2019 Chateau Pavie Macquin, Saint-Emilion Grand Cru, France 750ml

Really classy red, offering blueberries, minerals, salt, limestone and light fresh herbs. It’s full-bodied, but so refined. Fine layers of fruit and tannins. It’s like millefeuille. The 2018 is more exuberant, but I love the elegance and structure here. Subtle and complex. 78% merlot, 20% cabernet franc and 2% cabernet sauvignon.

Rich and deep in colour, this is inky damson, layered and luscious in its aromatics, both restrained and generous, performing the limestone magic trick of push and pull, giving and taking. Blackberry, blueberry and liquorice upfront, with tannins that are bristling and muscular but well honed and discreet. As it softens through the mid palate, the creamy fruits arrive, and you relax for a moment before the limestone grip is turned on again. This will close up soon, as the 2016 has done, but right now is singing with liquorice, black chocolate, blackcurrant, turmeric, spiced black truffles, mandarin peel and slate. Totally lives up to its En Primeur brilliance. 50% new oak. Part of the outstanding vintages series within this vertical.