Château de Pez Château de Pez
Saint-Estéphe, France
Vintage:2023 (Current)
2013 (Past) | 2014 (Past) | 2015 (Past) | 2016 (Past) | 2017 (Past) | 2018 (Past) | 2019 (Past) | 2020 (Current) | 2021 (Current) |
Tech Sheet Download Download PDF with Scores Download PDF without Scores
- JD
- D
- V
- JS
- WA
Reviews
The Wine Advocate 91+ Points
Aromas of wild berries, rose petals and lilac introduce the 2023 de Pez, a medium- to full-bodied, rather rich and muscular wine that reflects this estate's growing ambitions.
Jeb Dunnuck 94 Points
Classic Saint-Estèphe darker fruits, damp earth, coffee, and leafy herbs all emerge from the 2023 Château De Pez, a little gem of a wine that's based on 61% Cabernet Sauvignon, 38% Merlot, and 1% Cabernet Franc and aged 15 months in 50% new barrels. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, it has a focused, layered, elegant mouthfeel, beautifully integrated tannins, and a great finish. Give it 3-4 years and enjoy bottles over the following 20 years or more. Drink 2029-2046.
Vinous Media 93 Points
The 2023 de Pez is packed with ripe blackberry, scorched earth, leather and incense. Powerful and quite broad, the 2023 is a decidedly big, dark wine. Wild Saint-Estèphe acids and tannins are nicely tamed, but the wine's essential brawn is impossible to fully escape. Drink this with a juicy steak.
JamesSuckling.com 93 Points
Blackberries, elderberries, pine cones and cassis. The vibrant, medium- to full-bodied palate has delineated dark fruit throughout, with fine-grained, creamy yet focused tannins. Better in 2027, though approachable now with sufficient air. Drink or hold.
Decanter 94 Points
Lovely fragrance of floral and dark bramble fruit on the nose. Smooth and supple, succulent and mouthwatering. Really lovely, juicy and bright, light and lean, but there’s texture too, softly grippy tannins that give the St-Estèphe minerality. Cool, crisp, lifted, lovely freshness with blue fruit and lots of pencil led and mint. Balanced, easy, not too sharp not too edgy or hard. I like this a lot, chewy cherry and lean strawberry and crisp cranberry. Great balance, ends a little lean but it’s the minerality that captures and I love it.
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 (35-50% new wood depending on the vintage) and racked every three months. It is to be noted that the wine undergoes absolutely no filtration.
Tasting Notes
The complex nose displays notes of licorice, fresh blackcurrant and red roses, mingled with aromas of Havana cigars and hints of pink peppercorn. Starts out clear-cut on the palate, becoming full-bodied before leading into a delicate finish underpinned by creamy and silky tannins. The delicious flavours are dominated by fresh blackcurrant notes, accompanied by more mineral overtones of gunflint and wet stones after the rain.
Harvest Notes
Thee winter was relatively mild, favouring rather early bud break, from 9 to 13 April. It nevertheless occurred after a few very cold nights in early April, sparing us the need to protect the vines from frost. The growing season was marked by regular rainy spells and a high threat of mildew. Thanks to a great deal of effort and the fact that rainfall was scattered a few days apart, the threat of vine diseases remained under control, allowing flowering to unfold in late May and veraison (colour change) in early August. Despite the impression of a gloomy spring and summer, with several cold and rainy spells, particularly between June and August, the growing season was one of the driest years in modern history. The harvest took place from 7 to 28 September 2023– virtually the same dates as the previous vintage. Excellent weather conditions during the harvest meant pickers could wait until the ideal time to harvest the grapes, according to the technological and phenolic ripeness achieved in each plot.
Technical Information
Varietals: 61% Cabernet Sauvignon, 38% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Franc
Wine Alcohol: 13%
pH: 3.6
Harvest Start Date: September 7, 2023
Harvest End Date: September 28, 2023
Soil Composition: Gravel with clay and limestone
Average Vine Age: 25 years
New Oak: 50%
Aging: 18 months in French oak barrels
