| Region | |
|---|---|
| Subregion | France > Bordeaux > Left Bank > St Estèphe |
| Colour | Red |
| Type | Still |
A wine that is seamless and pretty with currant, berry and ultra-fine tannins. Medium to full body and a clean finish. Needs three to four years of age really to come together. Fleshy for the vintage. Lots of merlot here at 44%, though 46% is cabernet sauvignon, 8% cabernet franc and 2% petit verdot.
This is a soft, consumer-friendly style of wine from Les Ormes de Pez from the Cazes family, who have done so much for the village of Pauillac and their own wines, such as Lynch-Bages. They have turned out a luscious, dark ruby/purple wine with sweet cassis fruit, an uncomplicated, medium-bodied mouthfeel and very velvety tannin. Drink it over the next 7-8 years. Drink 2015-2023
Tasted as a barrel sample at the château. The 2012 Les Ormes de Pez, a blend of 46% Cabernet Sauvignon, 44% Merlot (the highest percentage due to lower Cabernet yields), 8% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot, has a very concise, directed bouquet with pure blackberry and cassis aromas suggesting some lovely ripe Cabernet Sauvignon. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, a citric thread of acidity, though is it missing some weight and "girth" towards the finish. This should constitute a decent early drinking Saint Estephe. Tasted April 2013.
Gunsmoke reduction on the first nose, plenty of meaty raspberry and redcurrant fruit as it opens, but everything feels a little tense. Still has life ahead, I would ensure a good hour-long carafe but it is ready to begin drinking, with a structue that delivers now but not one the long term. Harvest October 4 to 18.
Black. First sample that seems a little tired on the nose. Lacks vitality and zest. But this may well be a sample thing. NB!!!
Medium deep ruby with a floral nose of red cherries and violets, along with a good hit of graphite. Some earthiness is already showing in this compact and classic wine, with bright red fruits and deeper cassis showing in tandem. The tannins offer a gentle structure, framing the wine through to a chalky finish. Perfect now or over the next 8+ years.
Although the nose is sweet with a mix of black fruits the palate is fresher with red cherry and bramble. The mid tannins are firm quite tight but the freshness does bring out an aromatic spiciness on the finish. 2018-30.
Boasting (if that's the right word) the lowest percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend
for more than a decade, largely because the variety suffered from too much rain, this is an
atypical St Estèphe in some ways. There's some structure and austerity here, but it's offset by
plenty of perfume and notes of red fruits, graphite and violets. Appealingly refreshing.
Drink: 2018-28
Good acidity along with fresh, clean cut red and blue fruits characterize this straightforward, meaty, fruity offering. It lacks some concentration, complexity and overall gravitas, but it does offer good fruit and ripe tannin in a medium-bodied, easygoing style. Consume it over the next 7-8 years.
Owned and made by the Cazes family of Lynch Bages, this is a consistently good wine and deserving of Cru Classé status. The blend in 2012 is 46% Cabernet Sauvignon, 44% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot with maturation in 45% new oak. Black cherries on the nose here. Attractive sweetness and flesh on the mid-palate with soft tannins and plummy fruit. Should provide quite early drinking. This is a wine of good ripeness and balance with a nice touch of spice.
