Château Pavie - Saint-Emilion Grand Cru 2010

Wine Advocate

100 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe8/31/2015

What fun, excitement and joy it will be to compare the four perfect wines Perse has made in 2005, 2009, 2010 and, of course, the 2000, in 25 or so years. This wine is truly profound Bordeaux. Everything is in place – remarkable concentration and a beautiful nose of cedar and ripe blackcurrant and blackberry with some kirsch and spice box in the background. Lavishly rich, with slightly more structure and delineation than the more Rabelaisian 2009, this wine does show some serious tannins in the finish, and comes across as incredibly youthful. Of course, it's five years old, but it tastes more like a just-bottled barrel sample than a 2010. In any event, this wine is set for a long, long life and should be forgotten for at least another decade. Consume it over the following 75 or more years.

Pavie is widely acclaimed as one of Bordeaux’s greatest terroirs, of largely limestone and clay soils. Brilliantly situated with a sunny, southern exposure and exceptional drainage, Pavie potentially rivals nearby Ausone, the oldest and possibly the most famous estate in Bordeaux. Pavie’s other nearby neighbors include, Pavie-Macquin and Troplong-Mondot to the north, Larcis-Ducasse to the southeast and La Gaffelière and Saint-Georges Côte Pavie to the west.
Until 1978, previous owners rarely produced great wine, but of course that all changed with the acquisition of the 92-acre, single vineyard by Chantal and Gérard Perse. In short, they dramatically raised the quality. Currently, the vineyard is planted with 60% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, but the actual blend for each vintage tends to possess slightly higher amounts of Merlot. A perfectionist, owner Gérard Perse is flexible with the percentage of new oak, as well as how long the wine is aged in cask. Great vintages can get 100% new oak and spend up to 32 months in barrel. Lesser years are bottled after 18 months and see at least 30% less new oak.
There is no fining or filtration. The resulting wine has been considered one of the superstars of Bordeaux since 1978.

Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

95 / 100

byStephen Tanzerthe8/31/2013

(14.5% alcohol; 70% merlot, 20% cabernet franc and 10% cabernet sauvignon): Saturated, deep ruby-red. High-toned, superripe aromas of black raspberry, cassis and caramel. Then dense, velvety and huge in the mouth, with great power and chew to the thick flavors of cassis, raspberry and crushed chalk. This improbably thick wine boasts terrific sweetness but its huge, building tannins will need a good decade of cellaring to harmonize. Interestingly, Gerard Perse picked this fruit in mid-October, yet the wine has been even higher in alcohol in some recent vintages. 95 (+?) points

Jamessuckling.com

98 / 100

byJames Sucklingthe6/17/2013

Amazing aromas of blackberries and chocolate. Then dried herbs and sweet tobacco. Wonderful. Full body, with a wonderful density and richness. It goes on for minutes. Tannic and structure but incredible. Very savory. This needs at least 10 years. Superb. This is not quiet as complex as 2005 or as harmonious, but it is super quality. Yes.

Wine Advocate

98 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe3/1/2013

Painfully powerful, backward and super-concentrated, this 2010 is a blend of 70% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon cropped at 26 hectoliters per hectare. The harvest, as usual, was late by the standards of the appellation, occurring between October 12 and October 19. The alcohols are surprisingly modest by 2010 standards, 14.2%. As usual, this is one of the top wines of the vintage, but it needs a good decade of cellaring. It is much more backward and restrained than the 2009 was at the same stage, and seems even more tannic and structured than the 2005. It is a monumental wine for true connoisseurs who have the patience and discipline to cellar it for a good decade. Anticipated maturity: 2025-2060+.

This great terroir dominates the Cote Pavie, which is a combination of decomposed limestone and more gravelly soils at the bottom of the slope. Kudos to proprietors Chantal and Gerard Perse for continuing to push the envelope of quality and ignoring their jealous critics.

Wine Advocate

95-98 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe5/31/2011

2010: Along with several other Medoc first-growths as well as Ausone in St.-Emilion and possibly Petrus and Lafleur in Pomerol, few estates have such a record for consistent quality as Gerard Perse’s Chateau Pavie. Made from a classic blend of 70% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2010 was cropped at a ridiculously low 26 hectoliters per hectare, and the harvest occurred between October 12 and 19. Surprisingly, the alcohol is only 14.2% which is actually less than the 2008 and 2009. Since Perse acquired this estate in 1998, most Pavies have possessed off the charts richness and the 2010 is no different. It also reveals an opaque purple color, abundant notes of roasted coffee, blackberries, cassis, full-bodied power and sensational density, texture and length. There is also a boatload of tannin, so do not expect this 2010 to provide near-term consumption. Somewhat reminiscent of the 2005 in its freshness, precision and intensity, it requires 7-10 years of cellaring and should keep for 3-4 decades thereafter. I had this wine on four separate occasions and would rank it slightly behind the 2000, 2005 and 2009. Drink 2018-2058 (95-98+ points)

Asian Palate

93-95 / 100

byJeannie Cho Lee MWthe5/24/2011

The 2010 Pavie is made in a rich, ripe modern style but with very nice depth and finesse. Aromas of ripe plums, blackberries, cassis, and cedar are followed on the palate by rich generous fruit and well managed tannins. In most recent years Pavie borders on being too heavy but this year the acidity lifts the flavours and adds lightness while retaining good length, but it will still take about a decade for the tannins to be tamed.

Jamessuckling.com

96-97 / 100

byJames Sucklingthe4/30/2011

Very powerful. It sneaks up on you. It doesn’t show its strength at first but then takes off with excellent ripe fruit, spices, chocolate and nuts. So long and exciting. I prefer the style to the 2009 by a hair.

Decanter Magazine

18 / 20

byJames Lawther MWthe4/30/2011

Bound to court controversy again this year. Some will love it, others hate it. Aromatically pitched closer to the Mediterranean with raisined fruit notes. Rich, thick fruit on the palate. Bold and full but keen acidity for balance. Huge, tight muscular frame. Built for the long haul. Drink 2022-2045. (18 points)

Wine Spectator

94-97 / 100

byJames Molesworththe4/30/2011

This is really gorgeous, with a flamboyant display of spice, warm linzer torte, blueberry and plum confiture aromas giving way to fleshy dark fruit and anise notes. Never overly weighty, with great cut and purity on the finish thanks to a superstrong graphite note. Shows power, precision and drive. —J.M.

TAST

19 / 20

by Bettane & Desseauvethe4/30/2011

Pavie couronne indiscutablement un millésime qui nous est apparu réussi (par Gérard Perse et ses équipes) avec une impressionnante dimension. Très riche, très gras, grand raffinement de texture, une puissance domptée, un soyeux de tanin remarquable, c’est un très grand, plus émouvant à ce stade par son équilibre suprême que 2009.

Jean-Marc QUARIN

16 / 20

byJean-Marc Quarinthe4/8/2011

Je salue sa bonne présence physique dans la bouche. Je regrette son manque de vie dans les arômes. Bonne longueur.

Wine Enthusiast

91-93 / 100

byRoger Vossthe4/6/2011

This feels very juicy, the fruit almost overripe. There is a generous new world feel to it, very opulent, super-rich. Open black plum and damson fruits push through the dark, perfumed tannins. -R.V.