Tasted double blind. While the vintage may not be among the great ones, this Pichon showed well tonight. Initially, there were some slightly murky notes, but fortunately, they quickly faded away, revealing a classic and enjoyable Bordeaux. It may be beyond its peak, yet it retains sufficient structure and fruitiness to remain good for a few more years.
TN: Shy but inviting bouquet with dark berries and some smoke notes. On the palate with a bit more intensity and clearer defined dark fruits, alongside classic graphite minerality, smoke and leathery notes and herbs. Melted tannins but still good tension, good freshness and overall very well balanced. Overall, this wine misses a bit of depth and definition.
Decanting: Not decanted, a short decant should be sufficient.
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Tasted blind. Broad range of tertiary aromas, foliage and wet earth. On balance more red berry type of fruit. Forest berries, wild strawberries and cranberries. Plenty of dried herbs such as oregano. Juicy palate with nice fruit and sufficient structure. Balance leaning towards acidity. Drinks beautifully especially for the vintage. Decades of aging must have sold a lot of problems... That said, if you have the choice probably 1980 would be the better off-vintage choice with a bit more structure.
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Xmas dinner at Old Holland. Needed my Durand to extract the last bit of broken cork. Shoulder ullage. Advised them against decanting this - good call. Fruit faded after about an hour of air in bottle. Drank in Gabriel Standart. Apearance is clear (sediments toward bottom quarter of bottle), medium intensity, ruby colour with thin garnet rim. Legs. Nose is clean, medium+ intensity, with aromas of tobacco, cigar, tertiary earth, bell pepper, cedar. Developed. On the palate, dry, medium+ acidity, medium- alcohol, mellowed resolved tannin, medium+ body. Medium flavour intensity, with flavours of cedar, tertiary earth, tobacco and old cigar box, some blackcurrant. Medium+ finish. Very good quality while it lasted. Elegant and regal. Drink up.
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This was a perfectly enjoyable old claret. A sound bottle, transparent ruby color. Green, with some red bell pepper notes, no brett, but one would not be far off to guess this as a well aged cab franc!
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Subsequent notes on this wine from over nine years ago. Dark garnet with some clearing at the edges. Full, forward & fragrant nose of well developed & mature ripe fruit aromas of dark cherries, cassis & plums with classic cigar box overtones of cedar & tobacco, leather, floral notes of violets & lavender, herbal notes, olives, underbrush & a hint of green bell pepper. Meduim bodied with a good concentration of well balanced & smooth textured, well developed & mature ripe fruit flavors of cherries, currants & plums with spices, herbs, cocoa, mushrooms & minerals. Long lingering smooth finish. Drinks quite well at 44 years of age but appears to be close to or at its peak of development, so drink up. Fill was in lower neck; cork was stained 1/3 but intact.
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No sign of the age - felt like a 90s Montrose or similar. Lots of bell peppers, silky and not fading after 1-2 hours at all (out of the bottle, no decant).
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Same bottle as Melvin. Very nice and elegant Pauillac, fully resolved tannins, light to medium body, red and dark fruit, some earth. All in great balance and very pretty. Started to fade a bit towards the end so would drink up without decant.
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Dinner at Asia Grand: Pristine bottle. I haven't had much experience with PLL but always thought it would be up my alley. Lifted, old-school Bordeaux nose with the right amount of pyrazines. Loved the precision on both the nose and palate on this. Vibrant red fruit and tasted like something from the 90s. Superb.
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Bottle purchased at Vinothique de Bordeaux in 1983. Storeage was not optimal over the decades. Ullage: high shoulder. Cork removed in two pieces. Color was good and initial flavors were pretty interesting with notes of leather and some sort of dark cherry decay. Did not improve much over time, but clearly a wine of some stamina despite its storage. Regardless, best to drink up. Not rated.
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PnP. No ABV on the label. Bricking around the edges. Old bottle funk initially, blew off fairly quickly. Clean and subtle nose, flowers, ash, and pencil shavings. Tannins mostly soften with slight dryness at backend. Sufficient acidity to keep it lively. Finished with burnt cigarette notes. Not a ‘82 but a classic vintage of this Chateau, has to be one of the better wines in this Bordeaux vintage. Very elegant and no hurry to consume, should easily last another 5 to 10 years. Some of these “not so highly rated” old Bordeaux are pure gems. Tannins were so smooth and silky for the 2nd glass, so refined and pretty without any hard edges, upgraded the score to 95 pts. Awesome! 1/12.
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A funky coffee note hung over this for a while. I initially thought it was corked, but it wasn’t. It was just fairly tertiary. The meaty character went well with the meal, and it worked out, but I was disappointed.
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Charleston VII; 11/2/2022-11/6/2022 (Charleston, SC (various locations)): Really super. Amazing how much fruit is still there. All black and cassis and showing very well. With a nice lavender background. One of my favorite styles of wine and seemed to be in a perfect drinking window although not going anywhere anytime soon.
Mid-shoulder fill. Quick double decant. At first, this was closed in with aggressive notes of cedar but little tannin and fruit. Three hours later when poured at dinner the wine took on lovely sweet notes of cassis, and a little lead pencil. A real pleasure to drink. What a wine after 43 years. Classic older Bordeaux. As someone recently said on this site, "the best taste was the last." `
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I am scoring this higher than others - I reckon I had a really well-preserved bottle. Excellent provenance.
20 mins to blow off the funk is all this needed to blossom into a beautifully classic Pauillac. Cedar - dark dried fruit, smoke, pepper, excellent mouthful and really nice finish. Awesome for this vintage!
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This old bottle of wine is still fabulous. I bought it at an estate auction for 7.50 along with 129 other French wines. It had a retail price label of 14.95 on it. I think I scored big on this one. 4 bottles left!!!
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Well mellowed, beautiful aromas emerging after 20 mins breathing in glass. Sweet fruity core, some spices and herbals. Medium finish with cedar and a little alcohol warm. elegantly aged.
Ap 4/5, Ar 12/15, Palate 17/20, Overall 5+5/10 Total 93/100
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Level was HF, cork was loose. Nonetheless the wine was in excellent shape. The nose was classic with pepper, tobacco, cedarwood, sweet berries, wet leaves. The palate is very balanced and elegant, but aromatically intense. Long finish. Drink now.
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Amazing how well this wine has held up from a perfectly-stored bottle. Fully mature and expansive with deep flavors of damp earth and black currants. The texture is quite full and smooth with a layered, complex finish showing notes of graphite minerals and grilled nuts. A great aged bottle of Bordeaux that competed well with the '78 & '82 La Miss in the same flight.
similar to my 2020 note - medium garnet/brick - mature but restrained black currant nose with undertones of graphite and tobacco - medium full mouth of sweet mature cabernet fruit - tannins resolved but acid predominating over fruit in the mouth - an elegant aged Pauillac - faulted only for a less opulent and complex nose than typical of Pichon and a higher than typical acidity - can easily last another 10 years
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erfreuliche Überraschung! Flasche in gutem Zustand, ließ sich problemlos entkorken Wenig Tannin, kein Holz, sehr viel Frucht. Reife helle Beeren und Pflaumen,feine Süße (nicht klebrig) trotz des einer schwachen Jg ein großer Wein
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Tasted blind. Tart dark berries, pepper, and a hint of sweet wood on the deep and complex nose. Nice acidity on the palate with lots of red fruit, some darker and sweeter berry flavors, and a bit of cedar. Quite long on the finish. Really delicious, coming across much younger. Probably in a perfect spot right now, but I don't see this declining anytime soon.
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Drank the ‘75 and ‘79 side by side. Both came from bottles with slightly depressed corks - the cause of which may have affected the quality of the wine.
Decanted both wines for roughly two hours. Both were delicious but decidedly different in vertical performance. The ‘75 had a wonderful bouquet - fruity, earthy and spicy. However, the wine didn’t perform as well on the palate or finish. It was tasty but not as complex as the nose and the wine seemed to fade in your mouth - all the flavors coming to a quick stop.
However the ‘79 had the opposite problem. It was never much on the nose. It smelled like a fairly average wine - but in the mouth the flavors were very balanced and complex. Fruit and earth with a touch of mushroom and spice - it all settled so nicely in the palate and continued through a long finish.
Those sharing the wines all wished we could combine the nose of the ‘75 with the palate and finish of the ‘79 to form a 100 point wine. Maybe we should have mixed them together!
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Perfect condition; another consistent Pichon Lalande; peaking with nose of leather and blackberry, soft tannin and sweet blackberry finish. The way a 79 Bordeaux should be.
