Château Pavie, 1er Grand Cru Classé, St Emilion, 2021

Tasting Note:

We've noticed a gradual dialling down at Gerard Perse's flagship estate. The terroir here has never been in dispute; Pavie occupies one of the most outstanding terroirs in Bordeaux, however, the winemaking has proved divisive. While Mr Parker is clearly a fan, many European palates have found the wines challenging. The 2021 is still a big, virile wine, but there is much greater poise and a seam of energy that binds it together. It is certainly much more to our tastes. Opening with an attractive bouquet of purple spiced fruit, incense and truffle it leads to a core of earthy fruit and salty chocolate, which is less dense than usual, but is still a big hearty wine. Lots of structure and energy here. It isn't the finest wine of the vintage, but it feels like a move in the right direction. If this knits together in bottle, as most vintages do, this should evolve into a refined example of Pavie.