Chateau de Pez

Château de Pez estate lies in the western part of Saint-Estèphe, and has held the auspicious 'Cru Bourgeois' classification since 1932. The wine is made of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon in roughly equal measures, which gives the wine a rich, deep character. 

The Domain of Pez was originally established in the 15th Century, but the vineyards were added later by the Pontac family (then-owners of Château Haut-Brion) who took over the control of the estate in 1585. It is one of Bordeaux's oldest estates, and was passed down through generations of the Pontac family until the French Revolution, when it became the property of the French state. Throughout the 20th century it was owned by a succession of people, and came under ownership of Louis Roederer in 1995.

Out of the total 30 hectares (74 acres) of land owned by the estate, 26ha (64 acres) are planted to vineyards with vines which average 25 years of age. The vines are ideally exposed atop north-facing slopes and are densely planted. These soils are composed of a gravel layer overlaid with clay.

The château's Bordeaux blend is one of the most sought-after wines from Saint-Éstephe. The grapes are picked by hand and fermented with their skins for between 20 to 30 days. The blend is then transferred to wooden barrels to mature for around 12-18 months. During this time the wine will be subjected to racking (or soutirage) on a quarter yearly basis. Every year the estate can produce up to 150,000 bottles of wine.