Chateau Pavie - Saint-Emilion Grand Cru 2013

Wine Advocate

91 / 100

byNeal Martinthe10/28/2016

The 2013 Pavie was actually quite reticent on the nose compared to the 2013 Bellevue Mondotte, gently unfolding with mulberry, forest floor and wild mint aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, gently gripping the mouth with a touch of chalkiness underneath the caressing finish. There is a little chewiness here and as I suspected, it might actually be the Pavie-Decesse that is the best wine within Gérard Perse's portfolio.

Bettane & Desseauve

17,5 / 20

the8/31/2016

Wine Spectator

93 / 100

the5/31/2016

This has power but offers a greater display of purity overall, as the dense core of raspberry, cherry and plum preserves glides rather than rumbles, carried by a sleek structure before letting a fine chalky minerality linger on the finish. Shows length and depth, and should be among the longer-lived wines of the vintage. Best from 2018 through 2028. 5,000 cases made.

Jamessuckling.com

92 / 100

byJames Sucklingthe2/15/2016

Aromas of plum, coffee bean, and rose petals follow through to a full body with firm and silky tannins and a lightly chewy finish. Needs three or four years to soften but a structured an interesting wine for the vintage.

Wine Advocate

92-94 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe8/29/2014

A dense purple color is followed by notes of creme de cassis, mulberries, forest floor and loamy soil with a hint of spicy oak in the background. The oak component is completely balanced by the wine’s rich fruit, medium-bodied texture, and impressive purity, length and equilibrium. The 2013 Pavie should turn out to be one of the longer-lived wines of the vintage, drinking well in 4-5 years and lasting 15-20.

Harvested between October 3-8, this great vineyard situated on the limestone hillsides of the Cote Pavie is a final blend of 65% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. Yields were 26 hectoliters per hectare, and only 50% of the production made it into the 2013 Pavie. The Merlot crop was largely destroyed by poor flowering, and there is also some re-planting going on. When I visited the magnificent new cellars, Gerard Perse told me that most vines had no more than two to three grape bunches per vine. The natural alcohol came in at 13.26% and the pH was relatively modest. The result is one of the superstars of this difficult vintage.

Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

89-91 / 100

byStephen Tanzerthe5/16/2014

Dark red.  Plum, blackberry and blueberry on the fruit-driven nose.  Fresh and clean on the palate, with spicy dark fruit flavors that are less dense than usual for this wine, in the style of the year.  Finishes with a hint of leafiness but also with excellent balance, youthful tannins and sneaky concentration.  Will make lovely earlier-than-usual drinking.

matthewjukes.com

17,5 / 20

byMatthew Jukesthe4/23/2014

(65 Merlot, 25 Cabernet Franc, 10 Cabernet Sauvignon) 26 hl/ha, 80% new oak, 13.2 alc. Pavie has a very alluring nose where the fruit has thankfully overtaken the oak on the nose (the only wine in the Perse portfolio to show this). It is sour and tart from the oak on the palate but the fruit is stunning and it is hanging in there. Will it break through the oak one day? I wager it will, but this might take ten years. There is serious density here, but this is not a ‘heavy wine’ and thanks to the lower alcohol it might end up being a classic

Jancis Robinson

16 / 20

byRichard Hemmingsthe4/22/2014

Very closed nose, and the palate is domineered by tannic fuzz. Doesn’t seem to have the fruit concentration of the Cheval Blanc. You wonder whether the structure will ever fully resolve. Bitter and pinched.

Vinous

91-93 / 100

byAntonio Gallonithe4/18/2014

The 2013 Pavie is pure sensuality in the glass. Smoke, cassis, graphite and white flowers appear first, followed by expressive blue/purplish fruit. Firm yet well-integrated tannins lend support to a wine that boasts considerable concentration and sheer depth, especially within the context of the year. This is a rare 2013 that will require at least some bottle age. The blend is 65% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. The 2013 was fermented in oak uprights, and saw 36 days of contact on the skins, long for the year.

Decanter.com

18 / 20

bySteven Spurrierthe4/15/2014

Deep, dark and reserved on the nose. Dark fruit nuances. Fine, fresh and  structured. Terroir really comes through. Firm, long finish. Powerful but  harmonious as well

My Bettane + Desseauve

18 / 20

the4/15/2014

Musclé, sculpté, plus dans l’intensité que dans l’onctuosité, long, ferme, intense.

Wine Advocate

91-93 / 100

byNeal Martinthe4/15/2014

The Pavie 2013 has another very pure, almost daringly opulent bouquet that is well defined and very perfumed, hints of violet emerging with time. As usual, the new oak feels a little disjointed at the moment but that will be subsumed during barrel ageing. The palate is medium-bodied with crisp tannins, well judged acidity and purity. There is not the customary weight or dimension to this Pavie, although it comes armed with a caressing, vivacious finish that is uncommon in this vintage. This is a lovely Pavie, although it might well be that the Pavie-Decesse pips it to the post.

Jamessuckling.com

91-92 / 100

byJames Sucklingthe4/8/2014

A racy, sleek wine for the vintage with blueberries, minerals and salt. Medium body with firm tannins. Nice how this is reserved and harmonious.      

René Gabriel

18 / 20

byRené Gabrielthe4/3/2014

65 % Merlot, 25 % Cabernet Franc, 10 % Cabernet Sauvignon . 26 hl/ha. Extrem dunkles Purpur mit lila und violetten Reflexen. Nussige Noten im trüffeligen Untergrund, vermischt mit Brombeeren und etwas Black Currant und kaltem Schwarztee.

Wine Enthusiast

93-95 / 100

byRoger Vossthe3/31/2014

This wine has power and firm, extracted tannins that are so dry and layering, they cut right through the blackberry fruit. It is dense, showing rich fruitiness and a firm texture, as well as the promise to age.