In Bond Fine Wine. 2005 Château Pavie, Saint Emilion, Bordeaux, France. Premier Grand Cru Classé A • Red Bordeaux in 12x75cl. Top critic score: 98/100 (RP). Drinking window: 2015–2023. Sold in bond by Albany Vintners, independent fine wine merchants.
Château Pavie was revitalised under the late Gérard Perse, whose vision and relentless pursuit of quality elevated the property into the very highest echelon of Bordeaux. Perse acquired the estate in 1998 and oversaw a remarkable reinvigoration of both vineyard and cellar, turning Pavie into one of the most powerful, sought-after and critically acclaimed wines on the Right Bank, rivalling Ausone and Cheval Blanc. At the heart of Pavie’s greatness is its extraordinary terroir: magnificent clay-limestone soils spread across the celebrated Saint-Émilion limestone plateau on south-facing slopes above the Dordogne. This rare combination of limestone bedrock, elevation and superb exposure gives the wines their signature union of richness, freshness and striking mineral tension. Today, Pavie is famed for producing deeply layered, intensely complex wines of black cherry, cassis, liquorice, cedar, espresso and spice with increasingly refined tannins. Château Pavie stands as one of the defining wines of modern Bordeaux and a lasting legacy to Gérard Perse’s extraordinary ambition.
James Suckling (JS) — 100/100 · Wine Spectator, 30/06/2008 · Drink 2015+
I love the purity of fruit in this wine, with perfectly ripe blackberry, blueberry and raspberry on the nose. Complex and full-bodied, with hints of new oak and wonderfully polished tannins that caress the palate. Long, long finish. This is not the blockbuster it was from barrel, but rather a complete, balanced and gorgeous red. Best after 2015. 7,100 cases made.
Robert Parker (RP) — 98/100 · Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com, 30/04/2008 · Drink 2020-2060
Now that the 2005 Pavie is in the bottle, I would place it, qualitatively, a notch below the prodigious 2000, and a few notches above the blockbuster 2003. There are 7,000 cases of this 70% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon blend. Disregarding the blatant jealousy of his success as well as his 'outsider' status, proprietor Gerard Perse has pushed the envelope of quality, fash…
Robert Parker (RP) — 98–100/100 · Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com, 30/04/2007 · Drink 2017-2050+
Last year I was not sure whether the 2005 would turn out to be better than the 2003 or 2000, two wines that can taste perfect on any given day, especially the 2000. However, this fabulous vineyard has once again produced 7,000 cases of true elixir in 2005, and it looks like this vintage will take its place in the pantheon of monumental Pavies that have been produced since Gerard Perse gained cont…