February 27, 2022 - Very pretty out of the gate. Floral but good leather and tobacco. Tempted to try it's big brother but not at the current rates.
November 29, 2021 - Drank with Tom. He sold me this bottle 20 years ago. Dark red to red rim. Classic left bank Bordeaux nose of lead pencil. Great balance and acidity with a medium long finish.
June 13, 2021 - This was a bit of a surprise. Very nice. Floral, dark fruit notes. Very good structure and balance. Long satisfying finish. No hurry to drink the next bottle.
December 26, 2020 - A very pleasant surprise: This wine was harmonious, fully ripe and with a pleasant smell and taste.
Much better than the '99 Beausejour tasted the night before!
April 19, 2019 - Super pleased with this. Cork in excellent shape - nice & tight with the wine reaching about half way up the cork. Decanted to eliminate sediment. Ruby colored, no sign of oxidation. Cedar dominates the nose. Nicely structured with red fruit, fine tannins, and medium acidity. All in balance and extremely enjoyable. I can’t believe how well it aged. Really in a great place right now.
March 12, 2019 - Michael Schuster: 1996 Medoc - An Affordable Maturity? (Mullenlowe, C-Space, 37-45 City Riad, London, EC1Y 1AT): Medium garnet. More evolved and complex, herbaceous note from the merlot, mushroom, earth, cedar, coffee, savoury, spicy. Very distinctive for Pichon Lalande. Fully developed. Classic. Low tannins. Fruit fading a little.
69% M, 30% CS, 1% CF, 13% alcohol. MS recommends 14, 15, 16, 17.
June 16, 2016 - Clear dark red colour. Smoke and leather overtones on the nose. Dark fruits on the palate with tobacco and liquorice elements. Still lingers deliciously but probably a little past its prime. Have one more of these but, on the basis of this tasting, will likely drink a.s.a.p.
July 12, 2015 - Maybe over the hill now, so if you have any left drink up now. However, a bit of smokey Cabernet fruit left in there. Good fun to try, but missing something right now.
February 14, 2015 - Nice wine, licorice, casise and earth tones, damp cement. Well balanced but a little thin mouth feel. Decanted and that might have been a mistake.
June 30, 2014 - I was worried that this was a little old - and it had certainly not been stored properly for the last 3 years or so... but particularly on the second night this turned into a really fresh and refreshing drink to relax with on its own. Not as big on the mineral side of life as I would normally expect, but a lifted slightly citrussy taste to the red fruits - delicious.