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In the 4th century, the hillsides of Ausone and Pavie were planted with the first vines to arrive in the region. Château Pavie is set on one of the most famous plots of land in St Emilion, where, up to the 18th century "pavies" (red-fleshed peaches) grew; at the time the St Emilon limestone plateau was used for mixed farming.
This famous south-facing Pavie hillside was discovered much later. The first owners of this highly sought-after land were the Tallemans.
In 1850, Pavie already earned a mention in the first edition of "Cocks et Féret" as one of the premier crus classés in St Emilion. Talleman was not the only owner: Pavie was also the property of Adolphe Pigasse as well as Messrs Lafleur and Chapus.
In 1868, Adolphe Pigasse produced almost 30 barrels after buying the plot of land owned by Monsieur Lafleur. He shared his vineyard with the Fayard Tallemans, relatives of the Tallemans of 1850. Two smaller owners were also mentioned: Dussaut and Croisit.
After the death of Adolphe Pigasse in 1880, his widow gradually sold off the parcels of land and only kept a small area (production of 15 barrels). The Fayard Tallemans thus became the biggest owners.
In 1885, a Bordeaux wine trader, Ferdinand Bouffard, bought all the land of Fayard Talleman; he extended Pavie by including Château de Pimpinelle (the present residence), then, 6 years later, the land of Monsieur Dussaut, that of Larcis Bergey and the remaining Pigasse vineyards. As he had also inherited an estate named "Domaine de la Sable", set between Pavie and the railway line, Bouffard had a substantial area of 50 hectares capable of producing 125 to 150 barrels.
The estate was consolidated under the name Pavie. However, Ferdinand Bouffard decided to manage the former Pigasse land as an autonomous vineyard, giving birth to a new estate: what is now Pavie Decesse. In addition, the land that had belonged to Monsieur Chapus was purchased by Monsieur Macquin, who founded Pavie-Macquin.
At the end of the 19th century, the phylloxera plague devastated all the efforts put in by Ferdinand Bouffard. However, his winegrowing experience enabled him to find effective ways of battling against this serious vine disease.
At the end of the first world war, Pavie was bought by Albert Porte who remained the owner until 1943, when it was purchased by Alexandre Valette, a Paris-based trader. He drew up a 60-year replanting plan.
In 1954, the official classification of the wines of Saint Emilion placed Château Pavie as a Premier Grand Cru Classé B.
From 1967 onwards, Jean-Paul Valette, the grandson of Alexandre, ran the estate. The wine was conserved in a natural cavity in the chalk hill. Deep and moist, the Pavie cellar was one of the biggest in the region; it was one of the most renowned in St Emilion.
1998 The year of major changes: Château Pavie was bought by Gérard and Chantal PERSE in March. In August of that year, the first building restoration works began. The vat-house dating back to 1923 was replaced by twenty temperature-controlled wooden vats enabling parcel-by-parcel vinification. Gérard Perse, aware of the great potential of Pavie, made the decision to abandon the quarries as ageing cellars (in 1974, part of the cellar collapsed, causing the loss of 53 barrels). The new, completely revolutionary barrel cellar was inaugurated for the 1999 harvests. Dug out more than 7 metres, the cellar has two floors and is home to almost 700 barrels.
A complete reorganisation of the vineyard has been undertaken: planting over 25 % of missing vines, pulling up of the plots in bad condition and implementation of a replanting plan, installation of a ground drainage system and a system for sensing spring resurgences.
In the 19th century, Ferdinand Bouffard was often rewarded for his considerable work on the Pavie hillside; a deeply committed vinegrower, he became the owner of several vineyards. It is tempting today to compare his splendid work with that achieved by Gérard Perse … even though a century separates them!
The 1998, 1999 and 2000 vintages are a roaring success. Pavie is not only a fantastic heritage, its future as one of the greatest wines in the world is now assured thanks to the painstaking work of a family who are passionate about this land.
