Château Pey La Tour - Réserve du Château
AOC Bordeaux Supérieur
Completely overwhelmed by the quality of this vineyard that dates back to the middle ages, Dourthe acquired the estate in 1990. For more than 25 years, a new viticultural approach was applied across the entire vineyard, respecting the terroir and vines in the quest for optimum fruit quality. As a result of rigorous vineyard management, the harvest is spread markedly over time, allowing all the grapes to be picked at optimum ripeness. The Réserve du Château, which expresses the specific character of the finest terroirs, is aged for 12 - 14 months in the barrel hall next to the winery. The results of these efforts have been rewarded today not only in the loyalty of our customers, but also in the excellent press reviews, instating Château Pey La Tour well above its appellation.
Vinification & Ageing
Cold pre-fermentation maceration applied to certain batches. Traditional vinification in individual batches in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks. Decuvage by hand from tanks filled with marc. Pneumatic press.
12 - 14 months in oak barrels, in individual batches. Partly aged on the lees.
~~ Find out more about the property ~~The vintage
The first six months of the 2016 growing season turned out to be particularly rainy and warm, replenishing water reserves in the soils which would serve the vines well in forthcoming months. Which was just as well as sunshine set in for the long haul from mid-June, bringing very dry weather until the end of the harvest. The combined effect of available water supplies and favourable temperatures – not too excessive during the day and very cool at night – played an important role in developing the fruit and their aromas during ripening.
The Merlot harvest, the predominant varietal, extended at a leisurely pace until 16 October. The colours are intense and the tannins silky. The Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot, harvested late 19 October, are concentrated and well-structured, having fully benefited from the lovely Indian summer.
Tasting notes
Very concentrated, almost black in appearance. The intense bouquet delivers an explosion of black berry aromas, of primarily cherries and blackberries, together with a touch of spice. Full and generous on the palate, structured by delicate, silky tannins, coated in fresh, juicy fruit. The delicately integrated oak accompanies the full-flavoured, lingering finish of this superb, concentrated, fleshy and delicious Pey La Tour Reserve.
Blend
88% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Petit Verdot
Medals and Accolades
EDITOR'S CHOICE
Packed with tannins, this is a dark, dense wine. Its impressive structure frames rich blackberry and plum fruits. Let this wine age for several years and don't drink before 2022.
The vintage
After a cool winter, bud burst came early, with the first sign of green emerging 31 March. Even growth was followed at the end of May by flowering amid favourable weather conditions. The favourable early beginnings continued with a hot and dry summer, facilitating healthy conditions in the vineyard throughout the year. In this mature vineyard, the vines are wellestablished on clay-limestone soils, and did not suffer from lack of water during the first half of summer. After the rain at the start of August, veraison went well. The grapes were in pristine condition, and we started harvesting in ideal conditions, almost 10 days ahead of schedule, spreading the harvest over 3 weeks to allow the latest ripening grapes to reach perfect maturity.
Tasting notes
Deep and concentrated in appearance. Intense notes of black cherries, ripe fruits and spice define the wine on the bouquet. Generous on the attack, the silky wine coats the palate and reveals good structure. Delicately integrated oak, accompanies the savoury, lingering finish of this impressive, concentrated and fleshy Pey La Tour Réserve.
Blend
88% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Petit Verdot
Medals and Accolades
Au nez, d'intenses notes viandées et cacaotées accompagnent un fruit très mûr et des senteurs méridionales de thym. La bouche se révèle soyeuse, suave, chaleureuse, étayée par des tanins doux, veloutés qui renforcent le côté tendre et fort gourmand de ce 2015 solaire et déjà savoureux.
**= vin remarquable
Medaille d'or et BEST IN CLASS: 91/100
SUPER BORDEAUX, NOUVELLE PROMOTION 2015, L'EVIDENCE...Cette grande histoire des années en 5, nous l'avons déjà racontée en décembre ...
