Arômes de Pavie Saint-Emilion Grand Cru 2018 - Second Vin

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 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, straddling the estates of Château Pavie-Decesse, Château Larcis-Ducasse, and Château 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 speak 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!

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, comprising 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 ranks of the First Grand Crus 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.

Arômes de Pavie 2018 is a blend of 65% Merlot, 18% Cabernet Franc, and 17% Cabernet Sauvignon. It has a pH of 3.56 and an alcohol content of 14.42%. Displaying a deep garnet-purple color, it opens with intense aromas of stewed black cherries, blackberries, and plum jam, accompanied by hints of hoisin sauce, chocolate, anise, and forest floor, with a touch of dried mint. On the palate, it is full-bodied and dense, rich with ripe, concentrated black fruit and enhanced by numerous savory notes; the whole is supported by rounded tannins and superb freshness, leading to a long and highly complex finish. 2024–2041

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 winemaking facilities—and above all, the creation of a bright, Versailles-style 600 m² reception hall, 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—fosters 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.

It reveals aromas of blackberry, blueberries, dark chocolate, and black truffle, which carry through to a full-bodied palate with notes of crushed stone, fruit, and black olives. The wine is structured by firm, dense, and intense tannins. A serious wine. 65% Merlot, 18% Cabernet Franc, and 17% Cabernet Sauvignon. Best enjoyed starting in 2024.

Arômes de Pavie 2018—a blend of 65% Merlot, 18% Cabernet Franc, and the remainder Cabernet Sauvignon—reveals notes of blueberry, crushed stone, graphite, and violet. Rich, concentrated, and powerful, it is a monumental wine that will require some time to age in the bottle. It is, moreover, remarkably well-crafted!

A floral and fruity bouquet with good intensity. Pleasant hints of licorice. A rich and creamy attack. Good aromatic intensity, from the first sip through to the finish. The wine benefits from its acidic structure, which creates a pleasant harmony with the generous fruit. Excellent tannic framework with fine-grained tannins that slowly unfold across the palate. A lively and full-bodied wine with a lingering finish. 2022–2032

The nose is fruity and elegant, offering crispness, minerality, and a touch of intensity. It features notes of plump, juicy blackberries, crisp blackcurrants, and, more subtly, blueberries and lilies, combined with delicate hints of crisp raspberries, small wild berries, and subtle touches of nutmeg, spices, and blond tobacco, with very subtle varietal notes. On the palate, the wine is fruity and balanced, with juiciness, a lively acidity, and minerality. It expresses notes of juicy, fresh blackcurrant and juicy, fresh blackberry, along with, more subtly, fresh, fleshy cherry, combined with hints of small red berries and flowers (violet, lily), as well as subtle notes of licorice, toast, and chocolate, and very subtle nuances of blond tobacco.