Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Currants and blueberries with hints of flowers and perfume. Stones, too. Full body, a dense center palate, layers of ripe tannins and citrus rind. Layered and structured. Plush. A very serious wine from this estate. Best ever? We will see. Try in 2022.
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Wine Enthusiast
This is a juicy, fruity wine that's supported by dark fruit tannins. The black currant fruits are bright and crisp, while the structure is firm and the finish lignering. Barrel Sample: 92-94 points
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2015 Château Pédesclaux is a blend of 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 42% Merlot and 6% Petit Verdot, incidentally the first time that the latter has been used in the blend. It was picked form 18 September with the young Merlot and finished 26 October with the Cabernet Sauvignon at 50 hl/ha. It has a very pure bouquet with iodine-tinged blueberry and blackberry fruit, graceful and harmonious. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, precise in the mouth with perhaps the best tension that I have discerned in this rejuvenated Pauillac - one where a pretty penny has been spent, I might add. Granted, it is not a Pédesclaux with profound depth and I was anticipating greater "volume." That said, it is nicely proportioned and sure to age well, continuing the vigorous upward curve of this estate. One to watch. Barrel Sample: 90-92 points
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Decanter
A good, broad Cabernet cassis nose and palate that is nicely lifted. A modern wine that is on the way up, showing fine fruit, character and charm. Barrel Sample
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Wine Spectator
On the red fruit side of the spectrum, with currant and cherry flavors lined with light floral and iron hints. Pretty, if a bit shy on stuffing. Barrel Sample: 87-90 points
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.
The leader on the Left Bank in number of first growth classified producers within its boundaries, Pauillac has more than any of the other appellations, at three of the five. Chateau Lafite Rothschild and Mouton Rothschild border St. Estephe on its northern end and Chateau Latour is at Pauillac’s southern end, bordering St. Julien.
While the first growths are certainly some of the better producers of the Left Bank, today they often compete with some of the “lower ranked” producers (second, third, fourth, fifth growth) in quality and value. The Left Bank of Bordeaux subscribes to an arguably outdated method of classification that goes back to 1855. The finest chateaux in that year were judged on the basis of reputation and trading price; changes in rank since then have been miniscule at best. Today producers such as Chateau Pontet-Canet, Chateau Grand Puy-Lacoste, Chateau Lynch-Bages, among others (all fifth growth) offer some of the most outstanding wines in all of Bordeaux.
Defining characteristics of fine wines from Pauillac (i.e. Cabernet-based Bordeaux Blends) include inky and juicy blackcurrant, cedar or cigar box and plush or chalky tannins.
Layers of gravel in the Pauillac region are key to its wines’ character and quality. The layers offer excellent drainage in the relatively flat topography of the region allowing water to run off into “jalles” or streams, which subsequently flow off into the Gironde.