Opaque black-ruby. More brooding aromas of blackberry, cassis, licorice and smoky oak, plus stony and mineral nuances; slight hint of exotic fruits. Lower-pitched than the '97, but with penetrating flavor and terrific vivacity. A floral note and a suggestion of chalky terroir contribute to the wine complexity. Finishes with firm but even tannins. Showing considerably more fruit complexity and personality than last year, when I tasted this wine in its several components. Thienpont expected to lightly fine this wine but not to filter it. Should age slowly and gracefully.

The 1996 Pavie Macquin is super-concentrated, yet possesses a backward, ferociously tannic style. It is an uncompromising wine with a vieilles vignes intensity, as well as an abrasively high tannin level. Some of the terroir's telltale mineral and blueberry fruit comes through in the nose and flavors, but this medium-bodied, structured, muscular wine will require 8-10 years of cellaring. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2020.

The 1996 Pavie-Macquin is powerful, fully mature and also a bit rough around the edges. Sweet tobacco, menthol, licorice, dried flowers, mint and dried cherry add aromatic nuance. On the palate it is compact and a bit dried out, even if the acids remain surprisingly brisk. Rain just before harvest created dilution in the Merlots, but conditions turned more favorable at the end of the season, which was better for the Cabernets. Like so many wines in this vertical, the 1996 improved quite a bit with air. Even so, I would not push my luck. Any remaining bottle needs to be finished.