2023 Chateau Pavie Saint-Emilion Grand Cru Classe 750 ml

Pavie is a wine of superlatives: Grown on the steepest slopes of any top estate in Bordeaux, it is generally recognized to be the most powerful and opulent bottling made in Saint-Émilion. 

Wine Advocate once wrote: “Pavie has one of the most enviable locations in all of Bordeaux.” It’s perched atop Saint-Émilion’s limestone plateau, where the estate’s Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Cabernet Sauvignon vines enjoy abundant sunlight. The well-draining soils force the roots to dig deep in search of moisture, ultimately yielding densely concentrated berries. 

Proprietor Gérard Perse purchased the Pavie estate in 1998. Although it was already producing outstanding wine, he raised Pavie’s game by building all new temperature-controlled fermentation vats and cellars, then hiring legendary consulting winemaker Michel Rolland to run the show. Rolland cut yields from 55 hectoliters per hectare to less than 30, and Pavie was off: By 2012, the property was upgraded to Saint-Émilion Grand Cru Classé “A.” It’s a wine that stands with the greats, every year