Blind Wine Industry Guys (Eric's House, Hong Kong): Served blind. Faded velvet red and a nearly watery meniscus. Still opaque at the core. Nose is beautiful elegant pencil lead, tomato plant. Palate is bright lively fresh with that tomato vine element. Haunting reverberance in a chiffonesque lightness but power. I had it as late ‘70s Napa Bordeaux blend. Was 1979 Pichon Lalande. Beautiful . Quite haunting. My WOTN and many others' too. At peak, I think, but I'm sure good bottles will stay that way for many more years. Thanks Daniel!.
medium garnet/brick - mature black currant nose with undertones of graphite and tobacco - medium full mouth of sweet mature cabernet fruit - tannins resolved but acid predominating over fruit in the mouth - an elegant aged Pauillac - about as much as you could hope for in a 79
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Wizened old cork but still fully intact, extracted in one piece. A little muted at first but began showing itself quickly. Classic Pauillac nose. Dark red at the core, a little orange at the rim. Still quite dense, sweet, with very good length. The only quibble is the acid pokes out a touch, probably always has given the vintage, but a lovely aged Bordeaux nonetheless. Wont fall over any time soon, lovely now, but will probably become a bit more disjointed from here. Will last another 10 years though without too much trouble.
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medium garnet/brick. Not young but still vigorous, black currant, capsicum, cedar, dried plum, solid acidity, fine furry tannins, a pure and elegant fruity sweet core emerged after 30min breathing. medium finish with some salty savoury notes. Amazing aged Pauillac!
Ap 5/5, Ar 12/15, Palate 17/20, Overall 4+5/10 Total 93/100
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From magnum. Dried fruit and musk on the nose. This bottle was leaking a bit but still seems clean. A nice touch of tobacco and red fruit on the palate. Possibly not the best given the potential oxidation. Still showing great.
Tasted beside a 1978 out of 750mL, which showed better for the first hour. The ‘79 blossomed while the ‘78 faded.
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Charleston V - the wooden anniversary; 11/6/2019-11/10/2019 (Charleston, SC (various locations)): Wine #3 in our blind. This was my favorite of the group. Darker red fruits. Hints of barnyard. To be honest I didn't pick this as an old world. The fruit is quite compelling. A nice depth to it. It's very balanced though. Reminds me of old world style and new world fruit. Interesting to see it was '79. In a perfect spot right now.
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40th birthday wines (Pied a Terre): Good showing tonight (for my 40th birthday celebrations) thankfully. Lovely silky mouthfeel, typical of Pichon Lalande. Rich, darkly fruited and deep on the nose and palate, with a suggestion of 'old college library' on the finish that serves as a reminder that this wine is four decades old.
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Wow! Big upside surprise on my 40th birthday. Wasn’t expecting a great showing but this was wonderful. 40 years and drinking great! Tannins and structure fully integrated but the wine still had a beautiful freshness and youth. Classic Bordeaux and drinking beautifully! No decant was needed. WOTN!
Still quite young and alive with some black fruit and silky tannins even though cork was more or less completely wet. Half an hour decant is a very good idea.
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Decanted for half an hour before starting in on it. Pencil lead, leather, earth, divinity. Not sure it will get any better with more age, but it is drinking exception all well and going strong.
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Delicious and youthful with a wonderfully plummy core. A little shy on the nose but showing minty, leafy, plummy notes, maybe even with a touch of merlot chocolate. The attack is mostly silly now and the layered palate is fully integrated with the ample acids. Good length and it really impresses most for its balance and equilibrium. Fully mature but going strong. [from a bottle with a perfect fill and almost no stain up the sides of the cork, so this bottle was stored exceptionally well by someone for 40 years]
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Leather and cedar with blackberry; still well knit and supple; acidic and tannic on backbone and somewhat imbalanced; composed with sweet blackberry finish.
I purchased this 750ml bottle from The Chicago Wine Company on the strength of the positive experiences with this vintage that have been reported here recently.
This off-vintage Second Growth, which was vinified from 45% cabernet sauvignon, 35% merlot, 12% cab franc, and 8% petit verdot at 12% abv, was by no means powerful, deep, or intense, but it gave mightily of what it had. What it had was a nice garnet color with a clear appearance, a mature nose with hints of red berries, a silky mouthfeel not completely devoid of a little tannin to keep things interesting, a touch of red fruits, a touch of acid, and a seamless balance between all these elements. I know 1978 was supposed to be the miracle vintage, but this was spectacular. (***/15.5/91)
Addendum: We vacuum sealed this and put it in the fridge and five days later, it hasn’t lost a step.
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Last of 12, decanted an hour, perfect level, travel up half cork, previous notes since 88 fine or better, last noted in 10 as F - deepish garnet, lightening rim; cassis and mulberry, some cedar, graphite and tobacco, hint of chocolate, complex and quite fresh; medium bodied, decent length, not particularly persistent or concentrated, decent fruit flavours, alive and attractive, if clearly towards the end of its days. F (17.5)…..one of the better 79s along with Giscours and, amazingly, du Tertre!
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Opened this on Thanksgiving along with a '79 Cos d'Estournel. Original buyer and always properly stored. Cork was almost loose. No leakage. Wine level was at the top of the shoulder. Decanted for 30 minutes. Initial nose was earthy but bloomed into delicate fruits and florals. This bottle was slightly past its prime and not quite the match for other vintage Pichon's I've had, but still complex with berries and nuts that outshone mellowed tannins.
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Re-corked at the Chateau in 1993. Great showing for this bottle. Youthful, classic Lalande femininity of the Pauillac side. Healthy color and outstanding length. Outshone 1983 Lalande (90 pts) and surprisingly, 1986 Las Cases (smelled a bit funky, possible bottle variation or corked) on the Bdx flight of the night.
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This was a different experience than my last bottle. I decanted this for an hour, then savored it over another two hours. The fruit emerged slowly with layers of flavors. Clearly an old wine, on its downslope, but it was thoroughly enjoyable tasting its evolution in the glass. This at a dinner with the PSF Gala wine auction committee.
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It’s time to drink these. Cassis, pencil, just a hint of lavender in an anemic frame to start and, though the fruit comes to the fore with air, it develops an almost 1976-like sur-maturité. I like this for what it is - very classic, old style Pichon Comtesse from a filler vintage to be popped and poured with those who enjoy the style.
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Still has legs, but should be enjoyed sooner rather than later. Good, deep berries on the nose and palate. Good, dark color and a nice rosy rim. A spicy finish completes the experience. I decanted for nearly three hours, with a couple of vigorous swishes and swashes to liven it up after being trapped for nearly 40 years.
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On the downhill slope, but not without charm, especially texturally, as the wine is soft and silky. Focused on the bright, red berry side of ripeness, there is a strong, leafy, green olive, tobacco leaf and peppery component in the nose and palate. Still, considering its age and the vintage, this was still nice to drink. But it is not a wine for further aging. Drink up.
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Good neck fill bottle briefly decanted then drank over the next 2 hours alongside a 1989 Dunn Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon. Transparent ruby colour but still very jewelled and alive. Nose was initially much quieter than the Dunn like a water-based perfume of rose and rose-hip. For the first hour, the palate is still quite good acidic freshness but with some alcohol and greenish tannin crowding out the evident dep redcurrant fruit lurking in the background. But....then the nose evolved into something much more ethereal, elegant and almost chiffonesque in its elegant multidimensionality. Likewise, the palate took on a multi-dimension power but with a feminine elegance and ligthness that extended to a finessed mind-expanding finale. I think this wine really needs to be a bottle shared between no more than two or three people...a single glass won't reveal its complexity as it opens up. Gorgeous!
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Not singing in the way my last bottle was, but still a very impressive bdx for its age. Fruit is still there, though faded for sure -- more earth and leather at this late stage.
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Second Sunday Group: 2012 v 2013 Napa Cabernets (Our house): Tasted vintage blind, i.e., Marty covered the vintage on this before it was served (pop & pour). Rustic, with that wonderful green, herbal PLL bouquet. Red fruit and herbal tones. Fresh and lively, with a long, balanced finish and fully-resolved tannins. I guessed '89. Other guesses included '85 and '88. A well-stored bottle at peak, with at least a few more years at this level.
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Fabulous wine. Brought it to a Pichon Laland tasting. Other Vintages were 78, 86,89,00 and 05. All were excellent . The older ones, 78 & 79 drank better. It was amazing how much life that they had. Typical Paulliac with the leathery, full bodied and still dense. Very profound wines. The 78 & 79 were still at their apex. The 79 still had good color, light red on edges. Very good fruit with a long finish, 45 + seconds. There was not a bad wine in the group. If you own these, you will be rewarded for for your patience while the tannins are shedding.
