Château Pédesclaux 2014

Château Pédesclaux is a Fifth Growth estate and one of the hidden gems of Pauillac.  The wines from this property have more than their fair share of charm, and the philosophy here is that a great Pauillac does not need to be austere in its youth.  Though the grand vin is able to age for years like some of the most compelling Pauillacs, it is also fantastically beguiling when drunk young.  Given the recent renovations at the estate and ever-increasing quality levels,  there has been an influx of critical acclaim – with many scores in the 95 or higher range.  More and more critics are beginning to sing the praises of this estate, and Château Pédesclaux is without a doubt a rising star Fifth Growth property that is still affordably priced.    

The history of this estate dates all the way back to 1810 when Pierre Urban Pédesclaux purchased the Pauillac property, Grand Puy.  He changed the name to Château Pédesclaux after the family.  The Pédesclaux family were already well established négociants in Bordeaux,  and Edmond Pédesclaux was one of the brokers who determined the ranking system of the original 1855 Médoc Classification.  In 1883, the property was enlarged and more vines were purchased from the Cruse family, who owned Château Pontet-Canet back then. The property changed hands multiple times at the turn of the century and in 1950 had fallen into a serious state of neglect and disrepair.  In fact, the estate was no longer making wine.  Fortunately, Lucien Jugla, a gentleman who worked tirelessly at the estate for 20 years, managed to save up enough money to purchase it.  He carefully restored the vineyards and planted them with a heavy percentage of Merlot – a very unique occurrence for Pauillac.

The real excitement for Château Pédesclaux began when the Lorenzetti family purchased it in 2009. Jacky Lorenzetti, a former real estate tycoon and French/Swiss businessmen, was very keen on snapping up properties he referred to as the, “sleeping beauties,” of the Médoc.  The Lorenzetti family already owned the widely-popular Château Lillian Ladouys in Saint-Estèphe and would go on to purchase Château d’Issan in Margaux in the future.  Day to day operations are still very much within the family, and Jacky, Francoise and Manon work cohesively to ensure they produce incredible wines on a yearly basis. 

The Lorenzettis enlarged the vineyards to the 48 hectares they are today.  They switched over vineyard management so everything was done by hand and implemented laser optical sorting after the grapes are picked.  As of 2018, half of the vineyards were farmed biodynamically and in 2019 the property converted to 100% organic viticulture. A stunning gravity flow winery was built shortly after the Lorenzetti family got involved with the estate, adding a freshness and softness to these wines.  At Château Pédesclaux, there is one goal: to create the best possible wine and express the diversity of their 19 different types of terroirs.  The wines from this estate are multilayered, with complexity and tension.  Without a doubt, they overdeliver.