Château Pavie Saint-Emilion 1999
Bordeaux Red Blends
from St-Emilion, France - Bordeaux
user reviews:
davies@wanadoo.fr - Bordeaux, France
Your description of Chateau Pavie corresponds to the wines produced under the PREVIOUS owners, the Valette family. However, since the purchase of Pavie in late 1997 by Gerard and Chantal Perse, also the owners of neighboring Pavie-Decesse and Monbousquet, the wines of Pavie have become anything BUT in a "lighter, leafy style" by comparison to the other "premiers grands crus classes" of Saint Emilion. In fact, the 1999 Pavie is one of the finest (arguably THE finest) wines made in Saint Emilion, indeed in all of Bordeaux, in the 1999 vintage.
Tiny yields, harvesting at optimum ripeness, careful selection, fermentation and extended maceration in a battery of small, temperature-controlled, Seguin-Moreau French oak tanks, malolactic and "sur lies" aging in 100% new oak barrels, bottling without fining or filtration, all combine to make this blend of about 60% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc, and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, one of the richest, most complex wines of the vintage. While thoroughly enjoyable now, it should continue to develop and improve in bottle over at least the next decade or more!
Congratulations for offering your customers such an exceptional wine - and at a very fair price!