This tiny bistro located in the heart of Saint-Emilion is run by the Perse team (of Château Pavie) and serves classic French cuisine. I was lucky enough to dine here numerous times during the week of my Bordeaux trip and the food was always terrific, the ambiance with the fire was as good as it gets, and the wine list is terrific.
On this evening I started with a glass of Champagne followed by a bottle of the 2002 Pavie Decesse. This wine comes from a tiny vineyard located just above Pavie consisting of pure limestone soils. The wine is basically all merlot (there’s 10% Cabernet Franc) brought up in plenty of new oak, yet it never lacks for fruit. The 2002 is certainly in its drink window, with the more focused, firm style of the vintage balanced nicely by plenty of sweet black fruits as well as complex notes of truffle, cedar, and tobacco notes. It has good acidity and beautiful balance, and readers can safely drink this beauty anytime over the coming 10-15 years, and it will probably keep even longer.
If you have a free evening in Saint-Emilion, do yourself a favor and book a table (preferably by the fire) at this quaint, authentic bistro. You won’t be disappointed.