2008 Pavie
By Chateau Pavie
2008 Pavie from Château Pavie, Saint-Émilion, Bordeaux
The 2008 vintage emerges from the venerable cellars of Château Pavie as a testament to the resolute character of Saint-Émilion terroir in a challenging season. I have had the pleasure of observing this stalwart vintage evolve, revealing an enchanting complexity that bolsters its prominence among its peers.
A Vintage Shaped by Vicissitudes
The growing season leading to the 2008 harvest was not without its trials. A cool, wet spring threatened to dampen prospects but was redeemed by a drier June. Fluctuating conditions persisted throughout the summer months until an Indian summer ushered in auspicious harvest conditions. The meticulous viticultural protocols at Château Pavie ensured that their grapes were coddled through adversity, thereby encapsulating an essence reserved for only the finest of climes.
Distinctive Terroir-driven Nuances
The 2008 Pavie is rightfully acknowledged for its exquisite blend of power and poise, a symphony in a glass orchestrated by mercurial weather patterns and masterful winemaking. It presents an opulent bouquet brimming with blackberries and violets interlaced with undertones of earth and truffle–notes that beckon connoisseurs with their sophisticated siren call.
On the palate, the wine elucidates audacious tannins that assertively grip, yet gracefully unravel to reveal layers upon layers of plumed fruit and mineral verve—a harmonious balance struck between might and finesse. This depth mirrors both the resilience and richness of Saint-Émilion in a year marked by capricious skies, rewarding those who can appreciate a tale of triumph in the face of adversity.
An Oenological Edifice Worthy of Investment
No stranger to investors’ portfolios, Château Pavie’s offerings are revered, with the 2008 vintage standing as one of strategic allure. Poised graciously at an intersection between youthful vigour and beginning maturity, it is a compelling choice for both the distinguished collector and judicious investor. Further years promise to unfurl this vintage’s potential fully, solidifying its cachet within the esteemed ranks of Saint-Émilion triumphs.
In summary, the 2008 Pavie from Château Pavie encapsulates a narrative of resilience—a steadfast voyage through Bordeaux’s climatic tapestry—that has engendered a collector's piece embodying both history and promise.
Market price (GBP)
£2,100.00
12x75cl
Highest score
95
POP score
140
Scores and tasting notes
Lots of fruit and fruity and long with amazing truffles and earth and fruity with full and velvety tannins. Long, long finish. Balanced for the vintage, but very rich. Better in 2013.
James Suckling - jamessuckling.com, December 20th 2010
A remarkable success in this vintage, Pavie’s 92 acre vineyard situated on the limestone soils of the spectacular south-facing Cote Pavie (one of the greatest terroirs of Bordeaux) was cropped at 30 hectoliters per hectare. A blend of 70% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, with an atypical (for a 2008) alcohol level of 14.5% that is higher than in its 2010 counterpart, the opaque purple-colored 2008 exhibits sweet, smoky barbecue notes intermixed with creme de cassis, black cherry, toast and crushed chalk. Deep, intense and full-bodied with surprisingly civilized tannins for such a young Pavie, it reveals wonderful breadth of flavor, a savory texture and a layered mouthfeel. It should drink beautifully in 2-4 years and keep for 25 or more.
Robert Parker Jr - Wine Advocate #194 May 2011
A slightly more compact style of Pavie in this vintage, but still full-bodied, the 2008 has a youthful, dense purple color and is seriously endowed with concentrated, rich fruit, licorice, graphite, forest floor, and loads of dark plum and black and red currant fruit. This wine still has some tannins to resolve, and should be cellared for another 4-5 years. Drink over the following two decades.
Robert Parker Jr - The Wine Advocate, 27 August 2015
Tasted ex-chateau and single blind in Southwold. The Pavie 2008 has a ripe, mineral-rich bouquet with fine definition: dark plum, dark cherry, blueberry; edgy and quite tensile. The palate has a creamy entry with vice-like grip, tannic and masculine, not a subtle wine but almost aggressive. It is a little mouth-puckering on the finish suggesting that it needs several years to soften since there is a lot of ravishing fruit waiting to blossom. Tasted January 2012.
Neal Martin - Wine Journal May 2012