Pichon Baron vs. Pichon Lalande @ Palena

Washington DC
Tasted Tuesday, May 17, 2011 by dcwino with 3,311 views

Introduction

Eleven of us got together to compare the wines from Pichon Baron to Pichon Lalande. It was very educational in that two properties produced the wines that are unique and very different from each other. Tasted non-blind the Lalandes were very similar; fresh, pure, precise, mineral, feminine and expressive where the Barons were jammy, very ripe and silky. Based on this event, I preferred Pichon Lalandes in 2003, 1996 and 1995. The 89 Baron was not correct but the 89 Lalande was very expressive and my red WOTN. The 83 Lalande was my second favorite, just a classic delicious claret. Thank Faryan for organizing the wonderful event and the others for generously sharing their wines.

Flight 1 - Starters (2 Notes)

  • 1996 Philipponnat Champagne Brut Clos des Goisses 91 Points

    France, Champagne

    I was guessing 1990, round fruit expression, baked apple, lemon tart, medium caramel, yellow and red fruit, and a hint of oxidation. It seemed pretty mature but enjoyable. I hope this will get better definition with time but not so sure.

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  • 1996 Etienne Sauzet Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Folatières 92 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru

    I had pretty decent luck with this bottling. I am more and more a firm believer of decanting white Burgundy as it brings back freshness to wine. The color in the decanter initially is intense gold which was worrisome but since the color in the bottle looked promising earlier so it doesn’t concern me too much. The nose displays deep tone, a hint of yellow and red fruits but quite shy. The palate is intense and fresh showing bright acidity but a hint of burnt sugar makes the overall impression a bit heavy.

    About two hours later, the wine got fresher, meyer lemon, apples, steel and limestone. The nose is intense but not complex. The palate also shows nice intense fruit, bright acidity and minerality. This is a very precise and intense wine and a good example of 1er cru Puligny. This however misses the complex fruit expression and delicate balance that one finds in a Chavalier Montrachet.

    In lieu of the others notes of premox, it would be advisable to drink this sooner than later.

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Flight 2 - 2003s (2 Notes)

  • 2003 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 93 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

    Started with a hint of green and I preferred the Pichon Baron for its flamboyant expression. This however opened up very quickly, fresh, mineral, sea salt, crushed blackberries and cassis. The palate displays better definition than the Baron. It is drinking well in primary sense and I don’t anticipate this wine shutting down hard. Quite enjoyable, very little sign of the 03ness as the fruit expression is fresh.

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  • 2003 Château Pichon-Longueville Baron 92 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

    Very modern, caramel, luxurious oak, dark jammy fruit. Very plush palate but the nose seems one dimensional at the moment. If you don’t mind high end milky caramel oak expression you will prefer this to the Lalande but the oak masks the fruit and not as complex. I believe this will develop like the 90, some caramel, jammy black fruit with tobacco elements emerging more.

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Flight 3 - 1995s and 1996s (4 Notes)

  • 1995 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 92 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

    Started with a hint of ash and scorched earth but quickly blew off then some spearmint, black pepper, a slight hint of bell pepper and jammy black fruit, The palate displays medium body, silky texture and tannins is well integrated. This is a very enjoyable young claret that starts to show the secondary and tertiary characters.

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  • 1995 Château Pichon-Longueville Baron 91 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

    Not tasting blind, this is similar to the 03 just more matured. Dark jammy fruit but once again more muted nose than the Lalande, some cedar and caramel. The palate is more impressive than the Lalande, I preferred the Lalande for its freshness. The tannin sonce again is nicely integrated. The 96s seem to be fresher and more concentrated than the 95s.

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  • 1996 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 95 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

    Crushed blackberries and blueberries, lovely flowers perhaps lavender, crushed rock and cedar. The palate displays excellent concentration, round fruit and silkiness. It has long finish and seamless from the start to the end, great core energy and precision. This is a really floral wine.

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  • 1996 Château Pichon-Longueville Baron 92 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

    Once again a bit deeper, darker and sweeter fruit expression that the LaLande. Cassis, lead pencil, coffee, smoked cigar. The tannin is nicely integrated and excellent concentration. Not precise and expressive and the Lalande.

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Flight 4 - Oldies (3 Notes)

  • 1953 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

    My original plan was brining the 61 Pichon Baron but the color was not correct. The color looked promising in the bottle but when opened, it was murky. Perhaps needed to be drunk at home. Not showing much, some sous bois and caramel but really way past the prime. NR but may be 78 as is.

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  • 1966 Château Pichon-Longueville Baron

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

    Brittle cork but the color looked promising. Black, sweet jammy fruit, nice concentration but excessive VA. I would rate 82 but since not correct NR.

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  • 1983 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 95 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

    A great example of wonderfully drinking claret, neither big nor impressive but just beautifully drinking. I get mature Cab Franc flowery note, crushed rocks and no obvious fruit as the fruit is a part of overall expression. Silky palate and drinking extremely well. It complemented the stuff spicy lamb perfectly as the fat compensated for medium concentration and the slight gaminess made the wine more complex. This drinks better now but the 96 will be a better wine as it has better concentration.

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Flight 5 - 1986 and 1989s (3 Notes)

  • 1989 Château Pichon-Longueville Baron

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

    Something not quite right, a hint of oxidative note at the end, muted fruit.

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  • 1989 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 96 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

    Incredible showing, drinking beautifully like the 83 but more intensity and fruit. Floral, crushed berries, mineral, black truffle and cigar box. Exceptional balance and drinking perfectly right now combining the sweet fruit and complex tertiary elements. My WOTN.

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  • 1986 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 93 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

    This is a big scale wine. The expression is deeper and fruit sweeter than the other Lalandes tasted. It took the longest time to open up but even than not as floral. Cassis, ripe jammy dark fruits, a hint of tobacco and black pepper. The palate shows excellent concentration, chewy dark fruit and integrated tannins. Still quite youthful wine that will need another five to ten years to become more expressive with the tertiary elements.

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Flight 6 - Sauternes (3 Notes)

  • 1986 Château Climens 97 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Barsac

    A lot of ginger and spicy botrytis, mango and peach. Beautifully interplay of sweet spice, ripe yellow fruits and bright acidity. Chewy palate but the perfect balance makes the wine precise, light and fresh. An ethereal wine that is drinking magnificently.

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  • 1980 Château Climens 92 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Barsac

    Little deeper and riper nose perhaps due to the age than the 86. This is not as precise as the 86. It started as a 90 point wine but with time the nose got more expressive showing a hint of ginger, light caramel and honey and also fresher.

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  • 1975 Château Filhot 91 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes

    Little anise and grass, it is quite fresh like the other 75s. Not as botrytis driven and not as complex as the other two sauternes. This would have shown a lot better alone.

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Closing

This is my impression as I didn't take any note.

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