Château Pavie
Microclimate
Château Pavie is positioned 55 to 85 metres above the Dordogne. The vineyard can be divided into three terroirs, each with its own microclimate: limestone, slopes and foothills. This trio benefits from favourable southern sunlight, naturally poor soil, natural drainage and little frost due to the western wind. Today, the area covers 42 ha.
Peaches
The château takes its name from the Pavie peaches that used to grow on the land. In 1873, a Bordeaux merchant named Ferdinand Bouffard inherited the Domaine de la Sable. Over the years, he came into possession of several small vineyards, thus owning an area of almost 50 hectares. Yet he continued to vinify and sell the wines separately.
Gérard Perse
Bouffard decided to sell the château after a Phyllorexa infestation. The château had several owners until Gérard Perse bought it in 1998. Gérard was a trader from Paris who sold two supermarket chains to finance his entry into the wine trade. With this, he bought three châteaux, including Pavie. Currently, his daughter Angélique and his son-in-law Henrique live at the estate with their two children.
Premier Grand Cru Classé A
Château Pavie has been classified as a Premier Grand Cru Classé A since 2012. It is silky yet powerful and contains a lot of dark fruit with a very low finish. Château Pavie needs more than 15 years to mature properly and is therefore best not drunk too young.
Since 2005, the château has been producing a second wine. Arômes de Pavie has a beautiful round, full-bodied taste. Compared to Château Pavie, the grapes are younger. This makes the wine slightly lighter and more accessible. However, this wine is more intense than other grand cru’s from the Saint-Emilion region.
Promotion
Château Pavie received its first grand cru classification in 1954, this was the Premier Grand Cru Classé B. In 2012, however, the grand cru received a promotion to Premier Grand Cru Classé A according to the St. Emilion classification.