Chateau Ormes de Pez 2011

With smoky spice, promising but still closed on the aromatic side; it starts out edgy and austere, the tannins are still exposed, but of excellent quality and give

Owned by the well-known Cazes family of Lynch-Bages, this popular St.-Estephe has turned out a dark ruby/plum-colored 2011 with sweet cassis and black cherry fruit. A slightly short finish is present, but the wine has a good front-end-loaded combination of fruit, extract and succulence. It’s medium-bodied and tails off in the mouth, but it is well-made. Drink now-2019.

Focused and pure, with a tight beam of red currant, lilac, singed balsa wood and iron that stays tightly coiled through the finish. Not big, but defined and persistent. Best from 2015 through 2021.

This is earthy and spicy, with a medium body, fresh acidity and a chewy finish. Needs two years at least to soften. Better in 2016.

Oak, black raspberries, earth and stone notes are easy to find. The tannins show some rusticity and dryness in the slightly short, but soft finish.

Deep purple, dense at the core, with garnet glints on the rim. A touch of Amarena cherry, a hint of cinnamon, plenty of cassis, showing great density. Velvety palate with remarkable concentration, a touch of mocha and plenty of dried fruit at the core, vanilla bean. A great Ormes-de-Pez that will very likely gain another notch as it matures.

Deep purple, dense at the core, with garnet highlights on the rim. Amarena cherry note, a hint of cinnamon, plenty of cassis, showing great density. Silky palate with remarkable concentration, a touch of mocha and lots of dried fruits at the core, vanilla bean. A superb Ormes-de-Pez that is very likely to gain another point as it matures.

(50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot) Silky, fruity bouquet with blackberries, black cherries, chocolate, leather. Medium-bodied, broad palate with a bourgeois structure, fine sandy tannins, sweet aromatics, plush fruit, and a firm, long finish. 17/20 2017 - 2030

Supple, charming, lovely fruit, the grape is ripe.

Complex, concentrated bouquet with good intensity. Spicy notes, blackcurrant and black cherries stand out. On the palate, it has yet to express itself fully, as everything is crowding the gate at once to show its merits. One to watch closely.

Dark red color of moderate intensity. The nose is slightly discreet, with ripe fruit. Even in this difficult year, marked by hail in Saint-Estèphe, the cru retains a distinctive profile. The entry on the palate is rounded as usual, the mid-palate is juicy, and the finish is flavorful, with slightly evident tannins. And for this year, the length is moderate.

This is a rich, full-bodied and complex wine. It shows dense tannins and equally dense fruits that are powered by the ripe black currant fruit flavors. There is a fresher component at the end, attractive and bright. Drink from 2017.