Château Pavie St Emilion Grand Cru Premier Grand Cru Classé A 2017

As with the Arômes de Pavie in the 2017 vintage, you can feel the impact of a cooler year just putting the brakes on the intensity of the estate’s classic muscular signature, and it’s enjoyable. Ready to drink a little earlier than usual, with edges of cassis bud, violets and peonies, coupled with silky tannins and a savoury edge to the blueberry and black cherry fruit, coming across mainly in dried herbs and a touch of rosemary. Mouthwatering on the finish, skilful winemaking from Jean-Baptiste Pion here that deftly puts the spotlight on the limestone soils. Tasted separately to the rest of the vertical, from a bottle I had at home. Gerard Perse owner, Michel Rolland consultant.