Pauillac Fifth Growth with organic vineyards, Cabernet Sauvignon led plantings, and a gravity fed winery designed to preserve grape aromas.
The producer
Château Pedesclaux is a Fifth Growth in Pauillac, founded in 1810 after Pierre Urbain Pédesclaux bought vineyard land from Grand Puy. Jacky Lorenzetti acquired the estate in 2009, and Emmanuelle Cruse is its director. Nearly 50 hectares are farmed organically, with Cabernet Sauvignon leading the planting over Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Jean-Michel Wilmotte designed the new gravity fed winery to help preserve grape aromas. The 2018 red shows dark berries, anise, spice, fresh acidity, fine tannin and a persistent finish.
Known for
Organic Pauillac Fifth Growth
Notable facts
Founded in 1810 by Pierre Urbain Pédesclaux after he purchased vineyard land from Grand Puy.
Classified as a Fifth Growth in the 1855 Bordeaux Wine Official Classification.
Jacky Lorenzetti acquired the estate in 2009.
The vineyard planting is 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc and 4% Petit Verdot.
The new gravity fed winery was designed by Jean-Michel Wilmotte to help preserve grape aromas.
The story
The Six Harvests Before the New Building
When Jacky Lorenzetti bought Château Pédesclaux in 2012, he found a Fifth Growth whose winery had not been rebuilt for decades. Rather than work around what was there, he commissioned an entirely new building designed specifically for gravity-flow vinification — no pumps, grapes entering at height, wine descending by its own weight through sorting, fermentation, and barrel aging. The project ran from the acquisition through to completion in 2018, meaning that six consecutive harvests — 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017 — were made in the old facility while the new building took shape on the estate. The 2018 harvest was the first to pass through the completed chai from fruit reception to barrel.
From the atlas
Château Pedesclaux
Pauillac Fifth Growth with nearly 50 hectares, organic farming, and a gravity fed winery designed by Jean-Michel Wilmotte.
At A Glance
Field
Detail
Location
Pauillac, Bordeaux Left Bank, Médoc
Classification
Fifth Growth in the 1855 Bordeaux Wine Official Classification
Organic agriculture, with certain plots farmed biodynamically
Winery
Gravity fed, designed by Jean-Michel Wilmotte to help preserve grape aromas
The Producer
Jean-Michel Wilmotte designed the new gravity fed winery at Château Pedesclaux to help preserve grape aromas. The estate is a Fifth Growth in the 1855 Bordeaux classification, located in Pauillac on Bordeaux's Left Bank in the Médoc. Pierre Urbain Pédesclaux founded it in 1810 after purchasing vineyard land from Grand Puy. Jacky Lorenzetti bought the property in 2009, and Emmanuelle Cruse is the director. The estate is fully committed to organic agriculture.
Place
Deep gravel drains quickly and warms in the sun, while clay holds more moisture. At Château Pedesclaux, those materials sit together, with limestone in certain places, and can help Cabernet Sauvignon ripen fully while retaining its place as the leading grape. Pauillac belongs to the Médoc on Bordeaux's Left Bank.
Wines
Château Pedesclaux is the estate's named red wine. Cabernet Sauvignon leads the vineyard planting, with Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot completing the four grape varieties. Cabernet Sauvignon brings dark fruit and firm tannin, Merlot gives a rounder fruit profile, and Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot can add spice and further tannin. The bottle presents a Bordeaux red through the estate's own grape proportions.
A Bottle To Understand It
Choose Château Pedesclaux 2018. Dense dark berries rise from the glass, with blueberries, anise, spice and dark fruit behind them. Luscious fruit fills the palate, followed by fresh acidity and fine tannin. The finish is long and persistent.
Final Word
Château Pedesclaux joins an 1810 foundation and a 2009 change of ownership with organic farming, Cabernet Sauvignon led vineyards and a gravity fed winery.