  
Facts & Figures
Area under vine
32.4439 hectares
Production
80,000 bottles
Soil
Soils corresponding to the Saint Emilion limestone "plateau", located around 85 metres up from the Dordogne, and composed of clay-limestone soil on top of chalk with marine fossils. Soils corresponding to the "mid-hillside" land 55 metres up from the Dordogne, composed of a brown clay-limestonesoil with a fine texture.
Grape varieties
60% Merlot
30% Cabernet Franc
10% Cabernet Sauvignon
Ageing
18-24 months in 100% new French oak
Average age of the vines
43 years
  
Wines available
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All wines sold by BDXV come direct from Bordeaux and have been stored at the Chateaux or in professional storage facilities since the time of bottling. BDXV’s wines have never ever been in the hands of private collectors. This gives you the customer the highest level of quality guarantee that the wines you buy have been stored in optimal conditions since the time they were bottled.
Chateau Pavie 2005, EUR POA*
Score: 98 points. Anticipated maturity: 2020-2060.
Robert Parker: 98+ points
April 2008: 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, fashioning first-growth quality wines from one of Bordeaux’s finest terroirs. In St.-Emilion, only Ausone can be considered to have greater potential in terms of micro-climate and terroir. Pavie’s 2005 exhibits a thick-looking purple color to the rim as well as an exquisite perfume of blueberry and blackberry liqueur, unsmoked cigar tobacco, crushed rocks, damp earth, and hints of truffles and incense. The vineyard’s limestone soils have provided massive concentration, a laser-like precision, fresh, zesty acidity, and massive tannin. Despite the wine’s enormous concentration and intensity, there is a lightness to its style. As Perse has made clear, he is trying to produce modern day versions of such great vintages as 1921, 1929, 1945, and 1947, wines that lasted 50 or more years. I do not understand why Perse receives so much criticism. In the blind tastings of each new vintage conducted by the Grand Jury European, Pavie usually wins against 100 or so other great Bordeaux. As they say, the truth is irrefutable - this is one of the world’s most outstanding wines, and the 2005 Pavie should take its place among the greatest achievements of Bordeaux in the last 50 years.
April 2007: 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 control of this great terroir on the famed Cote Pavie, just outside the medieval village of St.-Emilion. The 2005, a final blend of 70% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, enjoyed a Burgundian-like, eight day cold maceration, a six week cuvaison, and malolactic in oak. It will spend 26 months aging before being bottled. Its liquid mineral, scorched earth, blackberry, cassis liqueur, and roasted coffee characteristics are accompanied by phenomenal acidity, high tannin, and unbelievable levels of fruit and texture. One would have to go back to some of the last century’s greatest vintages to find the equal of this stunning St.-Emilion. Although not the most concentrated Bordeaux, it is unquestionably one of the most noble and potentially long-lived. Is it possible that Perse’s wines represent cleaner, more modern day versions of the 1921s, 1929s, and right bank 1947s? They are meant to be cellared for 10-15 years, and kept over the following 50 or more. The 2005 Pavie is one of his greatest achievements in terms of richness allied to phenomenal elegance and finesse. The natural alcohol came in around 14%, about the same as in 2003 and 2000.
