Château de Pez 2017

Fresh and open in feel, with damson plum, bitter cherry, lilac and iron notes. Shows good cut and a textbook profile for the appellation, but remains moderate in scale. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Drink now through 2024.

There’s a little more gravel in the soils here than at Haut-Beauséjour, so the September rains had less impact. There is clearly more mid-palate here, with intense cassis and tobacco notes, yet a certain austerity that leaves it a touch short on the finish. Petit Verdot accounts for 1.5% of the blend. Replanting at Pez is almost finished—it should be completed over the next 5 years, by which time the proportion of Merlot will have decreased in favor of Cabernet Sauvignon. A new winery is also set to begin construction next year, making this definitely one to watch.

Sweet-tobacco and plum aromas lead into a medium-bodied palate with firm, silky tannins and a savory finish. Some chocolate and tobacco at the end. Drink in 2021.

Medium-bodied with a jolt of juicy, bright, sweet, spicy red berries at its core, you can drink this with just a year or two of aging. The wine is made from a blend of 51% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot, and an even split of 2% Petit Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc to round things out.

The 2017 Chateau De Pez is a blend of 51% Cabernet Sauvignon, 46% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, aged 12 months in one-third new oak. It offers a healthy ruby hue with attractive notes of black currants, black cherries, dried herbs, and damp earth. Nicely textured, medium-bodied, and balanced, it has plenty of upfront charm yet should evolve for 10–15 years.

Deep garnet with a purple rim. Dense blueberry-inflected bouquet, with cassis blossoms and rosewood in the background. On the palate, a structured texture supported by a tannic framework and a finely sandy extract. Elegant finish with cranberry and sour cherry. This year, it has chosen a classic style!

Kunz Barrel Sample 18: silky, powerful, mineral bouquet, blue and black berries, cassis, tobacco, smoke. Fruity, dense palate with powerful dark fruit, plenty of fine tannins, a silky, finely muscular structure, intense aromatics, long, powerful finish. Has room to improve.

Velvety, powerful, mineral bouquet, blue and black berries, cassis, tobacco, smoke. Fruity, dense palate with powerful dark fruit, plenty of fine tannins, velvety, finely muscled structure, intense aromatics, long, powerful finish. Can improve further. 17/20 2025 - 2045

With a lovely red-fruit nose, the wine remains very fresh, with well-integrated tannic structure and plenty of indulgent charm.

Juicy, taut, with lovely acidity, supple tannins, great length; a dense, elegant, and fruity wine.

Youthful bouquet, a little reserved. It gains expression with aeration and reveals nuances of raspberries. On the palate, the wine is gourmand, with tannins that balance power and charm.

Dark color, medium intensity and slightly evolved. Moderately intense, fruity nose. On the palate, rather supple for the cru, tasty, very pleasant, with medium length and no hard edges.

This wine is powerfully concentrated and rich. Bold black fruits dominate, bringing the tannins along with them. Drink the wine from 2024.