Vertical Tasting at Château Pédesclaux in Pauillac
I had a marvelous visit to this château yesterday. This estate, which like Lafon-Rochet (and about half of Château d’Issan) is owned by the Jacky Lorenzetti family, has made large investments in recent years in its vineyards and its chai, including an entirely gravity-flow cellar. Even the déléstage uses only gravity; all the grapes and all the liquids that require being elevated are transported by elevator so that no pumps or conveyors are used. I’ve seen gravity winemaking, but the completeness of this was remarkable to see. Expect to see the percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon rising in the future as they replace older vines.
After touring the facilities, their kind host Nathan Trezeres took me to their glass-enclosed tasting room overlooking the vineyard, where he poured samples of five distinctly different vintages: 2022, 2019, 2017, 2015 and the very tricky 2013. My notes follow; all wines were bone dry.
2022: Some people have written that 2022 Bordeaux is often ready to drink now; that is certainly not the case with this wine, which is a clear deep purple in the glass. After a bit of mustiness blows off (I noticed this with all but the 2015), shy aromas of blackberry, cassis and sumac were evident; on the palate the wine exhibited additional notes of anise, tar and smoke, with pronounced intensity; full body, just high alcohol at 14%, tannin and acidity both pronounced. Long finish but not exceptionally so. 68% cabernet sauvignon, 22% merlot, 7% cabernet franc and 3% petit verdot; I rate it 93-94 points, but this wine has a whole lot of development to do and could become much, much better. Wait at least 8-10 more years.
2019: Interestingly this wine showed the slightest bit of browning edges around its clear deep ruby core; the shy nose exhibited cassis and shouted CABERNET SAUVIGNON and oak, as was also evident on the palate; showed medium+ intensity, medium+ body, alcohol again just high, pronounced tannin and acidity and again a long finish without being exceptional. 72% cabernet sauvignon, 20% merlot, 6% cabernet franc and 2% petit verdot. This is a delightful wine for current consumption but promises to age well for at least 10 more years. 92 points was my score.
2017: I’ve had very few truly enjoyable '17s, but Pédesclaux rose to the challenge with this wine. Clear deep ruby in the glass, a bit less reluctant on the nose with more floral notes (roses and violets) accompanying the cassis and blackberry, which were joined on the palate by a trace of grapefruit (!) and stone fruit (!) to create interest; medium+ intensity and medium+ body were joined by pronounced tannin and acidity, again with a firm and long finish. 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot and 7% Cabernet Franc. I scored this 94 points, and recommend getting your hands on some. Great effort in a somewhat challenging vintage that should probably be enjoyed within the next five years or so.
2015: A tour-de-force for the Lorenzettis’ crew. Deep clear ruby in the glass, with pronounced aromas of blackberry, sumac and cassis that are joined on the palate by tar, licorice, Morello cherry and blueberry; pronounced intensity, full body, tannin and acidity both high with alcohol medium; finish exceptionally long and delicious. 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 42% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot. I score this 95 points and find it to be fantastic value at 46 euros at the château. Bought two bottles. Highly recommended and one to enjoy now or cellar for up to 25-30 years.
2013: This difficult vintage produced few stars, and Pédesclaux did not produce one, either. But I was genuinely surprised at how drinkable this was, and imagine it to be a fine accompaniment to a pork chop or even a plate of pasta. Clear ruby trending to garnet in the glass, it displayed the mustiness that blew off to reveal some nice cassis, vanilla and cherry aromas that gained little complexity on the palate; lean on the palate, with some asparagus and pepper notes; medium body and intensity, pronounced tannin and acidity, medium alcohol with a surprisingly lengthy finish. 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 43% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc. I scored this 88 points and would not complain if served to me anytime. Drink it soon.
2016 Château Fourcas-Hosten
In the glass this is a clear deep ruby. On the nose the wine exhibits medium+ intensity. In the glass the wine is dry, of medium body and medium intensity; aromas and flavors include blackberry, cassis, rhubarb, vanilla, freshly cut wood, mushroom, tobacco and leather. The wine is a little bit out of balance with its quite high acidity, but well integrated tannins and a pleasant finish of medium length put this in the 89 point region, in my judgment. The wine is priced well, currently priced about 20 euros in Bordeaux for an excellent daily drinker.
