Ormes de Pez 2016

A brilliant St Estèphe value in a vintage where you can almost buy blind in this appellation. Tight tannins even after a few hours of opening in bottle (not decanting), this has lashings of bitter dark chocolate, cocoa beans, espresso, cinammon shavings, mandarin peel and damson fruits, this has many years ahead of it. Owned by the Cazes family of Lynch Bages, 45% new oak. On deep gravel soils, picked by hand between September 27 and October 11, on its second year of optical sorting at this point.

A terrific Saint-Estephe that delivers the goods, the 2016 Château Ormes de Pez is mostly Merlot blended with 42% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot, all brought up in 45% new French oak. This medium to full-bodied effort has impressive ripeness and concentration as well as tannic structure to go with notes of ripe black cherries, graphite, smoked earth, and background oak. Beautifully textured, it’s going to benefit from short-term cellaring and keep for two decades. Drink 2023-2043.

The yields were low on the Cabernet Sauvignon at Ormes de Pez in 2016, so this contains the lowest ever percentage of the grape. For all that, it doesn’t lack structure or focus: dense, black-fruited and winningly oaked with a twist of fennel. 2024-30

This is a very smart Ormes de Pez with a stunning purple hue and a lovely mid-palate roar of power. This is a juicy, detailed wine which belies its price and I also applaud its accuracy and balance. It’s the finest young Ormes de Pez I have ever tasted.

The 2016 Les Ormes de Pez has an open bouquet of red plum, wild strawberry, leather and sous-bois aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with pliant tannins, displaying more roundness and softness than its peers, but thankfully harmonious and lightly spiced (Szechuan peppers?) on the finish. Nice persistence here, and probably a more approachable Saint-Estèphe. Returning after 15 minutes, I noticed just a little more leafiness on the finish. Tasted blind at the Southwold tasting. 2020 - 2045

The 2016 Les Ormes de Pez has a tightly wound, graphite-scented bouquet that needs a little coaxing from the glass but eventually reveals discreet minerally scents mixed with sous-bois. The palate is medium-bodied with quite succulent tannin, and certainly more approachable than the Les Ormes de Pez of the past, delivering gentle grip toward the tarry finish. This is a finely crafted Saint-Estèphe from team Cazes. Drink 2020-2045.

The 2016 Les Ormes de Pez is a blend of 42% Cabernet Sauvignon, 52% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot picked from 28 September until 12 October. It has an impressive bouquet: blackcurrants, boysenberry and crème de cassis, all with very well integrated new oak. There is a lot of panache here, a word perhaps I have not associated with this Saint Estèphe in recent years. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, a lovely grainy texture, quite pure with lovely blackberry, melted tar and slightly savory, almost meaty notes. Harmonious right to the end, this is an excellent Les Ormes de Pez that seems to revel in the 2016 vintage. This might be one of the best wines from the estate. Drink 2022 - 2045.

Powerful and structured with lots of blueberry, blackberry and currant character. Full-bodied, tight and tannic yet polished and beautiful. Fantastic. Juicy.

The 2016 Ormes de Pez is deep garnet-purple in color with red and black currants, earth, sage and chargrill on the nose. The palate is medium-bodied, refreshing and chewy with an herbal lift. Drink 2019-2031.

The Cazes family's property in St-Estèphe, which for a drinking wine is going to be hard to beat this year. Juicy and utterly delicious, it has freshness and a great menthol character with finely grained tannins. It manages to deliver the Médoc signature without falling over itself. Mostly Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon with a dash of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, planted on clay-limestone and gravels, aged in 45% new oak. 3.69pH.Drinking Window 2024 - 2040

Tasted blind. Very slightly muddy nose but intense and ripe. Focused but the acidity is pretty emphatic. Just a bit less vital than some of its peers in 2016. Though the finish is extremely energetic.Drink 2025 – 2043

Deep colour and unusually sweet nose for a St-Estèphe. Voluptuous ripe cassis and then masses of tannins on the end. Slightly drying end and even a bit of heat. Sandpaper tannins. But good, ripe fruit. Drink 2024-2038