Region: St. Emilion, France

Vintage: 2018

Composition: 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc

History: Château Pavie-Decesse was long hidden by the shadow of its older brother, Château Pavie. The two estates, Grand Cru Classé of Saint-Emilion, were separated in 1885 but keep a lot of similarities. Both own by Gérard Perse since 1997 and benefiting from an exceptional location on the limestone plateau of Saint-Emilion. With 3.5 hectares of prime land, it is planted with 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc. The vines are a respectable 43 years old on average and a draconian level of requirement is practiced in the vineyard to obtain the most beautiful and mature harvest each year. The grapes are picked and sorted by hand, then fermented in nine temperature-controlled wooden vats for three weeks to produce approximately 600 cases per year.

Tasting Notes: From an incredible terroir on the upper plateau, just above Pavie, the 2018 Château Pavie Decesse is a normal blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc brought up in mostly new French oak. Its dense purple color is followed by an incredibly classic limestone-driven bouquet of chalky minerality, white flowers, truffle, lead pencil, and cassis and blackberry-like fruits. This carries to an incredibly pure, full-bodied Saint-Emilion with nicely integrated acidity, flawless balance, building tannin’s, and a great finish