Even with a stone-cold sample this gave off a fabulous nose. Lashings of oak, to be sure (though the cold is probably making this more obvious) but the fruit is cool, pure and together. A fabulous success with a fruit that really sings on the finish. Drinking range: 2017 - 2035 Rating: 93 L&S (Apr 2006)
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Soft on the nose, a good moment to begin drinking, with soy, cassis, tobacco, creme de cassis, touch of liqueur. In an oxidative phase perhaps, may come back - these great terroirs always have the capacity to suprise. Not my favourite 2005, disappointing only because the vintage is so exceptional. Part of the warm vintages series within this vertical. Drinking range: 2022 - 2038 Rating: 93 Jane Anson, Decanter (Jan 2022)
The 2005 Pavie Macquin opens with a burst of sweet red cherry/red plum fruit. Cedar, sweet pipe tobacco, mint, spicecake and dried flowers add layers of nuance. Even with all of its luscious fruit, the tannins remain pretty imposing. The 2005 needs a good bit of aeration to be at its best. I don't find 2005 to be an especially distinguished vintage for Pavie Macquin. Drinking range: 2022 - 2030 Rating: 94 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Apr 2021)
The 2005 Pavie-Macquin is powerful, dense and also surprisingly tightly wound. There is not much pleasure to be had, at least not today. Time in the glass releases hints of dark fruit, chocolate and spice, but the 2005 is never quite as expressive as I would have hoped. Readers will want to cellar it further or give it quite a bit of aeration. My impression is that the dry conditions left the wine with hard tannins that may never fully soften. To be sure, there are quite a few vintages of the same era that are more compelling. Drinking range: 2022 - 2035 Rating: 94 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (May 2020)
(still a trace of malic acidity remaining; includes 15% cabernet sauvignon) Deep, saturated purple-ruby. Wild blackberry, licorice, violet and truffle on the nose. Densely packed, juicy and tight, with penetrating flavors of black cherry, blackberry, minerals, licorice and violet. But the wine's superb sweetness is already plain to see. This mounts impressively on the back half, finishing with tannins that dust the entire palate and superb vibrancy of fruit and focus. Rating: 92-95 Stephen Tanzer, www.vinousmedia.com (Dec 2014)
(14.8% alcohol; 3.39 pH): Fully saturated deep ruby-red. Brooding aromas of cassis, plum, violet, minerals and aromatic herbs hint at knockout depth and purity. Dense, rich and multi-layered, showing great precision and a seamless texture to the painfully young blackberry, cassis, truffle and mineral flavors. Finishes rich, pure and long, with hints of cocoa and balsamic vinegar. This Pavie Macquin is developing at a snail's pace. The product of a very gentle extraction and a longer cuvaison than usual, this is an absolutely memorable, outstanding wine. Rating: 95 Ian d'Agata, www.vinousmedia.com (Mar 2014)
I find that there is a touch of over-ripeness and brettanomyces on the nose of this Pavie-Macquin: sloes, liquorice, mulberry and dark plum smudged by alcohol. The palate is ripe and decadent on the entry and then it ebbs away as if it has been tapped on the shoulder and reminded that Bordeaux should be elegant. Ergo, I much prefer the refined finish compared to the unruly entry. Give it a few years to coalesce. Drinking range: 2013 - 2020 Rating: 92 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Jul 2013)
Inky bluish/purple in color, Pavie Macquin produced a prodigious effort from St.-Emilion in 2005. Its crushed, chalky rock minerality, massive body, and high tannin make for a wine to forget for another decade. Super-loaded, concentrated and powerful, this wine should turn out great, but patience will be required. The blackberry and cassis fruit are there in abundance, but so is a massive structure. Drinking range: 2020 - 2035 Rating: 96+ Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate, www.RobertParker.com (Sept 2008)
Bright ruby-red. Superripe, perfumed nose dominated by griotte cherry, raspberry and cocoa. Lush, smooth and impressively concentrated, with enough acidity and minerality to leaven the wine's almost port-like ripeness (the pH here, always low, is barely 3.55 in 2005, according to Nicolas Thienpont). Very deep flavors of sweet cherry and dark berries carry through on the mounting, palate-saturating finish. A massive example of Pavie-Macquin whose thick coat of baby fat is currently making the wine hard to view. This one is going to require a minimum of a decade of patience. Rating: 95 Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar (May 2008)
