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2017 Château Pavie

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Latest Sale Price

March 16, 2025 - $235

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RATINGS

99The Wine Advocate

...scents of Black Forest cake, black plum preserves, blueberry compote and fruitcake plus suggestions of melted chocolate, licorice, crushed rocks and Indian spices with a waft of violets. Full-bodied, the palate packs a powerful punch, laden with electric layers of energetic black and blue fruits...supported by fantastic freshness and very, very ripe, velvety tannins, finishing with epic length.

99Jeb Dunnuck

...a rock star bouquet of pure creme de cassis, espresso roast, crushed violets, graphite, and a distinct sense of minerality. Deep, full-bodied, and concentrated, it has a wonderful sense of elegance, flawless balance, and again, awesome purity.

97Wine Spectator

A stunner, with waves of velvety textured plum sauce, blackberry reduction and warm cassis rolling through, inlaid seamlessly with violet, black tea and singed applewood notes. Voluptuous and showy, but with a very fine chalky minerality pervading on the finish, imparting a sense of grace and refinement.

97Vinous / IWC

Black cherry, plum, mocha, spice and leather... Creamy and beautifully layered, with superb vibrancy, the 2017 is striking.

97James Suckling

Profound, crushed blueberry and blackberry aromas here. Mint and chalk undertones. Full-bodied with a center palate of balanced and ripe fruit with polished and caressing tannins. Excellent finish that goes on for minutes. All in finesse and length.

95Wine Enthusiast

This wine is rich. But it also has a poise and control that balances the richness...

17+ Jancis Robinson

Rich and dark and packed with fruit, and here the oak char adds a savoury quality and does not overwhelm the fruit. Excellent freshness... Chewy, compact and all so concentrated.

PRODUCER

Château Pavie

Since it was purchased by Gerard Perse in 1998, Château Pavie, one of four St.-Émilion Premier Grand Cru Classé A estates, has become one of the appellation’s most noted wines. A former cyclist who made his fortune with supermarket chains, Perse has modernized and updated the estate with a major replanting program. He also did a complete remodel of the cellars. Perse also owns Château Monbousquet and Château Pavie-Decesse. A sign of Pavie’s new prestige is that it was upgraded to a Premier Grand Cru Class A in 2012 after having been a Premier Cru Class B since 1954. At 103 acres it is significantly larger than such neighbors as Ausone. Pavie is notable for its three quite different terroirs, each with its own microclimate. The vineyards are planted to 70% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. Some 100,000 bottles are produced each year. Robert M. Parker Jr. has written that “Pavie is one of the world’s great wines and, in St.-Émilion, exceeded only in price, not quality, by Cheval Blanc.”

REGION

France, Bordeaux, St.-Émilion

Saint-Émilion is on the east side of the Dordogne River. At 13,400 acres it is one of Bordeaux’s largest appellations, and perhaps its most picturesque. It is also home to what has been called “the garagiste” movement of upstart, tradition-defying winemakers who produce artisanal wines in styles that are unconventional for the appellation. The village of Saint-Émilion dates from the middle ages and it sits on low hills, surrounded by ancient walls. Like its neighbor Pomerol, Saint-Émilion was not included in the famous Bordeaux classification system of 1855. But a century later a ranking system was put in place, and unlike the classification system for the Medoc, the Saint-Émilion system is reviewed every ten years, meaning that estates can be upgraded or downgraded. There are three rankings: Grand Cru Classé, Premier Grand Cru Classé B and Premier Grand Cru Classé A, with the final ranking being the best. Such legendary Saint-Émilion estates as Châteaux Ausone and Cheval-Blanc are Premier Grand Cru Classé A, along with Châteaux Pavie and Angélus, both added to the classification in 2012. Wines in this appellation are primarily Merlot, mixed with Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon.

VINTAGE

2017 Château Pavie

Promoted to Premier Grand Cru Classe A in Sept 2012