Wine Advisor
Pavie Decesse 2001
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Over-extracted on the nose with prune, figs and raisin. A huge rich, decadent palate with bold tannins. Not my style even if it is undeniably well-crafted. Tasted October 2007.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
Cropped at 30 hectoliters per hectare, the 2001 enjoyed a five-week maceration. An opaque purple-colored effort, it is more firm and mineral-dominated than Perse's Monbousquet or Pavie. Pavie Decesse reveals thick, rich flavors, high tannin, medium body, and a liquid minerality to the blackberry, cherry, and currant fruit. This backward St.-Emilion requires 7-10 years of cellaring. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2030.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Last tasted in Nov-03: again very pruney on the nose with notes of fig. The palate is very slick, inky with mulberry and prunes. Low grip and moderate tannins. Very concentrated though it lacks the complexity of Pavie. I usually rate Pavie-Decesse more highly than this so it is a little disappointing.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
The 2001 was cropped at 30 hectoliters per hectare and enjoyed a five-week maceration. This opaque purple-colored effort is more firm and mineral-dominated than Perse's Monbousquet or Pavie. Pavie Decesse reveals thick, rich flavors, high tannin, medium body, and a liquid minerality to the blackberry, cherry, and currant fruit. This backward St.-Emilion requires 7-10 years of cellaring. This vineyard was acquired by Gerard and Chantal Perse in 1997. There are 22.2 acres of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc planted on limestone soils. Part of the vineyard will ultimately be incorporated into Pavie, thus reducing the production at Pavie Decesse. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2030.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
This 23-acre vineyard, acquired by Gerard and Chantal Perse in 1997, is situated on the south-facing limestone plateau above Chateau Pavie. This blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc (from vines averaging 41 years of age) was cropped at a meager 30 hectoliters per hectare. After a five week maceration, the wine was aged 18 months in 100% new oak, and bottled unfined and unfiltered (as are all the Perse wines). An inky/ruby/purple color is accompanied by rich aromas of Asian spices, soy, black truffles, licorice, espresso, and intense cherry and blackberry fruit. It displays great intensity, medium to full body, low acidity, and high tannin. This beauty is not far off the pace of the blockbuster 2000. Anticipated maturity: 2007-2018.
About the Producer
Chateau Pavie Decesse is located in the Saint-Emilion appellation on the right bank of Bordeaux, France, and is one of the Grand Cru Classe of Saint-Emilion. Château Pavie Decesse has strong ties to Premier Grand Cru Classe A, which was originally owned by Château Pavie. In 1885, Ferdinand Bouffard, the owner of Chateau Pavie, decided to reorganise the vineyards and separated a plot of land called "Pigasse", thus giving birth to Château Pavie de Caisse. The estate was then passed on to Mr Marzelle. In 1970, when he died, his wife entrusted the estate to the Valette family, then owners of Château Lafite, who took over the estate in 1990. In 1997, Gerard Perse bought the estate, and the following year, he took it under his wing. Since becoming part of the Perse family, Château de Berfet de Sais has enjoyed the same treatment as Château de Berfet and the quality of its wines has continued to improve. The 3.65 hectares of vineyards of Château Pape de Cais are located on the limestone plateau of Saint-Emilion, next to the vineyards of Château Pape, and have similar terroirs but with different characteristics. The soil is mainly made up of limestone and clay soils and is planted with 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc, with an average vine age of 43 years. The limestone gives the wines their freshness, floral aromas and minerality, while the clay provides structure to the finished wines. In the winemaking, Château de Pays follows the modern winemaking philosophy of the Pace family, sharing the same winemaking team as Château Pays. The grapes are harvested by hand after they have ripened and undergo a rigorous manual selection process before moving on to the next stage of the process. Grapes from different plots are fermented separately in three temperature-controlled vats to allow for fine-tuning during the final blend. The maceration lasts three weeks before the wine is transferred to oak barrels for malolactic fermentation. After fermentation, the wine is matured in 80% new French oak barrels for 18-24 months, during which time it is racked every three months. This is followed by blending and bottling. In order to maintain the pure flavour of the wines, no clarification or filtration is carried out on the red wines of Château de Pape de Cais before bottling. Thanks to the excellent terroir, the wines of Château de Pape de Sais are rich and complex, full-bodied, with a fine tannic structure and excellent ageing potential. The red wines of Chateau Pavie Decesse, Saint-Emilion Grand Cru Classe, France, are not only very popular with consumers, but have also been highly praised by prestigious wine critics and magazines.
