Château Pavie-Macquin

Château Pavie-Macquin takes its name from Albert Macquin (1852-1911), an agricultural engineer who popularized grafted vines, which saved the vineyard after phylloxera ravaged it. Starting in 1887 Macquin bought the châteaux of La Serre, Peygenestou (5 hectares), Pavie-Chapus (3.7 hectares), Pavie-Pigasse (5.7 hectares) and others, which together totaled approximately 26 hectares. The property is still in family hands: his grandchildren, the Corre and Charpentier families, own it today.

• Albert Macquin (1852-1911): agricultural engineer, popularized grafted vines against phylloxera
• From 1887, Macquin purchased La Serre, Peygenestou (5 ha), Pavie-Chapus (3.7 ha), Pavie-Pigasse (5.7 ha) and others, totaling approximately 26 hectares
• Owned today by Macquin's grandchildren, the Corre and Charpentier families

Macquin popularized grafted vines at a time when phylloxera had ravaged the vineyard, and the estate calls him a "man of reconstruction." Historian Henri Enjalbert wrote: "Albert Macquin must be viewed as the grand master of the St Emilion vineyard's transformation for more than thirty years." Macquin championed Vitis berlandieri, which is less susceptible to chlorosis, and produced more than a million plants in 1887. He also developed scientific, plot-by-plot monitoring of the vineyard.

• Popularized grafted vines to counter phylloxera
• Historian Henri Enjalbert: "Albert Macquin must be viewed as the grand master of the St Emilion vineyard's transformation for more than thirty years"
• Advocate of Vitis berlandieri; produced more than a million plants in 1887
• Developed scientific, plot-by-plot vineyard monitoring

Stéphane Derenoncourt was hired in 1990 by then-owner Maryse Barre, and the early years were lean: 1991 and 1992 were difficult years for Bordeaux, and a 1993 conversion to biodynamics failed under that year's heavy rains. At the end of 1994 Nicolas Thienpont was named manager, succeeding Maryse Barre, with Derenoncourt, already at the estate since 1990, at his side. Thienpont promoted Derenoncourt to maître de chai, and the two took a pragmatic approach, using organic and biodynamic techniques in the vineyard where feasible rather than following strict dogma. Together they refined Pavie-Macquin's character and developed a viticulture of excellence that carried the estate to Premier Grand Cru Classé rank in 2006, a position confirmed in 2012. The 2023 vintage marks 30 years of their joint work, and the estate calls the pair "a complementary duo." At a 2014 tasting, Thienpont was joined by his son Cyrille Thienpont and by David Suire; by then Derenoncourt's consulting business and own estate, Domaine de l'A, took up most of his time, though he still consulted with Thienpont.

• Stéphane Derenoncourt: consultant since 1990, hired by then-owner Maryse Barre
• Nicolas Thienpont: named manager at the end of 1994, succeeding Maryse Barre
• 1993: a conversion to biodynamics failed under that year's heavy rains
• Thienpont promoted Derenoncourt to maître de chai; pragmatic use of organic and biodynamic techniques rather than strict dogma
• The 2023 vintage marks 30 years of the Thienpont-Derenoncourt collaboration
• 2014: Thienpont's son Cyrille Thienpont and David Suire joined him at a tasting

The vineyard sits on a plateau next to Mondot hill, on the edge of the Fongaban fault, at elevations from about 100 meters near the hill to 75 meters at the edge of the plateau. In one unique holding, it borders Château Troplong Mondot to the east and Château Pavie to the south and overlooks Château Trottevieille to the north, leaving it surrounded by three Premiers Grands Crus Classés. The soils are entirely clay-limestone, red and brown clays over Asterie limestone, and the terroir varies with the strength of the clay and the depth of the asteriated limestone table, which sits between 20 centimeters and 1.5 meters below the surface. The site ripens late because these clays retain water and warm slowly, a tendency the plateau position reinforces. The estate calls the result an alliance of power and minerality, a "terroir de caractère" that it likens to a Cistercian character. The vineyard is planted to 84% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Franc and 2% Cabernet Sauvignon, with an average vine age of 35 years, and parcel-by-parcel replanting has raised density from 2,400 to 3,500 vines per acre. Area and age figures differ by source: the Saint-Émilion wine council lists the vineyard area as 15, with no unit given, while Wine Spectator's 2014 account gave 37 acres and an average vine age of 40 years, including some 60-year-old Merlot and Cabernet Franc.

