Chateau Pavie 2016

Product info about Chateau Pavie 2016

Château Pavie 2016 is the grand vin of Château Pavie in Saint-Émilion, Bordeaux. It is a dry red Saint-Émilion Grand Cru with Premier Grand Cru Classé A status, built on a blend led by merlot, with cabernet franc and cabernet sauvignon adding further structure. The fruit comes from the estate's own vineyards, where the average vine age for this vintage is stated at 48 years.

The character of this wine is closely tied to Pavie's varied terroir. Part of the estate lies on the limestone plateau of Saint-Émilion, while other parcels sit on the south-facing Côte de Pavie and at the foot of the slope on sandier, clay-sand and gravelly soils. The 2016 growing season gave the estate a wet and changeable spring, followed by a long warm, dry summer. Rain in early September refreshed the vines, and a favourable autumn allowed harvesting to wait until 10 to 20 October, with grapes picked and sorted by hand.

Fermentation took place in temperature-controlled wooden vats, followed by malolactic fermentation in barrel and 24 months of ageing in oak. The oak presence is part of the wine's architecture rather than a separate layer: it supports the ripe dark fruit, the freshness and the subtle smoky edge described for this vintage.

At Drankenshop Broekmans, Château Pavie 2016 is the kind of Saint-Émilion we would introduce to someone looking for a serious, structured Bordeaux with depth and long ageing potential. The vintage received outstanding international recognition, including 100-point scores from Robert Parker's Wine Advocate and James Suckling, but its real interest lies in the way concentration, firm tannins and freshness come together. With only the last bottles remaining, availability is naturally limited.

Château Pavie 2016 is deep purple in colour, with concentrated aromas of sun-ripened dark fruit, fresh blackberry jam, cassis, dark plum, black cherry and blueberry. Around that fruit sit notes of violets, graphite, pencil shavings, mineral tones, roasted oak, smoke, mocha, tobacco, spices, liquorice and occasional truffle-like nuances.

On the palate it is full-bodied, powerful and concentrated. The dark fruit gives an initially supple impression before the wine moves into a firmer, more structured phase. The tannins are ripe and present yet refined, with freshness balancing the richness and a long finish carrying dark fruit, spice, mineral notes and oak influence.