Château de Pez Château de Pez

Saint-Estéphe, France

Vintage:2018 (Past)

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Château de Pez  Château de Pez  2018
  • JD 94
  • WE 94
  • JS 93
  • WA 92
  • WS 92
  • V 92

Reviews

JamesSuckling.com

93 Points

August 3, 2021, James Suckling

“Spices and dark berries with some nutmeg and cedar. Medium to full body, really polished tannins and a refined and pretty finish. So fine. Tight yet balanced. Give it three or four years to open. Try after 2023.”

Wine Enthusiast

94 Points

May 1, 2021, Roger Voss

“Under the same Rouzaud family ownership as Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande in Pauillac, this estate has produced a structured wine. It offers dense and solid tannins, rich with a firm texture and black currant fruits. The wine has weight and density that need aging. Drink from 2026.”

The Wine Advocate

92 Points

March 31, 2021, Lisa Perrotti-Brown

“A blend of 49% Cabernet Sauvignon, 49% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot, the deep garnet-purple colored 2018 de Pez leaps from the glass with vibrant black cherries, ripe blackberries and blackcurrant pastilles notes, giving way to nuances of black olives, lavender and forest floor. The medium-bodied palate offers nicely rounded tannins and a lively backbone to counter the bold fruit, finishing savory.”

Wine Spectator

92 Points, Smart Buys

March 31, 2021, James Molesworth

“Fresh red currant and bitter cherry notes are laced with floral and chalk notes. Piercing in feel through the finish, with the fruit and minerality in lockstep as a touch of cedar appears, leaving a mouthwatering edge. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Drink now through 2032.”

Jeb Dunnuck

94 Points

March 11, 2021, Jeb Dunnuck

“From the team of Nicolas Glumineau at Pichon Comtesse de Lalande, the 2018 Château De Pez is a gorgeous 2018 that should be on every Bordeaux lover's radar (and should be a great value as well). Notes of blackcurrants, blueberries, candied violets, and graphite define the bouquet, and it hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, rockingly polished tannins, terrific purity, and a great finish. It's terrific and is going to have 15-20 years or more of longevity. The blend is 49% Cabernet Sauvignon, 49% Merlot, and the balance Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc.”

Vinous Media

92 Points

March 2021, Neal Martin

“The 2018 Château de Pez was shut when I tasted it from cask with winemaker Nicolas Glumineau, so much so that I felt it was inappropriate to score it because I felt there was a great wine lurking behind that door. And so it turned out. Now in bottle, this has a gorgeous bouquet of lifted blackberry, graphite and flinty aromas, razor-sharp in terms of delineation. The palate is beautifully balanced with fine-grained tannins and a subtle marine influence that becomes more prominent with aeration. The oak is wonderfully integrated and the focus very finished. This is one of the best Château de Pez that I have tasted, but it clearly needed to wait until it was in bottle to show its potential.”

JamesSuckling.com

93 Points

January 8, 2021, James Suckling

“Classic aromas of black currant, tobacco and pencil lead here, with a touch of peppercorn spice. It’s medium-to full-bodied with firm, finely integrated tannins. Precise and structured with fantastic minerality. Better from 2025.”

Overview

Originally founded in the 15th century, Château de Pez is one of the oldest properties in Bordeaux’s Left Bank and the oldest domaine in Saint-Estèphe. Château de Pez consists of 104 continuous acres with 94 acres planted mainly to Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. 

Since 2005, Pez has been on an exciting intellectual and technical journey of precision winemaking: experimenting with biodynamic viticulture, a new cellar allowing for plot-by-plot vinification, a meticulous selection of French oak barrels. Under winemaker Nicolas Glumineau's helm, the property bears the distinctive hallmarks of Saint-Estèphe with a modern, elegant twist.

Winemaking

Château de Pez remains resolutely faithful to wood. The blend is composed in December, and the wine is stored in barrels (40% new wood, 40% in "Premier vin" casks and 20% in "Deuxième vin" casks) and racked every three months. It is to be noted that the wine undergoes absolutely no filtration. 

Tasting Notes

Very expressive nose of morello cherry and brown tobacco, with sweet notes of liquorice candy and peony. A complex palate, expressing violet and fresh blackcurrant, finishing with hints of thyme and a touch of bitter orange zest that gives the finish a gourmet taste. It is a sensual and charming, yet restrained Saint-Estephe. Silky, smooth tannins give this Pez 2018 a precise and refined length.

Harvest Notes

There are vintages which stand the test of time and remain true references for our properties. At Pez, without a doubt, 2018 will be one of them in more ways than one!  A vintage of all extremes, bringing together several vintages into one, 2018 delights us, enriches our experience and maintains our passion for winemaking, a vector of emotions.

After a very wet and cold winter, the bud break was late, around mid-April. The relative mildness from April to June allowed a flowering at the end of May. The many storms that hit this period encouraged unprecedented mildew pressure. The vineyard of Pez experienced little coulure and fortunately escaped the hail. A hot and dry climate settled in from mid-July, causing a heterogeneous veraison. It began on July, 29 for the Merlot and ended on August 17 for Cabernets and Petit Verdots. Stretching from September 18 to October 9, the harvest allowed each plot to be harvested at full maturity under excellent sanitary conditions.

Technical Information

Varietals: 49% Cabernet Sauvignon, 49% Merlot, 1% Petit Verdot, 1% Cabernet Franc

Wine Alcohol: 14%

pH: 3.75

Soil Composition: Gravel with clay and limestone

Average Vine Age: 25 years

New Oak: 30% w/ egg white fining