Château Pavie 2021

Clearly oak-driven, velvety, with breed and good length, thanks to the noticeable acidity that lends more freshness to the pronounced sweet core.

Blackberry and black cherry compote flavors bring a restrained juiciness, while floral, singed apple wood and black tea notes fill in liberally. The finish extends nicely, with a long, underlying chalky minerality. An admirable effort for the vintage. Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. Best from 2025 through 2040.

Extremely dark aromatics on the nose, dark bramble fruits, cedar and liquorice with a really vibrant but dark indigo rim to the wine. Focused and sharp, high-toned in the best way, this really makes you smile when you first taste it, the juicy but almost sweet acidity making the mouth water while salty, yet very well-defined tannins coat the mouth, giving structure and support. Lovely finesse and movement from start to finish and excellent weight too — deep and round but straight and pristine. Feels a bit relaxed, quite elegant and not pushed or too tense at this point. A lovely wine to drink, with acidity, fruit purity, fine tannins and a sense of balance and solid construction. Still a little constricted on the finish, this will need time, but when it hits its drinking window it will be lovely to drink. Fresh and invigorating while keeping the structure and power.

Very complex with red currants, iodine and iron. Medium-bodied, with a dense yet energetic palate and a long and racy finish showing chalk and gunpowder. Flinty. 52% merlot, 30% cabernet franc and 18% cabernet sauvignon. Tight at the end, suggesting at least four to five years of cellaring. Drink after 2029.

The blend of dark, red cherries, salty crushed stones, flowers, licorice, chocolate, and espresso creates an attention‑grabbing bouquet. Moderately less concentrated than recent vintages, but with more vibrancy, energy, and finesse, the wine delivers its salty essence of red fruits, spice, and chocolate‑mint with ease. There is tension and plenty of dark, red fruits that carry through to the finish. The wine is a blend of 52% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc, and 18% Cabernet Sauvignon. Drink from 2028–2060.

Deep ruby, dark intense core, purple edge to the narrow rim. Fresh cherries, a hint of orange zest, a touch of noble wood, delicate nougat. Medium-bodied, red berry nuances, vivid tannins, still a little demanding, fresh, salty and mineral on the finish; will benefit from time in bottle.

As to the Grand Vin, the saturated ruby/purple-hued 2021 Château Pavie defies the vintage with its ripe, powerful aromatics of cassis, toasted spice, chalky minerality, graphite, and hints of truffly earth. A rich, medium to full-bodied, concentrated, incredibly textured 2021, it has velvety tannins, no hard edges, and a gorgeous finish. It's a testament to the talent and work of this incredible team and is up with the crème de la crème of the vintage. The 2021 is based on 52% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc, and 18% Cabernet Sauvignon, brought up in a mix of new and used barrels, hitting 14.14% alcohol and a pH of 3.67. It’s going to age for 20-25 years if well stored.

Kunz barrel sample 2022: (52% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc, 18% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32.98 hl/ha, 14.14% vol. alcohol) Velvety, dense, concentrated, dark bouquet; black cherries, blackberry jelly, fine woods, coffee beans, licorice, smoke. Dense, powerful, multi-layered palate with intense dark fruit, plenty of fine tannins, a muscular, concentrated structure, varied dark aromatics, very long, dense, firm finish with lots of lingering flavors. Has room to improve.

(52% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc, 18% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32.98 hl/ha, 14.14% alc.) Velvety, dense, concentrated, dark bouquet: black cherries, blackberry jelly, fine woods, coffee beans, licorice, smoke. Dense, powerful, multilayered palate with intense dark fruit, plenty of fine tannin, a muscular, concentrated structure, diverse dark aromatics, and a very long, tight, slightly bitter finish with lots of lingering flavors. Can improve further. 18/20 2030 - 2050

Beautiful depth of colour, and the aromatics take their time to open, giving a closed, slightly austere feel at first. Shows a sense of verticality through the palate, with a pumice-stone scrape to the tannins, opening up to reveal dark chocolate and creamy blueberry through the mid-palate, and softer black cherry, damson, mandarin peel and tea. Harvest September 28 to October 12. No chaptalisation, the powerful south-facing slopes coming in extremely handy in 2021. 75% new oak, pH 3.67.

The 2021 Pavie has a deep garnet-purple color. It is very closed at first, needing plenty of coaxing and swirling to reveal notes of fresh black plums, black raspberries, and wild blueberries, plus underlying hints of lilacs, crushed rocks, forest floor, and jasmine tea. The medium-bodied palate is taut and tense, with latent, energetic notes of red, black, and blue berries intertwined with mineral and floral nuances, supported by firm, fine-grained tannins and beautiful freshness, finishing long and perfumed. So, so pretty!

2021 tempers the natural power of the vintage, asserting itself in a fresher register. Floral, blueberry, and spicy tones unfold with nuance. A vintage defined by finesse, less demonstrative than its predecessors. The share of Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon shapes the finish with precision. It will open early over the coming years. Nevertheless, it has the depth and pedigree to evolve serenely.

A dark, sensual nose of concentrated black fruits, with a hint of freshness that arrives like light at the end of the tunnel. On the palate, the wine is soothing, like the gentle lapping of waves that rock you to sleep. It shows controlled elegance, opulent gravitas, and a spicy structure that is invigorating and long. A Pavie that fully rose to the vintage, hedonistic without going too far.

I have rarely tasted a Pavie so marked by freshness. Beyond hints of cherries and sweet spices, it reveals chalky notes followed by more classic aromas such as chocolate and black berries. With its smooth, silky attack, the wine is elegant. It has velvety, perfectly integrated tannins that pave the way for a mid-palate that still needs to gain in definition. It is above all on the finish that the sense of terroir, namely its chalky side, takes the lead. The wine will need time, but the prospects revealed on the finish are promising. I believe a higher score is within reach!