Château Pavie 2023

Jane Anson - Inside Bordeaux

Vinum Wine Magazine

Robert Parker Wine Advocate

Composed of 50% Merlot, 34% Cabernet Franc and 16% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2020 Pavie weighs in with an alcohol of 14.82% and a pH of 3.61. It is aging in French oak barriques, 75% new. Opaque purple-black colored, notes of plum pudding, blueberry pie and dark chocolate-covered cherries charge out of the gate, followed closely by hints of eucalyptus, star anise, unsmoked cigars and fertile loam with a hint of cedar chest. The full-bodied palate is built like a brick house, offering very firm yet wonderfully ripe, velvety tannins and seamless freshness to support the densely laden, muscular black and blue fruits, finishing very long and with loads of mineral-laced layers. As hedonic as it is cerebral this year, it is a beautiful paradox.

Jeb Dunnuck

Ripe black fruits, graphite, crushed stone, chocolate, and some truffly earth nuances all define the 2023 Château Pavie, a gorgeous wine that's certainly up with the crème de la crème of the vintage. Based on 65% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon and aged 20 months in 72% new French oak, it's medium to full-bodied, with a concentrated, layered mouthfeel and a great finish. The purity, balance, and elegance here are absolutely brilliant. Hide bottles for 4-5 years if you can, and it will shine for three decades. Drink 2030-2060.

James Suckling

A bold wine. Perfumed aromas of violets, sandalwood, blackberries, blueberries and graphite. Full-bodied but not overpowering, with lots of fruit, juicy tannins and a powerful finish. Chewy. 51% merlot, 32% cabernet franc and 17% cabernet sauvignon. Need five or six years to come around. Try after 2030.