Chateau Pavie 2010

THE WINE ADVOCATE: „Deep garnet in color, the 2010 Pavie delivers tantalizing suggestions of candied violets, star anise and tapenade over a core of prunes, blueberry compote, Morello cherries and fruitcake with touches of underbrush and bouquet garni. Full-bodied, rich and exotically opulent, the palate has a rock-solid texture of velvety tannins and bold freshness supporting the generous palate of black and blue berry preserves, finishing long and fragrant."

JEB DUNNUCK: „The 2010 Château Pavie is straight-up magical, and while it matches the 2000, 2005, 2009, and 2015, it has a style all its own. (It’s probably most similar to the 2005, yet even more tannic and backward.) Checking in as blend of 70% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Cabernet Sauvignon from tiny yields of 26 hectoliters per hectare, it’s still ruby/plum-colored and has a powerful, inward bouquet of blackcurrants, smoked earth, graphite, chocolate, and white truffle. Deep, powerful, and massive on the palate, yet also incredibly delineated and focused, it’s shed just a touch of the baby fat it had in its youth and still needs another 4-5 years to hit prime time. Given its depth of fruit, flawless balance, and both purity and freshness, it’s going to be a 75- to 100-year wine."

JAMES SUCKLING: „This is really exceptional with such freshness, firmness and focus. Full body, incredibly tight tannins and a lengthy finish. Such power and elegance at the same time. The beginning of a new era of Pavie."

DECANTER: „This is accomplished and enjoyable, starting to come into its own at ten years old, and very much infused with the limestone impact of its soils. One of my favourite Pavies that scrapes along the palate in that way that just weakens my knees. A style of vintage that suits this property, where the acidity provides a natural break but doesn't detract from the fruit and concentration. It is exerting its power gently and imperceptibly, turning the screw until the tannins are barring your way at the close of play. Brilliant stuff."

FALSTAFF: „Tiefdunkles Rubingranat, fester Farbkern, violette Reflexe, zarter Wasserrand. Mit süßen Gewürzen unterlegte schwarze Beerenfrucht, feines schwarzes Waldbeerkonfit, dezent nach Nougat und kandierten Orangenzesten, reife Herzkirschen. Kraftvoll, stoffig, tolle Extraktsüße, feste, aber sehr gut integrierte Tannine, zeigt eine beeindruckende Länge, großes Stoff für eine lange Entwicklung, tolle Zukunft. Ein Beweis für die enorme Klasse des Terroirs dieses wieder erstarkten Gewächses."

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: „This is developing in all the right ways. Full-bodied, rich, opulent, and voluptuous, as well as fresh, mineralistic, long, complex, and palate-staining, the wine offers incredible levels of intensity along with depth, weight, and energy. On the dark side of the red berry spectrum, the tannins are refined and the finish has a lot of stick-to-it resilience, as it stays with you for at least 50 seconds. Still, relatively primary, another decade of age will add a lot to the experience."

WINE SPECTATOR: „A brick house, still rather tight, with loads of apple wood and juniper flavors holding the core of red currant, blackberry and bitter plum fruit in check. Offers ample grip through the finish, with a mouthwatering chalk, graphite and tobacco spine. A huge wine that hasn't budged and probably won't for some time.—Non-blind Pavie vertical (March 2017). Best from 2025 through 2050. 7,083 cases made."

WEINWISSER: „70 % Merlot, 20 % Cabernet Franc, 10 % Cabernet Sauvignon. 28 hl/ha. 14,5 Vol.-%. Sattes, dunkles Purpur mit lila Schimmer. Florales, geradliniges Bouquet, vielschichtig, aber noch recht reserviert, Buchentöne, Waldhimbeeren und rote Kirschen, das alles mit einem delikaten Schuss Kirsch und Mokka gemischt. Dicht im Gaumen, wohlgeformt mit arrondierten Gerbstoffen, viele Fruchtfacetten, Malz, Schoko und Kandisnuancen im langen, erhabenen Finale. Die Tannine verlangen nach mindestens 15 Jahren Flaschenreife."

JANCIS ROBINSON: „Tasted blind. Very deep opaque garnet. Smells quite reductive/charry but it is quite withdrawn on the nose. Deep, rich and chewy. Lots of chocolate here but good freshness and lovely core of fruit, even if the fruit is just slightly raisined. Generous, rich but not fat. Chewy as the tannins build. Needs more time."

WINE ENTHUSIAST: „91-93 This feels very juicy, the fruit almost over-ripe. There is a generous new world feel to it, very opulent, super-rich. Open black plum and damson fruits push through the dark, perfumed tannins."