95 pts - Wine Advocate
A remarkable success in this vintage, Pavie’s 92 acre vineyard situated on the limestone soils of the spectacular south-facing Cote Pavie (one of the greatest terroirs of Bordeaux) was cropped at 30 hectoliters per hectare. A blend of 70% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, with an atypical (for a 2008) alcohol level of 14.5% that is higher than in its 2010 counterpart, the opaque purple-colored 2008 exhibits sweet, smoky barbecue notes intermixed with creme de cassis, black cherry, toast and crushed chalk. Deep, intense and full-bodied with surprisingly civilized tannins for such a young Pavie, it reveals wonderful breadth of flavor, a savory texture and a layered mouthfeel. It should drink beautifully in 2-4 years and keep for 25 or more. - WA, RP (5/2011)
93 pts - Wine Spectator
A very solid effort in a difficult year, showing light bay and tobacco notes out front, quickly followed by a mix of raspberry and red and black currant fruit. Shows a lightly chewy edge, along with more tobacco and bittersweet cocoa elements, on the finish. This pulls about all it can out of a wet and cool year.—Non-blind Pavie vertical (March 2017). Best from 2018 through 2025. 6,665 cases made. — JM (2017)
95 pts - Vinous
(70% merlot, 20% cabernet franc and 10% cabernet sauvignon): Saturated deep ruby. Sexy, nuanced nose combines black raspberry, graphite, mocha and flowers. Thick, sweet and powerfully concentrated; wonderfully rich, broad, seamless wine with fruit of steel. Flavors of kirsch, licorice and minerals saturate every square millimeter of the mouth. Huge, broad tannins will carry this outsized wine through at least a couple decades of life in bottle.- Stephen Tanzer (07/2011)