Château Pavie - Saint-Emilion Grand Cru 2010

The vineyard land of Château Pavie has been a cherished site for grape-growing on the Right Bank of Bordeaux since the 4th Century. The estate in its modern form began to take shape in the late 19th Century, passing through various owners over the years. However, it was the acquisition by self-made Parisian millionaire Gérard Perse in 1998 that marked the beginning of Pavie's most notable period, ushering in a new era of innovation and quality for this historic estate.

Château Pavie's large production has made it more easily available than many other red Bordeaux. It is one of the best-known St. Emilions, vinified in a slightly lighter, more elegant style. With moderate red currant fruit in the nose, plus earth and spice, it can be peppery, spicy, or even leafy with hints of red cherries. Like other wineries in the côtes of St. Emilion, Chateau Pavie makes firm wines that are restrained and austere when young. The occasionally severe tannins mature with age into a fine sinewy structure. The better vintages are deep, intense, and concentrated. They mature 7-20 years after the vintage.

"What fun, excitement and joy it will be to compare the four perfect wines Perse has made in 2005, 2009, 2010 and, of course, the 2000, in 25 or so years. This wine is truly profound Bordeaux. Everything is in place - remarkable concentration and a beautiful nose of cedar and ripe blackcurrant and blackberry with some kirsch and spice box in the background. Lavishly rich, with slightly more structure and delineation than the more Rabelaisian 2009, this wine does show some serious tannins in the finish, and comes across as incredibly youthful. Of course, it's five years old, but it tastes more like a just-bottled barrel sample than a 2010. In any event, this wine is set for a long, long life and should be forgotten for at least another decade. Consume it over the following 75 or more years." - 100 Points, Robert Parker

"The 2010 Château Pavie is straight-up magical, and while it matches the 2000, 2005, 2009, and 2015, it has a style all its own. (It’s probably most similar to the 2005, yet even more tannic and backward.) Checking in as blend of 70% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Cabernet Sauvignon from tiny yields of 26 hectoliters per hectare, it’s still ruby/plum-colored and has a powerful, inward bouquet of blackcurrants, smoked earth, graphite, chocolate, and white truffle. Deep, powerful, and massive on the palate, yet also incredibly delineated and focused, it’s shed just a touch of the baby fat it had in its youth and still needs another 4-5 years to hit prime time. Given its depth of fruit, flawless balance, and both purity and freshness, it’s going to be a 75- to 100-year wine." - 100 Points, Jeb Dunnuck

"This is really exceptional with such freshness, firmness and focus. Full body, incredibly tight tannins and a lengthy finish. Such power and elegance at the same time. The beginning of a new era of Pavie." - 99 points, James Suckling

Producer: Château Pavie

Country: France

Region: Bordeaux

Varietal: Merlot, Cabernet Franc 

Appellation: Saint-Émilion

Vintage: 2010

Size: 750ml