Ormes de Pez 2009

Very dark. Lively and dense and complex. Thick and sweet. Pretty dry finish - arguably more typical St-Estèphe than most. Lots there, not least alcohol, but a wine to reckon with! Date tasted 1st April 2010. Drink 2017-2030.

The nose has a lovely smoky character backed by woodland violets. Red and black fruits vie for dominance on the palate with the richness of the cassis tending to win through. The tannins although quite firm feel ripe and the layers of flavour give complexity. Drink 2020-2040.

This is arguably more Ormes de Pez than St Estèphe, but the longer it stays in the mouth, the more the tannins make themselves apparent. It's a stylish, concentrated, richly proportioned wine with lots of extract, and flavours of cassis, cedar wood and liquorice. A wine that should appear on the market at a reasonable price, so stock up. 10+ years.

Purple red, good ripe cassis fruit, good balanced richness and good length, a supple, harmonious wine. Drink 2014-20.

The combination of ripeness, lightness and harmonious dryness makes this an attractive wine that's very food friendly. I love the smooth dryness of the finish. If this was a bit deeper it would have rated much higher. Drink or hold. (Horizontal Tasting, London, 2019)

A sleeper of the vintage and the best Les Ormes de Pez made in decades, this opaque purple-hued 2009 offers up pure creme de cassis fruit intermixed with hints of charcoal, smoke, and crushed rocks. Medium to full-bodied and pure with good freshness as well as a soft, layered mouthfeel, it will offer delicious drinking over the next 10-15 years. (Tasted three times.) Drink 2010-2025.

Tasted at Chateau Lynch Bages, this Ormes de Pez is a blend of 54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot, matured in 40% new oak, this '09 Les Ormes de Pez has a deep, garnet colour. The nose is very pure, very focused, tightly would at first, a certain "strictness" to this Saint Estephe. Not as earthy as other wines, subtle aromas of black cherries, a touch of cassis, cedar and sandalwood. Good definition, but despite coaxing it is relatively closed at the moment. The palate is medium-bodied with firm tannins, quite peppery on the entry, nicely balanced, masculine as usual, a saline note towards the finish that is quite linear at the moment. This is like a tightly coiled spring but it should drink well after 6-8 years year of ageing, which this wine usually needs. Tasted March 2010.

Superb concentration, with spice, currant and berry character. Full and velvety. So long. At same quality level as the legendary 1955, or 1959.