Appellations

Pavie 2017

St Emilion, Premier Grand Cru Classé A

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Tasting Notes

The 2017 Pavie, picked from 25 September and matured in 80% new oak, comes in with 14.61° alcohol and a pH of 3.61. It has a clean, pure bouquet with blackberry, briary, cedar and pencil lead aromas, the latter emanating from the Cabernet Sauvignon. This is one of the bouquets that you might mistake for a Left Bank due to the high Cabernet content. The palate is medium-bodied with firm tannin, layers of black fruit are laced with tar and tobacco – a far less opulent Pavie than recent vintages. Grippy and assertive, a more masculine Saint-Émilion compared to its peers, quite saline towards the finish. It is a Pavie for long-term ageing. Patience required.

Score: 93 - 95 Neal Martin, Vinous.com Maturity: 2025-2048 Date: 01 May 2018

The 2017 Pavie is very good, but it is also a bit somber in this vintage, almost as if the lack of sun during the summer speaks through the wine. Wild cherry, blueberry jam, leather and spice add to an impression of darkness. The 2017 finishes with real density and power to round things out. I can't wait to see how the 2017 develops over the next year.

Score: 94 - 97 Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com Date: 01 May 2018

There was no frost in this vineyard in 2017, due to its elevation, and grapes were harvested September 25 through October 3. Composed of 60% Merlot, 22% Cabernet Franc and 18% Cabernet Sauvignon, the very deep purple-black colored 2017 Pavie has a profound nose of crushed blackcurrants, warm black plums and black forest cake with nuances of licorice, espresso, Chinese five spice and violets plus wafts of smoked meats and garrigue. Full-bodied, rich, firm, velvety and packed solid with black and blue fruit layers accented by sparks of exotic spices and floral scents, it finishes very long and incredibly layered. This is a very unique expression of this vintage.

Score: 97 - 99 Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Date: 27 April 2018

Black-hearted with purple rim. Rich and dark and packed with fruit, and here the oak char adds a savoury quality and does not overwhelm the fruit. Excellent freshness – everything is embryonic but in a powerful but harmonious whole. A particular style but well done in that style. Chewy, compact and all so concentrated. Needs time to unfurl. (17++ Points)

Score: 17 Julia Harding MW, JancisRobinson.com Maturity: 2030-2045 Date: 25 April 2018

If I had to pick one wine to be the wine of the vintage, at least at this early stage, it would be the 2017 Pavie. One of the deepest, richest, most opulent wines produced, it offers a heavenly bouquet of black and blue fruits, crushed violets, graphite, and spring flowers. While it’s not going to match the 2015 in sheer scale, it has sensational purity, a seamless texture, no hard edges, and pumps out way more fruit and texture than just about every other wine made in 2017. Hats off to the Perse family for this incredible effort.

Score: 95 - 97 Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com Date: 23 April 2018

Dark and admirably ripe, with layers of fig and blackberry compote liberally infused with tobacco, licorice snap and fruitcake flavors. Shows some heft through the finish, but there’s enough energy to keep this moving along. A long, subtle echo of chalk is alluring.

Score: 93 - 96 James Molesworth, Wine Spectator Date: 04 April 2018

This is very velvety with a very pretty density and richness. Full body and chewy tannins. Focused and tight on the finish. Succulent and savory, too. Shows strength and subtlety at the same time.

Score: 96 - 97 James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com Date: 03 April 2018

This is a good Pavie, with a good amount of clear water between it and the second wine. There's no doubt that this is a big wine, high on extraction of black fruits, coffee and tar aromatics, but the overall feel is velvety and fresh, as it was in 2016. 80% new oak has been used this time, compared to 100% previously, but still for 24 months, and the estate has continued their practice of beginning harvest a little earlier than in the past (helped by the vintage of course), getting going on 20 September this year. It's a very good wine for the vintage, with impressive texture, and they are doing a very successful job of moving towards a more sculpted feel without sacrificing their signature. They had no blockage of maturity here, and no frost; the altitude and the limestone saw to that.

Score: 95 Jane Anson, Decanter.com Maturity: 2026-2040 Date: 01 April 2018