2009 de Pez

Tasted at Chateau Pichon-Lalande. There is a lot of finesse on this bashful nose: blackberry, a touch of cedar and earthy/clayey scents emerging with time in the glass. Good definition, masculine. The palate is full-bodied, there is a slight aggression to the tannins, not quite as fine as I would like, good fruit concentration though with blackberry, boysenberry, a touch of cedar and pencil lead. Sinewy finish, good length. This needs to mellow out by the time of bottling. Tasted March 2010.

Blackish crimson. Rather savoury and cool on the nose – rather different from most St- Estèphes. Very dense and then juicy. Thick and sweet and then horribly dry on the end. Plays the ripe- juice card with a bit of acidity and austerity on the finish. Very drying. May just get there in the end. I give it the benefit of the doubt...

Less impressive from bottle than it was from barrel, this wine from the limestone soils of St.-Estephe has closed down considerably, displaying lots of tannin. A blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 42% Merlot and the rest Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc, the wine has a deep color and a steely, almost Graves-like earthiness, with some spice and red and black fruits, but the generosity I noticed from barrel has become more sinewy and austere. Forget it for several years and drink it over the following 10-15+ years. Feb 2012, www.robertparker.com