Château Pavie-Macquin 2016

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.
 

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.