Tasting Notes
This portion of the website presents my tasting notes for many of the wonderful Bordeaux wines that I have had the opportunity of tasting during the summer of 2026. I hope my passion for the wines of Bordeaux, Left Bank and Right Bank alike, shows through in my notes. These notes should help my clients select wines that are to their taste and that will drink beautifully now and/or develop beautiful complexity through further aging. Santé!
2016 Bordeaux at the Cité du Vin
In early June I had the opportunity to attend a horizontal tasting of three classified-growth wines of the 2016 vintage, each representing a different appellation and region. This was a fascinating exercise in which the variations of terroir could be experienced directly, and it was extremely educational as well as highly enjoyable.
Château Malartic-Lagravière, Pessac-Léognan Grand Cru: Visually it showed clear medium garnet in the glass, with more evolution in hue than the wines from the Médoc and Saint-Émilion. The nose was clean with medium+ intensity; on the palate the wine was dry, with medium+ acidity, medium+ tannin, medium alcohol, medium+ body, pronounced intensity. Aromas and flavors included cassis, blackberry, stone fruit, licorice and freshly-cut wood for very good complexity. The wine persisted on the palate with a long finish of nearly 30 seconds. This is an absolutely lovely wine, without being a blockbuster; I scored the wine 93 points. I believe this wine will drink best over the next 5-10 years. Current pricing in Bordeaux is in the low-60-euro range.
Château Soutard, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru Classé: In the glass this wine showed as clear deep ruby as one would expect of an excellent 10-year-old Left Bank classified growth. The nose was clean with pronounced intensity; the palate was dry, with with high acidity and tannin, alcohol just high, exhibiting full body and pronounced intensity. Aromas and flavors included black and red plums, bing and tart cherries, red appleskin and a touch of mint, for an impression of excellent complexity. This wine was both persistent and insistent with a finish in excess of one minute. I scored this wine at 95 points; in my view an outstanding wine with plenty of life yet, perhaps 10 to 20 additional years of aging remaining. I tasted this wine later in the summer with consistent notes. Current pricing in Bordeaux is in the high-50-euro range, which I regard as exceptional value.
Château Beychevelle, a Quatrième Grand Cru of the Médoc, lately punches well above that level, and this wine exemplified why. In the glass this displayed clear deep ruby. The nose was clean with pronounced intensity; on the palate the wine was dry, with high acidity and tannin, full body and pronounced intensity; alcohol was medium. Aromas and flavors included cassis, blackberry, licorice, black pepper, vanilla, baking spices and just a touch of green pepper, with a long finish. I scored this wine 98 points initially; this is a sexy beast indeed that looks to spend more time in the cellar. After reflection I would likely moderate the score to 96 points, which still makes this wine an excellent value at pricing in the neighborhood of 130 euros per bottle. Highly recommended.
2016 Château Saint-Roch, Saint-Estèphe
This unclassified wine from the exceptional 2016 vintage is drinking perfectly now. Found in the wine section of the Auchan hypermarket in Bordeaux city center; grape composition is not available, but likely contains roughly equal parts Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Color was clear medium ruby; nose was of medium+ intensity; flavors and aromas included red and black fruit (plums and strawberries) accompanied by tobacco, mushroom, thyme and forest floor; tannins and acidity both medium+; body and flavor intensity medium+; much longer finish than expected at this price, of medium+ length. It’s excellent value locally in France at its typical €20-€25 price. I score this wine 90 points.
2016 Château Gloria, St-Julien
This property is unclassified, but only because of the late date at which its first vineyards were acquired (1942), obviously much more recent than the establishment of the Grands Crus Classés of the Médoc in 1855. But the quality is regarded by many, or even most, critics as being at a Cru Classé level. The 2016 millesime is a very complex wine that shows a clear deep garnet in the glass; the nose is clean with pronounced intensity; dry with high acidity and medium+ tannin; alcohol is medium at 13.5 but feels a little “hot;” full body and pronounced intensity; finish medium+ in length. Aromas and flavors include cassis, vanilla, freshly cut wood, cedar, cola, tart and bing cherry. Initially I ranked this at 94 points because of its great complexity, but because the wine presented as a bit harsh and unbalanced on the palate I think 91-92 is a more appropriate score. Nonetheless a very enjoyable and beguiling wine, and one that will benefit from further aging in the cellar.