April 2006: It is increasingly apparent that the simplistic bashing by some wine writers of Gerard Perse and his wines as well as the “American taste,” is undermining their credibility ... as it should. As each new vintage gets released, consumers can taste Pavie and the other Perse wines and see for themselves how profound Pavie is. There is a reason why the highly respected Grand Jury European rated Pavie ahead of all other Bordeaux chateaux in 2000 and 1999. It is obviously a profound wine. When Jean-Francois Moueix (the owner of Petrus) and I were discussing this, he mentioned that his late father, Jean-Pierre, always believed that after Ausone, Pavie possessed the greatest terroir of St.-Emilion. While it was never exploited to its full potential by its previous owners, Gerard Perse has brought it to the forefront, consistently making one of the top wines of Bordeaux. Moreover, Perse’s offerings are meant to age for five or more decades. It’s hard to judge at this early stage whether the 2005 will be better than the 2003 or 2000, but it is unquestionably a thrilling wine to smell, taste, and reflect upon. Only 7,000 cases are produced from this 112-acre vineyard with an extraordinary exposition. In 2005, yields were a minuscule 30 hectoliters per hectare, the average age of the vines is 43 years, and the blend was 70% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine receives a 4-5 week maceration, malolactic in barrel a la top Burgundies, and aging on its lees. Perse, who neither fines nor filters, ages the wine for 26 months in barrel. He has recently gone to the additional expense of buying his own trees and having the wood air-dried and coopered to his specifications by the cooperage firm of Sylvain and Nadalie. The 2005 Pavie is reminiscent of some of the great 1900s, 1929s, 1945s, and 1949s. Inky/purple to the rim, with that extraordinary liqueur of minerals interwoven with creme de cassis, blackberries, and juicy cherries, it reveals a subtle note of smoky oak, massive body, a multilayered mid-palate and texture, incredibly high tannin, and dramatic levels of fruit, glycerin, and extract. The alcohol came in at 14% naturally in 2005, higher than in either 2000 or 2003. This is a wine of extraordinary purity, precision, and monumental aspirations.
Chateau Pavie 2003, EUR POA*
Score: 98 points. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2050.
Robert Parker: 98 points
This 92-acre vineyard, which enjoys an impeccable southern orientation, is composed of limestone on the upper slopes, clay and limestone in the middle, and sand and clay at the base. Proprietor Gerard Perse, who has done a brilliant job since acquiring the estate in 1998, continues to push the envelope of quality to higher and higher heights. Planted with 70% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, the grapes receives kid glove treatment with hand-harvesting into small plastic lugs, two triage tables, and aging for 28 months in 100% new oak that is purchased in advance, then air-dried and coopered according to Perse’s specifications. In short, the man is a perfectionist, and the quality of all the estates he owns has soared dramatically.
The 2003 Pavie (7,080 cases; 13.5% alcohol) is closest in style to the 2000, but slightly more evolved and exotic. Its dense plum/purple color is accompanied by an extraordinary perfume of charcoal, creme de cassis, melted licorice, espresso roast, and blackberries. The wine, which hits the palate with a dramatic minerality, comes across like a hypothetical blend of limestone liqueur intermixed with black and red fruits. With massive depth, richness, and body, this tannic 2003 should be forgotten for 4-5 years, then enjoyed over the next four decades. The integration of acidity, tannin, and wood is flawless, and the wine is incredibly pure, rich, and intense.
Kudos to Gerard Perse, who is trying, in a more modern fashion, to recreate the glories of such ancient Bordeaux vintages as 1921, 1929, 1945, 1947, 1949, 1959, and 1961. From my perspective, he comes as close to that goal as anyone in Bordeaux.
Chateau Pavie 2000, EUR POA*
Score: 100 points. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2050.
Robert Parker: 100 points
Give Gerard Perse credit. People thought his numerous assurances that 2000 was the greatest Pavie ever produced were premature as well as arrogant. However, after tasting this extraordinary blend of 60% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc, and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon (made from low yields of 28-30 hectoliters per hectare) six separate times in 2003, it is unquestionably one of the most monumental wines Bordeaux has ever produced. Bottled in March, 2003, about nine months later than other 2000s, the color is an opaque purple, and the bouquet offers up notes of liquid minerals, blackberries, cherries, and cassis intermixed with spice box, cedar, and white flowers. On the palate, it exhibits a massive display of richness and extract, yet with pinpoint delineation and vibrancy as well as a 60+ second finish, this is the kind of phenomenal wine that Perse's critics were afraid he might produce - a no-compromise, immortal wonder that represents the essence of one of Bordeaux's greatest terroirs. Life is too short not to own and consume the 2000 Pavie. |
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