• On a plateau next to Mondot hill, edge of the Fongaban fault; elevation about 75 to 100 meters
• Borders Château Troplong Mondot (east) and Château Pavie (south); overlooks Château Trottevieille (north)
• Red and brown clays over Asterie limestone; the limestone table lies 20 centimeters to 1.5 meters below the surface
• Grape mix: 84% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Franc, 2% Cabernet Sauvignon; average vine age 35 years
• Density raised from 2,400 to 3,500 vines per acre via parcel-by-parcel replanting; some 60-year-old Merlot and Cabernet Franc

Viticulture respects the life of the soil and follows an organic-minded philosophy without being bound by it, with controlled yields aimed at healthy, mature fruit. Vinification is in whole berries with gentle extraction by pigeage (punching down of the cap), followed by long maceration and aging on fine lees. Newer plantings go in at higher density, and Cabernet Franc comes from in-house massale selection, planted on warmer plots with a more pronounced limestone character. Under Thienpont and Derenoncourt, extraction shifted from the more aggressive délestage (devatting) to pigeage, and parcels are fermented separately in a mix of wood and cement vats, then moved to barrel for malolactic fermentation and aging of up to 16 months. Racking was reduced from every three months to twice in total, new oak was cut to 60%, and the barrel toast was kept to no more than "moyenne," or average. With the 1997 vintage the team began filtering the wine lightly, with a filter no coarser than 3 microns. Derenoncourt explained the choice in 2014: "The tannins were granular. The filtering is light, no more than 3 microns. Most people think filtering is automatically bad for a wine, but the result is finer tannins. The wine lost its rough texture." Derenoncourt considers the 1998 vintage the first true grand vin of Pavie-Macquin, for its minerality and precision. Harvest is manual, tanks are concrete, the wine ages in 60% new barrels and 40% barrels that have held one wine or more, and annual average production is around 40,000 bottles.

• Soil-respectful, organic-minded viticulture; whole-berry vinification, gentle pigeage extraction, long maceration, aging on fine lees
• Cabernet Franc from in-house massale selection, planted on warmer, more limestone-marked plots
• Extraction shifted from délestage to pigeage; parcel-by-parcel fermentation in wood and cement vats; aging up to 16 months; racking cut from every 3 months to twice total; new oak reduced to 60%
• Light filtration (no coarser than 3 microns) introduced from the 1997 vintage
• Derenoncourt regards 1998 as the estate's first true grand vin, for its minerality and precision
• Harvest manual, tanks concrete, aging 60% new barrels / 40% barrels of one wine or more, annual average production around 40,000 bottles

The grand vin, Château Pavie-Macquin, grows predominantly on strong clay over limestone bedrock, and the estate presents it as a powerful, fleshy wine with minerality, freshness and generosity. Molasses soils combined with asteriated limestone give the wine power, tension and a deep meatiness, while ancient colluvial soils containing silt add lightness and keep the mineral tension of the limestone. Cabernet Franc grows in limestone soils with bare rock, which warm more quickly and let the variety develop fully, giving the blend its backbone and complexity; 2% old-vine Cabernet Sauvignon tops off the blend. The second wine, Les Chênes de Macquin, is named for the oak trees (chênes) planted along the edge of the plateau as ornaments and emblems of the property. Parcels are harvested in small increments as each vine reaches full ripeness, then vinified and aged separately; this mosaic of plots makes the two final wines, Château Pavie-Macquin and Les Chênes de Macquin, each meant to express the generosity and typicity of the site in every vintage.

• Château Pavie-Macquin (grand vin): powerful, fleshy, mineral wine from clay-over-limestone soils; 2% old-vine Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend
• Les Chênes de Macquin (second wine): named for oak trees planted along the plateau's edge
• Vineyard parcels harvested in small increments per vine ripeness, vinified and aged separately before blending into the two final wines

Château Pavie-Macquin reached the rank of Premier Grand Cru Classé in 2006, a position confirmed in 2012. The 2022 Saint-Émilion classification lists it among the Premiers Grands Crus Classés, the tier below Premier Grand Cru Classé A, which in 2022 was held only by Château Figeac and Château Pavie.

• Reached Premier Grand Cru Classé rank in 2006; confirmed in 2012
• Listed among the Premiers Grands Crus Classés (not the A tier) in the 2022 Saint-Émilion classification

Primary sources (producer's own site, pavie-macquin.com): https://www.pavie-macquin.com/en/a-pioneer-who-became-famous-in-saint-emilion/, https://www.pavie-macquin.com/en/a-search-for-balance-and-excellence/, https://www.pavie-macquin.com/en/the-flavor-of-the-land/, https://www.pavie-macquin.com/en/chateau-pavie-macquin/, https://www.pavie-macquin.com/en/les-chenes-de-macquin/, https://www.pavie-macquin.com/en/albert-macquin/, https://www.pavie-macquin.com/une-viticulture-respectueuse-de-la-vie-du-sol/, https://www.pavie-macquin.com/les-sols-tous-argilo-calcaires/, https://www.pavie-macquin.com/fin-1994-nicolas-thienpont-est-nomme-gerant/, https://www.pavie-macquin.com/30-ans/. Secondary sources: Les Vins de Saint-Émilion (the appellation's wine council), 2022 classification listing and estate profile; Wine Spectator, "A Generation of Château Pavie Macquin" by James Molesworth, December 18, 2014. Last verified 2026-10-12. Where the producer's site and a secondary source disagree, the producer's site governs.