Château Pavie St Emilion Grand Cru Premier Grand Cru Classé A 2012

Pavie is a wine that it really isn’t worth approaching before the 10 year window – not just because under its then-regime, everything was turned up to the max, but because this is a powerful terroir that delivers muscular wines. It’s beginning to relax, if displaying waves of gunsmoke and rubber reduction aromatics at first. Once it unwinds in the glass, you get grilled sandalwood and cloves alongside liqourice bud, black cherry, raspberry and cassis fruits. The limestone influence with its mouthwatering salinity and saffron is kicking in and this has character and tension. First vintage as a Premier Grand Cru Classé B, following the promotion of that year (and as things stand the only one left). 80% new oak, 28hl/h yield.