Saint Estèphe

The 2014 Tronquoy-Lalande has a more elegant, refined bouquet compared to its peers, a mixture of red and black fruit, cedar, iodine and violets, perhaps picked a little later? The palate is medium-bodied with a ferrous...(read more)

69% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot. Tasted at Calon-Segur which is under the same ownership. This is from a 29ha parcel between Phélan Segur, Meyney and Tronquoy Lalande where t...(read more)

Amazing glass-coating purple to black colour. Wonderful fruit is the main impression - damsons, very pure coulis de fruit style, harmonious while still taut, smoky cassis, fresh and pure and long. Looks to be another sen...(read more)

50% Merlot, 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Petit Verdot. This has a lovely elegance on the nose, darkly sented with some oriental notes to the spice and soft plum juice. On attack the palate is well filled-out, starts with s...(read more)

This super value Saint Estephe is fast becoming a real favourite of ours. The 2021 continues the good run they have had recently under the stewardship of Pedesclaux's unassuming wizard Vincent Bache-Gabrielsen. While tas...(read more)

Ripe berries, plums, spice and cedar aromas follow through to a medium body, creamy tannins and a delicious finish. Some nice acidity here too. Thyme character to the fruit at the end. Try after 2024.

This has punch and mouth-watering juicy acidities. Cheerful, enticing, blackberry and loganberry fruits, and all is in place to add on further depth over ageing. There is rusticity that speaks of the vintage, but it is c...(read more)

Sweet attack, surprising by its richness. Quite a 'plain' red and black fruit profile, but good. Simple but well done, and nicely long.

The 2019 Ormes de Pez has a more Merlot-driven bouquet (54% of the blend), a little fleshier than its peers, quite pure with raspberry and cranberry scents. Fine delineation. The palate is medium-bodied with a sapid entr...(read more)

It seems that a similar decision has been made here as was made last year. However good the Merlots were, they marred rather than married with the near-perfect Cabernets - the alcohol level was too different. 43% is Gran...(read more)