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PNP, capsule was corroded and soaked cork. I was worried it would be flawed, but the wine was still in good form. The nose and flavor made me think of Mexican food, cilantro, green bell pepper, a hint of chipotle. This flavors were in balance with acid, a hint of dark fruit, earth, tobacco. It was enjoyable and interesting to sip on its own, but very few of our party returned to it for a second glass. We may not be aged Bordeaux people.
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Clean bottle. Pretty quiet on the nose with only some saddle leather and tobacco coming through. Fully integrated with mostly dried fruit on the palate. Would think this has a good 3-5 years left before the fruit dies out.
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Very little sediment, just like my last bottle. Slight browning around the edges upon opening, but the color deepens a bit after some time in the decanter.
Beautiful, complex aged Bordeaux nose, with aromas of cherries and dusty cedar. The palate shows similar notes, with a perfect tannic grip and a finish that lingers for nearly two minutes.
This will probably hold for a few years yet, but I suggest drinking sooner rather than later. A gorgeous wine!
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Base neck fill. Not decanted. Allowed to breathe in bottle 45 minutes before serving. Clear medium deep garnet-blood-brick red. Lovely bouquet of cigar humidor, red and black currants, creme de cassis, potpourri, forest floor, oyster shells, truffles. Similar on the palate, medium body, seamless, elegant, polished, satin mouthfeel.
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A very nice, traditional Pauillac, with its best years already behind it, though it still manages a correct and even enjoyable showing. You've got to like pepper - in all its forms, from roasted poblanos, to coarse ground black pepper, to fresh bell pepper. But, these aromas are not overwhelming, they don't dominate anything, but rather they boldly complement the core of red and black fruits, the graphite, soil and the mushrooms. The wine is very clean, and the color is in fine shape (great fill, too), but it's clear, this is on the backside of its trajectory, so time to drink up. Lovely mature specimen that did not fade at all during the two hours we had it open. Very nice. Drink now or in the next 5 years.
PnP, served non-blind.
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Pichon Lalande Tasting: 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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Vertikal provning Pichon Lalande 12 årgångar 66-90. 1979: syltig, generös, merlot driven, katrinplommon, ålderstoner, torkad svamp doft, fuktig, norrländsk myr, härlig mognad, bra syra i slutet, perfekt att dricka nu. Top 5 baserat på blinda röster från 16 personer i sällskapet, en av två årgångar som båda experterna/projektledarna hade som top 4 favorit, den andra var 1982.
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This bottle was drinking nicely and was best from a blind tasting of 1969, 1979, 1989. Was guessed as PLL 1996 by one taster (CRH), pretty impressive considering it was served double blind, so he had no early clue on the country let alone the estate. I think that comment speaks volumes as to how this was drinking. No one came close to guessing 1979. I really think PLL killed it in 1979, but don't let anyone else know that...shhh. Most thaought is was a Cali Cab from a great vintage in the 1980's.
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Faint white pepper and vanilla on the somewhat sweet nose. The Palate has thinned but still exhibits light black raspberry and midpalate sweetness before tightening up on the finish. A better vintage than advertised in many respects. Double decanted and then corked for two hours before serving.
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Really amazed that there's still life in this wine! There was even detectable sweetness in both the nose and tail end of the finish. As you'd expect, a ton of earthy, herby tobacco notes. The other surprise was the opaque color. Really interesting experience.
-- Consumed at at cellar temp: 60°-65° F. Friends don't let friends drink red wine at room temp!
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Drank alongside a '78 and both were showing there age. I was torn as time went on which was the better wine, but this one initially felt more integrated and elegant. Someone at the table thought it could go another 5 years, which would surprise me. Not at all bad to drink though.
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Still drinking well - the tannins are still there. Started out a bit musty but blew off to show stewed plums, dried red berries, earthy and leathery. very old school claret.
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The wine out of DM was drinking beautifully. Perfect balance front to back palette, length on finish of 40+ seconds. Proof again that wines in largerfFormats that are older, tend to find a balance that 75cl doesn't. Plenty of fruit, fully integrated tannin. Tobacco and a little leather on the nose. Just an amazing wine experience.
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Deep dark garnet with some bricking at the edges. Forward, fragrant & attractive nose of complex, well developed & mature ripe fruit aromas of dark cherries, cassis & plums with classic cigar box overtones of cedar & aged tobacco, floral notes of violets & lavender, herbal notes of juniper, sage & rosemary, some underbrush & green bell pepper with secondary notes of earthy, truffles, coffee, olives, dusty, leather, some spiciness and minerals. Full bodied with a good concentration of silky textured, balanced, well integrated, developed & mature ripe fruit flavors of dark cherries, black currants & plums with spices, earthy, herbs, some cocoa & minerals. Long lingering smooth finish. Drinks quite well at present at 35 years of age and appears to have the structure & fruit to hold onto its current plateau of development for a few more additional years.
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Pichon-Lalande Vertical Tasting (Mark Allen): More fresh cherry and red currant than the '66, with a touch of strawberry; forest floor mixed with light berries and cedar. Great balance with light tannins still there to give it a little grip. Very nice. (RP 90)
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Lovely delicate wine. Brambles and blackcurrant on the nose with some menthol and cedar. Blackcurrant, spice, earthiness and wood, rich but light with everything well balanced and a long finish. Probably at it's peak like others have said, but perhaps still has legs.
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- Garnet color - Decanted to remove sediment, but there was hardly any in the bottle. Slight browning around the edges. You'd never guess this was 35 years old. This is in beautiful spot right now.
Cedar and sweet fruit on the nose. Dark fruits, cedar, leather, and earth on the palate. The finish is incredibly long and flavorful.
This vintage might not be a highly-sought after one, but this is a great wine. It is definitely at its peak, but it will hold for a few years yet.
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From a magnum, great wine but it was outclassed by the '88 MonteBello served along side. While there was some lovely depth on this wine, there was a ever present green note on the palate that was a little disruptive among the other notes. On any other night, I'd likely have been much more forgiving.
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What a pleasant surprise. This was ready to go immediately although it kept improving over 3 hours. Elegant nose of dark fruit, cedar, green pepper and earth. Dark fruit, herbs and leather on the palate. Round, smooth and perfectly balanced. A great Pichon to enjoy right now.
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Amazing life and complexity for a 79. Beautiful classic nose of cedar and leather; blackberry and licorice; long elegant finish; developed fully after a 3 hr decant.
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Shocked how much fruit is still here (tons), and how air over an hour didn't hurt at all. Classic nose, tons of pencil lead and forest and mud and stuff. But it's the palate that's so perfectly balanced and fleshy and decadent. Beautifully integrated right now and should please for at 5-8 more years. For 100$ this was a brilliant wine. Have to grab a couple more!
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Garnet, brick with med-lite viscosity in the glass. Ripe, rustic nose of prune, plum, wild raspberry, olive, mushroom, wet earth, melted-down chocolate and dried tobacco. Secondary touch of green and hide. Medium body, ripe and plush on the palate. Present red and dark fruit combined with aged Bordeaux nuance. Plum, raspberry, cherry, olive oil, tobacco, strawberry, clove, mushroom and tobacco. Secondary spearmint and bell pepper. Perfectly balanced layers. Med-long finish. Excellent quality, pleasing complexity.
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1979 Bordeaux horisontal (Oslo): Klar, mørk dyp rød med svakt oransjestikk i kanten. Mørk, lett søtlig nese med hint av knekk, søte, mørke bær, lær og hint av brent treverk. Bløt og myk frukt som har samtidig har fin fasthet. Frisk syre. Lett tanninbitt i finish.
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Complex, classic nose, mature with mushrooms, tobacco, spices, cedarwood. Elegant and smooth, with resolved tannins. Long finish. Wine is in great shape now.
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Nicely aged wine. One wound not expect a Bordeaux but rather a great Napa Cab out of the 70s. Just great, still drinks very nicely even though it is a bit past its peak.
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Flott, frisk farge uten antydning til brunt. Støv, smør, karamell, lakris og blyant på nese. Rund og bløt, sursøt --men frisk -- frukt av syltet jordbær og solbær. Litt vandig i avslutningen, men god lengde, noen myke tanniner. Tilfredsstillende vin som var i ungdommelig, fin form nå (må ha vært perfekt lagring) -- men som kanskje ikke skal ligge for mye lenger.
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Mild rød, nesten uten brunstikk i kant. Svakt skyet. Mild, noe støvete nese med lett sødme og et floralt og forførende rødbærspreg. Hint av tobakk. Frisk og transparent frukt med bløt struktur og frisk syre. Fjærlette tanniner i en mildt sursøt og finish med ok lengde. Overraskende frisk og ungdommelig for alderen. 91+ P
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Domaine Wine Storage Saturday BYOB (Domaine Wine Storage (Chicago)): Really nice. And a great change up from the rest of the younger wines of the day. Funky Bordeaux styling. Nice blood orange, cinnamon, baking spices. Palate is soft and completely resolved. Really nice length with underbrush and potpourri accents.
