Château Pavie
The Château Pavie is one of the most important and traditional wineries in the French commune of Saint-Émilion in the Bordeaux region . In the hierarchy of red wines of Saint-Émilion, it belongs as Premier Grand Cru classé A (2012) , the highest level (see also the article Bordeaux wine (classification) ).
Location, soil and grape varieties
The chateau is located in the south-east of the area of the appellation of Saint Émilion , only approx. 1.5 km from the municipality of Saint-Émilion. The 37 hectare vineyards are located exactly at the junction between the limestone plateau of Saint-Émilion and the gravel deposits of the Dordogne at the foot of the plateau. The hillside location between the plateau and the foot is ideally oriented to the south like an amphitheater. Approx. 8 hectares of vineyards are on top of the plateau and 22.5 hectares are ideally steeped on the "Côte". The rest is at the foot of the slope. Immediately above the Pavie plateau parcel are the 4.8 hectares (2.8 of them yield) of the former Grand Cru Classé Château La Clusière . These have also found their way into the wine of Château Pavie since the 2002 vintage.
The completely different soil types within the vineyard result in a specific grape variety selection. While Merlot is mainly grown on the loamy-chalky plateau , the sandy-loamy soil at the foot of the steep slope is more suitable for growing Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc . The grape variety list therefore looks as follows: Merlot has a share of 60%, while Cabernet Franc still has an unusually high share of 30%. The remaining 10% are due to the Cabernet Sauvignon.
The wine
Winemaking and aging
The quality standards of the great Bordeaux 'apply at Château Pavie. The mean age of the vines is 43 years (as of 2005), the yield is a very low 30 hl / ha. The grapes are picked by hand, destemmed and re-sorted several times in the cellar. The fermentation takes place today again, although temperature-controlled oak vats instead.
The wine is transferred quickly and without filtering to barrique barrels , where it remains for 18–24 months (the 2000 vintage even remained in barriques for 26 months). Only new wood is used. It is refined with egg white and the bottle is bottled without filtering.
Character and vintages
The Château Pavie is full-bodied, velvety and has an intense aroma. Despite these characteristics, it is prepared for long bottle storage. Good vintages grow for thirty years. The aromas of a ripe pavie are described in terms such as "toasted hazelnuts, raisins, tobacco and cedarwood", although the spectrum differs greatly from vintage to vintage.
The wine style has changed significantly since the change of ownership in 1998 (see below). The Château Pavie has been much more concentrated since then, and the use of new wood is unmistakable. Until 1997 only a third of the barriques were renewed annually. The great vintages of Château Pavie are 1982, 1983, 1986, 1989, 1990, 1998, 2000, 2003 and 2005. 1981, 1988, 1993, 1994 and 1995 are also classified as well above average.
history
The origins of the estate can be found in the 4th century in Roman times. The vineyards were laid out on the slopes called Côte Pavie. Pavie is the French name of the vineyard peach. The property probably existed throughout the Middle Ages.
In the first edition of the famous book "Bordeaux et ses vins" by Cocks and Féret from 1850, Château Pavie is mentioned as one of the leading estates in the region. The main owners at the time were the Talleman family, while smaller plots were managed by the Pigasse, Lafleur, Chapus, Dussaut and Croisit families. After Adolphe Pigasse's death in 1885, his widow sold the vineyards to Talleman.
In 1885 the Bordeaux wine merchant Ferdinand Bouffard acquired the entire estate of the Talleman family. As a result, he increased the area through acquisitions and inheritance to a total of 50 hectares. He consolidated the entire area under the name "Pavie", but gave the wines that came from parcels on the plateau the name "Pavie-Decesse".
At the end of the 19th century, phylloxera wiped out all of Bouffard's investments. Due to his viticulture knowledge, Bouffard was able to continue the viticulture business under difficult conditions, but had to sell his life's work to Albert Porte after the First World War . In 1943 ownership passed to Alexandre Valette, who already owned the neighboring Château Troplong Mondot . The Paris-based businessman had the vineyards re-planted according to a 60-year plan. When the Saint-Émilion wines were first classified in 1954, Château Pavie was classified as a 1st Grand Cru Classé B.
After the death of Alexandre Valette in 1967, his vineyard property was divided into several branches of the family. His nephew Jean-Paul finally managed a sponsoring company, which in addition to Château Pavie also included Château Pavie-Decesse and Château La Clusière. However, the vineyards and material were now in poor condition. The wines were stored in poorly maintained limestone caves. In 1974 falling limestone pieces finally spilled 53 barrique barrels; People were not harmed. Due to the outstanding location of the vineyards, excellent wines were still produced.
In March 1998, the former wholesale chain owner Gérard Perse finally took over the estate for around 30.800 million US dollars. He had previously acquired the Château Monbousquet , La Clusière and Pavie-Decesse estates. In the same year extensive investments were made and the oenologist Michel Rolland was hired as a consultant. In 1999 a 7 m deep barrel cellar was inaugurated, which offers a total of 700 barriques. In the vineyard, vines that were in poor condition were replaced, and better soil drainage was created in the lower areas.
Since then, the price of Pavie's wines has risen and drifted away. While the excellent 1990s was still available for less than 200 francs in the mid-1990s, the 2000 subscription cost almost 1500 francs (240 euros)! The Château Pavie has caught up with the absolute top group of Bordeaux. Since 2002, the yield from the vineyards of Château La Clusière has also been included in the wine of Château Pavie. Its independent production has been in no way inferior to the Pavie since 1997 - the 2000 La Clusière even received the dream rating of 100 Parker points .
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ James Turnbull: Bordeaux Grandeur Nature , EPA Éditions, Paris 1997, p. 122