Freddy R. Troya

9.0

Château Ormes de Pez 2023 – Saint-Estèphe. BDX, France 🇫🇷

Overview
An approachable and easy-drinking Bordeaux red from the Cazes family (Lynch-Bages lineage), offering a friendly, polished expression designed for immediate pleasure rather than intensity. The 47% Cabernet-driven blended with 39% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc and 4% Petit Verdot delivers clean fruit, gentle structure, and balanced freshness, making it an ideal casual and versatile claret.

Aromas & Flavors
Red cherry, blackcurrant, plum skin, light cedar, subtle graphite, dried herbs, soft cocoa and gentle spice.

Mouthfeel
Medium-bodied with smooth entry, soft tannins, moderate acidity, easy mid-palate flow, and a clean, uncomplicated finish that stays friendly and accessible.

Food Pairings
Burgers, roast chicken, grilled sausages, pizza, casual bistro fare, semi-soft cheeses, weeknight comfort foods.

Verdict
A reliable, crowd-pleasing Saint-Estèphe that emphasizes drinkability and balance over depth and complexity. A well-made, approachable red for casual enjoyment and broad appeal.

🍷 Personal Pick
This is a cruising wine, safe lines, smooth handling, and zero surprises. Perfect when you want something dependable, easygoing, and friendly on the palate without needing full focus or contemplation. — 5 months ago

Peter van den Besselaar

9.1

Vintage 2017 | beautiful! Spicyness, smell of new wood, voleptuous, inky, lots of body/filling. Domaine from family Cazes (Lynch Bages), quite interesting. — 3 years ago

Stefan Dolhain

9.0

2016 vintage. Jean-Michel Cazes (owner of famous Pauillac Cru Classé Lynch-Bages and more recently Haut-Batailley) bought this Minervois estate in 2002. This is the "grand vin", a blend of 70% Syrah, 15% Carignan, 20% Grenache and 5% Mourvèdre. A very spicy concentrated wine that is more about power than finesse. The colour is still deep dark red with hardly any sign of evolution. Intense spicy nose. Bold and powerful with black fruit hidden in spices. Long peppery finish. Take no prisoners. Abv. 14,5%. — 4 years ago

Stefan Dolhain

9.0

2016 vintage. Domaine de l'Ostal is owned by famous Bordeaux winemaker Jean-Michel Cazes (Pauillac Cru Classé Château Lynch-Bages and more recently Haut-Batailley). We can reasonably expect him to not put his name on a bad wine, and this Estobal (the second wine of the estate, the top wine being labeled Domaine de l'Ostal Grand Vin) surely delivers. Dark red. Intense perfume of blackberry jam, rosemary and dried flowers. Mouthfilling layered jammy fruit, with good acidity, smooth tannin and good spicy length. — 5 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.1

Had this about 2 years ago. The estate once belonged to the famous Lynch family, of Irish origin, was acquired by Jean-Charles Cazes in 1934. His grandson, Jean-Michel Cazes restructured the estate in 1974. A blend of 73% Cab Sauv & 27% Merlot, deep Ruby (lost purple edges), pronounced berry fruit aromas with cacao and vanilla notes. On the palate blackberry and plum flavors with tobacco and espresso notes. Dusty fine tannins, long ending with an oaky mineral character. Developed well! Tasting Sample! — 6 years ago

Jelle De Windt

9.2

Beautiful wine, full of flavour. Had this on a date with my girl Mary J, they really hit it off — 10 years ago

leon egozi

9.5

NY wine spectator event — 8 months ago

Stefan Dolhain

9.6

2018 vintage. Mainly Cabernet Sauvignon (95%), with Cabernet Franc (4%) and Petit Verdot. I am grateful to have met Kandice and Mark Jessup here in Blaye and taste their wines. Impressive aromatics, a panoply of black fruits, dark chocolate, and Pauillac-like lead pencil (Lynch-Bages comes to mind). Impeccable balance of succulent fruit, high quality tannins and fresh acidity. Intense, profound and very long. Amazing wine and very good value for Napa (about 105 $). Abv. 14,8%. — 2 years ago

Stefan Dolhain

9.4

2015 vintage. A joint venture between the Roquette (Quinta do Crasto) and Cazes (Lynch Bages) families. Only produced from the best barrels in exceptional years. Old vines of Touriga Nacional, Tina Roriz and Touriga Franca from the Douro Superior and Cima Corgo sub-regions. Black fruit and violets. Seriously powerful, but it maintains elegance, thanks to the acidity balancing the layers of fruit and ripe tannins. Long lingering finish. Impressive. Abv. 14,5 % . — 4 years ago