The 2015 Pey La Tour Réserve is scented of black cherries, black plums and mulberries with touches of Indian spices and aged beef. The palate is soft, full-bodied and generously fruited with savory layers and a harmonious finish. Delicious now!
A firm and silky wine with chocolate, walnut and hazelnut character. Medium to full body, lovely fine tannins and a flavorful finish. Juicy and delicious. Drink in 2019 but already delicious.
The 2015 Pey La Tour Réserve is another high quality, medium-bodied, incredibly charming Bordeaux Superior that reveals a deep ruby/plum color and notes of red and black fruits, candied violets, and bay leaf. Drink this fruit-loaded balanced, pleasure-bent 2015 over the coming 7-8 years.
Ch Pey La Tour, Réserve 2015 Bordeaux SupérieurVery dark crimson indeed. Sweet start on the nose. Almost soupy, it's so ripe! Designed to make a statement rather than to be drunk? Drama queen!Drink 2022-2029
CHÂTEAU PEY LA TOUR BORDEAUX SUPÉRIEUR TASTING NOTE
Score 91-92
Excellent concentration of fruit and tannins in this wine with full body, round and silky tannins and a fresh finish. Really impressive.
The vintage
After a promising start to the year, a dull, gloomy summer meant ripening got off to a slow start. Any worries were lifted towards the end of August with the arrival of exceptional, lasting weather conditions. While the quality of the vintage owes a great deal to the excellent late-season, a vintage of this quality would not be possible without considerable work in the vineyards earlier in the season to ensure pristine quality in the vines and stunning fruit. The Indian summer set in for the long haul in early September, creating optimum conditions for the predominant Merlot to ripen under its own steam, followed by the Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot. Harvesting began October 2nd and remained entirely stress-free, coming to a close October 23rd in ideal weather conditions, creating fruit character, concentration and balance in the different parcels.
Tasting notes
Intense ruby red in colour, red berry fruits with strawberry notes are unleashed on the lovely bouquet. Fleshy and supple on the attack, the wine develops attractive roundness on the finish, complemented by the fruit purity of this delicious Pey La Tour.
Blend
88% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Petit Verdot
Medals and Accolades
The Pey La Tour 2014 Réserve du Château is classed as the First Wine of the estate compared to the regular Pey La Tour, the vines in the most favorable location and aged in barrel with a higher proportion of new oak. The 90% Merlot really comes through on the nose with mulberry, raspberry coulis and touches of wild heather. The palate is medium-bodied with supple red berry fruit, blackberry, a touch of Japanese nori and a faint touch of tobacco on the finish. It could benefit from more persistence on the finish, but it is satisfying for the vintage and well priced.
A Bordeaux Supérieur with plums and chocolate and a pleasant herbal note. The palate is round with dark fruits and polished tannins that harden a bit on the finish.
The 2014 Pey la Tour is bold, juicy and delicious. Succulent red cherry, smoke, tobacco and savory herbs are pushed forward in this tasty, rustic Bordeaux Supérieur. I would prefer to drink the 2014 sooner rather than later, while the flavors retain their youthful exuberance.
This is a ripe generous wine that has solid tannins as well as red-plum flavors. It is concentrated and full of flavor. As the tannins soften, it is likely to be ready to drink from 2018.
(...) Un vin dense, bien constitué, assez tannique, bien élaboré. Une valeur sûre. 3-8 ans (...)
Avec son nez ouvert de fruits et sa bouche bien définie, cette cuvée ravira les amateurs dans les deux à trois ans.
The Château Pey la Tour Réserve 2014 is a blend 88% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Petit Verdot and was picked October 2-20. The nose was showing a bit of new oak, but that seemed to dissipate with aeration. The palate is chewy on the entry with quite rich, almost citrus-fresh red berry fruit with a plush and quite sexy finish. Very fine.
Juicy and lifted with forward plum and cassis flavors. Well made, fairly simple with a soft mid-palate and good finish.
