The 2018 Pavie is a blend of 60% Merlot, 22% Cabernet Franc and 18% Cabernet Sauvignon.
Very deep garnet-purple in colour, it bursts from the glass with a fabulously expressive nose of crème de cassis, baked plums and blueberry preserves, leading to an impressive array of nuances, featuring notions of dark chocolate, camphor, liquorice, rose petals and fertile loam, plus hints of crushed rocks and iron ore.
The rich, full-bodied palate offers layer upon layer of opulent black and blue fruits with loads of exotic spice sparks and floral and mineral accents, supported by firm, super plush tannins and remarkable tension, finishing with epic length and depth. This could only be Pavie.
The 2016 Pavie a blend of 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc. Very deep purple black in colour, it needs a little coaxing to begin, slowly unfurling to reveal a fragrant perfume of violets, chocolate-covered cherries, crushed blueberries, and eucalyptus over a core of preserved plums, kirsch, black raspberries and crème de cassis plus hints of liquorice and chargrilled meat.
Full-bodied and built like a brick house, it has a solid foundation of firm, super ripe, grainy tannins and seamless freshness interknit with the black fruit preserves and minerally layers, finishing very long and very decadent. Superb!
In 2015, the blend is 60% Merlot, 22% Cabernet Franc and 18% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the wine was matured 80% in new French oak. Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2015 Pavie is still sporting a bit of its oak to begin, giving way to a glorious nose of crushed black cherries, blackberries and mulberries plus hints of dried roses, stewed tea, unsmoked cigars and garrigue.
The rich, concentrated, full-bodied palate delivers an incredible structure of very firm, very ripe tannins and a racy line of freshness cutting through the dense layers of perfumed black fruits and savory notions, finishing with epic length.
The 2014 Pavie is clearly the star of Gérard Perse's portfolio this year. The aromatics are the most complex and absorbing, a mixture of red and black fruit, graphite and black truffle, a faint marine influence emerging as it unfolds in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied and demonstrates less substance and glossiness than the Bellevue-Mondotte.
In fact, if you had this blind, you might describe it as a more "classic" Saint Emilion, underpinned by quite firm tannin that provide this with impressive backbone. There is a toughness to this Pavie, but it retains balance. It has its sights set on longevity and for that we will have to wait, but it will be worth it.
Château Pavie - Saint-Émilion
Château Pavie is a world-renowned winery located in the Saint-Émilion appellation of Bordeaux, France. This wine is a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, which are carefully selected and hand-picked to ensure the highest quality.
The taste profile of Château Pavie is rich and complex, with notes of blackcurrant, blackberry, and plum, as well as hints of vanilla and spice. The tannins are firm and well-structured, providing a long and satisfying finish.
The history of Château Pavie dates back to the 19th century, when it was owned by the Valette family. In 1998, the estate was purchased by Gérard Perse, who invested heavily in the vineyards and winemaking facilities. Today, Château Pavie is considered one of the top wineries in Bordeaux, and its wines are highly sought after by collectors and connoisseurs.
This wine is best enjoyed with a hearty meal, such as a steak or roast beef. It pairs well with rich, savoury flavours and can be enjoyed now or cellared for several years to come.
The 2011 Pavie is composed of 70% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. It possesses a certain approachability, which is somewhat disarming for the big, robust, super-concentrated and age worthy style Pavie has favoured since 1998.
The opaque purple-hued, full-bodied 2011 offers a sweet kiss of kirsch, blackberry, cassis, and liquorice, but no evidence of toasty oak despite the fact it is bottled about six months after most other premier grand cru classes in St.-Emilion.
One of the most complete wines of the vintage, this superstar possesses gorgeous texture and opulence, and can be drunk in 3-4 years, or cellared for two decades.
Deep garnet in colour, the 2010 Pavie delivers tantalising suggestions of candied violets, star anise and tapenade over a core of prunes, blueberry compote, Morello cherries and fruitcake with touches of underbrush and bouquet garni.
Full-bodied, rich and exotically opulent, the palate has a rock-solid texture of velvety tannins and bold freshness supporting the generous palate of black and blue berry preserves, finishing long and fragrant.
Deep garnet in colour, the 2009 Pavie drifts effortlessly and profoundly from the glass with baked plums, spice cake, sandalwood, Black Forest cake and blueberry pie scents followed up with a fragrant undercurrent of potpourri, unsmoked cigars, and bouquet garni.
Full-bodied, rich, and plush, this is pure seduction in the mouth, offering a taut yet velvety texture and oodles of freshness to frame the opulent fruit, finishing very long and mineral laced.
A slightly more compact style of Pavie in this vintage, but still full-bodied, the 2008 has a youthful, dense purple colour and is seriously endowed with concentrated, rich fruit, liquorice, graphite, forest floor, and loads of dark plum and black and red currant fruit.
This wine still has some tannins to resolve and should be cellared for another 4-5 years.
Gérard Perse believes this is the greatest Pavie he’s made to date, although certainly I would argue that list includes the 2000, as well as the 2009 and 2010, among his superstars.
Dense, opaque purple to the rim, with a gorgeously promising nose of blackberries, cassis, graphite, and cedar wood just beginning to emerge, it tastes more like a three-year-old than wine that is already a decade old.
This beauty is intense and full-bodied, with magnificent concentration, a majestic mouthfeel and a total seamless integration of tannin, wood, alcohol, etc. Beautifully rich, full, and multidimensional, this is a tour de force in winemaking and certainly one of the top dozen or so 2005 Bordeaux.
Just beginning to come around and strut its enormous potential, this wine at age 15 has been evolving like a glacier. The wine has an inky, opaque, plum/purple colour and a stunningly rich nose of mulberries, bramble berries, blackberries, liquorice, and incense as well as touches of toast and graphite.
Fabulously concentrated and full-bodied, with a multidimensional mouthfeel, this profound Pavie is in mid-adolescence. It should evolve and continue to drink well for at least another 30-40 years. This is clearly the first compelling effort made by the Perse family.
