Château de Pez 2016

Tasting characteristics and advice for Château de Pez 2016

Tasting

Color

The wine displays a deep ruby-red hue with bright garnet highlights.

Nose

The bouquet reveals fine aromatic complexity, with notes of blackcurrant and black cherry, complemented by touches of licorice and graphite. Nuances of tobacco, violet, and cedar add further dimension, while mineral, lightly smoky accents round out the whole.

Palate

The attack is direct and structured, revealing a remarkable balance of power and elegance. The palate offers a supple, rounded texture carried by flavors of red and black fruit, plum, and cherry. The tannins—beautifully fine—are silky and well integrated, bringing depth without harshness. Freshness and well-present acidity sustain lively energy through a long, persistent finish marked by notes of coffee, leather, and a hint of licorice.

Food and wine pairings

This wine is a perfect match for roasted or grilled red meats such as rib steak, beef tenderloin en croûte, or lamb chops. It also pairs very well with sauced dishes like beef stew, daube provençale, or cassoulet. Aged hard cheeses such as Comté or Gruyère also make excellent pairings.

Serving and cellaring

Château de Pez 2016 is best served at a temperature of 16-18°C. Decanting for one to two hours helps soften the tannins and fully reveal the wine’s aromatic range. This vintage can be enjoyed now but will continue to develop until around 2033.

An elegant and refined Saint-Estèphe

The estate

Founded in 1452 in Saint-Estèphe, Bordeaux, the Château de Pez is located in the western part of the commune, in the heart of the Médoc, on 42 hectares in a single block of deep gravel over a clay-limestone subsoil. Owned by the Champagne House Louis Roederer since 1995 and headed by Frédéric Rouzaud, it has been run since 2012 by Nicolas Glumineau (managing director and winemaker).

The vineyard

Château de Pez’s vineyard stretches across the Pez plateau, in the northern part of the Saint-Estèphe appellation. The plots rest on deep gravel soils over a clay-limestone subsoil, a composition that promotes moisture retention and gives the wines their distinctive mineral character. The average age of the vines is 25 years, the result of a replanting program undertaken since the Rouzaud family’s acquisition.

The vintage

The 2016 vintage proved exceptional in Bordeaux. After a mild, rainy winter, summer set in from June 20, with very dry conditions that offset the spring rainfall. Harvest took place from September 20 to October 18, allowing optimal ripening of each parcel thanks to successive passes through the vineyards to select grapes at perfect maturity.

Vinification and aging

Château de Pez 2016 was vinified in keeping with traditional methods, in temperature-controlled wooden and stainless-steel vats. Malolactic fermentation took place in barrels and vats. Aging lasted about 15 months in French oak barrels, with 40% new oak, 40% in first-wine barrels, and 20% in second-wine barrels. Racking was carried out quarterly, and the wine underwent no filtration before bottling.

Grape varieties

Merlot (53%)
Cabernet sauvignon (42%)
Petit verdot (3.5%)
Cabernet franc (1.5%).