Just beginning to come around and strut its enormous potential, this wine at age 15 has been evolving like a glacier. The wine has an inky, opaque, plum/purple color and a stunningly rich nose of mulberries, bramble berries, blackberries, licorice and incense as well as touches of toast and graphite. Fabulously concentrated and full-bodied, with a multidimensional mouthfeel, this profound Pavie is in mid-adolescence. It should evolve and continue to drink well for at least another 30-40 years. This is clearly the first compelling effort made by the Perse family. (RP)

One of the most thrilling surprises of the vintage, here a new approach to a more finely-wrought Pavie has collided with a vintage that has natural freshness and acidity. The result shows the potential of this terroir. Without a doubt the best Pavie that I have ever tasted, and one where I have not had to say, 'yes, but...'. Let's not pretend that it's night and day from the old regime, but nor should it be - Pavie needs to keep its signature black fruited glamour and intensity, as that is part of what delivered its new status, but to my mind this is a far better balance than in the past. The blend is 60% Merlot, 22% Cabernet Franc and 18% Cabernet Sauvignon, the lowest amount of Merlot since Perse arrived. This still has reams of intense fruit, but the tannins are not immovable as they have been in some years, and pulses of minerality leap up on the finish to make your mouth water. Gorgeous. It is also fascinating to learn the technical details that have helped bring out the vintage character - besides the lower Merlot content, there were 10 days less maceration than last year and only 70% new oak. (JA)

The 2000 Pavie has actually been tasted twice within several days, the first bottle shows a little more warmth than the second. Like other vintages it is matured in 200% new wood. It is slightly deeper in colour than the 1998. It has a showstopper of a nose: blackberry, crème de cassis and violets, a little more mineralité than the 1998. The palate is full-bodied with a disarming silkiness, layers of cassis and black cherry-driven fruit, very fine tannin and stunning purity. Does it express the terroir as well as say the 2015 Pavie? That is a question for debate, although you cannot argue that this is a great Pavie. Tasted at Berry Brothers & Rudd Pavie dinner. (NM)