Pavie 2009

While the Perses may think the 2005 is the summit of winemaking at Pavie, this vintage certainly gives serious competition to both the 2005 and 2000. It is certainly the most opulent and luxuriously rich wine Pavie has ever made (and that is saying something). Pavie’s style of low yields, ripe fruit and serious extraction does produce, even in lighter vintages, a very concentrated and dense wine, but in the great years, the results are legendary. This wine has an inky purple color and a stunningly sweet, ripe nose of mulberries, blackberries, blackcurrants, licorice and incense. The oak still has some presence in the aromatics, as well as in the full-bodied, very concentrated, skyscraper-like mouthfeel and texture. This wine feels almost as if you could lose your palate in it, it is so dense and deep, yet at the same time it possesses silky tannins and rather remarkable purity, balance, and a good 60-second-plus finish. This is an amazing wine and probably will be drinkable in 5-10 years (although actually it could be drunk now because of the vintage’s voluptuous texture), and again, seems to have 50 or more years of longevity. It is clearly a modern Bordeaux legend.


Pavie is widely acclaimed as one of Bordeaux’s greatest terroirs, of largely limestone and clay soils. Brilliantly situated with a sunny, southern exposure and exceptional drainage, Pavie potentially rivals nearby Ausone, the oldest and possibly the most famous estate in Bordeaux. Pavie’s other nearby neighbors include, Pavie-Macquin and Troplong-Mondot to the north, Larcis-Ducasse to the southeast and La Gaffelière and Saint-Georges Côte Pavie to the west.
Until 1978, previous owners rarely produced great wine, but of course that all changed with the acquisition of the 92-acre, single vineyard by Chantal and Gérard Perse. In short, they dramatically raised the quality. Currently, the vineyard is planted with 60% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, but the actual blend for each vintage tends to possess slightly higher amounts of Merlot. A perfectionist, owner Gérard Perse is flexible with the percentage of new oak, as well as how long the wine is aged in cask. Great vintages can get 100% new oak and spend up to 32 months in barrel. Lesser years are bottled after 18 months and see at least 30% less new oak.
There is no fining or filtration. The resulting wine has been considered one of the superstars of Bordeaux since 1978.

Deep garnet with a touch of purple, the 2009 Pavie is quite closed to begin, needing a lot of shaking to bring out a powerful notes of blueberry pie, Black Forest cake, and cinnamon toast leading to a fragrant undercurrent of rose oil, licorice, and clove oil. The full-bodied palate is built like a brick house, with a firm frame of velvety tannins and fantastic tension framing the generous fruit, finishing with epic length and depth. It needs 5-7 years at least.

The 2009 Pavie has a gorgeous bouquet, very pure and refined with seamlessly integrated oak and wonderful delineation. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, perfectly judged acidity. Fine grip with compelling tension on the finish. This shimmers with energy. Easily, this is the best bottle that I have encountered over the years. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners’ 2009 Bordeaux tasting. 2022 - 2045

Blackberry, black cherry, licorice and mineral. Full-bodied, with a big core of velvety tannins and rich fruit. Full throttle, and all there. Really massive. Blockbuster and more. Could be a tad overdone. But we will see in bottle.

Blackish purple. Suddenly interesting! Very distinctive. Very appetising and succulent. All pleasure but with a promise of future development. So much more satisfying and succulent than its stablemates. Date tasted 30th March 2010. Drink 2018-2035.

Bordeaux's most controversial wine. Over-priced, over-oaked, over-concentrated "jam juice" according to some and one of the world's greatest wines say others. Some British critics have criticised the Port-like aspects of some recent vintages but Robert Parker, James Suckling and Michel Bettane are big fans. Even Jancis Robinson likes the 2009. Produced from 50 year old vines (70% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon) and elevaged in 100% new oak by Gérard Perse, the owner of Monbousquet. He has created a modern winery in one of Saint Emilion's greatest terroirs and, with very low yields, is creating wines of enormous concentration and power. Completely different from the Pavies of old (but so is the price). Recent vintages (since 1998) have delivered wines that those looking for traditional Saint Emilion should avoid but those who are impressed by extraordinary levels of intensity will be amazed and delighted. Black, hot, massive, incredibly extracted but less sweet than expected. In fact there is a mouth-puckering dryness at the finish. A controversial wine that impressed some of the Farr Vintners jury, and others hated. It should appeal to those who like this kind of thing. It was hard to produce an average score when one of number gave it 4 out of 20!

The nose is minty with red fruits intermingling with the black. The sweetness that shows at the start is quickly dominated by tannic firmness all too aggressive and drying and this gives the wine a rustic character. Although it may suit some tastes it does lack any charm. Drink 2020-2045.

Dense and profound. Layered fruit. Tight, firm tannic frame. Muscular and powerful. Built for the long haul. A confident wine but misses a little of the charm of the vintage. Drink 2018-2040.