Château Les Ormes de Pez, St Estèphe,

Owned by the Cazes family of Lynch Bages fame, this estate has improved dramatically over the last decade. Older wines were solidly made, hearty clarets, which seem to age well, but are a bit more inconsistent and lack the precision of recent vintages. The progress is in no small part down to the technical know-how and ambition of the Lynch wine-making team. Greater diligence and more natural farming practices in the vineyards, combined with meticulous winemaking and greater use of new oak during elevage has resulted in young wines that bear the hall marks of its sister Chateau in Pauillac. Consequently, young vintages of Ormes de Pez offer some of the best value to be found in the Medoc.

The vineyards are situated in the north of the St Estephe commune on the Médoc peninsula, close to the Gironde Estuary and the Atlantic Ocean. The 35 hectares are planted with 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. The Cabernets flourish on the gravelly parcels composed of quartz and rolled pebbles, while the Merlot are best suited to the cooler, sandy/clay terroirs.