Sauvage aromas of red- and blackcurrant, roast coffee, licorice and game. Bright, pure dark berry flavor is juicy and sharply delineated. Really comes alive in the mouth. Finishes very long and subtle, with berry and floral notes and even, mouthdusting tannins. This is much more tender today than the lower-pH '94 made here. Like the above, this shows a lot of character.

Made in a style similar to the 1996, the 1995 reveals copious quantities of black fruits, obvious old vine intensity (note the minerals and deep mid-palate), but mouthsearing levels of tannin will only be enjoyed by masochists. There are many good things about this wine, but the elevated tannin level is cause for concern. If the tannin melts away and the fruit holds, this will be an outstanding effort. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2025.

Made in a style similar to the 1996, the 1995 reveals copious quantities of black fruits, obvious old vine intensity (note the minerals and deep mid-palate), but mouthsearing levels of tannin will only be enjoyed by masochists. There are many good things about this wine, but the elevated tannin level is cause for concern. If the tannin melts away and the fruit holds, this will be an outstanding effort. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2025. I don't think you have to be a gambler to purchase this wine, but the question mark does suggest a level of aggressive tannin that makes forecasting fraught with peril. This is an exceptionally powerful, uncompromising, classic, old style Bordeaux that should age for three decades or more. The only questions are: (1) to what degree will the tannin melt away, and (2) how much fruit will remain? No one can doubt the seriousness or concentration of this wine, but its tannin level is cause for concern.

The 1995 Pavie-Macquin lacks both mid-palate and freshness. Time in the glass brings out a range of pretty floral and savory notes, but the 1995 is rather light. Of course, 1995 was a vintage with high yields. The realities facing the new management were stark as the château struggled for its survival. "We needed to have quantity to pay off the banks," Nicolas Thienpont states.