Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot
75cl * 13.5% ABV * Saint-Estephe, Bordeaux, France
Located just west of the village of Saint-Estèphe on the left bank of Bordeaux, Château de Pez, alongside Calon-Ségur, the oldest viticultural estate in the appellation, its origins dating back to the 15th century. Once belonging to the Pontac family, founders of Château Haut-Brion, it has been owned by the Louis Roederer Champagne House since 1995.
Over 48 hectares the vines, 25 years old on average, are planted on gravel hills with a clay-limestone subsoil. Certified HVE (High Environmental Value) level 3, the vineyard is managed by means of sustainable viticultural techniques with 3 hectares dedicated to biodynamic practices. The wines of Château de Pez have an attractive tannic structure worthy of further ageing. They are sometimes referred to as the ‘Pomerols’ of Saint-Estèphe, in part due to the smooth roundness brought to the wine by the Merlot vines grown on the exceptional soils. The 2020 vintage has been aged in barrels (40% new wood, 40% in "Premier vin" casks and 20% in "Deuxième vin" casks) for 12 months, with racking every three months, the wine undergoes no filtration.
Bordeaux in 2020 seems to have all the freshness that made the outstanding 2016 so appealing, but also combines the warmth and accessibility of vintages like 2009 - we can't get enough of this vintage, even if volumes are largely down. The 2020 Chateau de Pez has presented itself as one of the more aromatically fruit-driven Saint-Estephes, offering a nose of iris, black cherries, blackberries, raspberries and cocoa bean, accompanied with a medium-bodied plate which is elegant and fresh, delivering fruity layers of raspberry and cedar with a fine-grainy texture.
Excellent with red meats and aged cheeses. Perfect with baked lamb. Serve between 16 - 18°C. Decant for at least one hour before drinking.
Drink 2026 - 2042.
Renowned wine journalist Matthew Jukes flagged Pez as one of his wines of the vintage. "This is suave and showy de Pez and it is certainly performing at the top of its game in 2020. Spicy, dark, plummy and with decent tannic traction on the finish, there is lovely freshness throughout this wine which offsets the density of the flavour on the mid-palate. I have not seen a de Pez as spicy as this before." 16.5+ points. (May 2021)
"Extremely drinkable and very easy to recommend. The tannins are already showing elasticity and a sense of embracing the fruit without constricting it. No need to wait too long - give it two or three years to soften further, and then enjoy for the next decade. 4% Petit Verdot completes the blend. 45% new oak." 92 points, Jane Anson (May 2021)
"The 2020 Château de Pez is one of the more aromatically fruit-driven Saint-Estèphes, presenting a nose of black cherries, raspberry and light blueberry scents, and hints of cedar and mint. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-grained tannins and real salinity and precision. A slightly powdery-textured, quite mineral-driven finish completes this superb de Pez. Tasted twice with consistent notes." 92-94 points, Neal Martin, Wine Advocate
"A rather velvety Pez with plenty of tannins and aromas and flavors of ripe berries, walnuts and dried flowers. Some thyme, too. It’s medium-bodied with a bright, fresh finish." 91-92 points, James Suckling (April 2021)
"Black currants, cedar, mint and cocoa show right off the bat in the nose. On the palate you find intensity, ripe, sweet, creamy blackberries, lift and length with a soft, engaging finish that delivers a lot of bang for the buck. This is probably the best vintage of Chateau de Pez I have ever tasted. Drink from 2024-2045." 93 points, Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider