History
Château Pavie's history dates back to the 19th century under the management of wine merchant Ferdinand Bouffard, who expanded and shaped the estate. The property consisted of several independent vineyards until Bouffard's successor unified them under the name Château Pavie. In 1943, Alexandre Valette acquired the estate and promoted it to Premier Grand Cru Classé B in the 1955 Saint-Émilion Classification.
In 1998, Gérard Perse purchased Château Pavie, initiating significant investments to restore the estate. Michel Rolland served as the consulting oenologist, and architect Alberto Pinto redesigned the estate. By 2012, Château Pavie had achieved Premier Grand Cru Classé A status in the Saint-Émilion appellation, a distinction it has maintained through the 2022 classification. The estate's history is marked by substantial transformations under Perse's ownership, elevating it to one of Bordeaux's most iconic vineyards.
Terroir
Château Pavie is situated on the prestigious limestone plateau of Saint-Émilion, with its vineyards spanning over 42 hectares. The terroir is diverse, comprising three distinct terroirs each with its own microclimate. The first terroir is located at an altitude of approximately 85 meters above the Dordogne River, featuring clay-limestone soil on an asteriated limestone subsoil. The second terroir, situated around 55 meters above the Dordogne, consists of finely-textured brown limestone on Fronsadais molasse (heavy clay-limestone soil). The third terroir is at the foothills, with colluvial brown limestone on non-limestone fluvial sands (clay-limestone soil at the bottom of the slope) and brown, large-grained soils (sandy clay).
The vineyards face due south, benefiting from full sunshine throughout the growing season. The soils are poor, promoting deep root growth and contributing to the wine's complexity and depth. The terroir's unique combination of limestone and clay soils, along with its varied elevations, ensures that each parcel of the vineyard has distinct soil variations and microclimates, which significantly influence the final wine's character.
