1989 Château Pavie

The 1989 Pavie came from a bottle in my own collection. This predates Gérard Perse's acquisition by almost a decade. It does not quite match the 1990 Pavie, but it continues to drink well. The bouquet has lost some of its vigor in recent years, vestiges of pressed rose petals mingling with mushroom scents and a touch of tobacco. It betrays a wine that perhaps did not attain physiological ripeness. The palate is balanced, relatively simple but still fresh, and the old-school, almost Graves-like finish is abrupt. Large formats might be interesting, but bottles should be drunk soon. Tasted at home over dinner.