After underperforming for years, Pavie was purchased in 1998 by the hypermarché owner Gérard Perse, who invested heavily to realize the great potential of this remarkable south-facing hillside site. The 37 hectare vineyard was replanted with 60% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, an entirely new cellar was constructed and the chateau itself was restored.

Today, Pavie is one of the deepest, ripest, most palate-saturating and lushly tannic wines of Bordeaux, as well as one of the most controversial, with detractors insisting that it more closely resembles a California cult wine than an elegant Bordeaux from limestone-rich soil. Although the wine is made in an undeniably modern style, Pavie is actually one of the two oldest estates in Saint-Emilion, as vines have been cultivated here since the fourth century.