Très suave avec une grande buvabilité. Facile. Aucun maquillage.
The vintage
Impeded by cold weather, flowering was late to start at Pey la Tour, while rain at the end of June caused coulure and millerandage in the widely planted Merlot, which in turn would impact upon harvest volumes. The hot, dry summer saw delayed ripening, but in good conditions. Through excellent management of the vineyard, in terms of controlling disease pressure, vigour and eliminating unevenly ripe grapes prior to harvesting, conditions stabilised in September. The harvest began October 2nd, since changeable weather wreaked havoc with our intake planning. Nevertheless, the vines remained healthy and by modifying our schedules on a daily basis, we were able to harvest healthy grapes.
Tasting notes
Highly concentrated and garnet-tinged in appearance. The intense, complex nose is redolent of black fruits and spice. Initially supple on the palate, the wine develops in volume, structured by prominent, intensely silky tannins, while the wine overall offers a mix of aromas, richness, freshness and harmony. A very well-balanced wine of greath length.
Blend
75% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon
Medals and Accolades
Dunkles Rubingranat, violette Reflexe, zarter Wasserrand, zart blättrig unterlegtes dunkles Beerenkonfit, feine Holzwürze, Orangenzesten. Mittlerer Kö,rper, zarte Brombeernote, gut integrierte Tannine, zarte Extraktsüß,e, harmonisch, ein vielseitiger Speisenbegleiter.
Very well managed with bright purple fruit, crunchy not dry tannins and a neat, fresh finish. Good balance.
A solid wine for the appelation with blueberry and mineral character, a full body and chewy tannins. Fresh,too.
The vintage
At Pey La Tour, like everywhere else, adverse weather conditions disrupted the vintage at the start of the season. We were extremely vigilant, and adopted a sustainable approach to managing the vineyard, to cope with the challenges of relentless disease pressure until mid-July. With the return of good weather at the beginning of August, calm was restored in the vineyard. Veraison was consistent for all varieties, and ideal ripening conditions allowed us to take our time and wait for the ideal picking date. Once again the late-ripening clay-limestone soils of Pey La Tour provided good resistance to vastly fluctuating water availability, and proved their worth.
Tasting notes
Really appealing fresh fruit combined with spicy notes typify the bouquet of the Pey La Tour Reserve 2012. The rounded, generous palate is supported by soft, delicate tannins. A delicious, concentrated wine, with a hint of vanilla oak on the very lengthy, savoury, fresh finish.
Blend
85% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc
Medals and Accolades
Légèrement truffe avec des notes d'épices, de fruits noirs. Rond, ample pour le millésime avec des tanins suaves et une belle construction harmonieuse sur la matière. Un bel effort pour le millésime.
After two hours open in the glass, this wine transformed: far more aromatic than on first opening and the tannins smoothed out considerably. My score is based on that more open wine. This traditional Bordeaux blend has Merlot (90%), Cabernet Sauvignon (5%), Cabernet France (3%) and Petit Verdot (2%) grapes. Although Merlot leads in the blend, this is not a far Merlot, but rather a well-structured one. The wine is aged in oak, but only 20% is new so as not to impart heavy oak notes. Classic aromas of cassis and black currant with some pepper and smoke on the nose, palate and long finish. The 2012 vintage was a strong one and it shows in this value-priced Bordeaux. The vines are planted in calcerous-clay soils. Superb balance, depth and freshness. Pair with prime rib or a rare steak. Food pairings: prime rib roast rare, New York strip loin steak, Porterhouse veal chops.
