2015 Arômes de Pavie

Since it was purchased by Gerard Perse in 1998, Château Pavie, one of four St.-Émilion Premier Grand Cru Classé A estates, has become one of the appellation’s most noted wines. A former cyclist who made his fortune with supermarket chains, Perse has modernized and updated the estate with a major replanting program. He also did a complete remodel of the cellars. Perse also owns Château Monbousquet and Château Pavie-Decesse. A sign of Pavie’s new prestige is that it was upgraded to a Premier Grand Cru Class A in 2012 after having been a Premier Cru Class B since 1954. At 103 acres it is significantly larger than such neighbors as Ausone. Pavie is notable for its three quite different terroirs, each with its own microclimate. The vineyards are planted to 70% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. Some 100,000 bottles are produced each year. Robert M. Parker Jr. has written that “Pavie is one of the world’s great wines and, in St.-Émilion, exceeded only in price, not quality, by Cheval Blanc.”

Saint-Émilion is on the east side of the Dordogne River. At 13,400 acres it is one of Bordeaux’s largest appellations, and perhaps its most picturesque. It is also home to what has been called “the garagiste” movement of upstart, tradition-defying winemakers who produce artisanal wines in styles that are unconventional for the appellation. The village of Saint-Émilion dates from the middle ages and it sits on low hills, surrounded by ancient walls. Like its neighbor Pomerol, Saint-Émilion was not included in the famous Bordeaux classification system of 1855. But a century later a ranking system was put in place, and unlike the classification system for the Medoc, the Saint-Émilion system is reviewed every ten years, meaning that estates can be upgraded or downgraded. There are three rankings: Grand Cru Classé, Premier Grand Cru Classé B and Premier Grand Cru Classé A, with the final ranking being the best. Such legendary Saint-Émilion estates as Châteaux Ausone and Cheval-Blanc are Premier Grand Cru Classé A, along with Châteaux Pavie and Angélus, both added to the classification in 2012. Wines in this appellation are primarily Merlot, mixed with Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon.

This is a second label of Château Pavie