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Another Saturday at Domaine (Domaine Wine Storage, Chicago IL): Nose: Gorgeous and flowing nose filled with tones of tobacco, cedar, bell pepper, some cigarette ash, and some dark red fruits. This is beautifully balanced and nuanced with very good layering.
Taste: Medium/full bodied with nice supporting tannins. There is a silky quality to the tones of tobacco, leather, dark red fruits, bell pepper, and cigarette ash. The balance and refinement emerge with a bit of air as well.
Overall: This showed extremely well. It grew a bit in the glass and was a picture of poise and refinement.
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Saturday Afternoon at Domaine (Domaine Wine Storage - Chicago, IL): Gorgeous. Nose of balsamic, spice, dark fruits, and tobacco. The palate was a mix of berries, rich tobacco, and smokey earth. Just a beautiful wine that was drinking incredibly well. An impressive wine from a maligned vintage.
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I really did not think this bottle was going to be drinkable. There was a thick ring of mold under the capsule and on top of the cork. The cork itself was mostly dried out and the bottle showed evidence of seepage. Somehow the wine had survived--although it was a bit muted upon opening. After a two hour decant it improved significantly. Relatively smooth with notes of bell pepper, dark chocolate, and vanilla. Mid-length finish. A few years past peak, but a much better than expected experience.
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Time to drink. With lamb, foie gras and it was stunning but can tell it is at peak approaching the other side. Chocolate, leather, cassis, dark fruit. Absolutely spectacular but I'm biased toward this wine and its producer. I strong point, however, is that this 79 was consistent with most other vintages and you knew you had Pichon Lalande in your mouth. Rare achievment.
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Had this with partner for our 20th anniversary dinner last night, as accompaniment for grilled filet mignon. Sat bottle upright first thing in the morning, strained and decanted mid-day. Surprisingly little sediment for such a mature bottle. Vibrant crimson color with absolutely zero bricking and a nose wafting out of the decanter of dried cherries, apricots, leather and a fair amount of wood. Snuck an initial sip and - not surprisingly - found it to be shut down, with some of the mouth-puckering green pepper astringency other reviewers have noted. But with five hours of air, the taste caught up with the rich nose. Palate-coating, rich red fruit flavor with a still quite prominent spine of wood that gave the wine depth and a silky (though not overly long) finish. The cedar notes gave it away as Paulliac, but there is no way would I have believed this to be a 33 year-old bottle. 1998, maybe even 2000, but 1979? Utterly, completely - and very pleasantly - shocked. Just super.
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I had about four bottles of these ten years ago and they were absolutely lovely then - one of my favorite Bordeaux at the time. Now trying this again it has faded a little and has lost some of its sweetness. I'm getting a lot of mushroom and some leather; the tones are slightly drab. Still a nice wine, but worth drinking now vs. holding.
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Wine Group Bordeaux Tasting. Lovely nose of dark fruit, hint of pencil lead, more of the same on the palate with hints of green pepper, tobacco, and herbs, medium body and medium/long finish. Over the peak and then some but still enjoyable.
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Nice plump fruit, chocolate, with some earth and raw mushroom emerging. A very pure, luscious quality to the body. Very enjoyable with magret de canard aux girolles....
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Gracious, elegant claret. Still has a fine core of fruit yet has certainly entered the domain of tertiary flavors. A touch of damp earth could also be detected. A nice lunch wine. (90)
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Over dinner. Beautiful older vintage PL, with floral and strawberries on the initial nose. As night progressed, additional burnt tobacco and rubbing alcohol notes emerged. Palate was svelte, refined with lighter red fruit notes, tobacco, cedar. Nice classic finish.
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Mid-neck fill. Light bricking on the edges, but still quite crimson. Popped and poured and ready to go, but enjoyed over the next few hours. Initial nose that was herbaceous and slightly green, with a bot of green pepper. Later this turned to more of a vinyl, burned rubber/lit match that was "interesting" but not too off putting. Light to mid-weight palate with dried red fruits but still showing some cassis and cedar spice. A touch hollow, but great persistence on the palate with a stony sandalwood character. Fine acidity. Changed but didn't really fade over a few hours. Yes plenty of green flavors, and not especially concentrated, but great persistence and balance. Prominent acidity, probably drying out a touch. Drink up--this is delightful.
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Surprising good. Still had a good nose, and the fruit was apparent but beginning to fade. Decanted an hour before drinking, longer would have been helpful, as the wine needed to open more.
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Group de Degustation Diner, L'Anniversaire de Daniel, '1970s in France & Elsewhere' (Hong Kong Wine Vaults, Aberdeen, Hong Kong): Drank double-blind. Lovely clear and bright translucent light blood-red colour. Nose is....gosh!...fully mature but very complete Bordeaux....still some youthful box-wood on the nose (which is weird because it's clearly not young), very nice black and red berry fruits and also a lovely stinky element of stables floor strewn with fresh hay. Palate is quite fresh acidic attack, medium weight, a bit dilute on the mid palate but then lots of red fruit and dry tannic attack on the back end. Quite tart and acidic but not overly so and the box-wood is also there again on the back of the palate. Not much length but it does carry a subtle resonance. Old but in some ways still young....I like it a lot.
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Selected a bottle of the 1979 Chateau Pichon Lalande yesterday afternoon to accompany a rack of fresh Alberta lamb with dinner.
This vintage has long been a strong choice with me, particularly with Lalande and Palmer as these wine offers up some truly pleasing characteristics in the bouquet and on the palate. This bottle didn’t disappoint.
High fill in the bottle – about ¾” below the bottom of the cork; long cork extracted intact and I proceeded to decant the wine after opening, about 3 hours prior to serving; some fine sediment and a noticeable amount adhered to the inside of the glass surface; extremely dark mahogany in colour, extending out to a thin amber rim; bouquet flowed readily from the glass – cassis – cedar notes – spice – an element of fresh hazelnut and coffee; rich and full in the mouth – some elegance as the wine slid out to the mid palate and lingered there; black currant fruit seems to explode in bunches; harmony of the elements and flavours in evidence with the tannins more or less completely resolved; nice frame held firm; finishes very long – an aftertaste of black currant and spice that lasted a full minute and a half. Alas, my inventory is pretty much depleted. Nice choice to accompany the lamb.
Background music was from the album Waltz For Debby featuring Ahmad Jamal’s piano stylings - part from Bubba’s Restaurant in Fort Lauderdale in March of 1980, and from a concert in Cannes in January, 1981, which featured Gary Burton on vibes. Several outstanding tracks, including Morning Of The Carnival and Autumn In New York.
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Very nice evolved Bordeaux with beautifull depth, complexity. But the best was the mouthfeel, superb silky texture at the beginning followed with perfect balance between the matter, freshness and tannins of excellent quality. Very long in the mouth. A really nice Pauillac
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I liked it as a very mature bordeau but one of my friends thought it was a little flawed as it was too vegetative like green peppers- didn't taste it myself
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Good ruby colour, only a very slight fade at the rim. Impressive for age; Dried Cherries, Cranberries. Good intensity. Fresher notes of wild cherry as well. Beautiful perfume opening up with complex notes of cedar, cigar box and typical Pauillac graphite; smooth, elegant palate. Silky tannins. Very rich core of fruit still. Finishes strong with nice minerality on show. Very long. Exceptional 1979 Pauillac.
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Just a great mature expression of Brdx. Fair amount of herb and tobacco with the tanis fully resolved. This wine is probably at or beyond its' peak so I wouldn't wait much longerto consume.
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Birthday wines; 12/10/2010-12/14/2010: Round soft offering of plush velvety currant fruits. Juicy and sumptuous and more st julien or right bank i thought.
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Alex's Birthday BBQ (Alex's place): First of a pair with the 1980. Like its younger sister, this was surprisingly good for the vintage, but while the other was quite clearly Pauillac, this drank more like a right-bank. I really liked the nose, which showed, blueberries, cassis, spice, and tobacco, along with a nice meatiness. Very merlot I thought, and the palate compounded that impression. Soft, velvety and full of feminine charm, it showed opulent dark cherries, some chocolate, spice and more tobacco notes moving into a long juicy finish with more succulent fruit. Very fresh and alive, it just lacking some of the subtsance of top vintages of Lalande. I enjoyed it tremendously though, and it went beautifully with a BBQ'ed Cajun Chicken breast.
