Ormes de Pez - Saint-Estèphe 2020

Jamessuckling.com

92 / 100

byJames Sucklingthe1/16/2023

Bitter chocolate, blackberries, dried mint and tobacco leaves on the nose. Firm and linear, with a medium body and tight tannins. Tangy acidity. Sharp and clear cut. 54% merlot, the highest percentage ever, the rest cabernet sauvignon with a touch of petit verdot. Better in 2025.

La Revue du Vin de France

93-94 / 100

the6/7/2021

Le cru livre un vin de grande séduction et de très bel éclat. Un 2020 à la fois digeste et délié en bouche qui se livre avec un croquant superbe.

Le Figaro

94-96 / 100

the6/2/2021

Nez très fin et élégant sur des notes florales d’iris et de violette, ainsi qu’un fruit discret. La bouche est d'une grande finesse, soulignée par une trame très pure et des tannins veloutés. La finale s'étire longuement sur des notes de réglisse et de menthol.

Vinous

88-90 / 100

byAntonio Gallonithe6/1/2021

The 2020 Ormes de Pez is a pretty wine, even if it feels a bit light. Dried herbs, tobacco, mint, dried flowers and earthy tones lend aromatic nuance to this attractive, mid-weight Saint-Estèphe. It would be nice to see a bit more depth. Perhaps that will come with élevage.

Jeb DUNNUCK

90-92 / 100

byJeb Dunnuckthe5/28/2021

Lots of plums, blackcurrants, tobacco, and loamy soil notes make up the bouquet of the 2020 Château Ormes De Pez, and it’s medium-bodied, with some chocolaty background oak, good purity of fruit, and ripe tannins. I don’t see any reason this shouldn’t easily be an outstanding Saint-Estèphe and drink well for 15-20 years.

Vinous

90-92 / 100

byNeal Martinthe5/27/2021

The 2020 Ormes de Pez, which has gradually moved to a more Merlot-dominated blend over the last decade, is aged for 16 months in 45% new oak. It has a nicely detailed bouquet of a mélange of red and black fruit – cranberry, blackberry and a touch of blueberry – accompanied by cedar and subtle wild mint aromas; it is actually quite Pauillac-like in style. The palate is medium-bodied with grippy tannins and chewy in the mouth, quite compact at first. A strong saline, almost briny element comes through toward the finish, which is more quintessential Saint-Estèphe. This is a more backward and less finessed wine compared to the Cazes family’s Lynch-Bages or Haut-Batailley, but there is commendable length and character, not to mention a very attractive openness, to this wine.

Decanter.com

93 / 100

byJane Ansonthe5/25/2021

Blueberry, raspberry and cassis, there is concentration but also juice. Merlot-dominant (following a restructuring of the vineyard to better align grapes with terroir) with bite and freshness. A lovely smoky edge here, this is another successful vintage for Ormes de Pez. 4% Petit Verdot completes the blend. 3.69ph. 45% new oak. A yield of 42hl/ha which was not as low here as at Lynch Bages because of more clay in the soils, and because the Merlot was less impacted by the drought than the Cabernet Sauvignon.

The Wine Cellar Insider

92-94 / 100

byJeff Levethe5/21/2021

Things keep getting better and better here and 2020 is no exception. The nose, with its spicy personality also shows forest leaf, tobacco, pepper, black and red fruits and earthy nuances. On the palate, the wine is rich, round and ripe. It's packed with sweet, fresh, polished, juicy red berries on the mid-palate and in the open, soft textured finish. Forward in style, this should drink quite well with just 3-4 years of aging. 92-94

Wine Advocate

90-92 / 100

byLisa Perrotti-Brownthe5/20/2021

Composed of 54% Merlot, 38% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Cabernet Franc and 4% Petit Verdot, to be aged for around 16 months in French oak barriques, 45% new, the 2020 Ormes de Pez has an alcohol of 13.17%, a pH of 3.69 and an IPT of 79. Deep garnet-purple colored, it springs from the glass with notes of plum preserves, blueberry compote and Morello cherries, plus hints of graphite, wild mushrooms and sautéed herbs. The medium-bodied palate delivers plenty of herbs-laced black fruits with a pleasant chewiness to the texture and lovely freshness, finishing on a lingering fragrant-earth note.

Jamessuckling.com

92-93 / 100

byJames Sucklingthe5/12/2021

A firm, lightly chewy red with blackberry, blueberry, spice and some chocolate. Medium body and fine tannins. It grows on the palate. Tannins sneak up at the end. 54% merlot, the highest percentage ever, the rest cabernet sauvignon with a touch of petit verdot.

Anthocyanes

89-91 / 100

byYohan Castaingthe5/11/2021

Mure, un peu variétal, des notes de fleurs. Graphite et épices pour un joli nez. La bouche est droite, tannique pour une structure moyennement dense et une finale longue.

My Bettane + Desseauve

90 / 100

by Bettane & Desseauvethe5/7/2021