2003 Pavie, St-Emilion

This wine has calmed down considerably as it was a blockbuster, somewhat of a Bordeaux fruit bomb in its youth, and now has toned itself down to a serious candidate for one of the wines of this rather bizarre, but interesting, vintage. 2003 offered everything, from pathetically dilute and thin wines to some massive blockbusters. That was true especially in the Northern Médoc and from the limestone hillsides of St.-Emilion (where Pavie is situated). The color is a dark garnet, with a touch of amber beginning to appear on the edge. The wine has a stunning nose of roasted herbs, grilled meats, charcoal, blackberry and blackcurrant fruit, with some oak still present. Dense, full-bodied and very succulent and lush, this wine seems to be in late adolescence, ready to enter a relatively mature stage. There is always a suspicion because of the extreme heat in July and August that these wines will crack up very quickly, and certainly that will always be a worry, but this one looks set for at least another 10-15 years of drinkability. (RP) (8/2015)

Dark purple. Shows intense aromas of raisin, coffee and treacle tart. Very, very ripe. Full-bodied, superrich and velvety. This is so layered and powerful. Blockbuster. (JS) (7/2006)

Dark ruby-red. Sexy aromas of ripe blackberry, blueberry pie, woodsmoke, vanilla and flinty minerals. Then big, rich and suave in the mouth, with concentrated flavors of ripe dark and red cherry, blackcurrant, truffle and cocoa. The long finish features a licorice quality and smooth tannins. The cool limestone soils of Pavie Macquin really came through in the furnace-like conditions of 2003: although this is undoubtedly a very opulent, mouthfilling wine, it is also amazingly refined and suave for the year--anything but over the top. (ID) (3/2014)