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A little too much accid, perhaps. No bricking whatsoever, looks like a 10 yr old wine. Full of fruit and spices. This is an easy drink, and has some more time left. Best after 2 hours decant.
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A bit acidic on the open, but softened almost immediately into the picture of elegance. Restrained fruit, earthy, smooth. Over the course of the evening, the fruit began to fade - not surprising. Don't wait to enjoy this one - it seems to have slightly tipped over the top (though I expect a very leisurely slide down with interesting stops along the way).
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Birthday Wines (Kruger's D*ck): When I saw this one pulled, I thought I have tasted in past, and I have. This was quite shy at first. Firm in acidity and tannin, the midpalate didn't flesh out for 20 minutes or so in glass. After a while I was surprised with a burst of black fruits, cherry and cassis. The acidity softened a bit and tannins rounded out. Lots of autumnal aromas, leaves, potpourri, mushrooms. It was fun to watch this blossom in the glass over 30 minutes at least.
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In a marvellous place right now with tertiary smells of truffles, smoked meats and boot leather. There’s still a sweet, vinous core and it is a wine that’s showing good aged complexity yet remains vibrant and energetic. Very pleased that I still have a couple of these in the cellar.
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This bottle was in excellent shape. Decanted about an hour before tasting. It continued to improve for about another two hours at which point it started dropping off rather quickly. Past its prime but still holding up remarkably well given the vintage. Great nose right out of the bottle, classic Pauillac lead pencil and earthiness. My favorite wine of the night.
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The nose was very expressive with classic graphite, cassis and leather. The fruit was dried cherry laced with cedar...it's real tasty. This bottle still showed quite a bit of fruit...the tannins were resolved. It was smooth and had nice structure.
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really nice and full of life for a 30 year old wine from a moderate vintage. Bottle fill was low neck, but color was ruby purple paling to the rim. Nose was gentle flowers and fruit, and on the palate the fruit was still there, in a stylish autumnal way, moderately long with nicely balancing acidity on the finish. I was sorry to finish my last bottle of this, but it was time.
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This was a disappointing showing. Good cork, opened and decanted for a couple of hours. Nice smell with a bit of earth, mint, and green pepper on the nose. After a couple of hours this still had not opened for business. I did not have a chance to try the wine after more extended decanting, but this seemed quite a bit past its prime with a very faded brown edge and only traces of green bell pepper and earth. I could tell it had been a well balanced wine at one point, but there was just not much left to evaluate here.
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Very impressive. Rich, layered nose of sweet, mature fruits, cigar, cedar, and vegetal notes. Damp earth and leaves, very autumnal. Great richness and balance on the palate. Definitely agree with the sentiment of this wine having an "intellectual" character, but there was certainly also a "superficial" level of enjoyment as well.
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Cork still intact and in good condition -- came out solid. Still had its fruit upon opening with typical bordeaux flavors and aromas. Lots of earth and dirt on this one.
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Jim's & Angelo's Birthday Wines at Vie (Vie (Western Springs)): Leafy briary dried black fruit aromas with very slight green edge that is primarily mineral driven. Nice sweet dried blackberry charred flavor with mild herbal quality. Smooth and well integrated. a nice drink featuring dried fruits in slighlty rustic style. 90
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My 30th birthday dinner (Restaurant Cofoco): Fine red center with a slightly brown hue. Pure, refined black currant bush with notes of mint, earth and cedar on the sweet nose. Very fresh and juicy black currant and earth first on the palate. More leafs, cedar and tobacco on the midpalate and finish. It is refined, yet intense on the palate with good lively acidity and velvety tannins. Ready to drink now but still vibrant and lively.
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Trentieme Fete d'Anniversaire et degustation de Bordeaux mil. 1979 (Indianapolis, IN): See my note from 12/06. I bought this wine at auction and the cork suggests the wine was kept at the chateau and re-bottled in 1993. Two previous bottle were very pleasing (and young), but this bottle both smelled and tasted like over-ripe cheese. Not at all enjoyable and, in fact, offensive. Curiously, some of the Napa fans in the group rated it as a top wine of the night.
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White Truffle Dinner (Chez Patrick Sun Street, Hong Kong): Transparent reddish colour and noticeably bricking. A lovely nose of classic old Pauillac, rich in tertiary character best described as old compost heap. Mouthfilling on the palate with great cassis fruit, cedar woods vanilla which opened up a lot as the evening went on, although it had less depth and more prominent acidity than its 1982 sibling. Good length with distinct "in your head" sensations. An intellectual rather than hedonistic wine, whereas the 1982 is both.
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2008 White Truffle dinner paired with incredible selection of wines. This was the 4 wines we tasted on that night, and it was compared with Pichon Lalande 1982 and Lynch Bages 1982. Very surprisingly, the Pichon 1979 for most we more enjoyable than the Pichon 1982, and some even preferred it over the Lynch bage 1982. It was well rounded, plenty of aromas in particular licorice, cigar box and leather but still had enough acidity and some fruit left to make it so nice. I am definitely going to try to find some more as it was my last bottle.
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nose: real nice bordeaux nose. raspberry, tobacco, and cranberry mostly with some leather, cedar, and barnyard also coming through
taste: real nice. getting mainly cranberry, tobbacco, and cedar with hints of barnyard straw
overall: this is drinking great right now and has enough structure on it to last another 5-6 years before it starts to decline. Real nice wine with a good solid finish
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Very dark red, no sign of old age Soft nose, blackbarries, ceder wood, well rounded perfume, complex Beautiful taste, round, soft finish, power a bit is gone, but still strong an elegant
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A beautiful wine. Very smooth. Opened and poured off a glass for two hours. The fruit continued to come out for another two hours. Not a big wine or heavy wine by any means. Certainly ready to drink. Would not wait to many more years. Everyone liked it with the Prime Rib. Elegant.
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Decided to open after reading other's responses. Showed extremely youthful on the palate and held a slight piney/menthol note that was offensive on the nose, so I decided to decant. The colour was a brilliant garnet with only slight brick highlights. It opened up beautifully with loads of baking spices, some cedar and vanilla, and black cherry. The palate was still youthful with more than expected fruit up front, bitter chocolate, olive tapenade, and very dusty tannins. The colour and palate alone did not show a 28 year old wine. I think this was stored in a colder than desired climate. Great experience though.
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Introspective Retrospective Tasting at Ken's (Ken's Place): Dark brown to ruby in color and translucent at the rim. Generous and gorgeous nose seduces with earth, herbs and cigar box. Palate is complex with medium bodied fruit. Cassis is complemented by tobacco leaf, green herbs, minerals, and tea leaves. Finish is beautifully complex and still showing some sweet fruit in the long encore. Excellent.
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Cork was soaked and spongy, the wine had leaked through into the capsule and there was something growing there, and there was a bite missing on the bottom of the cork. Opened and decanted approximately 40 minutes before serving, was able to pour off a crystal clear claret into the decanter. Nose was consistent with previous note (cassis, wood, roasted herbs and perhaps a touch of coffee). Some slight oxidation, but still well balanced and surprisingly fresh. Still drinking very well, but, alas, my last bottle.
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SOBER tasting - dinner w/ Spouses (Equus): Nose of forest floor and pine needles (in an aged pine needle, good way). Lovely purple fruits, still structured but fairly mature. Great texture, nice spiciness. Subtle.
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Opened shortly before serving, and did not decant (as it turned out, the fine sediment was manageble with careful pouring). Cork was intact, stained along its length, but clean on top. Mature nose of cassis, wood, roasted herbs and perhaps a touch of coffee. Still well balanced, at alternating turns the wine seemed fresh on the palate, and then slightly oxidized. I would say that this particular bottle was a little past peak, but still drinking very well.
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It would be unfair to put a numerical score on this one, because it was definitely past its prime. Aroma was very medicinal, taste was tending toward vinegar with no other tastes. Thin, simple and disappointing, but at least it was a gift and I did not pay for it.
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A fascinating bottle with a pristine label. Pulled the cork which reads "Rebouche au chateau en 1993." Cork appears to be brand new. I served this wine blind to some friends and the guess was that this was a wine from the 90s, and possibly from the right bank--wrong!! Very youthful in color and on the nose. Sweet cassis and earth on the nose, with the trademark Pichon Lalande "greenness"--not an undesirable trait in this bottle. In the mouth the wine indeed tastes young, in part due to the tanninc finish. There is balance of the fruit, however, to suggest that this wine, despite being 27 years old, has the components to continue to age well. I bought these bottles recently and they were sold as "recently re-released"--Indeed a testament to the cellars of Pichon Lalande.
