elegance. Cassis, blueberries, scorched earth, and violet notes define the aromatics, and it’s medium-bodied, has terrific mid-palate depth, fine tannins, and outstanding length. I love its purity, and it has classic Pavie Macquin character. This beauty will benefit from 2-4 years of bottle age and evolve gracefully over the following 15+ years. It's clearly a success in this vintage. The blend is 79% Merlot, 19% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Cabernet Sauvignon, representing 80% of the total production, with roughly 4,600 cases produced. - Jeb Dunnuck