Pey La Tour's 2012 Reserve du Château offers plenty of up-front appeal in a mid-weight, floral style with lovely fruit and good overall balance at this level. Brambly notes and red cherry/plum notes add nuance is an attractive wine to drink now and over the next few years. This is a tasty, value-priced wine from Pey La Tour, one of the estates in the Dourthe family of properties. Antonio Galloni. Tasting date: July 2015
"A lovely wine from the always-reliable Pey La Tour. Polished nose, crisp poised black fruits, more blueberry and bilberry here than soft cherry. Oak evident also. Good smooth texture, with high impact attack. Sleek, modern, from a blend of 90% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc." (86/100)
Gras, générosité sans raideur tannique, finale solide.
Fresh and forward, with polished damson plum and cherry fruit complemented by a tobacco thread on the finish.
Bright crimson. Sweet and inky and easy. Then very chewy. Hard work!
A little lean but pleasant blackberry and mineral character. Medium body. Fresh finish.
Sweet cranberry and black cherry fruit intermixed with forest floor and spice box aromas are followed by a medium-bodied, dark ruby-colored 2012 that is meant to be drunk within 2-3 years of the vintage.
Owned by the large negociant Dourthe firm, this consistently well-made wine is a blend of 90% Merlot and tiny quantities of other Bordeaux varietals.
For consumers looking for value, this Bordeaux Superieur packs a lot of flesh, ripe jammy berries, flavor and silky textures for the money. 87-89 Pts
The vintage
In this early, dry vintage, the vines at Chateau Pey La Tour show excellent resistance on this late-ripening, clay-limestone terroir. Despite rather disconcerting sanitary pressure at the beginning of September, as a result of hot and rainy conditions in summer, harvesting took place calmly and collectedly, in favourable weather conditions, from September 15th to October 5th.
Prior to harvesting, we carried out a rather drastic manual selection in the vineyard, to retain only the healthy bunches. In the red wines, the vintage is expressed in a more classical, traditional Bordeaux style, with beautifully textured Merlots and exceptional potential in the Cabernets as a result of fine weather during the harvest.
Tasting notes
Very ripe on the nose, fleshy and wonderfully intense, revealing roasted, mocha notes. The wine is generous on the palate, well-balanced, with fine and rounded tannins which are evident but not at all aggressive. The wine is concentrated with a hint of freshness on the finish.
Blend
90% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot
Medals and Accolades
Légèrement graphite, épices, fruits noirs, la bouche reste souple, légère, bien en place pour un vin encore charmeur.
Dans l'immense réservoir des bordeaux supérieur, le vaste château Pey La Tour est remarquablement situé sur les beaux coteaux de l'entre-deux-mers. Bénéficiant du même traitement que les grands vins de la maison Dourthe, en particulier un élevage avec 48% de fûts neufs, il fait de l'ombre à bien des grands vins rouges avec un vin dense, savoureux, qui vieillira bien.
Best buy
A tart, cherry-scented merlot (90 percent of the blend), this is meaty, with fresh tannins that add body and weight to the wine. Those tannins share an oaky character as well as the flavor of ripe blueberry skins. Simple and rich.
SILVER MEDAL
Voilà un joli bordeaux rouge, tendre, souple avec des tanins fins et joliment équilibrés. Le boisage est discret et bien intégré, formant un ensemble plaisant en bouche. À boire entre 2017 et 2020.
Nez intense, développant des arômes de fruits noirs et rouges bien mûrs, des notes minérales et de pierre chaude, bouche ample, avec un grain fin et une bonne longueur sur la fraîcheur.
Fresh blueberry and cherry character with hints of minerals. Medium to full body with medium-chewy tannins and a juicy finish. Needs a few years to soften. Try in 2016.
The vintage
Nature, which was particularly generous this year, delivered healthy, concentrated and fruit-intensive grapes. The effects of water shortage were tempered by the calcareous-clay soils, and therefore no cause to lament any loss of harvest or wilting of the grapes. The grapes were in perfectly healthy condition, with astonishing balance in the acidity, which reached superlative levels for this dry vintage. Harvesting was both calm and spread out, taking place from 5-28 October.
