Chateau Pavie Saint-Emilion Grand Cru (Minimum order: 6 bottle case) FUTURES 2025 Pre-Arrival
First Growth A since 2012 (Premier Grand Cru Classe A). Classified as Premier Grand Cru Classe B from 1954 to 2012.
Château Pavie Saint-Émilion Grand Cru 2025 is a powerful, precise and highly anticipated Premier Grand Cru Classé “A” release, and the final vintage under Gérard Perse. It marks a new stylistic peak for the estate, with Cabernet Franc in the lead and a profile that combines immense depth with striking mineral tension and refinement.
Critic tasting note: (2025 vintage)
"The cabernet franc really comes through, with fine, intense, racy tannins and great length. Chalky and focused. More restrained than past vintages, with superb tension at the end. The most cabernet franc-driven Pavie ever. And it works so well. Precise is the word." - James Suckling (98–99/100)
“The 2025 Pavie is a towering Saint-Émilion endowed with tremendous depth and substance. Inky dark fruit, lavender, graphite, spice, mocha, and crushed rocks stain the palate. Powerful yet remarkably poised, with exceptional balance and purity.” – Antonio Galloni, Vinous (97–99/100)
“Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2025 Pavie slowly unfurls to reveal a wonderfully evocative perfume of kirsch, black raspberries, fresh plums, and lilacs, giving way to hints of pencil shavings, wild sage, and crushed rocks. The full-bodied palate shimmers with fantastically dense yet vibrant black and red fruit layers, framed by beautifully ripe, firm, grainy tannins and amazing tension.” – Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Independent (97–99/100)
"Deep dark ruby garnet, opaque core, violet reflections, subtle edge brightening. Fine black berry fruit, a hint of cassis, black cherries, hints of candied orange zest, some nougat, underlaid with subtle precious wood. Powerful, but very juicy, round and elegant, great freshness, ripe, fine tannins, extract sweet and long-lasting, modern, yet very connected to the terroir, great length, sure maturity potential." - Falstaff (98/100)
"Showing one of the deepest colors of the vintage, the perfume kicks off with black raspberries, mint leaves, black cherries, flowers, tobacco wrappers, licorice, spice, and espresso aromas. The palate is intensely concentrated, yet, there is so much lift, and energy, the wine feels almost relaxed on your palate. The waves of rich, dense, opulent, lush, and salty, mineral-infused berries start off strong, and keep on going. The mid-palate, and finish delivers its message of ripe, deep, black, with red fruits, spice, crushed stones, camphor, licorice, and dark chocolate without hesitation through to its endnotes that get close to the 60-second mark. The wine blends 60% Cabernet Franc, 30% Merlot, and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, making this the highest percentage of Cabernet ever used in the blend. 14.3% ABV. 3.58 pH. Harvesting took place September 15 - September 26. Yields were 21 hectoliters per hectare. Drink from 2030-2065." - Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider (98/100)
“The first time this château has included this much Cabernet Franc in the blend, the 2025 Château Pavie sports a saturated purple hue as well as a pure, focused bouquet of crème de cassis and assorted blue fruits intermixed with graphite, violets, leafy herbs, and freshly sharpened pencil notes. It's a different beast from the classic Pavie style, with a more focused, straight mouthfeel, building yet beautiful tannins, and a layered, seamless texture on the palate.” – Jeb Dunnuck (96–98/100)
Site & Identity
The 37-hectare Pavie vineyard lies on Saint-Émilion’s iconic south-facing slopes and limestone plateau, divided between compact clay, clay-gravel and pure limestone soils. In 2025, Pavie showcases this terroir in a particularly expressive way: low yields of just 21 hl/ha, an 8-week maceration and a focus on chalky-mineral drive create a grand vin that is both imposing and finely etched. Cabernet Franc plays a central role, reflecting a long-term rebalancing of the vineyard and giving the wine added verticality, florality and freshness over its traditionally Merlot-dominant style.
Technical Tasting Note
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Appearance: Deep, dark ruby-garnet with an opaque core and vivid violet reflections, underlining its concentration and youth.
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Nose: Intense aromas of cassis, black cherry and plum, layered with violets, espresso, dark chocolate, mint, liquorice and graphite, set against a cool, limestone-inflected backdrop.
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Palate: Full-bodied, powerful and tightly structured, with a dense core of dark fruit, great depth, finely sculpted but firm tannins and a pronounced mineral tension running through the mid-palate.
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Finish: Very long and precise, combining onctuous richness with freshness and salinity; the finish fans out with dark fruit, floral notes, spice and a persistent chalky-mineral echo.
Winemaking & Style
Château Pavie 2025 is blended from 60% Cabernet Franc, 30% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon—the highest proportion of Cabernet Franc ever used at the estate—with 14.34% alcohol and yields of just 21 hl/ha. The wine underwent an 8-week maceration before aging in predominantly new French oak, designed to support, not overshadow, the fruit and terroir expression. Stylistically, Pavie 2025 is described as an impressive yet unusually refined Pavie: powerful, deeply layered and clearly built for decades, but also lifted, vibrant and focused on mineral tension rather than sheer opulence.
Food Pairing
Excellent with rib of beef, roast or slow-cooked lamb, venison, game birds, duck breast and truffle or wild-mushroom dishes. Its combination of depth, structure and limestone freshness makes it a natural partner for haute cuisine and a prime candidate for long-term cellaring to accompany future grand occasions.
