Chateau Pavie

A small winery lying on the plateau to the southeast of St-Émilion village. Like many other vineyards near St-Émilion it can trace its ancient roots back to Roman times, taking its name from the orchards of peaches (“pavies”) that used to grow there.

The modern estate was assembled by Ferdinand Bouffard in the late 19th century by buying up small plots held by various families.

However, the plots though under common ownership were still managed separately. The 9 hectares bought from the Pigasse family remained as a separate identity as Château Pavie-Decesse.

Bouffard waged a futile war on phylloxera and by the end of the First World War he sold it to Albert Pole, who in turn sold it to Alexandre Valette in 1943. His grandson Jean-Paul Valette sold it to Gérard Perse in 1998 for $31,000,000.

Although his take-over was initially controversial his installation of new equipment and use of new methods have resulted in a concentrated, complex and intense wine that has been met with consistent rave reviews.