The 2020 Pavie Bordeaux Blend from Saint Emilion, Bordeaux, France, is a striking red wine produced by Pavie. This wine has garnered high praise from numerous professional reviewers, showcasing its exceptional quality and depth.
James Suckling awarded the 2020 Pavie a perfect score of 100 points, stating, "The aromas are already exceptional, showing crushed-stone, limestone and salt character to the dark fruit and bark. It’s full-bodied, yet agile. Floats on the palate, then kicks in with loads of ultra fine tannins. The intensity and verve of this wine promises true greatness." (jamessuckling.com, 5/18/2021)
Decanter rated this wine at 97 points, highlighting its smooth entry and balance. The review noted, "More calm and quiet than I was expecting, certainly not shouting but with clear depth and length to the chocolate, blackcurrant, liquorice and graphite. Detailed and nuanced... Well constructed with care." (Decanter, 1/3/2023)
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate also praised the 2020 Pavie with a near-perfect score of 99 points, describing it as "built like a brick house, offering very firm yet wonderfully ripe, velvety tannins and seamless freshness... As hedonic as it is cerebral this year, it is a beautiful paradox." (Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 5/20/2021)
Jeff Leve from TheWineCellarInsider.com was similarly impressed, giving the wine 99 points and calling it "one of the great vintages of Pavie." He noted the wine's "full-bodied, concentrated, mouth-coating and palate-staining" characteristics with a "practically seamless, opulent finish." (3/21/2023)
Jeb Dunnuck echoed the acclaim with another perfect score of 100 points, describing the wine as "Pure perfection in red wine... Pure, full-bodied, and concentrated, with perfect integration of its fruit, oak, and tannins." (jebdunnuck.com, 3/29/2023)
Vinous, with a score of 99 points, praised the wine as "very clearly one of the wines of the year," emphasizing its "rich, inky and wonderfully vibrant" nature. (Vinous, 6/1/2021)
Additional high scores came from Wine Enthusiast (96 points), The Wine Independent (100 points), and Wine Spectator (96 points), all noting the wine's impressive structure, complex aromas, and long finish.
The 2020 Pavie comprises 50% Merlot, 34% Cabernet Franc, and 16% Cabernet Sauvignon, aged in 75% new French oak. It boasts a deep garnet-purple color and a range of flavors from black and red cherries, black raspberries, and juicy plums to notes of forest floor, Sichuan pepper, and lavender.
Overall, the 2020 Pavie is a wine of remarkable depth, balance, and complexity, promising excellent aging potential and a memorable tasting experience.