Château Les Ormes de Pez, St Estèphe, 2018

Name: Château Les Ormes de Pez, St Estèphe
Brand: Château Les Ormes de Pez
Price: 364.25 GBP

Available Vintages

all 1998 2009 2018 2019 2020 2022 2023 2024

justerini & brooks tasting note

Jean-Charles Cazes coined the 2018 vintage 'Purple Rain', a literal rather than metaphorical title we think. There's nothing melancholic about these wines, they are brimming with life and joy. As we have said in the past, Ormes de Pez offers a lot of wine for the money. It certainly shares the same DNA as big brother Lynch Bages with a subdued and refined palate of dark fruit. Taut and muscular with a nice floral aromatic quality and a serious core of cassis, creme de mûre and minerals, framed by saline grippy tannins. Another excellent effort, but more Raspberry Beret than Purple Rain. 41% Cabernet Sauvignon, 50% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot.

critic reviews

91/100Lisa Perrotti-Brown,The Wine Independent

The 2018 Ormes de Pez is deep garnet-purple in color. It zips out with notes of kirsch, sassafras, and roses, with a core of warm cassis, blackberry pie, and cinnamon toast. Medium-bodied, the palate delivers intense red and black fruit layers, with ripe, grainy tannins and a vibrant, lifted finish.

DRINKING WINDOW 2023 - 2035

date of review 02/2023

90/100Lisa Perrotti-Brown,Robert Parker Wine Advocate

A blend of 50% Merlot, 41% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot, aged in 45% new barriques, the deep garnet-purple colored 2018 Ormes de Pez comes tearing out of the glass with rambunctious notes of stewed black cherries, creme de cassis and raspberry pie, plus hints of Indian spices, dried Provence herbs and potpourri with a waft of woodsmoke. The full-bodied palate is decadently spicy with bags of black fruit preserves and a velvety texture, finishing long with lovely freshness.

DRINKING WINDOW 2022 - 2037

date of review 03/2021

89/100Neal Martin,Vinous

The 2018 Les Ormes de Pez was a perplexing wine from barrel, when I felt it was unnaturally hedonistic. Now in bottle, it does not dispense with what is still a comparatively exotic bouquet for a Saint-Estèphe in this vintage: brash red fruit, kirsch and cassis aromas. This is quite seductive but it just misses the DNA of the appellation. The palate is medium-bodied, fleshy and corpulent, with saturated tannins and a ripe, licorice-tinged finish. I maintain that this is an enjoyable Les Ormes de Pez, but it is still not my favorite in recent years.

DRINKING WINDOW 2022 - 2036

date of review 03/2021