Château de Pez 2019

Seductive aromatics of baking spices and fresh berries; a generous yet juicy structure, with remarkably crisp tannins that balance the alcohol well, and impressive length; excellently crafted.

Bright and fresh, featuring an upfront display of red and black currant preserve flavors, laced with black tea and backed by a nice iron twinge through the finish. Sneaky long, too. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Best from 2023 through 2035.

Owned by Pichon Comtesse, this is a lovely St Estèphe with polish and poise. Good depth to the berry fruits, with an appealing, unfussy confidence. New cellars this year allow for a more precise reflection of the plots, and 1% Petit Verdot completes the blend.

Sweet berries with cedar and sandalwood, as well as flowers, such as lavender. Perfumed. Full-to medium-bodied with very polished and refined tannins that run the length of the wine. Very attractive and balanced. Drink after 2025.

Quite floral in nature, the wine continues picking up steam with the addition of spice box, pepper, herbs, red and black currants and espresso bean on the nose. From there the wine is fresh, sweet and vibrant, with chewy fruit, creamy tannins and a long, fruit-packed finish with a touch of spice, dark cocoa and dusty tannins in the endnote. Drink from 2025-2039.

Dense young colour, more red than purple. The nose is already fairly open, ranging from red to blackcurrant with some new oak, dry spices and mild oak. Well-built, muscular palate, still youthful but with no hard edges; tannins that will slowly soften add freshness to the ripe red fruit flavours. Structured for long ageing with fine persistence. Drink from 2024.

Currants, plums, new leather, and cedar pencil notes all emerge from the 2019 Château De Pez, a nicely balanced, medium to full-bodied Saint-Estèphe that has plenty of classic character as well as class. With ripe, polished tannins and terrific purity, it can be drunk any time over the coming 20-25 years.

Deep ruby. Intense forest-berry cocktail, followed by red fruit compote and rosewood. On the mid-palate, with supportive raciness and a ripe tannic framework, it shows the typical St.-Estèphe bite. In the focused finish, the wine slims down and reveals delicate red-berry contours, juniper and tarragon. Unfortunately, it does not reach the level of the previous year, being somewhat rounded off.

Kunz barrel sample 2020: (56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 42% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot, 14.3% alc. vol., production 200,000 bottles) Velvety, dense, fruity, peppery bouquet; black berries, licorice, fine woods, dark tobacco, graphite. Powerful, dense palate with intense dark fruit, plenty of fine tannins, a concentrated, muscular structure, complex dark aromatics, very long, aromatic finish.

(56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 42% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot, 14.3% alc./vol., production 200,000 bottles) Velvety, dense, fruity, peppery bouquet, black berries, licorice, fine woods, dark tobacco, graphite. Powerful, dense palate with pronounced dark fruit, plenty of fine tannins, a concentrated, muscular structure, complex dark aromatics, very long, aromatic finish. 18/20 2026 - 2050

The 2019 de Pez is a blend of 56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 42% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot. Deep garnet-purple colored, it pops with vibrant blackcurrant, black cherry, and boysenberry notes, plus hints of licorice and Indian spices. Medium-bodied, the palate is elegant and lively with grainy tannins and plenty of freshness, finishing with a bright and cheery lift. “We are about to finish the replanting process at Pez,” commented technical director Nicolas Glumineau. “We’ve planted a little more Cabernet Sauvignon. Now it is around 50/50 with the Merlot. And we built a new cuverie to be able to vinify each block separately. It is a long-term investment—for the next generation. It takes time for the tannins of Pez to become as refined as we would like, but it is happening.”

[ En Primeur 2019 notes: 92-93 ] The most successful and harmonious wine since its acquisition by Roederer, more for the balance of its body, texture, and the grain of its tannin than for its flavor complexity, which remains a touch simpler than that of the appellation’s top bourgeois. Little by little, Cabernet is balancing Merlot here, and this direction should be pursued.

The 2019, built on lovely Cabernet, is both solid and racy, with a palate of noble definition and finely shaped tannins. The finish shows good grip and reveals a beautiful mineral backbone.

The nose is fruity and offers power, precision, a subtle spicy edge, and a very delicate hint of grey pepper in the background. It reveals notes of wild blackcurrant, bright small black berries and, more lightly, morello cherry, combined with small touches of liquorice/zan, a fine hint of crushed strawberry, discreet touches of racy minerality, as well as a subtle hint of pepper, incense, nutmeg, and roasted almond. The palate is beautifully juicy, fresh, and fruity, offering lovely delicacy, gourmandise, a tangy backbone, fine-grained tannins with finesse, refined power, a touch of straightness, and a good guideline. On the palate, this wine expresses notes of morello cherry, small black berries, and, more lightly, wild blackcurrant, combined with hints of violet, lily, and camphor, as well as fine hints of grey pepper, a discreet touch of fresh blond tobacco, and a subtle note of toast/roasting.

Dark, intense, and beautiful color. An intense, delicate, fruity, ripe, and subtle nose. Supple on the attack, then smooth and perfumed mid-palate, very well built; the wine develops on fine tannins before stretching out for a long, sappy and noble finish. It’s very good. Blend: 56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 42% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot.

93–95. Barrel Sample. Spicy and structured, this is a classic Saint-Estèphe. Big tannins are boldly paired with the potential of the ripe black currant fruits that are juicy and fresh. The two sides of this wine are not yet together but do promise considerable aging.