Chateau Pavie 2003
-
Parker
Robert -
Spectator
Wine
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
2003 Pavie is powerful and rich, with a very suave texture with a certain overripe quality that gives the impression of sweetness on the aftertaste. However, it is important to point out that great terroirs always do well during heat waves, which is borne out in the natural equilibrium of this wine. There is also lively acidity on the palate which gives added depth. The excellent, firm tannin beautifully underpins the concentration and richness of this incredible wine. The aftertaste is mouthwatering and impressively long. 2003 Pavie absolutely must be decanted ahead of time in order to unveil its many charms.
It would be a shame to open such a great bottle too soon, but you will be able to appreciate much of what it has to offer in 3-5 years, and its full ageing potential is at least 10-15 years.
Professional Ratings
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
At its release, the 2003 Pavie was somewhat controversial in wine tasting circles, but eleven years later it is obviously a great classic. Its deep purple color is accompanied by notes of vanillin, lead pencil shavings, creme de cassis, plums, black currants and kirsch. Full-bodied, youthful and rich with terrific purity and texture as well as a striking opulence, its 40+-second finish, stunning purity and wonderful perfume suggest it can be drunk now or cellared for 15-20 years.
-
Wine Spectator
This is a stunner, with the warmth of the vintage marrying ideally with the relative coolness of the terroir to deliver a wide range of vivid plum, boysenberry, raspberry and cherry paste flavors that have energy and drive, carried by a long graphite note and backed by a roasted apple wood accent that has been fully absorbed. Powerfully ripe, but not heady, with a sense of poise through the finish. A jaw-dropper.
Other Vintages
2022-
Dunnuck
Jeb -
Suckling
James - Vinous
- Decanter
- Vinous
-
Dunnuck
Jeb -
Suckling
James - Decanter
-
Suckling
James -
Dunnuck
Jeb -
Parker
Robert - Decanter
-
Spectator
Wine -
Enthusiast
Wine
-
Parker
Robert -
Dunnuck
Jeb -
Enthusiast
Wine -
Suckling
James -
Spectator
Wine - Decanter
-
Dunnuck
Jeb -
Suckling
James -
Parker
Robert -
Spectator
Wine -
Enthusiast
Wine - Decanter
-
Dunnuck
Jeb -
Parker
Robert -
Suckling
James -
Spectator
Wine - Decanter
-
Enthusiast
Wine
-
Parker
Robert -
Suckling
James -
Dunnuck
Jeb -
Spectator
Wine -
Enthusiast
Wine
-
Suckling
James -
Dunnuck
Jeb -
Parker
Robert -
Spectator
Wine -
Enthusiast
Wine - Decanter
-
Spectator
Wine -
Suckling
James -
Enthusiast
Wine -
Parker
Robert - Decanter
-
Enthusiast
Wine -
Suckling
James -
Parker
Robert -
Spectator
Wine
-
Spectator
Wine -
Parker
Robert -
Suckling
James -
Enthusiast
Wine
-
Dunnuck
Jeb -
Parker
Robert -
Suckling
James -
Spectator
Wine
-
Parker
Robert -
Suckling
James -
Spectator
Wine -
Enthusiast
Wine
-
Suckling
James -
Parker
Robert -
Enthusiast
Wine -
Spectator
Wine
-
Suckling
James -
Parker
Robert -
Spectator
Wine -
Enthusiast
Wine -
Spirits
Wine &
-
Parker
Robert -
Spectator
Wine -
Dunnuck
Jeb
-
Spirits
Wine & -
Spectator
Wine -
Parker
Robert
-
Parker
Robert -
Spectator
Wine
-
Parker
Robert -
Spectator
Wine
-
Dunnuck
Jeb -
Parker
Robert -
Spectator
Wine -
Enthusiast
Wine
-
Parker
Robert -
Spectator
Wine
-
Spirits
Wine & -
Parker
Robert
-
Spectator
Wine
Established on the splendid “Côte Pavie”, the vineyard of Château Pavie was planted by the roman in the 4th century who first saw the incredible potential of this terroir. The history of the property goes back to 1850 when the Pimpinelle estate was owned by Mr Fayard and Mr Chapus who, thanks to their work, managed to obtain a gold medal at the Paris World Fair.
Less than ten years later, it was bequeathed to Ferdinand Bouffard, a Bordeaux merchant who, in twenty years, managed to build up a 50-hectare estate by buying up several properties. Just after the war, it was bought by Albert Porte when Ferdinand Bouffard passed away. By unifying the properties of Mr. Bouffard, he created Château Pavie (The name comes from a particularly sweet and juicy peach variety that was growing on the slope).
Alexandre Valette took over in 1943 and succeeded in raising it to the rank of Premier Grand Cru Classé B in 1955. His grandson, who had taken over in 1957, sold it to Gérard Perse in 1998 who is still the owner today. Thanks to major investments in both the vineyard and the cellar and to additional work towards maturity and precision, the latter managed to raise his estate to the rank of Premier Grand Cru Classé “A” during the revision of the classification of Saint-Emilion wines in 2012.
The magnificence of Château Pavie comes from its exceptional terroir (37 hectares planted in one block) made of limestone, clay and sand-clay, with over 80 meters of altitude variation offering a multitude of micro-terroir, with mostly south exposure, where the typical grape varieties of the right bank (Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon) achieve perfect maturity.