Pavie 2020

The wine in this vintage

The third in a remarkable trilogy alongside 2018 and 2019, Bordeaux's 2020 was shaped by a mild, wet winter, an early spring and a very dry summer, with an early harvest of small, concentrated, deeply coloured berries. Pavie 2020 is intense and deep: blackberry, cassis, plum, black cherry, violet, cocoa and mineral notes on the nose; a powerful yet well-balanced palate with dense, silky tannins and a freshness that lengthens the finish. A wine of great structure, still young, it already impresses with the purity of its fruit but deserves several years in the cellar to fully express itself.

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 James Suckling
• 99 Robert Parker
• 97 Decanter
• 97 Antonio Galloni
• 96 Wine Spectator
• 96 Wine Enthusiast

Technical details

Producer

Château Pavie

Region

Bordeaux

Country

Francia

Type

Rosso

Vintage

2020

When to drink

Hold, still evolving

Critics' average

97.5/100

Sizes

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

eWibe code

0120120