Chateau Ormes de Pez is a Cru Bourgeois, a top-ranked growth, from the Saint-Estephe appellation. With an area of 35 hectares, the Garonne gravel soil contributes to the complexity of the final wine. Manual harvesting and sorting is done directly in the vineyard. The estate’s blend consists of 46% Cabernet Sauvignon, 42% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot.
At tasting, the wine has a pretty, deep red color. The nose reveals splendid fruit aromas. On the palate, the Chateau Ormes de Pez 2013 is structured and subtle. The finish ends with powerful tannins. This is a precise and elegant top-ranked growth vintage.
The 2013 Les Ormes de Pez has a respectable bouquet with raspberry and wild strawberry scents, a touch of cedar coming through and developing an almost Pauillac-like persona. The palate is a little tinny on the entry, but the mid-palate has respectable weight with more red than black fruit, gently building to a single, peppery finish that cuts away quickly. Still, this represents decent luncheon Claret if nothing more.