"Antonio Galloni, vinous.com 92/100
The 2014 Ormes de Pez is dark, powerful and quite intense. Plum, black cherry, smoke, grilled herbs and gravel give the wine its virile personality. Broad and ample in construction, the 2014 is also incredibly young and shuts down quickly in the glass, which is probably a good sign of its structure and potential to age. It is best cellared for at least a few years. This is a strong showing from the Cazes family. The blend is 47 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 42 % Merlot, 7 % Cabernet Franc and 2 % Petit Verdot. February 2017"
Jean-Charles Cazes (proprietor of Ch Lynch-Bages) purchased Ormes de Pez from his sister Marie Cazes, who in around 1880 had married Jean Guillou, the Ormes de Pez Cellar Master. Sadly Jean Guillou was killed early on during WW1 and Marie had run the property with great fortitude until the sale to her brother in 1940. Jean-Michel Cazes (son of Jean-Charles) redeveloped and modernised the traditional XVIII century buildings in the early 80's, and a further renovation has been undertaken in more recent years.
Some very old 'ormes' (elm trees), which no longer exist, account for the name of this property, whose history can be traced back to the 18th century. The 35-hectare vineyard is located around the hamlet of Pez and is divided into two main plots, in the centre and north of the commune of Saint-Estèphe. Ormes de Pez has very homogeneous soil (a clay gravel mixture typical of Saint-Estèphe) and many of the vines are quite old. The grapes are hand-picked. After selecting the vats and blending the wine is aged in oak barrels for 15 months. Designated a crus bourgeois exceptionnel in the 2003 classification, Château Ormes de Pez has a new label illustrating both the estate's renaissance and the elegance of its wine. ©ugcb
