CHÂTEAU LES ORMES DE PEZ
2022 Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel Saint Estèphe
51% Merlot, 39% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot. 45% new oak. 14.3% alc. 84 IPT. 3.88 pH This is a fascinating wine, given that it has a sonorous Merlot core, perfectly judged additions of the Cabernets, and a twist of Petit Verdot for good measure. Taut, bright, thrillingly tense and marvellously juicy right in the centre of its core, this is likely to be one of the steals of the vintage as long as the price remains under control. I imagine this wine will run for a good two decades, but I fancy it will kick off early and look near-perfect from the off, so make a diary date because 2022 Ormes de Pez is one of the hidden gems in this magnificent vintage. Rating: 17.5 Matthew Jukes www.matthewjukes.com (May 2023)
* This is a pre-shipment/primeur offer. All orders are accepted under the TERMS of this offer which differ from the terms of the rest of the site.
In line with the rest of the St Estèphe appellation in terms of its plum colour and vivid violet rim, this is already promising to be easy to drink, with supple velvet tannins, cocoa bean, caramel, sweet blackberry fruits, fig tart, patisserie cream, spice red peppers, it retains the appealingly unfussy welcome of Ormes de Pez even with the ripe signatures of the vintage. Blend finished February. Quantity down 40% after hail in June. 45% new oak. Drinking range: 2025 - 2036 Rating: 93 Jane Anson, www.janeanson.com (May 2023)
The 2022 Ormes de Pez is matured in 45% new oak for a planned 16 months. It has a perfumed and floral bouquet, quite sensual for a Saint-Estèphe, developing blue fruit with time in the glass. The oak is neatly enmeshed. The palate is medium-bodied with quite a high-toned and racy opening. Good acidity, the Merlot (51%) occupies the driving seat and ensures its silky-textured finish, a mote of chalk dust on the aftertaste. Just needs its élevage to knit it all together. Drinking range: 2027 - 2044 Rating: 92-94 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (May 2023)
It was a great visit to Lynch Bages to taste the Cazes family wines. Despite being at the end of a very long day the Ormes de Pez was a real delight to taste, bright and charming. Always a favourite en primeur the 2022 does not disappoint. With a quite open-knit spread of finely ripe plum and black berries on the attack - this becomes more serious and more textured in the mouth, with fine sophisticated tannic rub, a suede-like scrape on the long finish adds some mineral feel and bright lift. The wonderful Merlot, here at 51%, takes centre stage, resulting in a wine that leads on joy and yet is perfectly poised and sophisticated. The 2022 release from Ormes de Pez is fabulous, but is sadly heavily depleted after the family lost 40% of the fruit here in the devastating June hailstorm. Dig in while you can. L&S (Apr 2023)
This wine is admirably defined around its juicy fruit flavours that are precise and sincere in their expression. The roundness of the Merlot component wraps the tannins in delicious, sauve flavours. Rating: 93-94 La Revue du Vin de France (May 2023)
The blend is 39% Cabernet Sauvignon, 51% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. There was some frost in April here, and hail in June, with a 30% loss of production, giving about 30 hl/ha, pretty much the average for St Estèphe. The fruit was picked later here, as a consequence of the frost and hail, starting September 28th. A dark, smoky and intense nose, with a good presence, with dried currant fruits, sage, smoke and toast from the barrels, all showing very well. The palate is fresh, poised, with supple dried red cherry fruits, sage, currant and a fine grip of polished tannins. A wine of impressive texture and fine substance, and a polished tannic underbelly, with a beautifully driven energy and vivacity, this is a strong composition this year. It should do well. The alcohol is 14.3%. Tasted twice. Rating: 91-93 Chris Kissack, www.thewinedoctor.com (May 2023)
51% Merlot, 39% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot. Cask sample. Restrained dark- and red-fruit nose. Good mid-palate weight and extract. Firm tannic frame. Powerful but misses a little freshness. (JL) Drinking range: 2029 - 2040 Rating: 16.5 James Lawther MW, www.JancisRobinson.com (May 2023)
A juicy and fruity red with blackberry, black cherry and chocolate character. Full and round with freshness and intensity. Very spicy. Black olives, too. 51% merlot, 39% cabernet sauvignon, 8% cabernet franc and 2% petit verdot. Rating: 93-94 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (May 2023)
Exhibiting aromas of rich cassis, pencil shavings and petals, the 2022 Ormes de Pez is medium to full-bodied, broad and fleshy, with a deep core of fruit and plenty of powdery structuring tannin. It's a blend of 51% Merlot, 39% Cabernet Sauvignon and the balance Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Rating: 90-92 William Kelley, The Wine Advocate (Apr 2023)
Château Les Ormes de Pez
Château Les Ormes-de-Pez (French for The Elms of Pez) is a winery in the Saint-Estèphe appellation of the Bordeaux wine region of France, near the hamlet of Pez. The wine produced here was classified as one of 9 Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnels in the 2003 listing. Though this classification is currently annulled, it is expected to be revived by the 2009 vintage, but without use of the quality divisions such as "exceptionnel". The Château and buildings date from 1792, constructed after the division and sale of Château de Pez as a result of the French Revolution. During the 19th century it was owned by Marcel Alibert, also the owner of Château Belgrave, until it was sold in 1927 to the Société Civile du Haut Médoc. Financial trouble forced the estate to be sold on to Jean-Charles Cazes in 1930, who passed it on to his son André Cazes. To date the estate is owned by the Cazes family, also owners of Château Lynch-Bages. For many years the vinification took place at Lynch-Bages, but the cuvier and chai of Ormes-de-Pez were modernised before the 1981 vintage. After a long period of management by Jean-Michel Cazes, he has been succeeded by his son Jean-Charles Cazes. The vineyard area, divided into two blocks north and south of the village of Saint-Estèphe, extends 33 hectares (82 acres), with the grape varieties of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc and 20% Merlot. The annual production of the Grand vin Château Ormes de Pez is typically 15,000 cases.