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Dinner and Fine, Aged Wine at Le Francais (Wheeling, IL): Dark ruby to purple in color. The nose is more herbal than fruity (which is right up my alley) and also has leather and tar notes. In the modied with the tannins melted into the fruit. Quite soft with a flavor profie similar to the nose. Green herbs and dark fruit. Fully mature and oh-so enjoyable.
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Decanted two bottles of the Pichon Lalande, and was able to pour off the clean wine easily. Some fine sediment adhered to the glass surface, and the balance at the bottom. Very long corks in great condition - fill level midway in the neck - extremely dark, with a browning hue, just fading slightly to the rim; perfumy bouquet, offering up a blend of fine cassis, sweet spice, against a broad cedar backing; truly a pleasant bouquet, and showing some fresh coffee, ripe olives and an edge of smoke with some short sniffs; full and expansive on the palate; rich and velvety smooth, with seemingly low acidity; cascading black currant flavours, coupled with just a hint of earthiness; tannins are pretty well subsided, and just a small amount holding the structure in place; very long finish, where the fruit lasts and lasts. Fine wine from a vintage which didn't receive especially good reviews at the time. I've been very pleased with the Pichon and also Palmer from '79, although my cellar stock is becoming low on both wines.
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Dark red in the glass. Light brown at the rim. Strawberry jam on the nose. Nice structure and definition. Also good fruit sweetness. Mature and resolved. Somewhat astringent and bitter on the medium finish.
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Aged top Bordeaux with my local tasting club (@ My place): Elegant and complex. Very harmonious although there is quite much acidity. The wine is in the phase where it looses all its youthful impressions and is becoming tertiary.
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still deep red, nose needed a little coaxing at first but classic Bdx as it warmed - silky smooth, rich, Ithink it has another 5 years of likfe left yet
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A Latour - Les Forts tasting: the pirate in this tasting and the best wine too; lovely vanilla, perfect touch of wood, perfumed, refined spices, a female style combined with persistence; everything in balance.
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With MPL, BLR and Diane at S&F survey of '79 Bordeaux. Rich ruby. Thick. Sweet fruit i the nose. Slightly weedy/herbal. On the palate, good flavor. Excellent balance with a long finish. Silky and elegant. Good wine. 5-10-15-7: 87/100.
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With K at home at dinner (steak). Dark red ruby. Nose was reticent for a couple of seconds, then opened to reveal a hauntingly lovely fragrance. Great chocolate, cocoa-scented fruit. On the palate, the wine is very good, plump, round, fairly rich, and drinking very well now with very little in the way of abrasive tannins. Very nice body and excellent balance. Long, elegant finish. 5-12-15-7: 89/100.
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3/6/2024 - Cailles wrote: 91 Points
Tasted double blind. While the vintage may not be among the great ones, this Pichon showed well tonight. Initially, there were some slightly murky notes, but fortunately, they quickly faded away, revealing a classic and enjoyable Bordeaux. It may be beyond its peak, yet it retains sufficient structure and fruitiness to remain good for a few more years.
TN: Shy but inviting bouquet with dark berries and some smoke notes. On the palate with a bit more intensity and clearer defined dark fruits, alongside classic graphite minerality, smoke and leathery notes and herbs. Melted tannins but still good tension, good freshness and overall very well balanced. Overall, this wine misses a bit of depth and definition.
Decanting: Not decanted, a short decant should be sufficient.
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2/5/2024 - sirpat00 wrote: 93 Points
Tasted blind. Broad range of tertiary aromas, foliage and wet earth. On balance more red berry type of fruit. Forest berries, wild strawberries and cranberries. Plenty of dried herbs such as oregano. Juicy palate with nice fruit and sufficient structure. Balance leaning towards acidity. Drinks beautifully especially for the vintage. Decades of aging must have sold a lot of problems... That said, if you have the choice probably 1980 would be the better off-vintage choice with a bit more structure.
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12/23/2023 - Derek Darth Taster Likes this wine: 92 Points
Xmas dinner at Old Holland. Needed my Durand to extract the last bit of broken cork. Shoulder ullage. Advised them against decanting this - good call. Fruit faded after about an hour of air in bottle. Drank in Gabriel Standart.
Apearance is clear (sediments toward bottom quarter of bottle), medium intensity, ruby colour with thin garnet rim. Legs.
Nose is clean, medium+ intensity, with aromas of tobacco, cigar, tertiary earth, bell pepper, cedar. Developed.
On the palate, dry, medium+ acidity, medium- alcohol, mellowed resolved tannin, medium+ body. Medium flavour intensity, with flavours of cedar, tertiary earth, tobacco and old cigar box, some blackcurrant. Medium+ finish.
Very good quality while it lasted. Elegant and regal. Drink up.
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12/3/2023 - jviz wrote: 90 Points
This was a perfectly enjoyable old claret. A sound bottle, transparent ruby color. Green, with some red bell pepper notes, no brett, but one would not be far off to guess this as a well aged cab franc!
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11/13/2023 - Vinnut Likes this wine: 93 Points
Subsequent notes on this wine from over nine years ago. Dark garnet with some clearing at the edges. Full, forward & fragrant nose of well developed & mature ripe fruit aromas of dark cherries, cassis & plums with classic cigar box overtones of cedar & tobacco, leather, floral notes of violets & lavender, herbal notes, olives, underbrush & a hint of green bell pepper. Meduim bodied with a good concentration of well balanced & smooth textured, well developed & mature ripe fruit flavors of cherries, currants & plums with spices, herbs, cocoa, mushrooms & minerals. Long lingering smooth finish. Drinks quite well at 44 years of age but appears to be close to or at its peak of development, so drink up. Fill was in lower neck; cork was stained 1/3 but intact.
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5/21/2023 - bgrimm Likes this wine: 93 Points
No sign of the age - felt like a 90s Montrose or similar. Lots of bell peppers, silky and not fading after 1-2 hours at all (out of the bottle, no decant).
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2/23/2023 - pavel_p Likes this wine: 92 Points
Same bottle as Melvin. Very nice and elegant Pauillac, fully resolved tannins, light to medium body, red and dark fruit, some earth. All in great balance and very pretty. Started to fade a bit towards the end so would drink up without decant.
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2/22/2023 - melvinyeowq wrote: 94 Points
Dinner at Asia Grand: Pristine bottle. I haven't had much experience with PLL but always thought it would be up my alley. Lifted, old-school Bordeaux nose with the right amount of pyrazines. Loved the precision on both the nose and palate on this. Vibrant red fruit and tasted like something from the 90s. Superb.
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2/15/2023 - John Dunlap wrote:
Bottle purchased at Vinothique de Bordeaux in 1983. Storeage was not optimal over the decades. Ullage: high shoulder. Cork removed in two pieces. Color was good and initial flavors were pretty interesting with notes of leather and some sort of dark cherry decay. Did not improve much over time, but clearly a wine of some stamina despite its storage. Regardless, best to drink up. Not rated.
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2/4/2023 - pclin wrote: 95 Points
PnP. No ABV on the label. Bricking around the edges. Old bottle funk initially, blew off fairly quickly. Clean and subtle nose, flowers, ash, and pencil shavings. Tannins mostly soften with slight dryness at backend. Sufficient acidity to keep it lively. Finished with burnt cigarette notes. Not a ‘82 but a classic vintage of this Chateau, has to be one of the better wines in this Bordeaux vintage. Very elegant and no hurry to consume, should easily last another 5 to 10 years. Some of these “not so highly rated” old Bordeaux are pure gems. Tannins were so smooth and silky for the 2nd glass, so refined and pretty without any hard edges, upgraded the score to 95 pts. Awesome! 1/12.
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1/29/2023 - lepetitchateau wrote: 91 Points
Briefly quite pretty, but only briefly - lively and classic, a pretty Bordeaux
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12/10/2022 - Gunakadeit Likes this wine: 89 Points
A funky coffee note hung over this for a while. I initially thought it was corked, but it wasn’t. It was just fairly tertiary. The meaty character went well with the meal, and it worked out, but I was disappointed.
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11/2/2022 - S1 Likes this wine:
Charleston Offlineorama VII; 11/2/2022-11/6/2022 (Various locations): still lots of mix of red and black fruit. Decent acidity. A little sweet. Lots of floral. In a perfect spot right now.
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11/2/2022 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
Charleston VII; 11/2/2022-11/6/2022 (Charleston, SC (various locations)): Really super. Amazing how much fruit is still there. All black and cassis and showing very well. With a nice lavender background. One of my favorite styles of wine and seemed to be in a perfect drinking window although not going anywhere anytime soon.
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10/29/2022 - BadOyster wrote: flawed
Oxidized, compromised cork.
cellar.com
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10/22/2022 - paulst Likes this wine: 95 Points
Cedar and leather; elegant and smooth; sweet blackberry; long sweet finish.
