Château Pavie Macquin 2023

This shows limestone, plum, citrus and mineral character with a savory, almost saline twist and touches of oyster shells, dried meat and oranges. Really quintessential and full of chalky fruit that unwinds and dissolves through the finish. So much character and personality. Best Pavie-Macquin ever? Precise in every wy. 84% merlot, 15% cabernet franc and 1% cabernet sauvignon. Drinkable now, but better from 2027.

Fun, fruity, clean and well made - I love the texture here - softly chalky but more pillowy tannins give a wide but not heavy expression. Fruit is clearly ripe but there’s countering acidity which increases the concentration and overall palate feeling. A very good wine, seamless, almost effortless in terms of tannin management with the most gorgeous juicy, smile-inducing acidity. Balanced and approachable. Lovely.

Aromas of sweet raspberries, cherries and plums mingle with notions of licorice and creamy new oak, introducing the 2023 Pavie Macquin, a medium to full-bodied, layered and concentrated wine with a deep core of fruit, tangy acids and powdery tannins. As higher density plantings on the plateau with superior vine genetics start to enter into production, and as the south of the property is restructured, this estate's tannins are becoming more refined, even if the very low pH of 3.35 still tends to foreground the wine's structure.