Saint-Émilion Grand Cru · premier grand cru classé A
Château Pavie: available vintages, prices and pairings
Pavie and the other châteaux of the same family in Saint-Émilion, vintage by vintage, with the format, the indicative price and what to expect from it today: ready to drink, or to keep. Tick what interests you, and the quote goes out with your selection.
Vintages on the price list
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Four châteaux, one owner
Separate estates, of different ranks, brought together by the Perse family.
Château Pavie
On the south-facing slope, between the limestone plateau and the foot of the hill. Mostly merlot, with cabernet franc and cabernet sauvignon. Premier grand cru classé A since 2012, a dense wine for long ageing.
Château Pavie Decesse
A small vineyard next to Pavie, higher up on the plateau. A grand cru classé, dense too, ready a little earlier.
Château Monbousquet
On the plain, towards the Dordogne, on sand and gravel. A grand cru classé, softer, ready at around six years.
Gérard Perse, a former supermarket owner, bought Monbousquet in 1993 then Pavie in 1998, and raised them among the most sought-after wines of the Right Bank. The family also owns Bellevue Mondotte, a tiny vineyard on the plateau. The appellation's other châteaux are on the Saint-Émilion wines page.
Pavie covers 37 hectares facing due south, on three levels: the limestone plateau, 85 metres above the Dordogne (white soil over starfish limestone), the slope, at 55 metres (heavy clay-limestone over Fronsadais molasse), and the foot of the slope, at 35 metres (clay-limestone and clayey sand). Pavie Decesse, 3.5 hectares split off from Pavie in 1885, lies entirely on the plateau and is planted with 90% merlot. Bellevue Mondotte overlooks the valley from more than 80 metres: 90% merlot, 5% cabernet franc, 5% cabernet sauvignon. Monbousquet is on warm gravels and clayey sands, with 30% cabernet franc.
What to serve it with
- Pavie, fifteen years and older: game (wine with game), dry-aged rib of beef (wine with beef).
- Pavie Decesse, younger Pavie: rack of lamb (wine with lamb), duck breast (wine with duck).
- Monbousquet: roast poultry (wine with poultry), hard cheeses (wine with cheese).
Which vintage for which occasion
As a gift, Pavie in a wooden case (which wine to give). For a bigger table, Monbousquet. For a birthday, the year of birth, if the table has it (birth-year vintage).
Is Château Pavie classified?
Yes: premier grand cru classé A of Saint-Émilion since 2012, in the 2022 classification. The Saint-Émilion classification is revised roughly every ten years; the 2022 one runs until 2032. A château can move up, move down or withdraw from it.
Pavie, Pavie Decesse, Pavie Macquin: the same wine?
No. Three neighbouring estates on the same slope, sharing the name of the place. Pavie and Pavie Decesse belong to the Perse family; Pavie Macquin, a premier grand cru classé B, has other owners.
When should you drink a Château Pavie?
Allow twelve years before opening it and forty years of good form, a little more in a great year, a little less in a weak year or in half bottle; for Monbousquet, six to twenty years. The table applies this rule to each line; it isn't a tasting note, and a badly stored bottle ages faster.
Are the prices shown the prices on the quote?
They are the indicative prices from the price list, incl. VAT, per bottle of the format, excluding delivery. The quote confirms the price, the availability of each vintage and the shipping; the delivery grid gives lead times. For a vintage not in the table, the quote request is still open.