2006 Les Aromes de Pavie

I rarely have a chance to taste Pavie’s second wine, but the 2006 Les Aromes de Pavie is a medium ruby-hued, pleasant, drinkable effort that bears little resemblance to its bigger and far greater sibling. Drink it over the next 5-6 years. Since 1998, no other Bordeaux estate except Ausone has had such a superlative record of quality. Pavie’s wines are usually among the top half-dozen in every vintage, including such challenging years as 2004, 2003, 2002, and 1999. Proprietor Gerard Perse’s flagship vineyard is situated on a gorgeous, south-facing slope possessing three distinct soil types, limestone, clay, and a sand/clay mixture.