Chateau Ormes de Pez belongs to the Cazes family who also owns Chateau Lynch Bages, which is located in Pauillac. Chateau Ormes de Pez, like most Bordeaux vineyards, has a long history with numerous owners.

Some of the previous well-known owners who possessed the Medoc estate prior to the Cazes family include Marcel Alibert who also owned Chateau Belgrave in the Haut Medoc appellation. In 1940, Ormes de Pez was purchased by Jean Charles Cazes.

At the time of the purchase, Chateau Ormes de Pez was already quite, well-known to the Cazes family. That is because the sister of Jean Charles Cazes had worked at the estate.

Today, Chateau Ormes de Pez remains in the hands of the Cazes family, who are well known for their more famous Pauillac estate, Chateau Lynch Bages. The Cazes family also owns an estate in the Graves region, Chateau Villa Bel Air, as well as Domaine des Senechaux in the Chateauneuf du Pape appellation.

Chateau Ormes de Pez enjoyed a renovation of its wine-making facilities in 1993. Due to the high level of quality here, and its association with the Cazes family which as you know owns Lynch Bages, Ormes de Pez remains one of the most popular, and expensive Cru Bourgeois Bordeaux wines.

The 40-hectare vineyard of Chateau Ormes de Pez is planted to 54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. This shows a marked increase in the amount of Merlot in the vineyard, which previously had a lot more Cabernet Sauvignon planted. This has clearly helped add more softness and richness to the wine.

The terroir has 3 different types of soil with gravel, clay, and sand. The vineyard is basically in 2 parts, with more of the gravel in one section. You find larger deposits of clay, sand, and gravel in the other part. On average, the vines are kept at 30 years of age. The Saint Estephe vineyard is planted to a vine density of 9,000 vines per hectare.

To produce the wine of Chateau Ormes de Pez, the wine is vinified in temperature-controlled, stainless steel vats. Malolactic fermentation takes place in barrel and vat, with 30% of the harvest going through malolactic fermentation in vats. The wine of Ormes de Pez is aged in an average of 50% new, French oak barrels for close to 15 months before bottling.

Older vintages of Chateau Ormes de Pez used much less new oak. In fact, prior to 2000, the wine was on average aged in about 10% new, French oak barrels. The increase in the number of new oak barrels used during the aging process has added more richness and softer textures to the wine.

JamesSuckling 92-93 pts

The density for the vintage is impressive with dark-berry and cherry character. Medium to full body, velvety tannins and a fresh and bright finish. Linear and driven.

Vinous 91-93 pts

The 2017 Les Ormes de Pez was matured in 45% new oak with 13.42%alcohol. None of the vines were touched by frost. Cropped at round50hl/ha, it has a clean, pure red cherry, blackcurrant and cedar-scentedbouquet, more Pauillac in style than Saint-Estèphe. The palate is wellbalanced with ripe tannin that feel more malleable than previous vintagesat this stage, a little saline in the mouth with a silky smooth finish. This willbe delicious over the next couple of decades and l suspect it will be moreapproachable than the 2016. Don't ignore this.

Wine Advocate 90 pts

Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, the 2017 Ormes de Pez features black cherries and cassis notions over a core of fragrant earth, stewed tea and tobacco plus a waft of forest floor. Medium-bodied, the palate is packed with juicy black fruit with a grainy texture and long, mineral-tinged finish.