Château de Pez Château de Pez

Saint-Estéphe, France

Vintage:2019 (Current)

2013 (Past) | 2014 (Past) | 2015 (Past) | 2016 (Past) | 2017 (Past) | 2018 (Past) | 2020 (Current)

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Château de Pez  Château de Pez  2019
  • JS 93
  • D 93
  • WA 92-94+
  • V 90-92

Reviews

JamesSuckling.com

93 Points

January 2022, James Suckling

“Sweet berries with cedar and sandalwood, as well as flowers, such as lavender. Perfumed. Full-to medium-bodied with very polished and refined tannins that run the length of the wine. Very attractive and balanced. Drink after 2025.”

The Wine Advocate

92-94+ Points

June 17, 2020, Lisa Perrotti-Brown

“This year's blend is 56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 42% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot. Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2019 de Pez comes tumbling out of the glass with an astonishingly beautiful perfume of lilacs, black cherries and black raspberries over a core of stewed plums, clove oil, dark chocolate and Sichuan pepper. The medium-bodied palate is jam-packed with energetic black fruits, supported by a firm foundation of ripe, grainy tannins and lovely freshness, finishing long and perfumed. I love where this once-malingering château is headed—bravo to winemaker Nicolas Glumineau from Pichon Lalande!”

Vinous Media

90-92 Points

June 2020, Antonio Galloni

“The 2019 de Pez is dark, fleshy and super expressive. Leather, cedar, tobacco, dried flowers, mint and sweet red cherry fruit flesh out in a mid-weight, succulent Saint-Estèphe that will drink well right out of the gate. Tasted two times.”

Decanter

93 Points

May 29, 2020, Jane Anson

“Owned by Pichon Comtesse, this is a lovely St Estèphe with polish and poise. Good depth to the berry fruits, with an appealing unfussy confidence. New cellars this year that allows for more precise reflection of the plots in 1% Petit Verdot completes the blend.”

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 (35-40% new wood depending on the vintage, 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

Hints of liquorice and golden tobacco on the nose, before opening up to both fruity (redcurrant, blackberry) and floral (iris) notes. The palate is smooth and syrupy, reminiscent of raspberry jelly. The mouth is well-balanced with a savory finish revealing slightly grainy tannins, which gives the wine energy and great length, precision and sweetness.

Harvest Notes

The years go on... but they are never the same! This is what makes our wine profession so rich: we are constantly adapting and questioning ourselves to truly reveal the soul of our terroir. 2019 was a very sunny year with major drought. This vintage is characterized by a vibrant and mineral tension, a fullness and balance between power and elegance.

With temperatures above seasonal averages, the Winter was mild and unusually dry. Under these conditions, the bud break was particularly early, from March 27th. The coolness and rainfall in the Spring slowed down the development of the vine, and adjusted back to its average period of flowering between the end of May and the beginning of June. The unstable Spring weather, caused slight coulure on the Cabernet, around mid-June. The heat and the sun then settled in for the duration. A little rain in mid-July and early August favored a rapid and homogeneous veraison from the 8th to 15th August. Slow ripening, with dry, very sunny conditions and cool nights allowed the harvest to start on September 17th in a very healthy vineyard. Weather instability returned at the end of September and lasted until the end of the harvest on October 7th, without impacting on the quality of our grapes.

Technical Information

Varietals: 56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 42% Merlot, 1% Petit Verdot, 1% Cabernet Franc

Wine Alcohol: 14.33%

pH: 3.69

Soil Composition: Gravel with clay and limestone

Average Vine Age: 25 years

New Oak: 35%

Aging: 12 months in oak barrels