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Goedhuis, May 2023, Score: 91-93
Overseen by Nicolas Glumineau of Ch Pichon Comtesse de Lalande for the Rouzaud family of Louis Roederer, this is a very polished St Estèphe, with his typical of the lightness of touch. A mouthful of Victoria plum, fresh dark cherry and sweet berry. The tannins have a lacelike sensation; there is a silky sweetness to this wine and a long gentle finish.
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Neal Martin, April 2023, Score: 92-94
The 2022 Château de Pez (limited to 18,000 bottles due to hail damage in June) has a very pure nose with something of a Burgundian allure: a mélange of blue and black fruit, wilted violet and graphite borrowed from down in Pauillac. The palate is medium-bodied with finely-chiseled tannins. Exquisite balance and poise, very harmonious with an intense yet paradoxically tender finish. Bon vin. Tasted twice with consistent notes. Drink 2028-2055
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Antonio Galloni, April 2023, Score: 91-93
The 2022 de Pez is a potent, brooding wine. Black cherry, gravel, incense, tobacco, menthol and scorched earth all run through this virile, imposing Saint-Estèphe. All the elements are impeccably balanced. The burly Pez tannins are present, of course, but there is also more than enough fruit. The 2022 could very well be the best Pez yet under the ownership of Roederer. Yields are down a whopping 50% because of hail. The blend is 59% Merlot, 38% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot, which is more Merlot than the normal. There is no second wine this year. Tasted four times. Drink 2026-2037.
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Wine Advocate, April 2023, Score: 90-92
From an estate that has now been fully restructured and which serves as something of a research and development laboratory for its sibling, Pichon Lalande, the 2022 de Pez exhibits aromas of sweet blackberries and cherries mingled with spices and violets. Medium to full-bodied, rich and lively, with powdery tannins that assert themselves on the youthfully chewy finish, some 40% of the production was lost to hail. For the first time, it will be sold en primeur via the place de Bordeaux.
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James Suckling, April 2023, Score: 92-93
Firm and linear red with a vivid and juicy dark-fruited core and fine, polished tannins. Medium-bodied. Mellow finish with some creaminess to it. Hints of crushed stones and walnut at the end.
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Decanter, April 2023, Score: 94
Amazing colour, so dark and deep. Fragrant perfume and earthy notes on the nose, flint, ripe blackcurrant, plum and black cherry, milk and dark chocolate, liquorice, sweet cedar and tobacco. Bright and sleek, so smooth but grippy too, a combination of supple weight but then really quite firm and mineral-laced tannins that give the grip and the angles. Almost sharp but in a razor sharp not sour aspect, so clean, and precise. There’s weight, it's rich, dark and serious no doubt, and not entirely charming right now, it's full of muscle but also has juicy acidity and a mouthwatering mid palate. A nice buy with ageing potential and the sweet, sharp hit at the end just makes you think this is going to be great! 3.8pH. 1% Petit Verdot completes the blend. A yield of 26hl/ha. Tasted twice
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Matthew Jukes, April 2023, Score: 17+
Another superbly aromatic de Pez with superb flesh and a welcoming nose of black fruit and oak despite the Merlot dominance. The palate is silky, smooth, layered and succulent, and this is already an enticing and enjoyable wine. The fruit is not particularly long, but it is undoubtedly complete, and, most importantly, it is accurate with lovely earthy hints of its appellation. The finish ends complete and balanced, and while it will drink from the off but will hold well, too.
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Jeb Dunnuck, April 2023, Score: 93-95
From a château that consistently makes it into my personal cellar, the 2022 Château De Pez is terrific, with a floral, perfumed, complex style delivering ample cassis and riper black fruits, notes of chocolate, graphite, and licorice, full-bodied richness, ripe yet building tannins, and a great finish. Tasted on multiple occasions, it's a powerful wine from this team that stays beautifully balanced and elegant.
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Jane Anson, April 2023, Score: 94
Austerity is your friend in an En Primeur sample as long as there is juice and fruit, and here you have both things in abundance. Brilliant wine, absolutely one to look out for, has steely minerality that offsets the plump fruit character and intense tannic structure, this is concentrated but understated, everthing in proportion. First time on the Place this year, as before it was sold via an exclusivity. First vintage with new cellar also. Tasted twice, this is a buy. 26hl/h yield, half of usual, 50% new oak for ageing.
