Château Les Ormes de Pez is a harmonious, spicy and distinctive wine that reveals the authenticity of its terroir in the Saint-Estèphe appellation. It will charm you with its opulence, elegance and well-rounded structure. The palate offers robust tannins whilst retaining a smooth, fleshy side.
The wines from Ormes de Pez are powerful yet characterised by their harmonious structure. They are indulgent, pleasurable and combine a smooth, fleshy texture with the distinctive elegance of a Saint-Estèphe.
HISTORY
A family history
Although Lynch-Bages is without a doubt the flagship of the Domaines Jean-Michel Cazes, Ormes de Pez belongs to the Medoc landscape since the 18th century. Purchased by Jean-Charles Cazes in the wake of the Second World War, the history of these two estates is closely linked.
As with the renovation of Bages village in Pauillac, near to Cordeillan-Bages, the Cazes family have developed their sense of welcome by transforming this elegant residence into a charming guest house.
At the time of the French Revolution, the current property was called the Domaine de Pez (meaning ”peace” in the local dialect). As for the elms (”ormes”) that have appeared on the bottle labels since 2003, they grew on the grounds of the domaine until this mythical variety of tree ceased to grow in Europe in the 1950’s.
The Cazes family
From the 19th century onwards, the château had numerous owners (Southard and Pieck, Berthé, Carrère, Alibert, Meiners and Allemand, Eschenauer, Johnson, Miaihle), before becoming a part of the Cazes family.
In around 1880, Marie Cazes married Jean Guillou, the Ormes de Pez Cellar Master. He was sadly killed at the very beginning of the Great War and so Marie, a woman of great character, subsequently took over the business. Her brother Jean-Charles Cazes purchased Ormes de Pez in 1940.
Jean-Michel Cazes later redeveloped and modernised the traditional XVIII century buildings in the early 80’s.
TERROIR
The ideal terroir for a great Saint-Estèphe
In the North of the Saint-Estèphe commune, bordering the Pez hameau, the Ormes de Pez estate owes its name to a magnificent grove of elm trees which no longer exists today.
Château Ormes de Pez lies 60 km from Bordeaux on the Médoc peninsula. It benefits from a mild ocean climate thanks to its proximity to the estuary and the Atlantic ocean.
A characteristic vineyard of the Saint-Estèphe appellation
Its 35 hectares of vineyards consist of two very distinct terroirs: the Cabernets thrive on the gravelly parcels composed of quartz and rolled pebbles whereas Merlot is best-suited to the cooler, sandy-clay parcels. These parcels have good drainage properties and are representative of the Saint-Estèphe appellation.
Vines have an average age of 35 years and are planted at a density of 9,000 vines per hectare in accordance with the traditional Médoc planting ratio. Cabernet Sauvignon counts for 54% of plantings, complemented by 37% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot.
