A brilliant effort from proprietors Chantal and Gerard Perse, Pavie's 2004 (7,050 cases) exhibits an inky/ruby/purple color, a surprisingly soft, forward style for this hallowed terroir, full-bodied, and concentrated creme de cassis flavors intermixed with cherries, truffles, and subtle smoky wood notes. Beautifully-textured as well as expansive, this may be the most developed and forward Pavie made by Perse since his acquisition of the property in 1998. Anticipated maturity: 2009-2025+.

Vibrant, complex aromas of blackberry, violet, licorice, espresso and minerals. Concentrated, spicy and fresh, with lovely clarity and lift to its penetrating dark fruit and mineral flavors. Densely packed and downright palate-staining for 2004 without any impression of heaviness. This has plenty of fat for the year and finishes impressively dense, with ripe, building tannins. Owner Gerard Perse notes that Pavie has the benefit of three different soil types, while Pavie-Decesse is a single block of old vines on calcaire. Thus Pavie is always more complex, he adds, and the portion of younger vines at Pavie brings a fruity quality that's sometimes missing in Pavie-Decesse.

Black in color, inky, with treacle tart, tar and intense berry on the nose. Full-bodied, with chewy yet caressing tannins and lots of ripe, almost raisiny fruit character. Mouthpuckering. Needs time. Best after 2016. 7,500 cases made.