| Region | |
|---|---|
| Subregion | France > Bordeaux > Left Bank > St Estèphe |
| Colour | Red |
| Type | Still |
Owned and made by the Cazes family of Lynch Bages, this is a consistently good wine and deserving of Cru Classé status. The vineyard is planted with around 50:50 Cabernet and Merlot. Always good value, it can often be attractive in its youth but great vintages can mature for decades. (The 1989 and 1990 are still magnificent).
Composed of 50% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Cabernet Franc, and 3% Petit Verdot, the 2019 Ormes de Pez is deep garnet-purple colored. It offers open-knit scents of plum preserves and baked blackberries with hints of blackcurrant cordial, roses, Chinese five spice, and Provence herbs. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has tightly knit fruit and firm, grainy tannins, finishing long and mineral-tinged.
The 2019 Ormes de Pez exhibits generous aromas of sweet berry fruit, rose petals and pencil shavings, followed by a medium to full-bodied, lively and seamless palate that's bright and integrated, with an elegantly fleshy core of fruit, fine tannins and a saline finish. Produced by the Cazes family of Château Lynch-Bages, this is invariably one of the most charming, friendly wines of Saint-Estèphe. Drink 2021-2041.
The 2019 Ormes de Pez has a more Merlot-driven bouquet (54% of the blend), a little fleshier than its peers, quite pure with raspberry and cranberry scents. Fine delineation. The palate is medium-bodied with a sapid entry, good depth, though it does not deliver the precision of the Dame de Montrose and feels more muscular towards the finish. Yet that should see it age well over the next couple of decades. Tasted blind at the Southwold annual tasting. Drink 2026-2045
40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 50% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot. Deep ruby colour with a fresh nose of cedar, hedgerow fruit and hints of sweet spice. The palate brings more depth of fruit, with notes of blackcurrant and dark plums bolstered by baking spices. There is a real vibrancy thanks to bright acidity. This is an elegant but dark-fruited Ormes de Pez with a chalky, savoury finish. Perfect for the medium term, and it may surprise with its ageing potential.
This shows lots of spice, such as cloves and nutmeg, together with dark berries and cherries and some plums. It’s structured and relatively dense, with lovely length and beauty. Needs time to open and come together. 50% merlot, 40% cabernet sauvignon with cabernet franc and petit verdot. Lovely now. Try after 2024.
Tasted blind. Deep, purplish crimson. Voluptuous fruit. Quite chocolatey even! And with a burnt note on the end. But some stony, sinewy character – and freshness – on the way there. A bit dry on the end. 14.5%
Drink 2026– 2040
50% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petit Verdot.
Fragrant and less dense than many left-bank reds in this vintage. Lively, dry, dark and stony/mineral with a cool and elegant freshness. Dry, stony aftertaste. (JH) 14.5%
Drink 2030 – 2045
The 2019 is a blend of 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 50% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot. It will be aged for 16 months in 45% new French oak and have an abv of 14%. Deep ruby in colour. Bold and ripe on the nose with dark cherry and red plums. There is a little toast and cedar too to add complexity. The palate is crunchy and compact, with grippy tannins framing juicy red fruit. Notes of blackcurrant and nutmeg build on a sappy finish.
Coming from the Cazes team, the 2019 Château Ormes De Pez is gorgeous and shines in the vintage. Pure crème de cassis, mulberries, leafy herbs, Asian spices, and lead pencil all emerge on the nose, and this medium to full-bodied 2019 has the vintage’s pure, focused, elegant style while staying ripe, supple, and textured. The balance is spot on, and it's going to hit maturity in roughly 8-10 years and have two decades of prime drinking.
The 2019 Ormes de Pez has an intense bouquet of blackberry, bilberry and a touch of hoisin, but none of the smoky elements that I commented upon from the barrel sample last year. Nicely delineated and certainly less rustic than past vintages. The palate is finely tuned with a touch of bitter cherry on the entry, quite peppery, and a little stricter than I expected at the moment, leading to a granular, almost truffly finish. 2025-2055
The 2019 Ormes de Pez has a more Merlot-driven bouquet (54% of the blend), a little fleshier than its peers, quite pure with raspberry and cranberry scents. Fine delineation. The palate is medium-bodied with a sapid entry, good depth, though it does not deliver the precision of the Dame de Montrose and feels more muscular towards the finish. Yet that should see it age well over the next couple of decades. Tasted blind at the Southwold annual tasting. Drink 2026-2045.
The 2019 Ormes de Pez has an intense bouquet of blackberry, bilberry, pencil box and light fumé aromas, nicely defined but demanding encouragement from the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with supple, pliant tannins almost unrecognizable from the somewhat sturdy offerings in the past. It feels seductively smooth in texture with a very satisfying, detailed finish. One of the best Ormes de Pez that I have tasted in recent years. 2025 - 2055
Plenty of spice and plums on the nose. Full body, round tannins and flavorful finish. Raspberries and hazelnuts at the end.
Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2019 Ormes de Pez comes bounding out of the glass with energetic scents of black raspberries, fresh blackberries and crushed blackcurrants plus suggestions of menthol, dark chocolate, cedar chest and pencil lead with a hint of rose oil. Medium-bodied, the palate has electrically charged black fruit flavors with compelling tension and beautifully ripe, fine-grained tannins, finishing long and perfumed. Delicious! 2024 - 2047
