Pavie

2020

James Suckling 100: This opens up on your palate like a butterfly. It takes your breath away. Purity of blackberry, raspberry and black cherry. Lavender. Very, very impressive. Full and chewy with tight and polished tannins that go on and on. Energetic and structured. Crisp and vivid. Superb finish. Better after 2029 but a joy to taste.

Vinous 97: The 2020 Pavie, which oddly is the first time that I have tasted it in bottle (likely due to Covid) has a lovely touch of shucked oyster shell on the nose that is extremely delineated and focused. The oak is (again) seamless integrated, and the aromatics have real panache. The palate is medium-bodied with sapid black fruit, very fine tannins and perfectly judged acidity with a spicier finish than the '22 l'Eglise-Clinet. This has great length and poise, and will give a lot of pleasure over many years. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting.

Decanter 97: Smooth from the get go, still tense as you’d expect with a straight backbone, but the creamy texture is lovely with a beautiful balancing acidity and suaveness overall. More calm and quiet than I was expecting, certainly not shouting but with clear depth and length to the chocolate, blackcurrant, liquorice and graphite. Detailed and nuanced, not trying too hard with energy and plumpness yet retaining a serious, savouriness that brings you back to Pavie and to the terroir with clear minerality in the lick of wet stone on the finish. Well constructed with care.

2021

James Suckling 97: Very complex with red currants, iodine and iron. Medium-bodied, with a dense yet energetic palate and a long and racy finish showing chalk and gunpowder. Flinty. 52% merlot, 30% cabernet franc and 18% cabernet sauvignon. Tight at the end, suggesting at least four to five years of cellaring. Drink after 2029.

Vinous 96: The 2021 Pavie is a potent, brooding wine that is going to need time to be at its best. Floral and spice notes confer freshness on the bouquet. In this tasting, the 2021 feels a bit tight. I doubt that will be an issue in another few years' time. Structurally, the 2021 is a touch lighter than most recent vintages, but the identity is there. The move towards more Cabernet in the blend since 2019 has markedly changed the character of Pavie. The 2021 is on the linear side today. I can't wait to see how it ages.

Decanter 96: Extremely dark aromatics on the nose, dark bramble fruits, cedar and liquorice with a really vibrant but dark indigo rim to the wine. Focussed and sharp, high toned in the best way, this really makes you smile when you first taste it, the juicy but almost sweet acidity making the mouth water while salty, but so well defined tannins coat the mouth giving the structure and support. Lovely finesse and movement from start to finish and an excellent weight too - deep and round but straight and pristine. Feels a bit relaxed, quite elegant and not pushed or too tense at this point. A lovely wine to drink, acidity, fruit purity, fine tannins and a sense of balance and good construction. Still a little constricted on the finish, this will need time, but when it hits its drinking window this will be lovely to drink. Fresh and invigorating but keeping the structure and power.