Consultants Nicolas Thienpont and Stephane Derenoncourt have produced a beautiful St.-Emilion that tastes like the quintessence of crushed rocks intermixed with blueberry, blackberry, black raspberry, licorice, camphor and truffle notes. This full-bodied effort should drink well in 4-5 years, and last for two decades or more. It achieved 14.5% natural alcohol.

The 2008 Pavie-Macquin was decanted for 60 minutes before pouring. It is surprisingly backward on the nose and demanded another 30 minutes to really open, offering luscious scents of black cherry, boysenberry, crushed violet and light camphor scents that recede with continued aeration. The palate is still concentrated with layers of black fruit tinged with dark chocolate, a little heady in style but retaining sufficient balance to uphold its freshness. It is a feisty and extrovert Pavie-Macquin that feels undiminished at a decade out and in fact, I would afford bottles another four or five years to allow more terroir expression and secondary notes to develop. This has enormous potential, but winemaker Nicolas Thienpont produced a wine for those with patience. (Tasted at the château and at BI Wine & Spirits annual vertical tasting.) - vinous.com, February 2018