Arômes de Pavie 2017

A blend of 65% Merlot, 18% Cabernet Franc and 17% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2017 Arômes de Pavie is made from the young vines of Pavie, and due to its elevation, there was no frost in the vineyard in 2017. Deep garnet-purple in color, the wine has quite an earthy nose of fertile loam, mossy tree bark and truffles over a core of plum preserves, chocolate-covered cherries and a waft of cinnamon stick. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is bursting with bright fruits and energy, structured by wonderfully plush tannins and bold freshness, finishing with a spicy kick.

The second wine of Pavie comes from a 5ha plot that has been kept separate since 2015. It maintains the Pavie identity and offers excellent freshness, with a real sense of texture and pleasure. Good stuff and it will be ready to drink in the next three or four years; there are tannins here but they are pretty flexible.

A tight, pretty wine with blue-fruit, chocolate and hazelnut character. It’s medium- to full-bodied. Fine, dense tannins on the palate give a seamless, silky texture. Second wine of Château Pavie. Drink in 2022.

Now same-style label and bottle as Pavie because, they explain, the quality has increased. Made from young vines of Pavie and 4 ha (10 acres) of Cabernet Franc on the limestone plateau (which used to go into Pavie) and from the bottom of the slope. 65% Merlot, 18% Cabernet Franc, 17% Cabernet Sauvignon. Partly fermented in wooden vats and aged in 50% new oak, with malo in barrel. pH 3.68, TA (sulphuric) 3.59 g/l. Black with purple rim. Lifted bramble fruit. Blueberry and elderberry – very ripe but not overripe. Dense, dark, firm but not as tough as the Bellevue-Mondotte just tasted. Thick, chewy and for the long haul. (JH)

The 2017 Arômes de Pavie, a blend of 65% Merlot, 18% Cabernet Franc and 17% Cabernet Sauvignon, has a high-toned, iodine-infused bouquet with precocious blueberry and blackcurrant aromas, and a hint of graphite in the background. The palate is medium-bodied with grippy tannins, firm and compact, the Cabernet Sauvignon imparting graphite notes toward the solid finish. I would just like a little more charm to show through as it ages (and this will require four to five years—choose Esprit de Pavie for short-term drinking).

Based on 65% Merlot, 18% Cabernet Franc, and 17% Sauvignon, brought up in 50% new French oak, the 2017 Aromes De Pavie is a rock star that’s well worth seeking out. Blackcurrants, black cherries, crushed flowers, and toasted spice all emerge from the glass. With medium to full body, a rounded, elegant texture, good mid-palate depth, and beautiful length, it tastes like a mini-Pavie. Drink it over the coming 15 years or more.

In 2017, the Perse family acquired new blocks on the plateau with younger vines, but these only became dedicated blocks for this label from 2018. The 2017 Aromes de Pavie has a deep garnet color and it shoots from the glass with powerful scents of wild blueberries, black raspberries, and fresh juicy plums, leading to notions of espresso, licorice, Chinese five spice, and rose oil. The full-bodied palate is amazingly silky with bright, energetic black fruits and a lively backbone, finishing long and minerally.

From dedicated parcels, the second wine, bottled in a flask of the same shape as the grand vin, is matured half in new barrels and half in once-used barrels. The élevage still seems a touch luxurious for this rather distinguished fruit.

Dense color with purplish hues. Very delicate and subtle on the nose, with scents of licorice wood and blackcurrant. A juicy, appetizing attack. Arômes de Pavie is flavorsome, slightly creamy, and endowed with tannins that still deserve a bit more development. A wine that combines finesse and character well.

The nose is fruity and offers fine grain, power, and a very subtle straightness. It reveals notes of ripe wild blackcurrant, ripe raspberry, and, more lightly, small wild black fruits, combined with fine touches of crushed strawberry, green pepper, hints of graphite and chocolate, and very discreet hints of nutmeg. The palate is fruity, balanced, and offers juiciness, a tangy framework, fine tension, and indulgence. On the palate, this wine expresses notes of juicy/tangy blackcurrant and juicy/tangy raspberry, and more lightly blackberry, combined with fine touches of tangy red berries, hints of vanilla, juicy small fruits, as well as fine hints of caramelization, vanilla, and toast. The tannins are precise, elegant, and structuring. Good persistence on notes of roasting/toasted nuances.

Lush and inviting, with layers of warmed raspberry, blackberry and plum compote forming the core, while velvety structure carries this through an anise- and fruitcake-accented finish. Very flattering. Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. Drink now through 2028. 5,416 cases made.

Well structured, this second wine of Château Pavie brings richness while preserving good acidity and a light touch of freshness that balance the tannins and concentration. These two elements will give a wine that will age over the medium term. Drink from 2023.