Château Ormes de Pez 2021

A harmonious red wine from Saint-Estèphe marked by the freshness of the vintage

The estate

Founded in the 18th century, Château Ormes de Pez is located in the Médoc, in the Saint-Estèphe appellation. Owned by the Cazes family since 1939, Château Ormes de Pez has undergone major renovations and modernisation, of both the tools and the vineyard. The estate takes its name from the word "pez" meaning "peace" in the local dialect, also meaning the elm trees that once were found on the estate before this variety died out in Europe.

The wines of Château Ormes de Pez are produced with the same care and attention as those of the Cru Classé de Pauillac Château Lynch-Bages, which also belongs to the Cazes family. Reflecting the typical style of Saint-Estèphe, the wines of Château Ormes de Pez combine generous and bright fruit with a fleshy texture and powerful body, promising a very good ageing potential.

The vineyard

Located to the north of the town of Saint-Estèphe, the Château Ormes de Pez vineyard covers 40 hectares of vines planted on two distinct terroirs. Here, we find the famous “Garonnaise gravel” in gravelly plots with quartz and rolled pebble soils. The terroir of Château Ormes de Pez is also marked by the presence of sandy-clay plots which are cooler and favoured by the Merlot varietal. The vines are 35 years old on average.

The vintage

A Rock and Roll vintage in the words of Jean-Charles Cazes, 2021, like the previous ones, started out as an early vintage only to be delayed in its vegetative cycle. Following sunny years and favourable climatic conditions, the contrast is all the more striking... rain during flowering, cool temperatures... fortunately, favourable weather set in at the end of September and enabled the low yields to reach a perfect level of ripeness and concentration.

The Merlot harvest began on 28/09, followed by the Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Sauvignon. The harvest ended on 09/10.

Vinification and ageing

Following a classic vinification process which lasted around 20 days, the run-off began on 19/10. After malolactic fermentation in January, the wines are then put into barrels to be aged in wood (45% new barrels) for 16 months.

The blend

Château Ormes de Pez 2021 comprises a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (40%), Merlot (49%), Cabernet Franc (6%) and Petit Verdot (5%).

Château Ormes de Pez 2021: Characteristics and tasting tips

The tasting

Château Ormes de Pez 2021 has an intense and deep garnet colour and develops an elegant style with a high alcohol content. The tannins are present but well-coated, resulting in a harmonious, delicious wine with aromas of morello cherries and black fruit. The freshness that is the identity of this vintage is palpable and gives the wine a great length.