Castle Pavie - Saint-Emilion Grand Cru 2014

Jamessuckling.com

96 / 100

byJames Sucklingthe2/16/2017

Incredible blueberries, violets, fresh wild mushrooms and sandalwood. Dried tannins. Full-bodied, yet tight and refined with a beautiful center palate of fruit and chalk character. Love the pinpointed palate. Excellent acidity. Gorgeous now but wait at least five years.

Vinous

96 / 100

byAntonio Gallonithe2/6/2017

The 2014 Pavie is silky, powerful and intense, with all of its elements in the right place. In 2014, Pavie is exceptionally polished, with plenty of richness but less of the bombastic style of some years past. Part of that is, of course, the personality of the vintage, but at the same time, there has been a move toward a bit more finesse here in recent years. A rush of raspberry jam, pomegranate, mint and white flowers leads into the vivid, richly textured finish. The 2014 is a gorgeous Pavie loaded with personality.

Wine Spectator

96 / 100

byJames Molesworththe1/11/2017

Bettane & Desseauve

18,5 / 20

the8/31/2016

Grande texture ferme et soyeuse, fruit très fin, profondeur sans surpiussance mais plutôt énergie et intensité, dimension tannique racée. Fraicheur épicée superbe en finale, incontestablement à la hauteur de son statut et le plus vigoureux des premiers crus classés.

The Wine Cellar Insider

92-95 / 100

byJeff Levethe5/5/2015

Powerful, tannic and full-bodied with intense minerality, this wine is fashioned with fresh, sweet cherries and black and red plums. Compelling with ripe, silky tannins, this vintage demands time before it all comes together. Pavie can be difficult to taste in barrel. In fact, it was difficult to taste through the oak cloak. It took coaxing and effort to find it. I'm looking forward to tasting it again. 92-95 Pts

Wine Advocate

94-96 / 100

byNeal Martinthe4/30/2015

The Château Pavie 2014 is a blend of 60% Merlot, 22% Cabernet Franc and 18% Cabernet Sauvignon picked between 3 and 10 October, a lower percentage of Merlot as the vineyard moves towards more Cabernet in the blend. Matured in 80% new oak and 20% one-year old, it has an opulent and delineated bouquet that is heads above the Bellevue-Mondotte. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, the Cabernet in sync with the Merlot, silky smooth in the mouth with a plush but not cloying finish. The mineralité shows through nicely, partly because of that higher percentage of Cabernet. This is a different style of Pavie compared to previous vintages and the team were clear in their emphasis on more Cabernet and less oak. The result is a Pavie that really exploits its propitious terroir and a wine that even compared to Gérard Perse's other 2014s, demonstrates more complex, more class and classicism. This is one of the standout wines in Saint Emilion.

Asian Palate

93-94 / 100

byJeannie Cho Lee MWthe4/20/2015

Gorgeous wine with layers of flavors that range from gentle floral notes to dark plum and blackberry. Tannins are very high but polished and smooth - the wine will age beautifully over time. Right now the tannins are incredibly thick and quite extracted but the flavors are there to support it. Wait 7 to 9 years before enjoying this wine.

Decanter.com

18,25 / 20

byJames Lawther MWthe4/17/2015

60% Merlot, 22% Cabernet Franc, 18% Cabernet Sauvignon. More to the British taste with all that Cabernet (a record for the Cabernet Sauvignon). Long and linear with plenty of freshness. Firmly structured but a touch more finesse than in the past. Saline note on the finish. Drink: 2022-2038 (94)

Jancis Robinson

17 / 20

byJancis Robinsonthe4/13/2015

34 hl/ha. 60% Merlot, 22% Cabernet Franc, 18% Cabernet Sauvignon (average age 47 years). 80% new oak. 
Nose needs to be coaxed out of the glass. Thick and much more athletic than the other wines. You can really see the terroir here. Lively proper freshness as well as great intensity and ambition. There is a perceptible difference between this and the other Perse wines that seem to have too much make-up. Long and tense and not too much sweetness. Still a bit dry on the end. But very long and reverberant. Masses of energy here. 

Jamessuckling.com

93-94 / 100

byJames Sucklingthe4/10/2015

A firm and juicy wine with very pretty dark fruit, mineral and floral character. Full body, round tannins and a fresh finish.

timatkin.com

90 / 100

byTim Atkin MWthe4/7/2015

René Gabriel

18 / 20

byRené Gabrielthe4/1/2015

60 % Merlot, 22 % Cabernet Franc, 18 % Cabernet Sauvignon. 34 hl/ha. Extrem dunkles Lila. Das Bouquet beginnt sehr konzentriert, wirkt leicht trocken im Ansatz, die Aromen kommen erst im zweiten Anlauf etwas mehr aus dem Glas heraus. Nach den wuchtigen Pavie-Decesse und Bellevue-Mondotte, hatte ich mich auf einen powerigen Pavie eingestellt. Es scheint aber dass er dann doch wohl einen Neigung zu einer gewissen Klassik haben wird. Nun zum Bouquet; reife, rote Früchte, röstiges Edelholz, etwas Kaffee, darunter florale Züge von den beiden, Reife anzeigenden Cabernets. Im Gaumen dicht, aber nicht komprimiert, viel Holundernoten, die Tannine wirken rund, verlangend, haben sich aber bereits etwas in den massiven Körper integriert. Es ist kein weicher Pavie, aber auch kein harter. Man hat da den nicht einfachen Weg gesucht und durch rigorose Selektion auch gefunden. Ich traue ihm die nächst höhere Punktezahl in 20 Jahren zu. Und diese Wertung braucht er eigentlich dann dringend, um seinen Preisniveau gerecht zu werden. 18/20 2025 – 2058

Wine Enthusiast

95 / 100

byRoger Vossthe4/1/2015

94–96. Barrel Sample. This is a ripe wine made from rich grapes, although it also has a good sense of structure and even restraint. It does have freshness that allows the wine to have great lift through the close. There is also a solid, dark character that continues through to the dry finish.

Wine Spectator

94-97 / 100

byJames Molesworththe3/30/2015

A beauty in the making, with gloriously pure boysenberry, raspberry and plum flavors, ample yet thoroughly integrated
grip, and lithe acidity that lets the finish flow with an unencumbered feel. Offers chalky acidity