Need help? Call +44 (0)20 7793 7900 or email wine@goedhuiswaddesdon.com.
A hugely successful wine from Jean-Charles Cazes, really competing with the big boys! A striking bright racy fresh aromas of dark currants. In the palate it is full of polish, immediately catching the attention when tasting blind. Flavours reminiscent of winter fruit crumble, its richness and depth coats the palate and the overall weight and sweetness of fruit mask the layer of structured tannin which holds everything in balance. Superbly persistent at the end.
A hugely successful wine from Jean-Charles Cazes, really competing with the big boys! A striking bright racy fresh aromas of dark currants. In the palate it is full of polish, immediately catching the attention when tasting blind. Flavours reminiscent of winter fruit crumble, its richness and depth coats the palate and the overall weight and sweetness of fruit mask the layer of structured tannin which holds everything in balance. Superbly persistent at the end.
The 2018 Les Ormes de Pez is matured in 45% new oak, with 14.6% alcohol and an IPT of 84. Jean-Charles Cazes told me that this year there is more Merlot due to restructuring of the vineyard so that there is no almost 50% every year. It has a glossy, opulent bouquet with black cherries, kirsch and blueberry fruit, slightly confit in style and to be honest, just missing Saint Estèphe typicity. The palate is again, sweet and rich with layers of black fruit laced with black pepper and spices. This is a wine that coats the mouth, voluminious and powerful, a hedonistic Les Ormes that is enjoyable, but not my favourite vintage in recent years. 2022 - 2036
The 2018 Ormes de Pez is dark, plush and enveloping. Smoke, cured meats, licorice, violet, crème de cassis and dried flowers give the 2018 striking nuance. Unctuous and intense in its ripeness, Ormes de Pez is decidedly opulent in 2018. The 14.6% alcohol is evident, and yet the wine shows terrific balance, as well as quite a bit of promise. The blend is 50% Merlot, 41% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot.
St Estèphe is the most northern of Médoc communal crus. Its unique terroir is made up of layers of gravel which are supported by a dense clay base. This subsoil retains water in dry seasons and works particularly well with Merlot, a largely planted variety which is used to flesh out Cabernet Sauvignon. This clay base also creates powerful, textured tannins which enable St Estèphe to stand out from the pack. Like St Julien, it is one of the four most important communal appellations of the Médoc which does not contain any first growths, despite its southern border being a stone'sthrow from Château Lafite. Nonetheless, it is home to some excellent châteaux making fine wines such as Cos d'Estournel, Montrose, Calon Ségur and Lafon Rochet.
