The vineyards are comprised of 2 soils, gravel on ridges, laid down by the Gironde River over a base of clay and limestone. The gravel ridges provide vines with the ability to produce fruit with finesse and elegance, the base soil allows for more depth of fruit and tannic structure. this is very typical of the Haut Medoc, these gravel ridges gently rising and falling across the vineyard landscape.
A combination of stainless steel and barrel fermentation with different cuvees or parcels of each Merlot and Cabernet made separately and then combined towards the end of wine-making to create the best cepage -blend- for the vintage.
The wines are matured in oak barrels for 12-14 months. Merlot contributes flesh and rotundity, Cabernet, berry fruit structure. Cabernet and Merlot -sometimes with Petit Verdot, Malbec and Cabernet Franc - are the traditional grapes of Bordeaux.
St Estephe is the most Northerly of the important communes on the left bank of the Gironde River in the Haut Medoc within the Bordeaux Apellation in SW france. NB Claret is the old English word for red wines from Bordeaux.
Traditionally, it produced backward, tannic wines that could be a little fruitless but with a more modern understanding of wine-making techniques and some considerable investment in the wineries, this style has become more approachable and fleshier, more joyous, indeed, in the past two decades. In the case of Chateau Tour de Pez, this investment was made by the family who owns the Louis Roederer Champagne house and the Chateau and wine-making facility has now been completely restored since 1989 and vies as one of the finest in St Estephe.