Please make sure that you have read the terms of this offer which are different from those on the main website. If you are unclear as to what is involved in primeur purchases please do contact our private client team via email or on 020 7018 0187.
Ordering
Prices are all in bond by the case size stated.
Pre-Orders are a firm commitment to buy wines on release, as long as the release price is within the upper and lower price bands set by you on the pre-order form. Pre-orders will be fulfilled subject to availability but providing this firm commitment to buy effectively gives you priority and is a good idea for the most desirable wines.
Wines listed on the website can be ordered in the usual way via the website wishlist order form. You can also send orders directly to our private client team via email. Please note that, for the most sought-after wines, priority will be given to those who ordered the same wines last year and to those that have pre-ordered.
Confirmation
All orders will be confirmed by email and are binding unless written cancellation is received within seven days of email confirmation. Pre-orders are not binding if the release price is above your upper price band.
Invoices are all raised at the in bond price (excluding any duty and VAT) which will become payable at the prevailing rates when the wines arrive in the UK, should you wish to take duty paid delivery.
Payment is required on sight of invoice, by cash, cheque, debit card or bank transfer. We regret we cannot accept credit cards for en primeur orders. We reserve the right to apply a dunning charge of 2% per month on invoices unpaid after 30 days.
Delivery
- Shipment to our bond (at LCB Creek Road) and insurance are included in the in bond price.
- Delivery is free to Lea and Sandeman / Elephant storage accounts, both duty paid and in bond.
- Other deliveries (In Bond and Duty Paid) are also free subject to a minimum order from the offer of £500. Orders below this total will be charged an administration and handling fee of £16.50+ VAT when invoices are issued. We will group deliveries and this is a charge for your entire purchases, not a per-case charge.
- Delivery of 2024 Bordeaux bought en primeur is expected during 2026. Delivery dates may vary as wines are shipped from Bordeaux at different times.
Practical notes - how it works
We start a sale in each customer's name and add all their primeur orders to one sale which is invoiced at the end of the campaign (or when the customer wishes). Immediate payment of invoices is then required by cash, cheque, debit card or bank transfer. We and our customers find that having a single invoice for the vintage is the simpler option but please note that confirmed orders are still binding even if the final invoice has not yet been issued.
Please specify on your wishlist order form where you would like the wines shipped on arrival in the UK. If this is to a third-party bonded warehouse, please specify the relevant account details. If the wines are required duty-paid we will issue a second invoice for duty and VAT at the prevailing rate when the wines are available for delivery.
Half-bottles, Magnums and larger bottles.
One of the additional advantages of buying en primeur is being able to order the wine in the format you want. While most of our listings are for 75cl bottles, we can source wines in any format that is offered by the Château. Please note that format requests cannot be changed once wines have been invoiced. Additional charges for special formats do apply and are as follows:-
- +£18.00 per case of 12 half-bottles
- +£30.00 per case of 24 half-bottles
- +£7.50 per case of 3 Magnums (2 bottles equivalent, 1.5 litres each)
- +£11.00 per case of 6 Magnums
- +£45.00 per individually boxed Double Magnum (4 bottles equivalent, 3 litres)
- +£60.00 per individually boxed Imperial (8 bottles equivalent, 6 litres) for Salmanazars, Balthazars, Nebuchadnezzars and Melchiors please enquire for availability and price.
Storage Options:
Wines bought en primeur won't arrive in the UK until 2026. If you do not wish to take home delivery at that point, you may wish to consider where you would like the wines shipped. Lea & Sandeman offers duty paid and in bond storage through a dedicated storage company called Elephant Storage. For more details on the terms and fees associated with storage please go to our Storage Homepage or contact our private client team for more information.