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10/21/2022 - dream wrote: 87 Points
A well-made wine but this bottle is clearly past its best. Other recent tastings have been better.
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9/22/2022 - paulst Likes this wine: 97 Points
Leather and cedar; smooth concentrated sweet raspberry; elegant and balanced; long earthy sweet blackberry finish.
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9/20/2022 - Moonie Likes this wine: 94 Points
Mid-shoulder fill. Quick double decant. At first, this was closed in with aggressive notes of cedar but little tannin and fruit. Three hours later when poured at dinner the wine took on lovely sweet notes of cassis, and a little lead pencil. A real pleasure to drink. What a wine after 43 years. Classic older Bordeaux. As someone recently said on this site, "the best taste was the last." `
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6/6/2022 - parkline_wine Likes this wine: 95 Points
I am scoring this higher than others - I reckon I had a really well-preserved bottle. Excellent provenance.
20 mins to blow off the funk is all this needed to blossom into a beautifully classic Pauillac. Cedar - dark dried fruit, smoke, pepper, excellent mouthful and really nice finish. Awesome for this vintage!
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5/4/2022 - paulst Likes this wine: 88 Points
Mature; on the decline; weak fruit and soft.
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3/30/2022 - gpcoleman Likes this wine: 92 Points
This old bottle of wine is still fabulous. I bought it at an estate auction for 7.50 along with 129 other French wines. It had a retail price label of 14.95 on it. I think I scored big on this one. 4 bottles left!!!
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11/29/2021 - paulst Likes this wine: 95 Points
Elegant with cedar and earth; harmony; blackberry and cassis; long earthy sweet finish.
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10/14/2021 - paulst Likes this wine: 94 Points
Cedar with sweet blackberry and balance; elegant and lean; integrated; elegant sweet finish.
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10/12/2021 - evanqian wrote: 93 Points
Well mellowed, beautiful aromas emerging after 20 mins breathing in glass. Sweet fruity core, some spices and herbals. Medium finish with cedar and a little alcohol warm. elegantly aged.
Ap 4/5, Ar 12/15, Palate 17/20, Overall 5+5/10
Total 93/100
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10/3/2021 - paulst Likes this wine: 94 Points
Mellow light blackberry and cedar; lean and smooth; nice texture and integrated finish.
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9/19/2021 - humagne wrote: 95 Points
Level was HF, cork was loose. Nonetheless the wine was in excellent shape. The nose was classic with pepper, tobacco, cedarwood, sweet berries, wet leaves. The palate is very balanced and elegant, but aromatically intense. Long finish. Drink now.
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9/7/2021 - paulst Likes this wine: 88 Points
Tainted nose; run down; sweet lean integrated light earthy fruit; nice finish.
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8/11/2021 - paulst Likes this wine: 88 Points
Tough nose with tainted damp basement; sweet fruit; even finish.
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7/22/2021 - paulst Likes this wine: 93 Points
Earth and tobacco; hint of alc; elements of chocolate; melted tannin; complex; elegant sweet finish.
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5/15/2021 - dream Likes this wine: 94 Points
Amazing how well this wine has held up from a perfectly-stored bottle. Fully mature and expansive with deep flavors of damp earth and black currants. The texture is quite full and smooth with a layered, complex finish showing notes of graphite minerals and grilled nuts. A great aged bottle of Bordeaux that competed well with the '78 & '82 La Miss in the same flight.
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5/9/2021 - Verb Likes this wine: 93 Points
similar to my 2020 note - medium garnet/brick - mature but restrained black currant nose with undertones of graphite and tobacco - medium full mouth of sweet mature cabernet fruit - tannins resolved but acid predominating over fruit in the mouth - an elegant aged Pauillac - faulted only for a less opulent and complex nose than typical of Pichon and a higher than typical acidity - can easily last another 10 years
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3/10/2021 - msauer Likes this wine: 93 Points
erfreuliche Überraschung!
Flasche in gutem Zustand, ließ sich problemlos entkorken
Wenig Tannin, kein Holz, sehr viel Frucht. Reife helle Beeren und Pflaumen,feine Süße (nicht klebrig)
trotz des einer schwachen Jg ein großer Wein
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11/17/2020 - glou.sf Likes this wine: 94 Points
Tasted blind. Tart dark berries, pepper, and a hint of sweet wood on the deep and complex nose. Nice acidity on the palate with lots of red fruit, some darker and sweeter berry flavors, and a bit of cedar. Quite long on the finish. Really delicious, coming across much younger. Probably in a perfect spot right now, but I don't see this declining anytime soon.
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9/2/2020 - LWI wrote: 93 Points
Classic in every way, black currents -- but also some red fruit; surprisingly full bodied and structured, youthful.
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8/13/2020 - Brolawa Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drank the ‘75 and ‘79 side by side. Both came from bottles with slightly depressed corks - the cause of which may have affected the quality of the wine.
Decanted both wines for roughly two hours. Both were delicious but decidedly different in vertical performance. The ‘75 had a wonderful bouquet - fruity, earthy and spicy. However, the wine didn’t perform as well on the palate or finish. It was tasty but not as complex as the nose and the wine seemed to fade in your mouth - all the flavors coming to a quick stop.
However the ‘79 had the opposite problem. It was never much on the nose. It smelled like a fairly average wine - but in the mouth the flavors were very balanced and complex. Fruit and earth with a touch of mushroom and spice - it all settled so nicely in the palate and continued through a long finish.
Those sharing the wines all wished we could combine the nose of the ‘75 with the palate and finish of the ‘79 to form a 100 point wine. Maybe we should have mixed them together!
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8/5/2020 - CamWheeler wrote: flawed
SLDS August 2020 - Maybe the world is ending tasting: Corked.
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6/25/2020 - paulst Likes this wine: 97 Points
Perfect condition; another consistent Pichon Lalande; peaking with nose of leather and blackberry, soft tannin and sweet blackberry finish. The way a 79 Bordeaux should be.
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5/18/2020 - Goldstone Likes this wine: 94 Points
Blind Wine Industry Guys (Eric's House, Hong Kong): Served blind. Faded velvet red and a nearly watery meniscus. Still opaque at the core. Nose is beautiful elegant pencil lead, tomato plant. Palate is bright lively fresh with that tomato vine element. Haunting reverberance in a chiffonesque lightness but power. I had it as late ‘70s Napa Bordeaux blend. Was 1979 Pichon Lalande. Beautiful . Quite haunting. My WOTN and many others' too. At peak, I think, but I'm sure good bottles will stay that way for many more years. Thanks Daniel!.
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5/17/2020 - Verb wrote: 92 Points
medium garnet/brick - mature black currant nose with undertones of graphite and tobacco - medium full mouth of sweet mature cabernet fruit - tannins resolved but acid predominating over fruit in the mouth - an elegant aged Pauillac - about as much as you could hope for in a 79
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5/9/2020 - Formerwinemaker Likes this wine: 92 Points
Wizened old cork but still fully intact, extracted in one piece. A little muted at first but began showing itself quickly. Classic Pauillac nose. Dark red at the core, a little orange at the rim. Still quite dense, sweet, with very good length. The only quibble is the acid pokes out a touch, probably always has given the vintage, but a lovely aged Bordeaux nonetheless. Wont fall over any time soon, lovely now, but will probably become a bit more disjointed from here. Will last another 10 years though without too much trouble.
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3/18/2020 - paulst Likes this wine: 94 Points
Cedar and elegant; light blackberry; light body with earth and resolved tannin; long finish.
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12/29/2019 - evanqian wrote: 93 Points
medium garnet/brick. Not young but still vigorous, black currant, capsicum, cedar, dried plum, solid acidity, fine furry tannins, a pure and elegant fruity sweet core emerged after 30min breathing. medium finish with some salty savoury notes. Amazing aged Pauillac!
Ap 5/5, Ar 12/15, Palate 17/20, Overall 4+5/10
Total 93/100
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12/8/2019 - ONEFIVE Likes this wine:
From magnum.
Dried fruit and musk on the nose. This bottle was leaking a bit but still seems clean. A nice touch of tobacco and red fruit on the palate. Possibly not the best given the potential oxidation. Still showing great.
Tasted beside a 1978 out of 750mL, which showed better for the first hour. The ‘79 blossomed while the ‘78 faded.
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12/6/2019 - paulst Likes this wine: 96 Points
Cedar, tar and complex nose; herbaceous; long sweet blackberry-cherry-raspberry; long sweet structured finish.
