Château Pavie 2018

The 2018 Pavie is a blend of 60% Merlot, 22% Cabernet Franc and 18% Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine has a 3.58 pH and 14.48% alcohol. Very deep garnet-purple in color, it bursts from the glass with a fabulously expressive nose of crème de cassis, baked plums and blueberry preserves, leading to an impressive array of nuances, featuring notions of dark chocolate, camphor, licorice, rose petals and fertile loam, plus hints of crushed rocks and iron ore. The rich, full-bodied palate offers layer upon layer of opulent black and blue fruits with loads of exotic spice sparks and pretty floral and mineral accents, supported by firm, super plush tannins and remarkable tension, finishing with epic length and depth. This could only be Pavie. It makes for a seductively stylish glass now, but patience will be rewarded if it is afforded 5-7 years in bottle, at least, then drink it over the next 30+ years.

This is packed with raspberry, plum and boysenberry compote flavors that sail through thanks to the unencumbered feel provided by the polished structure. Fine chalky threads curl throughout as this opens in the glass, with flamboyant flashes of apple wood, anise and violet emerging through the finish. Youthfully dense, but everything is in proportion. Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. Best from 2025 through 2040.

Not so long ago, Pavie would have rejoiced in the massive tannic and alcohol potential of this vintage, but they really have done a great job practicing restraint. It doesn't sacrifice Pavie's power but of all the wines in this particular lineup it's the one that carries the weight of the vintage the best, building power by stealth rather than grabbing it from you. This is great quality, with inky depths to the black fruits, accompanied by liquorice and chocolate, and the beautiful salty lick on the finish really completes the picture - your tongue just licks the wall and it's highly enjoyable! Harvest began on 26 September, later than some in the appellation, with a 38hl/ha yield. Although extraction was kept gentle, with the grapes given a week-long cold soak before fermentation at no more than 28°C, then a five-week maceration (longer than some, but these guys used to do eight weeks or more!), they have achieved a high tannin count of 97IPT and 3.58pH.

Tons of ripe plum and blackberry fruit on the nose and, with aeration, licorice and old balsamic-vinegar notes also develop. Rich and beautifully balanced, with surprising elegance for the very warm vintage. Bold and quite tannic finish. Drinkable now, but best from 2025. Château Quintus vertical tasting. SP.

60% Merlot, 22% Cabernet Franc, 18% Cabernet Sauvignon. Yields 38 hl/ha and 80% new oak. Barrel sample. Black almost to the rim. Very ripe black fruit with a note of wild elderberry. So much tannin, your mouth closes in but the whole has balance even with these massive tannins because the fruit is extremely concentrated. The freshness of a limestone site, and the tannins are fine even if incredibly dense. Gums your mouth at the moment. You have to be patient and like this style of wine to enjoy this. (JH)

Black ink in color, this could be the most intense wine of the vintage. The intensity is in the color, the palate and in the nose with its licorice, smoke, espresso, crushed rocks, stones, black, red and blue fruit profile. With the weight of dry Port, the wine manages to remain in balance. The fruits are perfectly ripe, expressing purity, length and an incredible depth of flavor and minerality that never wants to quit. There is so much going on here, the wine demands over a decade in the cellar before it begins to unfurl. The wine blends 60% Merlot, 22% Cabernet Franc and 18% Cabernet Sauvignon.

Deep dark ruby, opaque core, violet tints, discreet bright rim. Tobacco and savoury notes underpinned by black cherry fruit, a hint of blueberries, nougat, some tar, noble woody savouriness. Opulent, creamy texture, powerful, fully ripe, rounded tannins, barely noticeable acidity structure, long-lasting, a voluminous wine, mineral-salty on the finish.

One of the wines of the vintage is the 2018 Château Pavie, and Gérard Perse continues to produce one of the greatest wines in the world in just about every vintage. Based on 60% Merlot, 22% Cabernet Franc, and 18% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2018 shows the estate’s slightly more restrained style today yet still brings classic Pavie richness, depth, and grandeur. Revealing a deep purple color and a sensational bouquet of crème de cassis, damp earth, tobacco, chalk, and pencil shavings, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, incredible purity, a dense, concentrated mid-palate, and a liqueur-of-rocks-like sense of minerality on the blockbuster finish. There’s a backward, inward style here that actually reminds me of the 2000. This is another magical, probably immortal wine from this terroir that marries power with elegance perfectly. Don’t miss it!

Kunz barrel sample 19: (60% Merlot, 22% Cabernet Franc, 18% Cabernet Sauvignon, 38 hl/ha, 14.48% vol. alcohol) Concentrated, mineral, closed, peppery bouquet, black berries, blackberry jam, licorice, roasted coffee beans, black pepper, graphite. Concentrated, multi-layered, powerful palate with dense, concentrated, dark fruit, plenty of fine tannins, a muscular structure, varied dark aromatics, and a very long, aromatic, powerful finish with abundant lingering flavors.

(60% Merlot, 22% Cabernet Franc, 18% Cabernet Sauvignon, 38 hl/ha, 14.48% vol. alcohol) Concentrated, mineral, closed, peppery bouquet, black berries, blackberry jam, licorice, roasted coffee beans, black pepper, graphite. Concentrated, multi-layered, powerful palate with dense, concentrated, dark fruit, lots of fine tannin, muscular structure, diverse dark aromatics, very long, aromatic, powerful finish with plenty of aftertaste. 19/20 2028 - 2050

The 2018 Pavie is deep garnet in color with a touch of purple. Notes of plum preserves, baked blackberries, and molten licorice storm from the glass, leading to a savory undercurrent of black pepper, tapenade, and wild sage. Big, rich, and densely laden, the full-bodied palate is chock full of black and blue fruit preserves, supported by firm, velvety tannins and gripping tension, finishing long and electric.

You can feel the tannic intensity and a structure that is falling perfectly into place. The cru will evolve in the best possible way over the coming weeks.

The vintage is asserting itself as more approachable now, while drawing from its terroir the capacity to age. The wine’s framework remains very traditional in Pavie’s style. The tannins are softening and the fruit shows a smokier profile, losing some of its initial exotic character.

A titanic wine with a bouquet of blueberry, black cherry, prunes, and small red fruits. It was the least accessible Premier Grand Cru Classé A en primeur, and 30 months later it remains concentrated and dense, monolithic and hedonistic. You can sense the wine’s magnificent terroir in its mineral, racy tension and eminently lofty profile. On the palate, a wave of black fruits, hints of licorice and animal notes, and muscular tannins that will still need at least a decade to reveal the full extent of their classicism and grandeur.