Stefan Dolhain

8.9

2016 vintage. 65% Sauvignon blanc with 35% Sémillon. At the time this estate was owned by Jean-Michel Cazes (Lynch Bages and more recently Haut-Batailley), but the current owners are the Groupe Ballande (Bordeaux négociants who also own Prieuré Lichine and Baret). Exotic fruit and a hint of flowers. Round and ripe with enough acidity in this warm vintage. Good length with impressions of vanilla. Good value. — 5 years ago

Bob McDonald

8.9

See previous notes 30 weeks ago. Very similar. Mid Lemon in colour. Citrus on the nose with grapefruit predominant. The palate is overall a little more lean than I would like - a little austere for a 7 year old Chardonnay - perhaps the grapes were picked a little too early? Still lively with that acid but could do with a little more mid palate fruit. Made by Brian Croser who used to be at Petaluma some years ago before he started Tapanappa in 2002 in conjunction with Bollinger and the Cazes Family of Lynch Bages in Pauillac. Brian was Decanters Man of the Year in 2004. — 6 years ago

Michael Horkay

9.2

Unicorn white Bordeaux. The smell of green peppers blew off and this wine revealed minerality and complexity..... Affordable for a few more years..'m but not many. — 10 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

Significantly better than the 2008 Lynch-Bages I had the other night.

Domaine De Chevalier is one of the more underrated or under appreciated Bordeaux producers.

The nose shows; beautiful dry, red flowers, black currants, brambly blackberries, ripe; dark cherries & strawberries, black plum, hints of raspberries, anise, dry herbs, mid baking spices, loamy earthiness, dark spice, dry tobacco/leather, graphite, barrel toast, bright red flowers and liquid violets.

M+ dark meaty tannins. Ripe, juicy, gorgeous fruits; black currants, brambly blackberries, dark cherries & strawberries, black plum, hints of raspberries, red licorice, red to mid berry cola, touch of black licorice, anise, dry herbs, mid baking spices-light clove/nutmeg, cinnamon & light vanillin, dark spices with a little palate heat, loamy earthiness, dark spice w/ some palate heat, dry tobacco/leather, graphite, charcoal, pebbles, some soft mushroom, barrel toast, bright red flowers and liquid violets. Really nice rainfall acidity, well tensioned/structured still w/ age, nicely balanced with an elegant, smartly polished finish that lasts minutes and long sets on spice & earth.

15 yrs of good drinking ahead.

@BalancesRestaurant - Lucerne. Balance Restaurant is one of the very best meals I’ve had out in a very longtime. — 9 months ago

Pooneet K

9.1

Have CdP somewhat rarely now but was curious to try this both because it’s 2016 and because it’s now owned by the Cazes family of Lynch-Bages in Bordeaux and who have been extremely hospitable to us in the past. Was skeptical of the 15% labeled abv but I think this is in a great place with a bit of a chill. The fruit is quite powerful, but in a great way, and nothing is overbearing. Perfect with skirt steak off the grill. — 3 years ago

Stefan Dolhain

9.1

2016 vintage. The top wine from Domaine de l'Ostal in the Minervois region, owned by the Cazes family (of Lynch Bages fame). This blend of Syrah (70%), Carignan (15%), Grenache (10%) and Mourvèdre (5%) is a solid powerful effort with jammy black fruit and Provence herbs, good acidity and nice peppery length. — 5 years ago

Stefan Dolhain

9.0

This estate was bought in 1988 buy Jean-Michel Cazes (Lynch Bages and more recently Haut-Batailley) and sold in 2017 to the Balland family (Baret). 50% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Cabernet Franc. Aged in used Lynch Bages barrels. This 2014 is in a very good place now, but should age well for a few more years. Fresh and elegant, with typical Graves spiciness. Not the most complex but a very solid and seductive effort for the vintage. — 5 years ago

Stas Medvedev

9.7

🏅 Rating 97/100 (4,7🌟)

Super Vintages of SuperSeconds🍷

Textbook Pauillac on the nose with cassis, dark fruits. Complex, concentrated with power and full body as it should be.

2eme GC Classé. 60% CS, 35% M, 4% CF, 1% PV. Fermented in steel tanks. Partly malo in barrel. Up to 18 mo aging in 70% new oak. Fining, no filtration.

Now Chateau is managed by Christian Seely. Great quality improvement starting from 2001.

'90 is made by former winemaker Jean-Michel Cazes (ex Lynch-Bages). Outstanding wine! — 8 years ago

Max Gottesfeld, FWS, CSW

9.3

Dark plum, current and hints of savory gaminess with lots of minerals on the soft but tannic finish. Tastes a little like lynch bages. — 12 years ago