Pavie Macquin 2009

St Emilion, Premier Grand Cru Classé B

Excel download

View All Vintages of this Wine

Units Size Case size GBP Price: Quantities Buy
Tasting Notes

This is a "wow" wine, with a stunning display of plum, blackberry and raspberry confiture aromas and flavors, allied to a dense but very velvety structure. Licorice, violet and plum cake notes fill in the background. Everything carries through the long, lush finish until the fine chalky minerality finally appears, adding remarkable finesse to this otherwise explosive display. Hard not to drink now, but this will cruise in the cellar.

Score: 96

James Molesworth, Wine Spectator Maturity: 2015-2030 01 January 2015

The 2009 is enormous in size, yet broodingly backward, I was somewhat surprised by the astringency of the tannins in this blend of 85% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Franc and 1% Cabernet Sauvignon. It is a big wine (14.5% alcohol), black purple in color, with huge concentration of fruit and beautiful purity, but a good decade of cellaring is required. From a top terroir, this wine is built for the long haul, and I am sure it will be even better than its relatively conservative rating at this point. Anticipated maturity: 2022-2035. (92+ Points)

Score: 92

Robert Parker, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Maturity: 2022-2035 01 March 2012

Yields here were 30 hectoliters per hectare, and the final blend 85% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Cabernet Sauvignon. The dynamic duo of Stephane Derenoncourt and Nicolas Thienpont produced nearly 4,000 cases of wine from this terroir, which has been promoted to a first growth in the St.-Emilion hierarchy. The 15% natural alcohol is rather shocking, because it is not the least bit noticeable. The wine is inky purple-colored, with loads of viscosity, an unctuous texture, and an enormous nose of charcoal, graphite, blackberry liqueur, and forest floor in a full-bodied, seamlessly constructed style. At the same time, the impression is one of a very unevolved, backward wine that has even more weight to put on and more nuances to reveal. I think this is one wine where the “plus” in the numerical rating will be very revealing. Forget it for 5-7 years and drink it over the next 30-40 years. (Tasted five times.)

Score: 94 - 96

Robert Parker, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Maturity: 2015-2055 27 April 2010

Gorgeous aromas of crushed blackberries and blueberries, with vanilla bean. Full-bodied, with a solid core of very ripe fruit, toasted oak, milk chocolate and a long finish. Layered and intense. Made from organically grown grapes. Try in 2018.

Score: 96

James Suckling, - Maturity: 2018+ 15 February 2012

Superfocused and beautiful, like looking at Mont Blanc with a clear sky and a blanket of snow. Full and refined, with gorgeous fruit and wonderful refinement. Silky tannins. Clearly the best ever.

Score: 96 - 99

James Suckling, Wine Spectator 01 April 2010

Tasted at the Saint Emilion UGC, this has a very ripe, almost porty nose that I think is just a little over-extracted (which is a great surprise.) Macerated black cherries, cassis, apricot jam and a touch of damson. Pretty, but less would have been more. The palate shows much better balance with fine, saturated tannins, fabulous concentration with layers of spicy red fruits on the ebullient finish. Leaving my sample aside for 10 minutes, that nose does calm down as I think it will through its elevage, after which I am sure this will represent one of the top Saint Emilion wines. Tasted March 2010.

Score: 93 - 95

Neal Martin, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com 21 April 2010

Deep, bright crimson. Very ripe, alcoholic notes on the nose. Very sweet black cherry flavours – kirsch actually – on the palate. Super-modern elixir. Not my favourite style of wine but some will love it and it’s well done. Not too painful on the finish – just a little drying. Round and juicy and very suave with carefully chosen dry oak. Sinewy and drying. Very cool.

Score: 16

Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com Maturity: 2015-2025 30 March 2010