| Region | |
|---|---|
| Subregion | France > Bordeaux > Right Bank > St Emilion |
| Colour | Red |
| Type | Still |
A dense purple color is followed by notes of creme de cassis, mulberries, forest floor and loamy soil with a hint of spicy oak in the background. The oak component is completely balanced by the wine's rich fruit, medium-bodied texture, and impressive purity, length and equilibrium. The 2013 Pavie should turn out to be one of the longer-lived wines of the vintage, drinking well in 4-5 years and lasting 15-20.
Harvested between October 3-8, this great vineyard situated on the limestone hillsides of the Cote Pavie is a final blend of 65% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. Yields were 26 hectoliters per hectare, and only 50% of the production made it into the 2013 Pavie. The Merlot crop was largely destroyed by poor flowering, and there is also some re-planting going on. When I visited the magnificent new cellars, Gerard Perse told me that most vines had no more than two to three grape bunches per vine. The natural alcohol came in at 13.26% and the pH was relatively modest. The result is one of the superstars of this difficult vintage.
The 2013 Pavie was actually quite reticent on the nose compared to the 2013 Bellevue Mondotte, gently unfolding with mulberry, forest floor and wild mint aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, gently gripping the mouth with a touch of chalkiness underneath the caressing finish. There is a little chewiness here and as I suspected, it might actually be the Pavie-Decesse that is the best wine within Gérard Perse's portfolio.
A racy and sleek wine for the vintage with blueberry, mineral, salty. Medium body with firm tannins. Nice how this is reserved and harmonious.
The Pavie 2013 has another very pure, almost daringly opulent bouquet that is well defined and very perfumed, hints of violet emerging with time. As usual, the new oak feels a little disjointed at the moment but that will be subsumed during barrel ageing. The palate is medium-bodied with crisp tannins, well judged acidity and purity. There is not the customary weight or dimension to this Pavie, although it comes armed with a caressing, vivacious finish that is uncommon in this vintage. This is a lovely Pavie, although it might well be that the Pavie-Decesse pips it to the post.
