| Region | |
|---|---|
| Subregion | France > Bordeaux > Right Bank > St Emilion |
| Colour | Red |
| Type | Still |
Gérard Perse created a modern winery of marble, stainless steel and new oak barrels and, with very low yields, and a magnificently situated vineyard on the south-facing slopes of St Emilion. Since 1998 Pavie has been rewarded with a string of high scores from the critics and has now attained Premier Grand Cru Classé 'A' status. The vineyard is now up to 42 hectares with La Clusiere incorporated in 2002 and the recent addition (in 2022) of Pavie Decesse (3 hectares) and Bellevue Mondotte (2 hectares) into the blend. There is also more Cabernet than before and the oak is less toasted and no longer 100% new.
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The 2025 Pavie was picked at just 21 hl/ha, the lowest ever, plus this is the first vintage with 60% Cabernet Franc from plantings in the 2000s. Matured in 65% new oak, the aromatics are far superior, more cohesive and purer than the Arômes cuvée. Still very plush and luxuriant, it has that purity, although it needs more delineation and terroir expression to come through. The palate is actually better than the nose and I appreciate the contribution that the Cabernet Franc makes in this wine, delivering fine structure and tension that I believe you would not have obtained if there were higher Merlot. Satisfying precision on the finish, this feels long in the mouth with cracked black pepper on the aftertaste. It is a different take on Pavie due to the different blend and if the aromatics can gain more complexity and nuance, then it could be an interesting proposition once in bottle. Drink 2033-2055.
Tasting almost as if from a different vintage, Pavie has a saturated purple colour and damson jam led nose, with lots of vanilla, cinnamon and clove. Hugely concentrated with heavy extract and mouthcoating, rich tannins, it is the oiliest, chewiest and most concentrated of the Saint Emilions I tasted this year. Everything is turned up to full volume, but the acidity is there and the intensity seems well balanced between fruit, oak and tannin. This is of a style but pulls it off - it will need a long time in bottle but lovers of Pavie will certainly enjoy this year's effort.
The cabernet franc really comes through, with fine, intense, racy tannins and great length. Chalky and focused. More restrained than past vintages, with superb tension at the end. The most cabernet franc-driven Pavie ever. And it works so well. Precise is the word.
Fragrant apple blossom, iris and violet flowers on the nose, brings its A-game from the first moments; coupling bright greengage plums, rose stems, and an intense grip of slate, with creamier blackberries, damson and creme patissiere. A ton of grip and length, this is in it for the long game, with pulses of oyster shell minerality to close things out. Brilliant. Here they did 8 weeks maceration, longer than most, but they felt that the wines needed a little longer to fill out through the mid palate, and for sure this is showing exceptional expansion and tension. Harvest September 15 to 29, first time in the Perse era that this has been entirely in September - and the final vintage under Gerard Perse. Pavie Decesse and Bellevue Mondot are now included in the main wine, bringing their limestone soils to the blend, and this is the highest amount of Cabernet to date. 21hl/ha yield, 3.58ph. 2035-2050.
The 2025 Pavie is a total stunner. What a wine. Rich and dazzling in its intensity, the 2025 hits all the right notes. Inky dark red/purplish fruit, exotic spice, mocha, espresso and pomegranate literally stain the palate. The 2025 is going to require the better part of a decade to unwind, but it has a ton of potential and a very bright future. This is the first time Cabernet Franc is the dominant variety in the Grand Vin. The 2025 has plenty of the textural intensity readers have come to expect, but with less of the heavy extraction that marked the earlier years. 2033 - 2065