Tasting notes
Dark purple in appearance. The intense, fresh, red fruit aromas of blackcurrant and blackberry characterize the delicately oaked bouquet. The wine is fleshy on the palate and the aromas on the nose increase in intensity, whilst the structure is immediately noticeable. The effect rises like a crescendo and the flavors blend together, the acidity and alcohol form a perfect balance, and the aromas and delicate tannins integrate to perfection. Red fruit notes accompany the wine’s long finish. A great vintage, extremely elegant.
Blend
90% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot
Medals and Accolades
Another reliable Dourthe estate, this huge 200ha vineyard in Entre-Deux-Mers offers consistently excellent value for money. Delicious fruity, it displays aromas of blackcurrant and plum, with fresh acidity balancing the fruit. (90/100)
MEDAILLE D'OR
Beachtliche Nase mit Anklängen von Cassis, schwarzen Oliven un Menthol, hochfeines Holz, sehr jugendlich; am Gaumen fruchttief und recht fokussiert mit noblem, dezentem Holz und gutem Druck bis nach hinten, balanciert und lang anhaltend, beachtliche Substanz.
Tout aussi élégant que le 2009, il propose un nez au fruit fondu et au boisé subtil, une bouche charnue et une longue finale fraîche.
Nez superbe, vraiment harmonieux et fondu, fruits noirs mûrs, boisé élégant, bouche dans le même esprit, fruitée, charnue, avec des tanins mûrs et une belle fraîcheur.
Du grand art pour une petite appellation c'est possible, comme avec cette cuvée au milieu de bouche plein, riche et doté d'une mâche avec du relief. Réussite et coup de coeur assuré pour sa profondeur sans lourdeur et son allonge tendre.
From the large negociant firm of Dourthe, this excellent wine is sexy, with low acidity, very bright tannin and copious quantities of red and black fruits as well as hints of licorice, earth and camphor.
Ripe, fleshy and pure, with delicious plum, blackberry and black cherry pâte de fruit seamlessly layered, wrapped with suave espresso and roasted mesquite notes. There's juicy grip through the finish.
Jolie réussite pour cette propriété de l'Entre-deux-Mers. Pour apprécier son nez frais et gourmand, il faut accorder à ce 2010 un peu de temps et d'aération pour que les senteurs vanillées et grillées de l'élevage laissent la place aux fruits. La bouche propose également un crescendo de sensations: à la fois fruitée et épicée, elle se fait soyeuse, puis gagne en volume et en charpente. Un bel équilibre se dessine, qui se révélera totalement après trois ans de garde.
Bright berry, with hints of plums and citrus fruit. Full with soft tannins and a medium finish.
Pey La Tour is a fun, simple, uncomplicated easy to like 90% Merlot based wine available for a fair price.
The vintage
Except for two episodes of hail 13th May and more severely 22nd July, which significantly reduced the harvest of the affected parcels, weather conditions at Pey La Tour were quite remarkable throughout the year. This year we were once again the last to harvest. Ideal weather conditions until October meant that we were able to wait for optimum ripeness in the grapes and the diversity of our terroirs is such that we vinified 85 different batches. After gentle vinifications using temperature control to preserve the vintage’s superb tannins, the wines are already full and fleshy, revealing elegant structure with impressive complexity.
Tasting notes
The wine is deep black in colour. Fruit aromas explode on the nose, divulging cherries, redcurrants, blackcurrants and blackberries. The wine is crisp and fleshy on the palate, underpinned by extremely delicate tannins, whilst the aromatic complexity of the bouquet is echoed on the finish. This Pey La Tour Reserve is quite delicious, just like an intensely ripe fruit !
Blend
90% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Petit Verdot
Medals and Accolades
A bold merlot-based claret, from the quality-minded Dourthe stable. Enjoy this rich, beefy, tannic 14.5 per cent alcohol claret now with a hearthy game stew. Or put it away for a few years for the tannins to soften and spicy scents to emerge.
