The product image is for illustrative purposes only and may not exactly reflect the actual characteristics of the wine.
The wine
- Colour
- Rosso
- Alcohol
- 12.5% vol
Critics' scores
- Robert Parker / Wine Advocate 90-92
Composed of 54% Merlot, 38% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Cabernet Franc and 4% Petit Verdot, to be aged for around 16 months in French oak barriques, 45% new, the 2020 Ormes de Pez has an alcohol of 13.17%, a pH of 3.69 and an IPT of 79. Deep garnet-purple colored, it springs from the glass with notes of plum preserves, blueberry compote and Morello cherries, plus hints of graphite, wild mushrooms and sautéed herbs. The medium-bodied palate delivers plenty of herbs-laced black fruits with a pleasant chewiness to the texture and lovely freshness, finishing on a lingering fragrant-earth note.
- James Suckling 92-93
A firm, lightly chewy red with blackberry, blueberry, spice and some chocolate. Medium body and fine tannins. It grows on the palate. Tannins sneak up at the end. 54% merlot, the highest percentage ever, the rest cabernet sauvignon with a touch of petit verdot.
- Vinous 88-90
The 2020 Ormes de Pez is a pretty wine, even if it feels a bit light. Dried herbs, tobacco, mint, dried flowers and earthy tones lend aromatic nuance to this attractive, mid-weight Saint-Estèphe. It would be nice to see a bit more depth. Perhaps that will come with élevage.
The producer: Château Les Ormes de Pez
Located in the region of Saint-Estèphe, Château Ormes de Pez takes its name from the village where it lies - Pez. The first part of its name can be translated to "elm" which is what decorates its labels. The estate dates back to the 18th century, but was purchased by the Cazes family of Château Lynch Bages in the late 1920s. Its 38 hectares are fairly widely dispersed on different soils with around one-third on gravel and clay, another on gravel and sand and another part on pure gravel which lies close to Tronquoy-Lalande. The vineyards are planted to Cabernet Sauvignon (50%), Merlot (33%), Cabernet Franc (10%) and Petit Verdot (2%). In many ways, the wine is produced like Lynch Bages, traditionally yet with some modern techniques enabling the purity of the fruit to remain intact while still retaining the character of its terroir. It is more certainly one of the more sought after wines hailing from Saint-Estèphe as it tends to have notable depth of fruit and age well.