Wine Advisor
Pavie Decesse 2003
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
This amazing wine has turned out to be a modern-day classic. Like its bigger sister, Pavie, it has dropped some of its baby fat and exoticism, but remains a dense ruby/purple color with notes of mocha, mulberries and black cherry jam buttressed by serious, ripe tannin and decent acidity. Almost over-the-top in its youth, it has calmed down considerably, is well-delineated and pure with great balance as well as a full-bodied, vigorous, exuberant mouthfeel. One of the superstars of the vintage, the 2003 Pavie Decesse is capable of lasting another 10-15+ years.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
An extraordinary success, the 2003 is a blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc made from yields of 28 hectoliters per hectare. After a five week maceration, the wine was put through malolactic in new oak, and was aged on its lees for six months. Sadly, there are only 400 cases of this 13.5% alcohol offering. An explosive, flamboyant, astonishing effort, it boasts an opaque dense purple color along with a big, sweet perfume of blackberries, wet stones, and white flowers (perhaps even violets). Full-bodied and well-delineated, the flavors include hints of chocolate, espresso roast, assorted black fruits, and licorice. Deep and dense, with low acidity, loads of glycerin, and a massive but neither over-ripe nor heavy mouthfeel, it should hit its peak in 7-10 years, and last for 35 years. This is one 2003 that recalls what some right bank 1947s may have tasted like at six months of age.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
This 9-acre vineyard, situated on the limestone plateau above Pavie, is planted with 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc. The average age of the vines is 43 years. Pavie-Decesse has become a limited production cuvee since part of the vineyard was incorporated into the larger Pavie site. Production currently averages around 400 cases, depending on the vintage. Composed of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc (13.5% alcohol), the inky/purple-tinged 2003 exhibits an extraordinary bouquet of crushed rocks, white flowers, and red as well as black fruits. The most port-like of the 2003 Perse offerings, it is a sexy, opulent, viscous St.-Emilion with extraordinary density as well as an exotic, nearly over-the-top richness. It will be drinkable in 2-3 years, and last for 25 or more. This flamboyant, ostentatious wine is a brilliant tour de force in 2003 Bordeaux.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
This vineyard’s limestone plateau was one of the most favored terroirs in the scorching heat and drought of 2003. A dense purple color is accompanied by a gorgeous perfume of graphite, ink, powdered rocks, flowers, blackberries, cassis, and a hint of sweet cherries. Voluptuously-textured, full-bodied, and well-delineated, with no notions of over-ripeness or over-extraction, it is a dense, concentrated effort (from low yields and old vines) with extraordinary vigor, length, and intensity. This is a brilliant wine! Anticipated maturity: 2010-2025.
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.
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