Château ORMES DE PEZ 2018

Description

Yves Beck 92-94 points www.yvesbeck.wine
52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 51% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot
Pourpre violacé. Bouquet très expressif marqué par des notes épicées et fruitées. Je relève du bois de réglisse et des baies noires. Beaucoup de fraîcheur. Attaque friande et crémeuse. Au palais, le vin a du gras et une belle structure acide qui assure les arrières et porte le fruit tout le long du palais. Les tannins sont suaves et en accord avec l’acidité. Ils doivent encore gagner en finesse, ce que l’élevage leur permettra de réaliser. Un vin convaincant, qui a de la puissance et du jus. 2022-2037

Jane Anson  93 points  www.decanter.com (at Bordeaux, 10 Nov 2020)
Couleur sombre, intense et belle. Nez moyennement aromatique, au fruité frais et mûr. Bouche aérienne et fondante, tout en douceur tactile, avec de l’éclat dans la persistance et un bel enrobage tannique. Bonne longueur.

Lisa Perrotti-Brown 90-92 points www.robertparker.com
Composed of 50% Merlot, 41% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot and aging in 45% new barriques, the deep purple-black colored 2018 Ormes de Pez leaps from the glass with vibrant blackberries, black cherries and mulberries scents plus touches of garrigue, tree bark and bay leaves. Medium to full-bodied with bags of muscular fruit, it has a firm, grainy texture and great freshness, finishing on an herbal lift.
“The early start of the season was nerve-racking because of the mildew pressure,” Jean-Charles Cazes said. “We had to monitor the vines constantly and react. But we were equally worried about the dry period. We were concerned about getting vine blockage, like in 2003, but it didn’t happen. The rains we had in the spring really helped the vines sail through and reach full maturity. Our harvest dates are pretty much on average, a little early for Lynch Bages, but again not like 2003. Sorting wasn’t really a problem, everything was sanitary. The vintage reminds me of 2010, but more forward, like 2016.”
I asked Cazes about their biggest challenge this year. “The challenge was not to overdo extraction,” he said. “That was the biggest challenge in the cellar. We had smaller berries, so the ratio of skin to juice was high. This is also why there is so much richness.”

Jeb Dunnuck 91-93+ points www.jebdunnuck.com
The inky colored 2018 Château Ormes De Pez checks in as 50% Merlot, 41% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Cabernet Franc, and the balanced Petit Verdot that’s still aging in 45% new French oak. It offers lots of ripe black cherry and blackberry fruits intermixed with subtle violets and background oak. With building richness, medium to full body, ripe tannins, and remarkable purity of fruit, it’s another incredibly impressive Saint-Estephe that’s going to need 4-6 years of bottle age and be long-lived.