Always popular, Château Ormes de Pez is a classic Saint-Estèphe and a fabulous drinking Claret. Butch and powerful with a decade under its belt, the 2011 demonstrates exactly why this is considered one of Bordeaux's finest Cru Bourgeois. Owned by the Cazes family of Lynch Bages fame, this vintage is an old-school red that ticks all the boxes and has masses of depth. Damsons, blackberries and blackcurrants picked into a worn leather satchel, to which is added Oriental spices, liquorice, salt, prunes, figs and earthy beetroot. When respected critic Neal Martin tasted this blind at the annual Bordeaux 10 Year On tasting in 2022, he awarded it 92 points, saying:"The 2011 Les Ormes de Pez has an impressive bouquet, beautifully defined, not intense but precise, earthy black fruit mixed with tar and freshly rolled tobacco. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-grain tannins. Exquisite balance, not complex, but so much freshness with the most tension revealed on the finish. This was a bit of a turn up for the books and trumped some of Saint-Estèphe's more auspicious residents."So, grab this while stocks last and serve with meaty classics, slow-cooked tagine, hard cheeses and earthy roasted root vegetables.£6.4 per 100.00ml