Bright ruby-red. Captivating aromas of black raspberry, cocoa and licorice. Opulent and silky on entry, then wonderfully full and sweet without any undue weight. This is actually a bit youthfully closed today but already displays lovely inner-mouth perfume. Offers a superb combination of concentration and finesse. This is likely to require at least a decade of bottle aging, and will be long-lived. (May/June 2007) Rating: 93-95 Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar (May 2007)
2007 note:- As of 2006, Pavie Macquin is one of St.-Emilion's new Premier Grand Cru Classes, although the 2006 reclassification of St.-Emilion has been suspended by a Bordeaux judge because of a pending lawsuit from three estates that were demoted (justifiably in my opinion.) Their 2005 may be the finest wine they have yet produced - even better than their brilliant 2000 and 1998. From a 37-acre vineyard, this blend of 70% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon is fermented in open top tanks with pigeage, malolactic in barrel, aging on its lees, and batonnage, all a la Burgundy. It achieved 14.5% natural alcohol, which must be an all-time record at this estate. Over 4,000 cases will be produced. A fascinating wine that reminded me of a top vintage of Ausone, it represents the essence of its terroir as well as richness. Black/purple to the rim with an extraordinary, intense nose of crushed rocks, spring flowers, blueberries, blackberries, creme de cassis, licorice, and camphor, it possesses superb depth, huge tannin, and massive concentration as well as freshness (from acidity and definition). This legendary effort should be drinkable in a decade, and last for 35+ years. Out of this world! Rating: 96-100 Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate, www.RobertParker.com (May 2007)
Deep, saturated purple-ruby. Wild blackberry, licorice, violet and truffle on the nose. Densely packed, juicy and tight, with penetrating flavors of black cherry, blackberry, minerals, licorice and violet. But the wine's superb sweetness is already plain to see. This mounts impressively on the back half, finishing with tannins that dust the entire palate and superb vibrancy of fruit and focus. Rating: 92-95 Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar (May 2006)
Big noble wine, even more sharply focused than Larcis-Ducasse (made by the same team Derenoncourt and Thienpont). Great truffle/spicy flavour and impressive length, though Decesse has perhaps a little more body and more integrated ripeness of fruit. Great future. Drink from 2017. Rating: ****/18 www.decanter.com (May 2006)
Aromas of licorice and blackberry. Violets. Full-bodied, with chewy tannins and lots of berry and cherry character. A blockbuster. Is it better than 2003? We will see. This is monumental. Rating: 95-100 James Suckling, The Wine Spectator (May 2006)
Very dark and shiny/healthy-looking. Extremely opulent nose - almost Napa Valley! Certainly stands out... There is freshness here - in fact almost a hint of green leaves - but there is zest too and actually very very hidden tannins. Herby, aromatic. Quite lightweight but straightforward for early drinking. This has the freshness of 2005 and honest attack. It's fairly simple though and arguably just too much acidity. Very disjointed between nose and palate at the moment. Some substance though for ageing. Still in malo...? 2012-19 Rating: 15.5? Jancis Robinson OBE MW - www.JancisRobinson.com (May 2006)
Primeur note:- Looking more like a young vintage port than a Bordeaux, Pavie-Macquin's inky/purple-colored 2005 exhibits notes of graphite, melted licorice, espresso roast, crushed rocks, white flowers, blackberries, and creme de cassis. Packed and stacked and stuffed with extract, power, and tannin, this 75% Merlot/20% Cabernet Franc/5% Cabernet Sauvignon blend's technical numbers are unprecedented. It should enjoy a remarkably long life of three decades or more. The 2005 is capable of challenging this estate's brilliant 2003 and 2000. 2006-36 Rating: 94-96 Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate, www.RobertParker.com (May 2006)
