Château Pavie - Saint-Emilion Grand Cru 2007

Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

93 / 100

byStephen Tanzerthe8/30/2010

Saturated deep ruby, one of the darkest of all the 2007s. Liqueur-like but vibrant nose offers deep aromas of cassis, licorice, minerals, tobacco, soy sauce and bitter chocolate. Dense, sweet, slightly high-toned and powerful but with a penetrating quality and superb energy driven by an impression of mineral salts. Really wonderfully sweet and dense wine, with a thick, silky texture and superb mouth coverage. Very long and very young on the back end. Less extreme than some vintages of this wine; undeniably outsized for the vintage but fresh.

Wine Advocate

94 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe4/30/2010

Along with Lafite Rothschild, Ausone, and l’Eglise Clinet, Pavie is one of the wines of the vintage. An inky/purple color is accompanied by notes of creme de cassis, kirsch, graphite, and toast. A massive wine for the vintage, the 2007 Pavie is very full-bodied with extraordinary intensity, power, and richness. Its structure and tannin suggest 2-4 years of cellaring is required, and it should evolve for 25 years thereafter ,an unusually long aging curve for most 2007s. Yields were 25 hectoliters per hectare, and the wine is a classic blend of 70% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. The natural alcohol level came in at 14%. Drink 2012-2037.

Wine Spectator

90 / 100

byJames Sucklingthe3/31/2010

Sweet blackberry and mulberry aromas lead to a full body, with chewy tannins and berry, tobacco and wet earth aftertaste. Will come around nicely with age. Best after 2013.

Falstaff

90-92 / 100

the6/30/2008

Tiefdunkles Rubingranat, fast opaker Kern, violette Reflexe. In der Nase sehr würzig, zart nach Dörrobst, feiner Schokotouch, etwas Laktritz und Nelken, zart nach Rosinen und Tabak. Am Gaumen kraftvoll, intensive dunkle Frucht, finessenreiche struktur, ausgewogen, mineralisch, angenehme Noten von Herzkirschen, bleibt gut haften, sehr gutes Entwicklungspotenzial.

Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

91-93 / 100

byStephen Tanzerthe6/30/2008

Good full red-ruby color. Musky raspberry, licorice and bitter chocolate on the nose. Broad, full and ripe, with an enticing restrained sweetness to its flavors of black raspberry and minerals. Finishes vibrant and long, with sweet tannins enrobed by the wine's fleshy fruit. This is around 14% alcohol-and a great success for the vintage.

Le Point

14.50-15 / 20

byJacques Dupontthe5/15/2008

Violette, réglisse, fruits noirs, tanins fondus en première séquence, bouche ensuite serrée, tannique, très extraite, surtout des notes épicées et chocolatées, finale astringente. Une note de minéralité mais trop d'extraction.

Wine Advocate

93-95 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe5/5/2008

TAST

18-18,5 / 20

the4/29/2008

Avec Ausone et Cheval Blanc, c’est l’un des trois plus grands saintémilion du millésime, dont il transcende aisément les caractéristiques et les limites : musclé et svelte, intense et profond, c’est un Pavie archétypique par cette conjonction de puissance et de raffinement qui n’appartient qu’à lui.

Wine Advocate

94-95 / 100

byNeal Martinthe4/28/2008

A deep black/purple colour. The nose is very backward, good definition but perhaps just a degree over-ripe with touches of plum jam and tinned prune becoming evident with aeration. The palate is full-bodied with super-ripe tannins, very good depth and persistency with a vibrancy that I found missing in the 2006. Very pure on the multilayered finish with great focus. I have to admit, this is really very good for the vintage. Tasted April 2008.

Jean-Marc QUARIN

16 / 20

the4/25/2008

Couleur pourpre, sombre. Nez fruité, moyennement aromatique. Entrée en bouche caressante. Le vin évolue sur un corps vif en milieu de bouche et un goût moyen. Tannins fermes suivis d'une bonne longueur. La matière est très présente, la saveur un peu moins.

Jancis Robinson

17 / 20

byJancis Robinsonthe4/15/2008

I have already written about my enthusiasm for this wine when I tasted it blind. This was my note: Very deep crimson. High volatility. Masses and masses of purple. Very heady and rich – shows the 2007 signature of under-ripeness not at all. Absolutely pushed to the limit of ripeness with lovely balancing freshness and well handled tannins. A very successful juicy, refreshing wine that seems out of the 2007 mould. Presumably picked very late but with good work on the tannin management. Finishes a little suddenly but definitely superior. With some real core and concentration to it. And here’s what I wrote when tasting it sighted at the château: Very dark. Lively, sappy, gentle, not too dry. Lots of fruit but supple too. Not hot or sweet. Very zappy and sappy. Picked 8-13 Oct, ie later than most, but not exaggerated. Cool finish. Long, slow ripening (145 days). No excess of warmth. 65% new oak. 70% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. 17+

CH'NG Poh Tiong

/ 100

the4/14/2008

Oak/Vintage Port/figs/chocolatey. What a pity the palate is anything but. Dry and tart. Extracted. Green Monster.

Decanter Magazine

18 / 20

the4/4/2008

Out in front this year with Ausone. Deep purple-black hue. Lovely rich, spicy, dark fruit aroma. Real concentration of layered fruit on the palate with firm but fine tannins behind. Overall freshness and balance on the finish. Harmonious wine with both power and finesse. Drink 2015-2030.

Wine Spectator

89-92 / 100

byJames Sucklingthe4/2/2008

Very perfumed, with a mineral and floral character, as well as dark fruit. Full-bodied, with chewy tannins and a medium finish. Solid and well-structured for the vintage. —J.S.