2016 Chateau Pavie Macquin Premier Grand Cru Classe B, Saint-Emilion Grand Cru 1x750ml

Vinous 96-99

A wine of total finesse, the 2016 Pavie Macquin is also one of the most riveting wines of the vintage. Silky and supple on the palate, with no hard edges and exceptional balance, it takes over all the senses and never lets up. The flavors are bright, precise and beautifully nuanced. Above all else, Pavie Macquin is a wine of elegance, and that is exactly what comes through in the 2016. The wine plays in the dimensions of bright, floral-infused, red-toned fruits, silky tannins and length more than pure power or breadth. The 2016 is a stunningly beautiful bottle of wine and one of the finest reds of the year – it’s as simple as that. In 2016, Nicolas Thienpont opted for long macerations of around four weeks in a combination of cement and oak. Tasted three times. [Antonio Galloni, 01/04/2017]

Robert Parker 94

The 2016 Pavie-Macquin is a blend of 82% Merlot, 16% Cabernet Franc and 2% Cabernet Sauvignon matured in 50% new oak, picked from 7 October (with the young Merlot vines) until 22 October. The pH is 3.35 and it has 14.4% alcohol. I appreciate the intensity of this Pavie-Macquin. This is no shy retiring flower but comes out with cylinders pumping while maintaining the delineation, the detail that you look for. The palate is smooth and sensual on the entry, velvety in texture with plenty of luscious red berry fruit, vanilla and a hint of blueberry. It glides across the palate, the new oak neatly integrated. This is easily my pick of Nicolas Thienpont’s 2016s and one of the best Pavie-Macquins that I have tasted at this stage. [Neal Martin, 09/28/2017]

Anticipated maturity: 2026-2050