Pavie Macquin & Larcis Ducasse 2019

Today we are delighted to release two of the finest wines from St. Emilion, Pavie Macquin and Larcis Ducasse. They are simultaneously two of the best scoring wines of the campaign and best priced from St. Emilion, both scored 95-97 points from Lisa Perrotti-Brown of The Wine Advocate and Neal Martin. Futhermore both have Price Over Points Scores (POP) of less than 40, which in the context of leading St. Emilion is outstanding. These are two wines under £50 a bottle which may well match Pavie, Angelus and Figeac for the best score of the village, at a fraction of the price.

Pavie Macquin has released today at £590 per case of 12 or £295 per case of six. Neal Martin’s score of 95-97 will surely result in its highest ever score, besting even the 2016, which at £700 per case of 12 trades at a 19% premium. Indeed, Perrotti-Brown’s 95-97, means it will likely outscore all vintages, even the 2005 which trades at £1,100, an 86% premium. Martin’s tasting note is scintillating ‘The palate has a satin-like texture, almost Vosne-Romanée-like, with extraordinarily pure blue and black fruit. Seamless! There is fine tension on the finish with impressive persistence. This is a seriously good Pavie-Macquin from Nicolas Thienpont and his team.’ James Suckling more than agrees awarding it 98-99, this is certainly the finest ever Pavie Macquin, which is unmissable in any vintage. It is unmissable in 2019 and will be hard to secure, however, with around 5,000 cases produced.

Pavie Macquin is a Premier Grand Cru Classe B Chateau from St. Emilion. It is one of the three Pavie Estates, Pavie, Pavie Macquin and Pavie-Decesse. The Estate takes its name from Albert Macquin, who is famous for pioneering grafting vines onto rootstock, saving not only the Chateau in St. Emilion, but Bordeaux wine in general. Today the Estate is owned by Benoit and Bruno Corre and Marie-Jacques Charpentier, who have returned the Estate to its former glory and since 1998, a vintage awarded 97 points by Robert Parker, the Estate has seen a renaissance. During this period of improvement, they have boasted Stephane Derenoncourt and Nicolas Thienpont in the winemaking team. There is little doubt of the Estate’s potential, with Pavie directly south and surrounded by some of St. Emilion’s finest Estates, it is an Estate on the rise, taking full advantage of its superb terroir. The Estate has two famous premium plots, the Ausone Hill, where the vines line against Ausone and the Pavie hill neighbouring Pavie. With these neighbours and terroir, it is easy to understand how this has become one of the hottest properties and for the time being, brilliant value.

Larcis Ducasse might even pip Pavie Macquin in 2019, again awarded 95-97 points from Neal Martin, who says ‘Great depth, touches of ash and black pepper infusing the black fruit with unerring balance on the finish. This is an outstanding Saint-Émilion with 30-40 years of pleasure to give.’ Perrotti-Brown awarded it 95-97+ and Suckling 98-99, making it utterly epic, again one of the finest ever along with the 2010 which trades at £840 a 50% premium. Of course, Larcis Ducasse was famously was awarded 100 points in 2005 from Robert Parker, which now trades at £1,850 and provides a watermark for prices this estate can achieve. With less than 3,000 cases made, this is one to secure on release and savour for decades. It is priced today at £560 per case of 12, or £280 per case of six. It therefore has a POP of 34, utterly exceptional for a leading St. Emilion and not to be missed.

Larcis Ducasse is famed for its extraordinary terroir and under the stewardship of Nicolas Thienpont and Stephane Derenoncourt it has returned to one of the finest estates in Bordeaux. It is sited on one some of the best extents, the Cote Pavie, where it boasts 25 acres bordering Chateau Pavie. When compared to its neighbours and given its constant high scores this is an Estate to stock up on and the 2019 is one of their finest ever.