Château Pavie Decesse

History of Château Pavie-Decesse

The estate’s history is intertwined with that of the Pavie hillside, where the Romans planted vines as early as the fourth century. In the second half of the 19th century, Adolphe Pigasse became the first documented owner of the plots that would form Château Pavie-Decesse. In 1885, Bordeaux wine merchant Ferdinand Bouffard purchased the surrounding land to create a contiguous 50-hectare vineyard. He later deliberately separated the “Pigasse” section, giving rise to Château Pavie-Decesse. After World War I, Albert Porte acquired the property, then sold it in 1943 to Alexandre Valette, who undertook a thorough restructuring. The 1954 classification recognized the estate as a Saint-Émilion Grand Cru Classé. From 1970, management was entrusted to the Valette family, who already owned Château Pavie and ultimately purchased Pavie-Decesse in 1990.

The decisive turning point came in 1997, when Gérard Perse, a former retail entrepreneur turned passionate winegrower, acquired the estate, a year before purchasing Château Pavie itself. With his wife Chantal and advice from enologist Michel Rolland, he completely renovated the buildings, drastically reduced yields and elevated the property to the level of the finest wines of the plateau. In 2002, the INAO authorized part of the vineyard to be incorporated into Château Pavie, leaving Pavie-Decesse with 3.65 exceptional hectares. From the 2022 vintage onward, the vines were reincorporated into Château Pavie, making 2021 the wine’s final vintage. Since Gérard Perse’s death on July 19, 2025, his daughter Angélique and son-in-law Henrique Da Costa have continued his work at Vignobles Perse.

Terroirs and Vines of Château Pavie-Decesse

Pavie-Decesse’s terroir is distinctive because it lies entirely on the Saint-Émilion limestone plateau, about 85 meters above the Dordogne River, southeast of the medieval village. The clay-limestone soils rest on a bedrock of asteriated limestone, a characteristic stone that lends the wine floral, saline and mineral notes, while the clay regulates water availability and gives the wine substance and structure. The elevation, southern exposure and natural airflow across the plateau encourage slow, even ripening, helping maintain balance in both the hottest vintages and cooler years.

The vineyard is planted with 90% Merlot, complemented by Cabernet Franc, at a density of 5,500 vines per hectare. The vines average more than 40 years of age, a valuable asset for the concentration and depth of the wines. An approach based on targeted interventions favors pruning to six spurs, rigorous green harvesting, leaf removal in two passes (on the east side in late June and the west side in mid-August) and strict yield control. Harvesting is entirely by hand, followed by meticulous hand sorting to retain only perfectly healthy, ripe berries.

Winemaking at Château Pavie-Decesse

Gérard Perse equipped the property with facilities worthy of its terroir. On the ground floor, the restored residence houses temperature-controlled wooden fermentation vats, exact replicas of those used at Château Pavie. Meanwhile, the barrel cellar has regained the original architecture conceived by Ferdinand Bouffard. Just three vats allow the different vineyard lots to be vinified separately and the final selection to be refined.

Winemaking is tailored to the precise potential of each harvest. Maceration lasts about three weeks, with gentle extraction designed to preserve the finesse of the tannins. Malolactic fermentation takes place in barrels, as does aging, which lasts 18 to 24 months in French oak barrels—generally 80% new barrels and 20% barrels used for one previous vintage in recent years. Regular racking every three months allows the wine to clarify naturally before bottling without excessive filtration. Since the 2010 vintage, every bottle has carried a bubble code guaranteeing its authenticity.

The Wines of Château Pavie-Decesse

Château Pavie-Decesse, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru Classé: the estate has only ever produced one wine, its fine wine, from all 3.65 hectares of the plateau vineyard. Made from a blend dominated by Merlot (around 90%) and complemented by Cabernet Franc, it has a deep, almost opaque purple color. The nose combines ripe black fruit (blackberry, blueberry and black cherry), black currant, dark chocolate, licorice, mocha and sweet spices over a background of warm stone and smoke. The palate is full, fleshy and vibrant, supported by dense yet silky tannins, with a chalky, saline finish highly characteristic of asteriated limestone. An exceptional wine for aging, it is best enjoyed 10 to 30 years after its vintage and pairs with roasted red meats, game, lamb and aged cheeses.

Historic vintages from before 1997, particularly 1990, offer a more classic, already mellow style appreciated by lovers of mature Saint-Émilion. Beginning with 1998, the first harvest fully shaped by Gérard Perse, the wine entered a new era of remarkable concentration. The 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2001 vintages form an initial benchmark series, followed by a sun-soaked 2003 with notes of chocolate and licorice, and a monumental 2005.

The 2006, 2008, 2009 and 2010 vintages rank among the estate’s finest. The 2009 favors velvety generosity, while the 2010 emphasizes tension and precision. The 2014, 2015 and 2016 vintages bring greater freshness and aromatic definition, with the 2015 drawing particular praise from international critics. The 2018, 2019 and 2020 vintages continue this pursuit of balance between depth and mineral energy.

Château Pavie-Decesse 2021 holds a special place: the estate’s final vintage before its vines were reincorporated into Château Pavie, it was produced in extremely small quantities. Elegant and fragrant, it reveals red currant, black currant, flowers, sandalwood and cedar on a medium-bodied palate with fine tannins and a chalky finish. It is expected to age into the 2050s.