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Always excellent value, Pavie Macquin shines in 2009 displaying a perfumed nose of spicy plum, dark chocolate and blackberries. Rich, powerful and ample, it nonetheless has the smooth linearity and focus that marks the 2009 vintage. Finishes fresh and long.
Always excellent value, Pavie Macquin shines in 2009 displaying a perfumed nose of spicy plum, dark chocolate and blackberries. Rich, powerful and ample, it nonetheless has the smooth linearity and focus that marks the 2009 vintage. Finishes fresh and long.
The 2009 is enormous in size, yet broodingly backward, I was somewhat surprised by the astringency of the tannins in this blend of 85% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Franc and 1% Cabernet Sauvignon. It is a big wine (14.5% alcohol), black purple in color, with huge concentration of fruit and beautiful purity, but a good decade of cellaring is required. From a top terroir, this wine is built for the long haul, and I am sure it will be even better than its relatively conservative rating at this point. Anticipated maturity: 2022-2035.
Yields here were 30 hectoliters per hectare, and the final blend 85% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Cabernet Sauvignon. The dynamic duo of Stephane Derenoncourt and Nicolas Thienpont produced nearly 4,000 cases of wine from this terroir, which has been promoted to a first growth in the St.-Emilion hierarchy. The 15% natural alcohol is rather shocking, because it is not the least bit noticeable. The wine is inky purple-colored, with loads of viscosity, an unctuous texture, and an enormous nose of charcoal, graphite, blackberry liqueur, and forest floor in a full-bodied, seamlessly constructed style. At the same time, the impression is one of a very unevolved, backward wine that has even more weight to put on and more nuances to reveal. I think this is one wine where the "plus" in the numerical rating will be very revealing. Forget it for 5-7 years and drink it over the next 30-40 years. Drink: 2015 - 2055
Rich, dense and beautifully textured. Combines an opulence of fruit with an amazing freshness and acidity. Long finish. Drink 2018-2040.
Superfocused and beautiful, like looking at Mont Blanc with a clear sky and a blanket of snow. Full and refined, with gorgeous fruit and wonderful refinement. Silky tannins. Clearly the best ever.
South of Pomerol lies the medieval, perched village of St Emilion. Surrounding St Emilion are vines that produce round, rich and often hedonistic wines. Despite a myriad of soil types, two main ones dominate - the gravelly, limestone slopes that delve down to the valley from the plateau and the valley itself which is comprised of limestone, gravel, clay and sand. Despite St Emilion's popularity today, it was not until the 1980s to early 1990s that attention was brought to this region. Robert Parker, the famous wine critic, began reviewing their Merlot-dominated wines and giving them hefty scores. The rest is history as they say. Similar to the Médoc, there is a classification system in place which dates from 1955 and outlines several levels of quality. These include its regional appellation of St Emilion, St Emilion Grand Cru, St Emilion Grand Cru Classé and St Emilion Premier Grand Cru Classé, which is further divided into "A" (Ausone and Cheval Blanc) and "B" (including Angélus, Canon, Figeac and a handful of others). To ensure better accuracy, the classification is redone every 10 years enabling certain châteaux to be upgraded or downgraded depending on on the quality of their more recent vintages.
