Tasting Notes
Antonio Galloni 98+
The 2016 Pavie is simply magnificent. Gracious, perfumed and exquisitely beautiful, the 2016 has it all. I can’t remember seeing a Pavie with this much translucent energy and nuance. Black cherry, plum, lavender, spice and menthol all infuse this explosive, young wine with tremendous character. In the glass, the 2016 is vivid, aromatically deep and full of saline-infused energy. It is without question one of the wines of the vintage. As it turns out Gerard Perse also opened the 2008. Although the two vintages (2016 and 2008) in question are quite different in style and quality, the trajectory Pavie has taken in recent years is evident. The 2016 is a thrilling wine. That’s all there is to it. The blend is 60% Merlot, 22% Cabernet Franc and 18% Cabernet Sauvignon. Tasted two times.
Anticipated maturity: 2026-2056
Neal Martin 93
The 2016 Pavie has an intense bouquet with slightly smudged black plum and boysenberry fruit, just missing the minéralité and terroir expression of its peers. The palate is medium-bodied with succulent ripe tannins typical of Pavie, fine acidity, heady and powerful, with a dab of liquorice on the finish. Tasted at Bordeaux Index’s 10 Year On tasting in London.
Anticipated maturity: 2028-2044
Wine Advocate 100
The 2016 Pavie a blend of 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc. Very deep purple-black in color, it needs a little coaxing to begin, slowly unfurling to reveal a fragrant perfume of violets, chocolate-covered cherries, crushed blueberries and eucalyptus over a core of preserved plums, kirsch, black raspberries and crème de cassis plus hints of licorice and chargrilled meat. Full-bodied and built like a brick house, it has a solid foundation of firm, super ripe, grainy tannins and seamless freshness interknit with the black fruit preserves and minerally layers, finishing very long and very decadent. Superb!
Anticipated maturity: 2021-2060
James Suckling 100
Spectacular aromas of crushed berries, such as blueberries and raspberries. Fresh flowers with hints of sandalwood. Exotic. Saturated palate of so much fruit, yet remains agile and energetic. Great length and texture. Fills your mouth. This needs time, but a classic. Twin brother of the perfect 2015.
Jeb Dunnuck 99
Turning the dial up considerably, the 2016 Château Pavie leaps out of the glass with a thrilling bouquet of crème de cassis, toasty oak, graphite, white truffle, crayons, and flowers. A blend of 60% Merlot, 22% Cabernet Franc, and 18% Cabernet Sauvignon brought up in 85% new French oak (the new oak has been dialed back in recent vintages), this full-bodied Pavie is made in a more elegant, seamless style compared to prior great vintages, yet it still has brilliant depth of fruit and concentration, ripe, present tannins, a seamless texture, and an awesome finish.
Anticipated maturity: 2023-2073
Jeff Leve 99
Inky in color, the wine is powerful, dense, concentrated, full-bodied and packed to the gills with its unique blend of flowers, crushed stone, smoke, licorice, espresso and very ripe plums and black cherries. Thick and rich, with a finish that does not want to quit, this attention-seeking beauty demands at least 10-15 years in the cellar before it’s ready for prime time drinking.
The Wine Independent 100
Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2016 Pavie comes barreling out with bold notes of plum preserves, juicy blueberries, and Morello cherries followed by hints of Indian spices, dark chocolate, dusty soil, and iron ore. The full-bodied palate is jam packed with youthful black fruit preserves and spicy sparks, framed by firm, velvety tannins and amazing tension, finishing long and perfumed. This is still so young, it has hardly budged since bottling. Give it a good 6 years in bottle and drink over the next 50 years+.
Anticipated maturity: 2029-2079
Jane Anson 98
Approaching the 10 years moment, but still showing a closed face to the tannins, barely emerging from its primary phase. Both Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon were increasing in the vineyard at this point (with the lowest amount of Merlot since Perse arrived), bringing with them not just black fruits but a clear emphasis on floral aromatics – violets and lavender in particular. This is hugely concentrated, with layer upon layer of blueberries, chocolate shavings and bitter espresso, but at this point the team had begun to take the foot off the pedal in the vineyard, gently raising the yield, bringing down the maceration time, going towards infusion rather than punching down as a means of extraction. Think purity, nuance and a blast of eucalyptus and mint on the finish, this has a fine life ahead of it. Gerard Perse owner, Michel Rolland consultant, Jean-Baptiste Pion winemaker, 70% new oak for ageing. Tasted separately to the rest of the vertical, from a bottle I had at home.
Anticipated maturity: 2025-2050
Decanter 100
A monumental Pavie. Incredible aromatic intensity, depth and energy; alive, bright and beautifully poised. Packed with power, precision and tension, yet silky smooth, sharp and racy, with muscle and sinew in perfect balance. Not ready yet, but this is seamless and thrilling: a racehorse of a wine. Cherries, blackcurrants, plums and blueberries with a touch of liquorice and wet stone on the finish. A fantastic, flawless 2016 that shows the best of its terroir and winemaking.
Anticipated maturity: 2025-2055
