2020 de Pez

I was able to taste the 2020 Château De Pez on multiple occasions, and it never failed to impress. This outstanding Saint-Estèphe reveals a semi-opaque purple hue as well as textbook aromatics of ripe black and blue fruits, truffly earth, violets, and leafy tobacco. Medium-bodied on the palate, it has a silky, elegant mouthfeel, light tannins, nicely integrated acidity, and outstanding length. It lacks a touch of oomph, but this balanced, graceful, incredibly pure 2020 will benefit from just 4-5 years of bottle age and should see its 20th birthday in fine form.

The 2020 Château de Pez has a far superior bouquet than the Deuxième Vin , with blackberry and mulberry, pressed violet and then peony. The palate is medium-bodied with firm and quite saturated tannins. Fine backbone here, fresh and saline with a vibrant finish. Maybe not the most persistent Saint-Estèphe yet there is impressive weight.

The 2020 de Pez is a potent, brooding wine, just as it was en primeur. Black cherry, gravel, tobacco, scorched earth, chocolate and menthol all flesh out in the glass. This is a pretty rich, heady Saint-Estèphe, punctuated by huge tannins and quite a bit of heft.