1998 Pavie Macquin
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Tasting notes
Fully mature, yet with plenty of life ahead of it, the 1998 Château Pavie Macquin reveals a ruby/plum hue to go with straight-up textbook Saint-Emilion notes of red and black currants, white truffle, dried flowers, lead pencil, leather, and tobacco. These all carry to a deep, rich, concentrated wine that has a beautiful balance in its acidity, tannins, and fruit, a core of sweet fruit, plenty of mid-palate density, and outstanding length. While I don't think the tannin quality matches what this estate is producing today, this is a brilliant, mature 1998 that brings loads of character and charm. This wine comes from a cooler, limestone terroir located above Château Pavie, on the upper plateau, and is based on 70% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon.
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Average Score
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More reviews and scores
Tertiary white truffle and smoked earth notes curl out of the glass here, with brickish red tones around the edge of the still-ruby core. Still vibrating with life at almost 25 years old, nuanced and delicate with blackberry and soft crushed raspberry coulis. Saffron on full display, along with smoked caramel and freshly crushed mint leaf that is almost more pronounced on the finish here than in any other in the lineup. Part of the oustanding vintages series within this vertical.
The 1998 Pavie-Macquin is by far the most important wine of the 1990s at Pavie-Macquin. All of the signatures of the estate are present. A wine of textural depth and resonance, the 1998 captures all of the intensity this site is capable of. Dark red cherry fruit, kirsch, smoke and spice build in a stunning, riveting wine that hits all the right notes. It was a near-perfect growing season, with hot days, cool nights and enough dryness to concentrate the fruit but not overly stress the vines. (AG)
About the producer
On the hill of Pavie, this property’s 15 hectares of vines neighbour those of Troplong Mondot and Pavie. Under Stéphane Derenoncourt and Nicolas Thienpont, the property was promoted to Premier Grand Cru Classé B status in 2006.