| Region | |
|---|---|
| Subregion | France > Bordeaux > Right Bank > St Emilion |
| Colour | Red |
| Type | Still |
Bottled the week of January 16 (a week before I tasted it), the 2009 Pavie Decesse (from a tiny 9-acre vineyard on the limestone slopes above Pavie) is an uncommonly fat, succulent, rich, 1,000-case cuvee with 14.3% alcohol. It boasts an inky/blue/purple hue along with notes of incense, spring flowers, roasted espresso, chocolate, licorice, blackberries and blueberries. Even though it is aged in 100% oak, the wood is virtually non-existent. An inky blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc, the wine exhibits a flawless integration of acidity, alcohol and tannin. This opulent, viscous, thick, juicy St.-Emilion will be accessible in 5-7 years and last for three decades.
Tasted at Chateau Pavie. Picked on 12th October at 26hl/ha, a blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc, this has a ripe, exotic bouquet lacquered in creamy new oak: macerated black cherries, creme de cassis, black plum and damson jam. Moderate definition. The palate is full-bodied with dense but well balanced tannins, showing more harmony and focus than the Monbousquet, the tannins less aggressive at this stage, although the mouth is still lacquered on the finish. Fine. Tasted March 2010.
Tar and blackberry on the nose, with hints of licorice. Full-bodied and very concentrated, with loads of blackberry fruit. Massive. But slightly less extracted than the Pavie.
Very dark crimson. Warm, rich nose with some minerality and interest. Thick and sweet and porty. Then very dry and drying. Tarry. A bit like a syrup. To be impressed by rather than to drink with pleasure? Very dry end. Date tasted 30th March 2010. Drink 2016-2032.
Dark, black hue. Rich and concentrated. Tight, dense tannic frame. Limestone terroir in evidence. Powerful but has the caressing quality of the fruit. Definitely one for ageing. Drink 2018-2030.
Gerard Perse's tiny 9-acre vineyard has a high density of vines and lots of age on them as well (48 years on average) on pure limestone soils, with a southerly exposure. The final blend here is the classic 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc. Unfortunately, there are only 1,000 cases from the tiny yields, and the wine, by St.-Emilion standards, is actually not that high in alcohol - 14.3%. A sign of the terrific minerality this wine possesses, crushed rocks jump from the glass of this inky bluish/purple-colored wine. Opaque to the rim, with full-bodied power, a liqueur of rocks intermixed with creme de cassis, spring flowers, black cherry, incense, and virtually no evidence of any oak, alcohol or tannin, the wine is fat, viscous, and opulent. It is a remarkable treat to taste so young, but analytically, the index of tannins is the highest Perse has yet had, even eclipsing the 2005. This wine should drink well for 30-35 or more years. (Tasted four times.) Drink 2010-2045.