This classic Bordeaux blend of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon delivers supreme value for the Bordeaux region where you'll be hard-pressed (no pun intended) to find this quality at this price point. Very balanced and elegant, yet full-bodied with dark fruit aromas and just enough toasty oak.
3 étoiles
Issu d'une longue tradition, ce vin est très représentatif de l'appellation et du coin de pays d'où il provient. Majoritairement élaboré à base de merlot, on reconnaît ses arômes et sa sensualité, et ce, autant au nez, qu'en bouche. Arborant une robe rubis dense et foncée, il étale des nuances de poivron côtoyant des accents de violette, ainsi que des notes bien appuyées de cassis et de bois torréfié. La bouche est ample, munie de tannins étoffés, mais possédant un grain agréable et soyeux. Bonne présence de fruit transportée par une acidité bien équilibrée avec son côté moelleux. Long et savoureux.
MEDAILLE D'OR
SILVER MEDAL
Bordeaux Supérieur au fruité dense et concentré, ce Château Pey La Tour affiche des lignes très athlétiques, avec un fruité à l'esprit sudiste, juteux et bien mûr. Baies sauvages, myrtille et épices douces se mêlent à une bouche à la fois veloutée et pleine de tempérament.
Smoky, ripe and juicy, this wine's weight and tannins are secondary to the plum note and balancing acidity. The wine is open, generous and delicious already.
3 étoiles
Vin recommandable.
Beaucoup de style pour ce vin très aromatique, fruité et fleuri, à la bouche charmeuse et bien fraîche.
Bonne matière, de la tenue et des tanins assez denses. Bonne expression de fruit et de la longueur. Un bordeaux supérieur élégant et bien vinifié pour cette propriété de 190 hectares.
Good full red-ruby. Black cherry, violet, bitter chocolate and menthol on the nose. Fat and sweet in the mouth, with a hint of chocolatey overripeness to the flavors of black cherry, cassis and licorice. Finishes with fairly fine-grained tannins, moderate length and a slightly disjointed overripe/herbal quality.
A touch overt, with a slightly baked edge to the fig, rhubarb and cherry notes, backed by roasted cedar on the finish...
Ce vin de facture moderne, composé essentiellement de merlot est devenu un incontournable au répertoire général. Rien de complexe, mais ample, assez charnu et taillé pour plaire. ce qu'il semble réussir aisément.
**** (4 stars) Rich, spicy fruit and fairly dark in colour, perhaps from its dash of petit verdot, that rounds out the blend of merlot and cabernet sauvignon. It is a touch hot on the attack, but rights itself and tastes very enjoyable. Good confident winemaking from this ever-reliable estate.
Situé à mi-chemin de Bordeaux et de Saint-Emilion, cette vaste propriété viticole dispose d'un centre de formation et d'un site hôtelier permettant l'organisation de séminaires. Acquise par les vignobles Dourthe il y a vingt ans, elle participe à la réputation de cette maison avec cette Réserve au bouquet gourmand de fruits confits et de chocolat. Franche et ample dès l'attaque, la bouche joue à la fois sur la douceur, la puissance et la rondeur, elle s'appuie sur des tanins enrobés et dévoile une finale chaleureuse qui s'entendra à merveille dans deux ans avec une côte de bœuf. (2 étoiles = vin remarquable)
From the Dourthe firm, this dark ruby/purple-tinged generic Bordeaux possesses sweet black cherry and black currant fruit intermixed with hints of loamy soil and underbrush, a round, generous mouthfeel, and upfront, exuberant fruit. This is a perfect example of the type of Bordeaux bargain hunters should check out. Drink it over the next 2-3 years. (Tasted two times.) Drink 2010-2013.
This has slightly cooked fruit, but with some pleasing jam and berry character as well. Medium-bodied, with soft tannins.
This is 95 per cent merlot and shows freshness and brightness. Medium body with an excellent depth of fruit and firm tannins. Pretty finish. Delicious already, but can age as well.