Pavie 2005

The wine in this vintage

2005 is one of the great Bordeaux vintages of the new century: a hot, very dry summer without extreme temperatures, and healthy, concentrated grapes with exceptional acidity and tannin. On the Right Bank, Merlot reached ideal ripeness, and Pavie produced a wine of great structure: black fruit, blackberry, cassis, plum, graphite, tobacco and spice on the nose; a dense, powerful palate with imposing tannins and a very long finish. Despite two decades in bottle, Pavie 2005 remains a young wine whose tannic frame has yet to fully integrate: those with the patience to wait will be rewarded with significant development.

The producer · Château Pavie

Château Pavie is one of Saint-Émilion's oldest and most prestigious estates, with vines planted since Roman times on the slopes south-east of the medieval town. Its roughly forty hectares run uninterrupted from the limestone plateau down to the foot of the Côte Pavie, across limestone, clay and sandy soils that give the wine power, structure and a fine mineral streak. In 1998 the estate was bought by Gérard Perse, who undertook a thorough renovation of vineyard and cellar, with parcel-by-parcel selection, low yields and a new winery inaugurated in 2013. These efforts were rewarded in 2012 with promotion to Premier Grand Cru Classé A, the summit of the Saint-Émilion classification. The blend is led by Merlot, completed by Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. Initially opulent and concentrated, the style has evolved over the past decade towards greater freshness and precision, while retaining the depth and very long ageing potential that make Pavie one of Bordeaux's great reds.

Critics' scores

• 100 Wine Spectator
• 98+ Robert Parker

Technical details

Producer

Château Pavie

Region

Bordeaux

Country

Francia

Type

Rosso

Vintage

2005

When to drink

Not yet at its peak

Critics' average

99/100

Sizes

75 cl, Magnum 150 cl, Case of 6 × 75 cl

eWibe code

0120105