Winemaker 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.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
This has the typical structure of a Saint-Estèphe, fleshed out with ripe black fruits. There is fine juicy acidity and rich tannins. An impressive opulence gives this wine good potential.
Barrel Sample: 93-95 -
Jeb Dunnuck
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.
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James Suckling
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.
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Wine Spectator
A sleek, reserved style, with a dusting of potpourri and chalk threads amid lilac, red currant and damson plum notes. Displays its gently chiseled cut on the pure, unadorned finish. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2027 through 2037.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
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.
Rating: 91+
Located in the north of the Saint-Estèphe appellation, Château de Pez is one of the oldest properties in the appellation. Founded in the 15th century, it belonged to various iconic families including the Pontac family, founders of Château Haut Brion. Its vineyard of 42ha consists principally of a single plateau divided into perfectly exposed hilltops around the Château. Since 1995, Pez has been the property of Champagne Louis Roederer; a major renovation program carried out both in the vineyard and in the winery has made it possible to introduce new techniques worthy of a Bordeaux Classified Growth.
Under the direction of Nicolas Glumineau, Managing Director of Pichon Comtesse, Château de Pez is now experiencing a true revival, offering a wine that is distinguished by its aromatic complexity, delicacy and perfectly balanced structure.
The wine is matured in oak barrels during 15 to 18 months with 50% new oak.
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
Deeply colored, concentrated, and distinctive, St. Estephe is the go-to for great, age-worthy and reliable Bordeaux reds. Separated from Pauillac merely by a stream, St. Estephe is the farthest northwest of the highest classed villages of the Haut Medoc and is therefore subject to the most intense maritime influence of the Atlantic.
St. Estephe soils are rich in gravel like all of the best sites of the Haut Medoc but here the formation of gravel over clay creates a cooler atmosphere for its vines compared to those in the villages farther downstream. This results in delayed ripening and wines with higher acidity compared to the other villages.
While they can seem a bit austere when young, St. Estephe reds prove to live very long in the cellar. Traitionally dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon, many producers now add a significant proportion of Merlot to the blend, which will soften any sharp edges of the more tannic, Cabernet.
The St. Estephe village contains two second growths, Chateau Montrose and Cos d’Estournel.