The 2018 Pavie is a blend of 60% Merlot, 22% Cabernet Franc and 18% Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine has a 3.58 pH and 14.48% alcohol. Very deep garnet-purple in color, it bursts from the glass with a fabulously expressive nose of crème de cassis, baked plums and blueberry preserves, leading to an impressive array of nuances, featuring notions of dark chocolate, camphor, licorice, rose petals and fertile loam, plus hints of crushed rocks and iron ore. The rich, full-bodied palate offers layer upon layer of opulent black and blue fruits with loads of exotic spice sparks and pretty floral and mineral accents, supported by firm, super plush tannins and remarkable tension, finishing with epic length and depth. This could only be Pavie. It makes for a seductively stylish glass now, but patience will be rewarded if it is afforded 5-7 years in bottle, at least, then drink it over the next 30+ years. LPB

Black ink in color, this could be the most intense wine of the vintage. The intensity is in the color, the palate and in the nose with its licorice, smoke, espresso, crushed rocks, stones, black, red and blue fruit profile. With the weight of dry Port, the wine manages to remain in balance. The fruits are perfectly ripe, expressing purity, length and an incredible depth of flavor and minerality that never wants to quit. There is so much going on here, the wine demands over a decade in the cellar before it begins to unfurl. The wine blends 60% Merlot, 22% Cabernet Franc and 18% Cabernet Sauvignon. March 2021

This is a very pretty and structured Pavie with a beautiful elegance and depth. Full body and a great core of elegant fruit, surrounded by very fine tannins. Very polished. Extremely long. Finesse with power. - jamessuckling.com, April 2019

The 2018 Pavie is deep garnet in color with a touch of purple. Notes of plum preserves, baked blackberries, and molten licorice storm from the glass, leading to a savory undercurrent of black pepper, tapenade, and wild sage. Big, rich, and densely laden, the full-bodied palate is chock full of black and blue fruit preserves, supported by firm, velvety tannins and gripping tension, finishing long and electric. Lisa Perrotti-Brown Dec 2023 - The Wine Independent

This is packed with raspberry, plum and boysenberry compote flavors that sail through thanks to the unencumbered feel provided by the polished structure. Fine chalky threads curl throughout as this opens in the glass, with flamboyant flashes of apple wood, anise and violet emerging through the finish. Youthfully dense, but everything is in proportion. Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. Best from 2025 through 2040. — JM

Pavie is positively striking in 2018. Rich and sumptuous to the core, the 2017 possesses stunning depth and impeccable overall balance. Dark cherry, mocha, plum, spice, new leather and licorice all build as the 2018 shows its allure. Silky, polished tannins round out the finish. This is a stellar showing from the Perse family. The 2018 is absolutely gorgeous.

Whilst undoutbedly a wine of massive structure, there is a sense of restraint and elegance here both to the tannins and the quality of fruit. There is no getting away from the huge IPT readon which but surely be one of the highest ever measured at the estate: but it is the quality and texture of the tannins that shows how experienced this team is becoming at managing their terroir and the incredible potential of the fruit it delivers. Freshness, purity, scale and intent: this Pavie has it all and must be pushing the 2016 for overall quality. - April 2019

Not so long ago, Pavie would have rejoiced in the massive tannic and alcohol potential of this vintage, but they really have done a great job practicing restraint. It doesn't sacrifice Pavie's power but of all the wines in this particular lineup it's the one that carries the weight of the vintage the best, building power by stealth rather than grabbing it from you. This is great quality, with inky depths to the black fruits, accompanied by liquorice and chocolate, and the beautiful salty lick on the finish really completes the picture - your tongue just licks the wall and it's highly enjoyable! Harvest began on 26 September, later than some in the appellation, with a 38hl/ha yield. Although extraction was kept gentle, with the grapes given a week-long cold soak before fermentation at no more than 28°C, then a five-week maceration (longer than some, but these guys used to do eight weeks or more!), they have achieved a high tannin count of 97IPT and 3.58pH. - www.decanter.com, Jane Anson, April 2019

The 2018 Pavie is so superior to the Arômes de Pavie that you wonder if they are from the same region! It has a gorgeous bouquet of enticing scents of black cherries, blueberry and blood orange, evolving more cassis notes with aeration and becoming a little more exotic. The palate is medium-bodied with a candied, sweet entry. Rounded in texture, this is velvety-smooth, although there is palpable grip on the back palate. Quite saline and lightly peppered thanks to the contribution of the Cabernets, this Pavie will require several years of cellaring, but I admire how the limestone terroir defines the lingering minerally aftertaste. Patience required.

Black almost to the rim. Very ripe black fruit with a note of wild elderberry. So much tannin, your mouth closes in but the whole has balance even with these massive tannins because the fruit is extremely concentrated. The freshness of a limestone site, and the tannins are fine even if incredibly dense. Gums your mouth at the moment. You have to be patient and like this style of wine to enjoy this. - Julia Harding, jancisrobinson.com, April 2019

One of the wines of the vintage is the 2018 Château Pavie, and Gérard Perse continues to produce one of the greatest wines in the world, in just about every vintage. Based on 60% Merlot, 22% Cabernet Franc and 18% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2018 shows the slightly more restrained style of the estate today yet still brings classic Pavie richness, depth, and grandeur. Revealing a deep purple color as well as a sensational bouquet of crème de cassis, damp earth, tobacco, chalk, and lead pencil shavings, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, incredible purity, a dense, concentrated mid-palate, and a liqueur of rocks-like sense of minerality on the blockbuster finish. There's a backward, inward style here that actually reminds me of the 2000. This is another magical, probably immortal wine from this terroir that marries power with elegance perfectly. Don't miss it!