Pavie Macquin St-Emilion 2016

98+ points Jeb Dunnuck: "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. Drink: 2029-2069. (2/28/19)"

98 points Chris Kissack (Winedoctor): "Tasted at the château with Nicolas Thienpont, this displays a dark and hugely concentrated nose, a melange of creamed black plum and black cherry liqueur, with nuances of white flower petals, toast and vanilla, with a bright, pure and very expressive style. The palate follows on from this beginning in a very true style, broad and textured, weighty, nevertheless with a very fresh and bright character. It is dense, sinewy and textured towards the finish, with a huge seam of tightly knit tannins running through the core of the wine, giving the palate a massive grip, but the substance of the fruit, all dark and savoury, copes with this remarkably well. This is a real tour de force, certainly substantial, and loaded with potential, with a future that I can see stretching out for many decades. So long and tannic in the finish. Excellent. (Dec 2018)"

97+ points Antonio Galloni (Vinous): "The 2016 Pavie-Macquin is an epic wine in the making. Powerful, dense and explosive in the glass, the 2016 is simply dazzling. A rush of dark cherry, plum, lavender, spice and licorice builds in a sumptuous, beautifully layered Saint-Émilion that screams with character. More than anything else, the 2016 impresses for the way it balances structure and fruit intensity. The tannins are imposing, but there is a creaminess to the fruit that renders them barely perceptible. A move towards gentler extraction paid off hugely. What a wine! Drink: 2024-2056. (Dec 2019)"

97 points James Suckling: "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. (12/3/19)"

96 points Lisa Perrotti-Brown (Wine Advocate): "Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2016 Pavie Macquin charges out of the glass with gregarious black cherries, warm blackberries and wild blueberries scents followed up by loads of red roses, baking spices, cedar chest and unsmoked cigars sparks plus a waft of wild thyme. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is an exercise in poise, revealing layer upon layer of cherries and berries flavors and tons of savory nuances, framed by firm yet exquisitely ripe tannins, finishing very long. Drink: 2021-2048. (Nov 2018)"

95 points Jane Anson (Decanter): "One of the coolest terroirs of St-Emilion, with clay and limestone at a height of 77m, on one of the highest spots of the plateau. It has a punch of cool blue fruits, with rippling tannins and a whirl of freshly cut mint on the finish. You will need to be patient, but expect to be richly rewarded. 70% new oak. A Derenoncourt-Thienpont wine. Drinking Window: 2026-2045. (Oct 2018)"