2003 Pavie
By Chateau Pavie
2003 Pavie from Chateau Pavie, Saint-Émilion, Bordeaux
The 2003 vintage of Bordeaux is one for the annals, with the region enduring an exceptionally hot summer that pushed the vines to their limits and sculpted wines of unique character. Among these, the 2003 Pavie from Chateau Pavie is a riveting exemplar of the vintage's intense concentration and ripe, muscular structure that calls for contemplation in every sip.
An Opulent Vintage with a Commanding Presence
The summer of 2003 was momentous for European vintners, but Gelignite bursts of heat and parched earth in the Bordeaux region brought forth a dichotomy of outcomes. It registered both concerns and celebrations. The 2003 Pavie from Chateau Pavie is a celebration—a potent symbol of patience married to nature's fiery challenges. Vintages like this pivot on the sword-edge of risk; they either falter or achieve magnificence. For Chateau Pavie, 2003 was an alchemistic transformation into something unforgettable.
Dissecting the Aromas and Flavours
On approach, this celestial offering conjures an intoxicating perfume: plumes of blackcurrant, wild cherries, and a melange of spices waft forth. On the palate, this full-bodied wine is lavish yet impeccably balanced. Its formidable tannic backbone—an architect for longevity—fosters a breeding ground for sustained appreciation, especially for investors seeking wines with an enduring legacy.
This robust structure is wrapped in layers of velvety dark fruit, with secondary notes of leather, tobacco and truffles resonating on an epic finish. The climatic idiosyncrasies have imbued this vintage with thermal richness, rendering it distinct from its brethren with an expansiveness that is unlikely to be replicated.
In summation, the 2003 Pavie from Chateau Pavie sits as a monolith within a tumultuous climate narrative—a strapping chronicle written in stony minerality and matured boldness. To have it rest within one's portfolio would not merely mean owning a fraction of vinous history; it ensures participation in a taste tableau stretched across decades. Truly a hallmark piece for collectors eyeing both opulence in flavour and steadfastness in value.
Current market price
£2,500.00
12x75cl
Highest score
99
POP score
131.58
Scores and tasting notes
At its release, the 2003 Pavie was somewhat controversial in wine tasting circles, but eleven years later it is obviously a great classic. Its deep purple color is accompanied by notes of vanillin, lead pencil shavings, creme de cassis, plums, black currants and kirsch. Full-bodied, youthful and rich with terrific purity and texture as well as a striking opulence, its 40+-second finish, stunning purity and wonderful perfume suggest it can be drunk now or cellared for 15-20 years.
Robert Parker Jr - Wine Advocate #214 Aug 2014
Certainly this was a wine born under considerable controversy, receiving accolades and kudos from me and several of my American colleagues, but generally excoriated by the British press. The French wine critics were very positive. This wine has calmed down considerably as it was a blockbuster, somewhat of a Bordeaux fruit bomb in its youth, and now has toned itself down to a serious candidate for one of the wines of this rather bizarre, but interesting, vintage. 2003 offered everything, from pathetically dilute and thin wines to some massive blockbusters. That was true especially in the Northern Médoc and from the limestone hillsides of St.-Emilion (where Pavie is situated). The color is a dark garnet, with a touch of amber beginning to appear on the edge. The wine has a stunning nose of roasted herbs, grilled meats, charcoal, blackberry and blackcurrant fruit, with some oak still present. Dense, full-bodied and very succulent and lush, this wine seems to be in late adolescence, ready to enter a relatively mature stage. There is always a suspicion because of the extreme heat in July and August that these wines will crack up very quickly, and certainly that will always be a worry, but this one looks set for at least another 10-15 years of drinkability.
Robert Parker Jr - The Wine Advocate, 27 August 2015
Tasted at Bordeaux Index’s “10-Year On” tasting in London. I must confess that this nose is disappointing. Compared against Clos Fourtet, it comes across as a little ersatz with superficial raisin, stewed fig and kirsch aromas, leaning towards the New World. The palate is medium-bodied and displays good volume, filling the mouth with ease and there is clearly more depth than its peers. However, there is an ineluctable monotony about this wine that is bereft of the delineation and tension, the complexity and personality that makes say, the 2000 Pavie so entrancing. It is not a bad Saint Emilion by a long straw, but to put it bluntly...it’s a bit boring. Tasted March 2013.
Neal Martin - Wine Journal May 2013