Château Pavie Saint-Emilion 2019 - 1er Grand Cru Classé A

Bettane & Desseauve

About the wine:

Perfect body, formal perfection, sweetness without sugar, remarkable intensity and richness in its profile, great refinement of texture, restrained power, and remarkably silky tannins—this 2019 has it all and will age very, very well. The symphony of the Caudalies is truly impressive!

About the estate:

Château Pavie’s magnificent cellars live up to its status as a Premier Grand Cru Classé A, a designation it earned in 2012. Both the vineyard and the cellars have been completely restructured over the past few vintages by Gérard Perse, who has embodied the estate’s revival since his acquisition of it in 1998. His commitment—both in terms of viticulture and financial investment—is total: the plots, encompassing both the plateau and the southern slope, now span 37 hectares, situated between the estates of Pavie-Decesse, Larcis-Ducasse, and La Gaffelière. The wine’s style combines, in a balance hitherto unique on the Right Bank, the utmost richness with a precisely calibrated nobility of texture. The great terroirs express themselves with flamboyant majesty, provided one is willing to wait at least a decade; otherwise, one risks missing the true complexity of the estate. (The 2000 vintage, tasted recently, demonstrated exceptional elegance and fullness.) The 2016 and 2017 vintages have gained even more nuance and have reached their peak. Those in a hurry can already invest in Esprit-de-Pavie: a sappy and very flavorful Bordeaux for less than 20 euros!

Guide Hachette des vins

About the wine:

The blend is an equal mix of Cabernet and Merlot, which is not all that common in Saint-Émilion. On the palate, there’s no mistaking it: Pavie is, as always, a flamboyant, intense, robust, and richly structured wine, graced with ripe black fruit and all the charms of a long 20-month aging in oak barrels. This body, always spectacular in the wine’s youth, also ensures it has a very long aging potential. 2028–2040

About the estate:

Truly established in the 19th century, Pavie’s vast 37-hectare vineyard stretches across the eponymous hillside, one of the cradles of local viticulture dating back to the 4th century. Its unique terroir, divided into three distinct sections—the limestone plateau, the hillside with its dense, deep clay, and the sandy-clay foothills with a touch of gravel—justifies its inclusion in 2012 among the elite of the Classified First Growths (1er Grand Cru Classé A). This rise to prominence is also due to the considerable investments made by its owner since 1998, Gérard Perse, a businessman who made his fortune in the retail sector. Inaugurated in 2013, a new winery designed by Alberto Pinto—an interior designer known for his work on palaces and luxury hotels—seals the estate’s rise to the pinnacle of the wine world and enables even more precise winemaking techniques.

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate

RVF - La Revue du Vin de France / Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France

About the estate:

Acquired in 1997 by Gérard Perse, the estate has gone from success to success ever since, championing a resolutely modern style characterized by high concentration. Extremely low yields, a focus on achieving full ripeness in the grapes, intensive extraction, and lavish aging: all the factors that theoretically enhance wine quality are in place. And the investments never stop... The impressive and massive expansion of the cellars and fermentation facilities, and above all the creation of a bright, Versailles-style reception hall spanning 600 m², inaugurated in June 2013. The estate does not seek to produce easy, immediate wines, but rather to establish a long-term vision. The terroir of the southern slope, one of Saint-Émilion’s very finest, promotes the wines’ longevity. Without losing any of their grandeur, the most recent vintages nevertheless show a slight shift toward greater flexibility in their early years, with a more natural expression.

James Suckling

About the wine:

Plenty of blackberry and grilled meat flavors with earthy and spicy notes. Some smoky aromas as well. Blackcurrant. Complex. Full-bodied, with round, juicy tannins that are extremely refined and very linear, lingering for several minutes. Great length. A blend of 50% Merlot, 32% Cabernet Franc, and 18% Cabernet Sauvignon. Best enjoyed after 2027, but already a pleasure to drink.

Terre de Vins

About the wine:

Great depth and density are evident from the very first whiff, which reveals complex notes of licorice and maritime pine. A force of nature: powerful and distinguished, this exponential wine—built in layers like a mille-feuille—evolves between inky depths and warm stone, with a rich, enveloping texture and a remarkable structure centered on refined tannins and great minerality. We are in the world of Pavie—naturally powerful, yet with an added touch of grace. Truly accomplished.

Yves Beck

About the wine:

Deep purplish-red. Like some of the great 2019 vintages, Pavie sets the tone from the outset and clearly displays its ambitions. It combines fruity, floral, and mineral notes. What complexity and diversity! The attack is fresh, fruity, and slightly juicy. On the palate, Pavie reveals itself step by step; it gains in intensity and character thanks to its structure, which lends it temperament and bite, while the tannins work behind the scenes. They have a fine grain and perfectly fulfill their supporting role, while the acidity perfectly sustains the aromatic expression all the way to the finish, where it gains even more breadth. They have a fine texture and provide excellent support, while the acidic structure ideally supports the aromatic expression all the way to the finish, where the fruity intensity gains in breadth. A truly great Pavie, which confirms the winemaker’s commitment to finesse and freshness. A very sound choice. 2026–2049

Vert de Vin

About the wine:

The nose is elegant, refined, beautifully defined, and precise, offering power, intensity with finesse, depth, and refined power (subtle and well-controlled). It features notes of ripe wild blackberry, crushed blackcurrant, and, more subtly, chocolate, combined with hints of cardamom, crushed strawberry, and toasted notes, along with subtle hints of caramelization, crushed ripe almond, and an imperceptible hint of saffron and licorice. On the palate, it is fruity, elegant, beautifully defined, precise, and refined, offering lovely finesse of texture, smoothness, power (expressed with finesse), elegance, as well as a very beautiful structure, a lovely velvety and delicate mouthfeel, and depth. On the palate, this wine expresses notes of juicy, ripe blackberry and juicy, ripe blackcurrant, along with a lighter hint of crushed raspberry, combined with touches of crushed small purple plums and crushed small berries, as well as hints of chocolate, cardamom, crushed almond, ripe hazelnut, along with subtle hints of zan, black tea, saffron, and sweet spices. The tannins are elegant, refined, powerful, yet beautifully integrated. Good length and persistence. A sumptuous finish that offers savory depth with delicate hints of dark chocolate and almond.

The Wine Cellar Insider - Jeff Leve

About the wine:

With a beautiful, deep, rich color, the wine opens up to reveal a bouquet of flowers, crushed stone, black cherries, blackberries, espresso, and a cigar box. The wine is intensely concentrated, opulent, fresh, and above all, well-balanced. Everything comes together perfectly here. Rich and enveloping on the palate, the fruit displays purity and hints of salty minerality. The finish develops and expands in all the right directions. 2019 is the first vintage in which Merlot does not dominate the blend. The wine was crafted from 50% Merlot, 32% Cabernet Franc, and 18% Cabernet Sauvignon. Like all great Pavie vintages, this wine needs time to age and evolve. Best enjoyed between 2035 and 2060.