Chateau Pavie-Macquin 2015

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.

Charming black cherry fruit with a touch of vanilla spice; juicy and mouthwatering.

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.

Mid crimson. Beautifully fragrant with both red and dark fruit. Tastes very sweet on the palate, as if there were actually some residual sugar? Chewy texture and fruit and structure not fully integrated. The sweetness shows on the finish as it seems to clash with the acidity. Maybe it just needs more time than most. (JH)

Lush, sexy, plush and polished, the wine has all the glycerine needed to coat the glass and your palate. There is purity in the fruits and silky tannins in the finish that make this just as exciting to feel as it does to taste. One of the best vintage produced here, this should age for at least 20-25 years or longer!

Deep dark ruby, opaque core, purple reflections, subtle brightening on the rim, wood notes underpinned with intense black berry fruit, hints of liquorice and blackberries, multi-faceted bouquet. Substantial, tight-knit, fine cassis, the structure is full of finesse, well-embedded tannins, has light-footedness and length, mineral finish.

Notes of cassis, toasted spice, toasty oak, and crushed flowers emerge from the 2015 Château Pavie Macquin, and it’s a rockin’ effort that marries elegance with full-bodied power and structure. With fine, fine tannin, high, yet integrated acidity, and a great mid-palate, it’s more approachable than either of the other Pavie releases, yet is still backward and unevolved. Give bottles 4-5 years of cellaring and enjoy over the following two to three decades.

Extremely dark purple with lilac and violet reflections. Brilliant bouquet, showing an enormous concentration of ripe fruit, plenty of cassis, with traces of noble black tea in the background. On the palate, demanding yet delivering, with a fine, firm note in the extract that also lends breed. For the first time since the 2005 vintage, a Pavie-Macquin is once again awarded 18/20.

Extremely dark purple with lilac and violet highlights. Brilliant bouquet, showing enormous ripe fruit concentration, plenty of cassis, with hints of noble black tea in the background. On the palate, demanding yet delivering, with a fine, slightly firm note in the extract that also lends breed. For the first time since the 2005 vintage, a Pavie-Macquin once again scores 18/20.

(84% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Franc, 2% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40 hl/ha, 85% Grand Vin) Opulent, sweet, fruity, jammy bouquet: blackberry jam, cherries, tobacco, caramel, nougat. Velvety, dense, opulent palate with creamy fruit, fine sandy tannins, powerful, sweet aromatics, long, plush finish. Can improve further. 17/20 2024 - 2038

A consistently excellent wine, this is fully in its drinking window, showcasing fleshy raspberry and redcurrant fruit, sage and saffron, as juicy as ever, but without quite the salt-scraping tension you find in 2016 or in more recent years. A luscious Pavie-Macquin all the same. Nicolas Thienpont, winemaker.

Pavie Macquin 2015 is deep garnet in color and needs some coaxing to reveal emerging scents of crushed blackberries, warm plums, and black raspberries, leading to hints of rosehip tea, licorice, incense, and espresso, with a waft of fertile loam. Full-bodied, the palate is packed with lively black fruits and plenty of earthy/savory accents, supported by fine-grained tannins, finishing long and minerally.

The wine is defined by its clay-driven power and marked acidity. Full-bodied and pure, beginning to reveal the early signs of fine aromatic complexity, it currently impresses with its remarkable tannic grip, whose breadth recalls the outstanding 1998, very aptly described as “Cistercian” by Nicolas Thienpont.

Black color. The nose is powerful, as is the wine, with substance, great density, broad, lovely freshness, and beautiful notes of blackberry. 55,000 bottles from 12.9 ha in production (out of 15). 84% merlot, 14% cabernet franc, 2% cabernet sauvignon.

Deep garnet red. Elegant, complex bouquet with notes of black berries, juniper and licorice. Delicate entry, dense and slightly indulgent. On the palate, the wine is perfectly supported by its structure. This carries the aromatic character through to the finish and brings freshness. The tannins are firm, compact and perfectly integrated. The structure plays its role in the background and lends pedigree to this Pavie-Macquin. A fine success.

86–88. Barrel Sample. The high acidity in this wine is tight and bright, overly so. It seems unbalanced, while the firm tannins lend a gripping structure.