Vintage
The year began with unsettled weather in spring. Despite regular rainfall during this period, it didn't affect the flowering process. A nice hot and dry summer set in for 3 months. The vineyard flourish with these conditions and the berries built up concentration in the juices. Beginning of September, welcome rain brought moisture to the soils, the bunches and the leaves and reinvigorated the vineyard. A fine autumn then set in, allowing us to wait until early October before beginning a harvest completly free of stress and offering us an exceptional vintage.
Growing methods
Pruning down to 8 buds for the old vines and to 6 buds for the young vines. Thinning, leaf-stripping. Grapes picked and sorted by hand.
Vinification
Temperature-controlled wooden vats. Malolactic fermentation in barrels.
Harvest
10/10 to 20/10.
Aging
80% new oak , 20% one year old barrel for 24 months.
Surface area
37 hectares
Average age of the vines
48 years
Blend
60% merlot, 22% cabernet franc, 18% cabernet sauvignon
Yields
38 hl/ha
Tasting notes
This 2016 Pavie displays a purple color that continues to express its full force and liveliness. The complex aromas of sun-ripened black fruit are lush and clean, with ripe notes of fresh blackberry jam instrumental in defining the wine's brisk style. The aromatic generosity and density is a model of mastered concentration.
Black fruit on the palate makes a supple first impression before becoming firmer and more serious, with tight and delicate tannins.
The wine's structure shares the character which gives the greatest vintages of Pavie the ability for long aging. There's a fine balance in its expression of ripe fruit and the subtle oak which contributes smoky notes across the aromatic palette. The wine is a union of richness and freshness; in the mouth and through the retro nasal passage, its aromas declare that this is a wine that's got everything! This vintage strongly declares its personality with its concentration and extraction. One of the greats which will still be notable in 20 years and beyond.
Commentary by David Biraud
World's Best Sommelier Competition 2016 - Best Craftsman of France Sommelier 2004
