2002 Pavie Decesse

93 POINTS

Robert Parker - Robert Parker Wine Advocate

An amazing achievement in this vintage, although not at the level of the prodigious 2003, 2001, or 2000, the 2002 Pavie Decesse is a dense ruby/purple-colored, full-bodied wine revealing notes of dried herbs, fruitcake, licorice, black currants, and cherries. Textured, fleshy, and concentrated, this is one of the stars of the Right Bank in this challenging vintage. Its low acidity and plush style suggest enjoying it now and over the next 15+ years.

91 POINTS

Stephen Tanzer - Vinous

Deep ruby-red. Dark raspberry and black cherry aromas, lifted by minerals. Very suave on entry, then minerally and gripping in the middle, with a restrained sweetness and excellent flavor definition. This came across as less opulent than the 2002 Monbousquet tasted alongside it but more minerally and detailed. Finishes with impressive tannic spine and a note of licorice. Has the backbone to reward eight to ten years of patience. Very strong for the vintage.

Wine Spectator

Impressive color with a serious intensity of berries, chocolate and toasted oak. Medium- to full-bodied, with round and velvety tannins and a medium finish. A caressing red. Best after 2007.

Neal Martin - Robert Parker Wine Advocate

Tasted blind at Farr’s 2002 Bordeaux tasting. I under-rated this wine out of barrel. This has a ripe, clean, very poised bouquet with very good definition: wild strawberry, cranberry and a touch of vanilla. Similarly the palate is clean and pure on the entry, not a complicated wine, simple and uncomplicated, but this is more than compensated by its poise and its natural sense of being. Good acidity, nice weight and focus on the wild brambly finish. Very fine. Tasted October 2009.

Stephen Tanzer - Vinous

Bright medium-deep ruby. Nose shows an almost porty ripeness, with liqueur-like notes of black cherry, dark chocolate and damp earth. Sweet, lush and superripe, with consistent, mouthfilling flavors of black fruits and chocolate. Extremely ripe, round and long, yet kept fresh by firm acidity (3.6 grams per liter). This coats the mouth impressively on the very long aftertaste. With this vintage, there's now less Pavie-Decesse, as a portion of this vineyard was reclassified into Pavie (in exchange, owner Gerard Perse gave up the right to include six hectares at the base of the Pavie slope in his grand vin

Stephen Tanzer - Vinous

Bright medium ruby. Superripe yet fresh aromas of black cherry, currant, bitter chocolate, minerals and woodsmoke. Sweet, dense and minerally; thick but with solid underlying spine. Highly concentrated, broad wine that really spreads out in the middle palate. Finishes long and subtle, with well-buffered tannins. Today I much prefer this to the less vibrant 2001.

Jancis Robinson

Rather dull red. Comforting fruit-cake traditional nose. Lively and fresh and a very nice whole. One of the more appetising St-Émilions. Dry finish but not drying. I see I was very hard on this wine from Gérard Perse, owner of Pavie, en primeur and am delighted to have been proved wrong on the basis of this particular sample. Score: 17/NaN

Jancis Robinson

Exceptionally deep purple – almost lurid! Vibrant, brutal nose. Certainly a wine clamouring for attention. Burnt, toasty edge to it and the fruit is definitely raw. Not very St Emilion. Horrid raw, drying finish. No savour, just drama. Score: 12/NaN