2018 Château Pavie Macquin Saint Émilion Grand Cru classé B

97-98 James Suckling: "This is a decadent and beautiful young wine with wild aromas and flavors of meat, wet earth and plums. Very complex. Full-bodied yet soft and very velvety. The tannins melt into the wine, as if they aren’t there. Extremely long finish. 78 per cent merlot, 20 per cent cabernet franc and two per cent cabernet sauvignon." (www.jamessuckling.com)

97 Lisa Perotti-Brown: "The 2018 Pavie Macquin is a blend of 78% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 2% Cabernet Sauvignon. Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, it slowly, sensuously unfurls to reveal a gorgeous perfume of Black Forest cake, Morello cherries, baked plums and violets, with nuances of licorice, Indian spices and fertile loam. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has achingly plush tannins and fantastic freshness framing the spicy black fruit and mineral layers, finishing long and so, so fragrant. Wow—just stunning!" (in Robert Parker's Wine Advocate)

97-99 Jeb Dunnuck: "From a cooler, pure limestone terroir just over the hill from Château Pavie, the 2018 Château Pavie Macquin offers an incredible assortment of red and black fruits, cedary spice, white truffle, graphite, and beautiful minerality. Showing the cooler, complex, concentrated style of the vineyard, it´s full-bodied and powerful on the palate, with no shortage of extract or tannins. The wine always has a healthy pH and needs bottle age to show at its best. A solid 7-8 years are warranted here, and it will keep for 2-3 decades. The 2018 is 78% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Cabernet Sauvignon, representing 90% of the total production. I think this estate has been underrated in the market and it can still be found for reasonable prices. It ages beautifully and I doubt you could have too much in the cellar." (www.jebdunnuck.com)

95-98 WineSpectator: "Packed with very expressive boysenberry and red currant paste aromas and flavors, this is dense and fleshy in feel, but has the energy to easily carry it off. Lots of chalky cut on the long finish. Rock-solid."

98 DECANTER:"This is just so good. Not overly big, it has nuance, sapidity and grace, with space between the lines. It´s not sacrificing its concentration but it gives you a chance to get onboard and accompany it along the way. I love the quality of the brambled blackberry and loganberry fruit here, and the touch of austerity that gives a welcome note of bitter chocolate to the finish. It has great tannic grip and there´s no question that this will age well, but it´s also extremely drinkable now. Tasted several times, and each occasion blew me away. My favourite vintage to date from this property."

19 Weinwisser: "78?% Merlot, 20?% Cabernet Franc, 2?% Cabernet Sauvignon, 47?hl/ha. Dichtes Purpur mit schwarzer Mitte. Ein expressives Bouquet mit reifen Pflaumen und dunklen Schokonoten. Im zweiten Ansatz Alpenheidelbeeren, Lakritze und Fliedernoten. Am kräftigen Gaumen mit engmaschigen, verlangenden Tanninen, süssem Extrakt und einer perfekt stützenden Frische – alles in perfekter Balance. Im nicht enden wollenden Finale ein Feuerwerk aus Graphit (Mineralik) und blauen Beeren. Grandiose Leistung, hat mich noch nie zuvor während den Primeurs derart überzeugt! Dazu passt perfekt das Zitat von Nicolas Thienpont: "The source may be beautiful, but true beauty lies in the accomplishment."