99 pts - Wine Advocate
At its release, the 2003 Pavie was somewhat controversial in wine tasting circles, but eleven years later it is obviously a great classic. Its deep purple color is accompanied by notes of vanillin, lead pencil shavings, creme de cassis, plums, black currants and kirsch. Full-bodied, youthful and rich with terrific purity and texture as well as a striking opulence, its 40+-second finish, stunning purity and wonderful perfume suggest it can be drunk now or cellared for 15-20 years. - WA, RP (8/2014)
96 pts - Wine Spectator
92 pts - Vinous
(14.9% alcohol; 3.57 acidity): 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 23: although this is undoubtedly a very opulent, mouthfilling wine, it is also amazingly refined and suave for the year--anything but over the top.- Ian D'Agata (3/214)