Château de Pez 2005

Located in the Bordeaux appellation of St-Estèphe, the most northern in the Medoc, Chateau de Pez is a beautiful estate boasting over 30 hectares of vineyards seated on clay and limestone rock, referred to as “calcaire de St-Estèphe”. It was created in the 15th century and claims to be the oldest château in the appellation along with Calon-Ségur. Classified a “Cru Bourgeois” since 1932, its vineyards are basically made up of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon with a token presence of Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec.

Appearance

Cherry red, medium-high colour intensity, showing a bit of age on the rim and some legs in the glass.

Nose

Fresh, with hints of dark fruit. Very elegant oak reminiscent of nail heads, bitter cocoa, spices, roasted and liquorice notes. Hints of old leather slowly emerge from the background. Typical of its origins.

Palate

Intense, very full and well balanced. The wine repeats the complex dark fruit notes, combined with more balsamic type touches, and the other aromas detected on the nose, confirming the use of oak. It doesn’t disappoint. Elegant, spicy finish.

Comment

Absolutely no catches to this fine Cru Bourgeois. Honest, accessible, delicious and very Bordeaux. Its origin is easy to ascertain from the aromatic style and above all from the hints of cedar, spice and fine cocoas. It has been aged for around 18 months or so and the split between Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon is fairly even. Chateau de Pez is often recognized for its sheer quality and its well honed price. It is a wine that shows remarkable maturity which softens the seemingly external hardness without sacrificing any of its freshness. It can benefit from a few more years in bottle but is looking good now. Poultry and feathered game dishes such as stewed partridge, roasted free range chicken or confit of goose are perfect for the style of wine.