CHÂTEAU PAVIE

The 2016 Pavie is a blend of 60% Merlot, 22% Cabernet Franc and 18% Cabernet Sauvignon cropped at 38 hectoliters per hectare between 10 and 20 October. The alcohol this year is 14.55%, and it is matured in 80% new oak and 20% one-year-old wood. As Gérard Perse explained, this is a Pavie that has taken stock and shifted in direction in recent years, reflecting more of its exceptional terroir instead of winemaking. It has a very intense bouquet that is extremely well-defined and shrugs off that higher alcohol level. You can find the graphite vein courtesy of the Cabernet Sauvignon and the underlying tension, while a second bottle had a soupçon more florality. The palate is medium-bodied with succulent, ripe, supple tannins that gently caress the mouth. It feels beguiling and charming, totally different in style compared to say Cheval Blanc, offering a more sensual take on the 2016 growing season. It is a very impressive follow-up to the 2015 Pavie and may surpass it once in bottle. Drinking range: 2026 - 2060 Rating: 98-100 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Apr 2017)

Merlot has been reduced from 80% to 60% (will be 50% soon) and there's some Cabernet Sauvignon. Extracted 10 days less than in 2015, and in 2015 seven days less than the average before. No longer using 100% new oak - just 70%. Same philosophy in 2016 for both Bellevue Mondotte and Pavie Decesse. Dark crimson. Rich, sweet nose. In the vineyard there's just 50% Merlot! Very sweet start and really hard work. But much less exaggerated than it used to be. Sinewy. Some appetising quality. Very juicy start but then it dries on the finish. These wines are very different from the others in the appellation and I have to conclude that the owner and team taste differently from me and don't mind the drying finishes. For drama this deserves my score and it may well settle down to something lovely eventually. Drinking range: 2028 - 2045 Rating: 17 Jancis Robinson OBE MW - www.JancisRobinson.com (Apr 2017)

This is a head-turner, with intense raspberry, cassis and boysenberry reduction notes pumping along, inlaid with a graphite edge and backed by waves of roasted apple wood, anise and fruitcake. Yet as large-scale as this is, it’s still harnessed by a fine, chalky minerality through the finish. "Wow" wine. Rating: 97-100 James Molesworth, The Wine Spectator (Apr 2017)

This is more compressed and tighter than the 2015. It’s full-bodied, but very tight and focused. So linear and long. Love the gorgeous finesse. Goes on for minutes. All about finesse...new profile. Rating: 99-100 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Apr 2017)

One of the most thrilling surprises of the vintage, here a new approach to a more finely-wrought Pavie has collided with a vintage that has natural freshness and acidity. The result shows the potential of this terroir. Without a doubt the best Pavie that I have ever tasted, and one where I have not had to say, 'yes, but...'. Let's not pretend that it's night and day from the old regime, but nor should it be - Pavie needs to keep its signature black fruited glamour and intensity, as that is part of what delivered its new status, but to my mind this is a far better balance than in the past. The blend is 60% Merlot, 22% Cabernet Franc and 18% Cabernet Sauvignon, the lowest amount of Merlot since Perse arrived. This still has reams of intense fruit, but the tannins are not immovable as they have been in some years, and pulses of minerality leap up on the finish to make your mouth water. Gorgeous. It is also fascinating to learn the techincal details that have helped bring out the vintage character - besides the lower Merlot content, there were 10 days less maceration than last year and only 70% new oak. Drinking range: 2027 - 2050 Rating: 97 Jane Anson, Decanter (Apr 2017)

Seamless, sumptuous and super-expressive, the 2016 Pavie is a real head-turner. It will be years before the 2016 is ready to show all it's got. Even so, it is an absolutely stunning wine. The 2016 is 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc, which is the most Franc that has ever gone into the Grand Vin. That gives the wine striking aromatic nuance to play off the exquisite, layered fruit. The 2016 is an exceptional wine by any measure. In a word: magnificent! Rating: 97-100 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Apr 2017)

We’re not quite in “fist pump” territory yet, but this is the freshest and best-balanced Pavie I’ve had for a while. It’s still a very dense, rich, deeply coloured wine, with slightly too much extraction, but the fruit has some leafy notes and welcome acidity. Even earlier picking would transform the wine. Drinking range: 2022 - 2030 Rating: 93 Tim Atkin MW, www.timatkin.com (Apr 2017)