Purchased by Gerard Perse in 1998, Chateau Pavie, a Premier Grand Cru Classe B, has since become one of St.-Emilion’s most noted wines. A former cyclist who made his fortune with supermarket chains, Perse in the last decade has modernized and updated the estate with a major replanting program in the vineyards and by totally remodeling the cellars. Perse also owns Chateau Monbousquet and Chateau Pavie-Decesse.
At 103 acres Chateau Pavie has the largest vineyard of any of the St.-Emilion Grand Crus, and it is many time larger than such neighbors as Ausone. The estate is notable for its three quite different terroirs, each with its own microclimate. The vineyards are planted to 70% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon.
The bottle was “pop and pour” but it was clear early on that an extended decant would have been more appropriate. Purple in color. Intense aromas of stone, charcoal, anise, cherry and truffles. Rich, lush and hedonistic on the palate. Flavors of chocolate, cherry liqueur, plums and smoke. The finish went on and on. The wine is simply stunning right now but has loads of upside over the years to come. Drink over the next 7-12 years.
My rating: 95 points.
Current vintages of Pavie are out of my price range. “Off” vintages like the ’01 and ’04 can be found for under $200 at auction. This wine underscores how great Bordeaux can be in supposedly lesser vintages like 2001. Happy hunting!
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Nice review of the 2001 Pavie, Tom! Sounds wonderful. Can hardly wait to try my half-bottle.
I’m anxious to hear if your note resembles mine. Enjoy!
Believe it or not, even though I’ve got a vertical going on Pavie, I’ve only tried it one time, namely the 1999. If my memory serves me correctly, the 99 tasted very much like your tasting note for the 01. In fact, I rated the 99 Pavie a 95, same as your rating for the 01. And, just like the 2001 vintage, 1999 was another very successful “off vintage” for Pavie. I’ll probably open my 01 Pavie half-bottle in the next month or so. Stay tuned.