In 1873, Ferdinand Bouffard, a Bordeaux négociant, inherited Domaine de la Sable and, over two decades, expanded the property to reach 50 hectares of cultivated vineyard. It is here that the future Château Pavie was born, although it wasn’t until 1919 when Albert Ponte vinified all the parcels into a single wine. Château Pavie was recognized as Premier Grand Cru Classé in the first Saint-Émilion Classification in 1959, and starting with the 2012 vintage, it was promoted to 1er Grand Cru Classé “A” under the current ownership of the Perse family. It is predominantly made with Merlot, complemented by Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon in varying proportions depending on the vintage. The vineyard is planted on limestone and clay soils, with an average age of over 40 years. The must ferments by variety and parcel in wooden vats and then ages for an average of 25 months in French oak, three-quarters of which are first-use barrels.