Tasted Tuesday, April 19, 2016 by LWI with 905 views
I have had a soft spot for Pichon Lalande for many years, the allegedly most feminine wine of Pauillac. The femininity may stem from a percentage of Merlot, historically a bit more than 1/3, and a little more than ½ with CS. Moreover, the use of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot varies between vintages and may reach 15%. However, the use of Cabernet Sauvignon now may reach 75%.
(IN fill, reconditioned at the Chateau in 1981, Adouzed for 2 hours). Sweet and sour smell, with minerals, red fruits hinting at raspberries, forest floor --- but not much. Sleek and feminine in the mouth, very pleasant, weel-balanced, soft. The age is showing, but it kept well for a good 3 hours in the glass.
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(IN fill, reconditioned at the Chateau in 1981, Adouzed for 2 hours). Initially more dark-fruited than the -28, complex nose, minerals, ‘youngish’; In the mouth: fresh wine with still much fruit, quite angular and strict, actually more so than the -28, surprisingly big bodied. After 45 minutes it falls slowly apart. 93p for the first half hour.
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(VTS fill, did not get the negociant, Adouzed for 2 hours).Fantastic nose, deep fruit, gun powder and barnyard, dark fruit, mineral, and very complex. Strangely enough, a very different animal in the mouth, thinning fruit, elegant, tart, some green, atypical 45. Overall 92p, nose: 97p
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VTS, Nicolas bottling. Plum, figs, a hint of minerals. A bit bland in the mouth, revitalizes after some time, and dies off. Soft and big bodied with no noticeable tannin, but tired.
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(IN fill, reconditioned at the Chateau in 1982, Adouzed for 2 hours). Faint plum, minerals, tart smell. Tannins very much present still, tobacco, tough and angular, some green. Very 48’ish.
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(BN/IN fill, did not get the negociant, Adouzed for 2 hours).
Shy nose initially, but widen up in the glass, some complexity, a wine of character, structured, still a bit fruit, noticeable tannins, a bit weak mid palate, but an impressive finish.
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Worrying MS fill. Complex sweet and sour smell, overripe strawberries, minerals, some forest floor, but alas a slight maderized tone. Balance and long in the mouth, but fades away in the glass.
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BN fill. Fruit, minerals, forest, some black pepper; pleasant and fresh wine, decent fruit left, but lacks the charms and sensuality of most PL 66. This comes across as quite structured, resembling a -86.
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Wonderful nose, complex, gun powder, blackthorn and blueberries, grippy – as expected, dark fruit. Lots of dusty tannin. Very -75, but with a tight ball of fruit; may even get better with more age.
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(Over)ripe fruit, some brett, blackberries; a lot of structure for a -78, pleasant and long, tannins still there – very good freshness. Not the longest.
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Bottle 1. (there was a mix up so we got two of this, and no 1970). A bit angular, but fresh and lovely, still some fruit, even if residing.
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Bottle 2. Quite deep fruit, holding together well, darker and more youthful than #1.
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Blind. Dark amber. Caramel/dark toffee, marzipan, nail polish and mature cloud berries mixed with apricots, some spice; very good mouth feeling, nutty finish, a hint of bitterness, quite deep. Guessed Rieussec 89, due to the richness.
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(Blind). Thought that this was PN at first, but the furry elements changed and green bell peppers and spice emerged. Barnyard and blackberries, a hint of mineral, black pepper, a bit harsh tannins, a lot of dark fruit, not very long, powerful, moderate alcohol. Noe idea what this was, but did hold CF as a possibility.
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Some brett, dark fruit, minerals. Big mouth feel, long and intense. No warmish -82 fruit, rather classic. Dry tobacco, long.
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Brett, fresh, concentrated byt only middle weight, some old cellar notes. Quite a few found this to be corked, I did not, and the smell did not get worse, but something was not right.
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Bottle 1. Brought as ‘without vintage’ – unreadable. Turned out to be the -86. Black currants og minerals, comlex smell; very structured and very -86, moderate fruit, but what is there is very clear, long and intense. An elegant wine.
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Not a vintage I am familiar with. Dark fruit with some depth, black currants and minerals; soft mouthfeel, somewhat short, but a good structure to what there is. Youthful. Surprisingly good.
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Mature black currants, cloves, quite complex; Fine fruit in the mouth, could have been longer, tannin present, surprisingly structured.
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Bottle #2. Deep, exotic, some minerals; surprisingly soft mouthfeel, more youthful than bottle #1, a bit more opulent – although the term does not apply well, a complex and wonderful wine. 96+
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Bretty, minerals, tough, green tea, bony. Very –88, needs a good steak.
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A lovely mix of sweet dark berries, some brett and tobacco, bonfire smoke; Sweet fruit in the mouth, decent length and tannin, not too exiting. Hmm… off bottle? Nose best.
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Corcked
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Pronounced smell of sweet pipe tobacco and balck currants, youthful, a hint of complexity; Sweet mouth, but even so rather rustic, pronounced tannin, zappy, not that long.
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Menthol and bell peppers; medium bodied, slightly drying tannins, not that long – but lovely what there is of it.
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Dark and deep, some minerals, complex; Surprisingly big bodied. I have drunk a few of these earlier, and this bottle was far more mature than some bottles just a few years back. Rich wine, vey CS dominated.
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Some bonfire smoke on the nose, the fruit is a bit one dimensional, albeit grows with air. Decent length and structure, slightly warm fruit.
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Structured with dark berries, fresh and long. Actually a most elegant and food friendly wine.
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Weaker smell compared to the 01, peppers and menthol, some meat, tar and coconut, warm fruit. A lott of tannins, woody – but the fruit beneath is thinner than in 01. Overworked.
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Blueberries and something strange and synthetic, fresh smell, but obviously warm fruit. Very rich wine, although the wood is most pronounced the underlying fruit is quite good. Not too deep, lacks a bit of acidity. Vintages trumps clumsy winemaking.
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Minerals and deep fruit; tight – nonetheless strikingly forwards/approachable. The wood is managed quit well. Dark and warm fruit. Lovely, rich and hedonistic wine.
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A hint of green on the nose, coconut; Varm in the mouth, drying tannin, a hint of something burned in the finish, yogurt.
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Great structure, very youthful, unready and tight, men does not hint at the greatest complexity.
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Quit tough, not at all the openness I have had in other 2010s, a hint of menthol. Perhaps a bit too raw tannins, clear resemblance with the 08. Tight, fresh, minerals, very promising. 93-97p
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Quite complex, Semillion shining through, pleasant and elegant in spite of modest acidity, only moderate weight.
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In summary, it did not always appear as a very feminine wine. It does well in off-vintages. The fruit has become darker from the mid 90’s (not just because the wines were younger). Not exactly any weak period (as some would clame the early 2000s to be), but variable. At its best, of course, very, very good.
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1995 Pascal Doquet Champagne Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Le Mesnil-sur-Oger 90 Points
France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru
Blind. Bready, oxidized style, a lot of mature yellow apples, good acidity, slightly big bodied.
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