Wine Advisor
Pavie Decesse 2008
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
Another top-notch effort, the 2008 is a blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc produced from yields of 30 hectoliters per hectare. It reached 14% natural alcohol, no doubt because of the extremely late harvest. A deep purple color is accompanied by massive notes of blackberries, incense, fruitcake, camphor and toasty oak intermixed with a crushed chalk-like minerality (a hallmark of this vineyard). The wine has softened considerably in bottle, and while it seems more structured than the 2010, it reveals a degree of accessibility. Anticipated maturity: 2016-2035.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Tasted ex-chateau and single blind in Southwold. The Pavie-Decesse 2008 has a more introverted nose than its peers: baked cherry, liquorice, a touch of oyster shell and violets. It appears less exuberant and more restrained compared to its primeur showing. The palate is full-bodied with grippy tannins that pucker the mouth. Dense, intense, overbearing perhaps? Massive finish although I believe it will gain more cohesion and mellow with cellaring. Tasted January 2012.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
Like all the Perse wines, the 2008 Pavie Decesse is a backward, unevolved effort that just recently finished malolactic fermentation. An amazing effort (90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc) that was cropped at 30 hectoliters per hectare, it emerges from an 8+ acre vineyard planted in pure limestone whose vines average 47 years (relatively old by Bordeaux standards). The 2008 is another huge, massive, full-bodied St.-Emilion that is even more concentrated than the 2005 or 2000. Sweet notes of blackberries, kirsch, licorice, and crushed rocks are accompanied by an awesomely concentrated, pure, unevolved wine that appears set for 30-40 years of cellaring. It is best purchased by those who are willing to wait at least 10-15 years. This is another brilliant offering from Gerard and Chantal Perse. Are they obsessed? Yes. Are they perfectionists? Yes. As consumers, are we the beneficiaries? Yes.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
En primeur barrel sample. A blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc, cropped at 30hl/ha and aged in 70% new oak, this has a very rich, very pure nose with black cherries, a touch of sloes and prune. I find this just a little over-ripe if anything. The palate is showing better balance but boy, do those tannins coat the mouth! Pure blackberry, cassis and plum with a long, long finish. This will need several years before it becomes approachable. Very tannic. Tasted April 2009.
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.
