The 1998 Pavie is deep garnet-brick in color. So much fruit comes charging out of the gate here: profound crème de cassis, baked blackberries and blackberry preserves with notions of beef dripping, crushed rocks, unsmoked cigar, sandalwood and dried lavender. Big, rich and beautifully impactful, it is completely packed with taut, muscular black and blue fruit preserves, maintaining nice firm grainy tannins with layer after layer of exotic spices, meat and earth notions, finishing epically long and minerally. Should easily continue to cellar for 25+ years. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown

Medium to deep garnet-brick in color, the 1998 Pavie prances out of the glass with showy notes of black cherry preserves, stewed plums, and kirsch leading to suggestions of sandalwood, menthol, crushed rocks, and iron ore with a waft of potpourri. The medium to full-bodied palate is bright and impactful, delivering shimmery yet rich black fruits and loads of exotic spice sparks, supported by amazing tension and satiny tannins, finishing on an epically long-lasting anise note. This is stunning! It still has 15-20+ years. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown

The first vintage for Gérard Perse, the 1998 Pavie is drinking beautifully today and offers a layered, rich, yet seamless and elegant character. Blackcurrants, new leather, tobacco, chocolate, and dried flowers characteristics all emerge from this beauty and it has sweet tannins, a flamboyant, sexy texture, and no hard edges. It’s mature yet youthful and fresh, and unquestionably has another 15-20 years of life.

With a nose of smoke, licorice, dark chocolate, espresso, herbs, black cherry, plum and a tiny background note of fig, the wine is full-bodied, rich, soft and stony. The wine ends with sweet, deep red fruit, salty tannins and licorice in the finish. With about 30 minutes of air, the wine continued filling out as it remained in the glass. This is showing close to full maturity. There is no hurry to drink it. But if you have been waiting to pop a cork, your wait is over. Read more at:https://www.thewinecellarinsider.com/search-wine-tasting-notes/?szSearch=1998%20Ch%C3%A2teau%20Pavie

Still blackish hints in the crimson. Sweet spicy notes on the nose. Quite complex and intriguing without being exaggerated. Lovely balance and follow through. Long and neat. This wine is really rewarding. Just slightly dry on the finish. Hint of orange peel. 18/20

Lovely, and in a great spot now. The mulled currant, fig and boysenberry fruit is fully into its secondary phase, while the backdrop of singed cedar and alder notes plays a supporting role. Keeps a fresh tobacco accent through the finish, with a lingering graphite echo.—Non-blind Pavie vertical (March 2017). Drink now through 2025. 6,665 cases made. — JM