2017 Chateau Ormes de Pez

Succulent, bristling, and charming — blueberry, damson, blackcurrant, black cherry, warm stone, a swirl of vanilla and cedar, with creamy tannins, medium body, and a juicy finish that doesn't take itself too seriously. The 2017 Château Ormes de Pez is 51% Merlot, 42% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot from gravel, clay, and sand soils in the northern reaches of Saint-Estèphe — 017 was a modest Médoc vintage saved by a warm, dry September — the wines that succeeded did so on charm and fruit rather than structure and power, and this is exactly that wine. Jean-Charles Cazes bought the estate in 1936 — it is the sister property of Château Lynch-Bages, made with the same care and seriousness, at a fraction of the price.