Score: 89/100
This left-bank (Médoc) Bordeaux wine by Pauillac winery Château Pédesclaux is a blend of 75% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 5% Petit Verdot that was aged for 16 months in wine barrels (1/3 new and 2/3 used).
For more perspective on this wine, check out the wine reviews of other vintages 2010 Fleur de Pédesclaux and 2014 Fleur de Pédesclaux.
Tasting Notes
This 2013 Pauillac wine comes in a shiny, but rather dark red color. Red with purple hues, rather youthful to the rim.
The nose is fruity and lively at first filled with ripe cherry and fresh blackberry aromas. Somewhat of a fresh raspberry notes are there too, though blurry and not 100% clearly identifiable.
A pomegranate smell there is though, most definitely!
Plenty of sweet spices and peppery notes populate the smell too, lifting it up and giving it appeal.
The background smell is oaky, vanilla, a touch of coconut, dark roasted cocoa, and Amarone liqueur.
Intriguing, charming, and complex nose… just look at all the descriptors I’ve used!
The palate is dense and tannic, quite drying but somewhat watery despite the clear concentration.
It’s very savory, dry, and spicy as we love from Bordeaux wines, with a fresh ripe berry fruit character combined with a wealth of oak and tons of dark spices: clove, nutmeg, black pepper and more.
Bright red berry flavors are there too. But somehow there is a certain austerity comin gout of this wine. It does feel like younger vines, worked with all the carfeul attention great Bordeaux estates give to their vineyards, providing concetration from great terroir and controlled yields, but not the ideal depth, ripeness, balance and body you get from the top estate’s first wines.
Younger vines here, give more pungent fresh fruit characters but also a certain austere, almost vegetal feel, although it feels all perfectly ripe.
Overall
Despite the mild criticism of my tone here, this is a rather brilliant young second wine full of concentration and oaky richness.
All the attributes of great Medoc wines are here, just with more fruit and approachability, and yes, a touch more austerity.
Give it 3 to 5 years, and it will have smoothened up and been rounded up, developing further depth and you should end up with a remarkable tasting experience.
Enjoy 🙂
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