Chateau Pavie Macquin 2010

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: „The strong nose, with its flowers, mint, licorice, cocoa, plum, wet earth and cherries is a treat. Still youthful, the wine is rich, concentrated, opulent, luscious and intense. But it does need more time before it really begins to show its all. Wait 5 more years and enjoy it for 2-3 decades after that."

WINE SPECTATOR: „This takes the fruit of 2009 but harnesses it even more quickly, with rivets of graphite and apple wood studding the core of plum sauce, blackberry reduction and raspberry pâte de fruit. Ample singed apple wood lines the finish, melded wonderfully with the fruit, while the minerality lingers on and on in the background, waiting in reserve. Around it all, a beguiling violet note dances. The combination of power and purity is a wonderful thing.—Non-blind Pavie Macquin vertical (December 2014). Best from 2020 through 2035. 3,750 cases made."

THE WINE ADVOCATE: „This is always an extremely masculine, dense, burly wine, and the 2010, which tips the scales at 14.5% alcohol (just slightly under that of the 2009), has a final blend of 80% Merlot and the rest virtually all Cabernet Franc, with just 1% Cabernet Sauvignon. Loads of crushed rock and chalkiness, along with licorice, black truffle, smoked game and black fruits dominate the aromatics and flavor. Backward, formidably endowed, full-bodied and almost atypically massive and huge, with gargantuan extraction, this is a wine for patient connoisseurs to forget about for close to a decade. Anticipated maturity: 2022-2040+.“

JAMES SUCKLING: „Gorgeous nose with great complexity. Blackberry, licorice and a steely mineral note. Lots of chalk, nutmeg and violets too. Dense and full-bodied on the palate with a beautiful fruit and a sumptuous fruity finish that just goes on and on. Velvety tannins and layered texture with lots of raw licorice. Drink from 2018."

FALSTAFF: „Dunkles Rubingranat, opaker Kern, violette Reflexe, zarter Wasserrand. Etwas verhalten, dunkle Waldbeeren, dazu Lakritze, etwas Cassis, im Hintergrund etwas Dörrzwetschken. Komplex, extraktsüß, sehr feine Tannine, die wunderbar eingebettet sind, frisch und anhaltend, feiner Nougat, insgesamt noch etwas zurückhaltend, ein großes Versprechen für die Zukunft."

WINE ENTHUSIAST: „A juicy and fruity wine that's sustained by attractive tannins, giving both freshness and a balance of structure. The bright acidity lifts the wine while the tannins promise future aging. The wine is stylish, almost understated, but likely to develop impressively."

DECANTER: „Elegant if oaky nose, with espresso as well as plum aromas. Medium-bodied but very concentrated, sleek and silky, with fine-grained tannins. There’s considerable power here but it’s polished too, and the finish is sweetly fruity and long. Eminently drinkable and beautifully balanced. Fresh and beguiling on the nose. Hint of dark fruit and spice. Palate long and elegant. Finely worked but powerful tannins. Lovely freshness and length on the finish. Superbly extracted black fruits nose with the concentration and elegance of Cabernet Franc quite present. Sleek and silky, with fine-grained tannins. There’s considerable power here but it’s polished, too, with lovely freshness and length on the finish."