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Tasting notes
The 2015 Pavie has retained the upfront, bold, modern sheen on the nose with black cherry and boysenberry scents like before. This is hedonistic and a little Napa-like in style. The palate is very ripe, forward, succulent and fleshy, with plenty of glycerine and a smudge of alcohol toward the finish. This is not my style of Saint-Émilion, although I have a sneaking suspicion it will come into its own after another ten years.
Critic scores
Average Score
James Suckling
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
More reviews and scores
Richly textured with luscious autumnal fruits, ripe and welcoming, and layered with fragrant spice. Love the depth of the black fruits, and this has grown into its excellence as the terroir begins to fully override the exuberance of its early years. Great stuff. 80% new oak.
Gigantic nose of very ripe black fruit. Enveloping richness, but the abundant fine tannins make this feel remarkably elegant and decisively dry for the richness. Very long and firm finish that has extraordinary energy and vibrancy. Great aging potential. Drink or hold. Château Quintus vertical tasting. SP.
Pure perfection in a glass and unquestionably one of the great vintages for this cuvée, the 2015 Pavie is a blend of 60% Merlot, 22% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Cabernet Sauvignon that was brought up in 80% new French oak. Sharing some similarities with the 2009, this tour de force sports a saturated purple color as well as a sweet bouquet of crème de cassis, crushed rocks, white truffle, and licorice. Its oak is perfectly integrated and balanced by this wine’s massive fruit and structure. Full-bodied, deep, and superbly concentrated, with building tannins, it’s a massive wine by any measure, but what sets it apart is that it still glides across the palate and retains an incredible sense of purity, balance, and elegance. It’s drinking well today due to the vintage’s opulence, yet won’t hit prime time for another 5-10 years and I suspect will keep for upward of 50 years.
About the producer
The slopes of Château Pavie were planted as far back as the fourth century by the Ancient Romans and it has been a well-known producer in Saint-Émilion since the middle of the 19th century.