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11/10/2019 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
Charleston V - the wooden anniversary; 11/6/2019-11/10/2019 (Charleston, SC (various locations)): Wine #3 in our blind. This was my favorite of the group. Darker red fruits. Hints of barnyard. To be honest I didn't pick this as an old world. The fruit is quite compelling. A nice depth to it. It's very balanced though. Reminds me of old world style and new world fruit. Interesting to see it was '79. In a perfect spot right now.
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11/10/2019 - S1 Likes this wine:
Charleston Offlineorama V; 11/7/2019-11/10/2019 (The Holy City): (blind) Green as you would expect from the vintage. Nevertheless it has lots of complexity and fruit, and shows no sign of going away.
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10/29/2019 - Collector1855 wrote: 95 Points
Fully mature, cedar wood, earthy notes, good acidity still. Wonderful, elegant Claret.
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9/28/2019 - NickA Likes this wine: 92 Points
40th birthday wines (Pied a Terre): Good showing tonight (for my 40th birthday celebrations) thankfully. Lovely silky mouthfeel, typical of Pichon Lalande. Rich, darkly fruited and deep on the nose and palate, with a suggestion of 'old college library' on the finish that serves as a reminder that this wine is four decades old.
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9/9/2019 - VINNICK Likes this wine: 93 Points
Wow! Big upside surprise on my 40th birthday. Wasn’t expecting a great showing but this was wonderful. 40 years and drinking great! Tannins and structure fully integrated but the wine still had a beautiful freshness and youth. Classic Bordeaux and drinking beautifully! No decant was needed. WOTN!
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7/7/2019 - Dogshaus wrote:
Lovely old Bordeaux with several years still ahead of it. Elegant and nuanced. 93+ decanted 3 hours
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6/14/2019 - bgrimm Likes this wine: 92 Points
Still quite young and alive with some black fruit and silky tannins even though cork was more or less completely wet. Half an hour decant is a very good idea.
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6/9/2019 - Mtpisgah Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted for half an hour before starting in on it. Pencil lead, leather, earth, divinity. Not sure it will get any better with more age, but it is drinking exception all well and going strong.
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5/3/2019 - Maphill01 Likes this wine:
40th bday. Earthy, cigar box, plum and cassis. Smooth and subtle, but still structured. Balanced minerality and fruity core. Chewy finish.
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4/24/2019 - blanquito wrote: 93 Points
Delicious and youthful with a wonderfully plummy core. A little shy on the nose but showing minty, leafy, plummy notes, maybe even with a touch of merlot chocolate. The attack is mostly silly now and the layered palate is fully integrated with the ample acids. Good length and it really impresses most for its balance and equilibrium. Fully mature but going strong. [from a bottle with a perfect fill and almost no stain up the sides of the cork, so this bottle was stored exceptionally well by someone for 40 years]
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1/3/2019 - paulst Likes this wine: 92 Points
Leather and cedar with blackberry; still well knit and supple; acidic and tannic on backbone and somewhat imbalanced; composed with sweet blackberry finish.
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12/31/2018 - Jake Barnes Likes this wine: 91 Points
I purchased this 750ml bottle from The Chicago Wine Company on the strength of the positive experiences with this vintage that have been reported here recently.
This off-vintage Second Growth, which was vinified from 45% cabernet sauvignon, 35% merlot, 12% cab franc, and 8% petit verdot at 12% abv, was by no means powerful, deep, or intense, but it gave mightily of what it had. What it had was a nice garnet color with a clear appearance, a mature nose with hints of red berries, a silky mouthfeel not completely devoid of a little tannin to keep things interesting, a touch of red fruits, a touch of acid, and a seamless balance between all these elements. I know 1978 was supposed to be the miracle vintage, but this was spectacular. (***/15.5/91)
Addendum: We vacuum sealed this and put it in the fridge and five days later, it hasn’t lost a step.
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12/7/2018 - liber Likes this wine: 91 Points
Last of 12, decanted an hour, perfect level, travel up half cork, previous notes since 88 fine or better, last noted in 10 as F - deepish garnet, lightening rim; cassis and mulberry, some cedar, graphite and tobacco, hint of chocolate, complex and quite fresh; medium bodied, decent length, not particularly persistent or concentrated, decent fruit flavours, alive and attractive, if clearly towards the end of its days. F (17.5)…..one of the better 79s along with Giscours and, amazingly, du Tertre!
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11/22/2018 - StantheLee Likes this wine: 89 Points
Opened this on Thanksgiving along with a '79 Cos d'Estournel. Original buyer and always properly stored. Cork was almost loose. No leakage. Wine level was at the top of the shoulder. Decanted for 30 minutes. Initial nose was earthy but bloomed into delicate fruits and florals. This bottle was slightly past its prime and not quite the match for other vintage Pichon's I've had, but still complex with berries and nuts that outshone mellowed tannins.
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10/29/2018 - guribh Likes this wine: 93 Points
Re-corked at the Chateau in 1993. Great showing for this bottle. Youthful, classic Lalande femininity of the Pauillac side. Healthy color and outstanding length. Outshone 1983 Lalande (90 pts) and surprisingly, 1986 Las Cases (smelled a bit funky, possible bottle variation or corked) on the Bdx flight of the night.
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9/12/2018 - LightDancer wrote: 93 Points
This was a different experience than my last bottle. I decanted this for an hour, then savored it over another two hours. The fruit emerged slowly with layers of flavors. Clearly an old wine, on its downslope, but it was thoroughly enjoyable tasting its evolution in the glass. This at a dinner with the PSF Gala wine auction committee.
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8/26/2018 - englishman's claret wrote: 89 Points
It’s time to drink these. Cassis, pencil, just a hint of lavender in an anemic frame to start and, though the fruit comes to the fore with air, it develops an almost 1976-like sur-maturité. I like this for what it is - very classic, old style Pichon Comtesse from a filler vintage to be popped and poured with those who enjoy the style.
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8/10/2018 - JJKinch wrote: 90 Points
Low fill. Cork soaked nearly to top. Popped & poured.
Fading red fruit (cherry), minerality, gravel, acidity. Lingering finish. Enjoyable - but lacking fruit.
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7/23/2018 - Cozuf2001 Likes this wine: 89 Points
Still has legs, but should be enjoyed sooner rather than later. Good, deep berries on the nose and palate. Good, dark color and a nice rosy rim. A spicy finish completes the experience. I decanted for nearly three hours, with a couple of vigorous swishes and swashes to liven it up after being trapped for nearly 40 years.
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6/7/2018 - Jeff Leve wrote: 89 Points
On the downhill slope, but not without charm, especially texturally, as the wine is soft and silky. Focused on the bright, red berry side of ripeness, there is a strong, leafy, green olive, tobacco leaf and peppery component in the nose and palate. Still, considering its age and the vintage, this was still nice to drink. But it is not a wine for further aging. Drink up.
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4/30/2018 - Goldstone Likes this wine: 91 Points
Good neck fill bottle briefly decanted then drank over the next 2 hours alongside a 1989 Dunn Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon. Transparent ruby colour but still very jewelled and alive. Nose was initially much quieter than the Dunn like a water-based perfume of rose and rose-hip. For the first hour, the palate is still quite good acidic freshness but with some alcohol and greenish tannin crowding out the evident dep redcurrant fruit lurking in the background. But....then the nose evolved into something much more ethereal, elegant and almost chiffonesque in its elegant multidimensionality. Likewise, the palate took on a multi-dimension power but with a feminine elegance and ligthness that extended to a finessed mind-expanding finale. I think this wine really needs to be a bottle shared between no more than two or three people...a single glass won't reveal its complexity as it opens up. Gorgeous!
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12/28/2017 - paulst Likes this wine: 91 Points
Tar and cedar nose; blackberry; semi-balanced; a bit washed out; some elegance; sweet fruit but inconsistent.
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12/25/2017 - tcarter Likes this wine: 92 Points
Not singing in the way my last bottle was, but still a very impressive bdx for its age. Fruit is still there, though faded for sure -- more earth and leather at this late stage.
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11/12/2017 - AllRed wrote: 95 Points
Second Sunday Group: 2012 v 2013 Napa Cabernets (Our house): Tasted vintage blind, i.e., Marty covered the vintage on this before it was served (pop & pour). Rustic, with that wonderful green, herbal PLL bouquet. Red fruit and herbal tones. Fresh and lively, with a long, balanced finish and fully-resolved tannins. I guessed '89. Other guesses included '85 and '88. A well-stored bottle at peak, with at least a few more years at this level.
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10/19/2017 - Leukeran wrote: flawed
Corked
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9/21/2017 - europat55 wrote: 94 Points
Gorgeous nose: A-/A Palate: A-
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8/19/2017 - tcarter Likes this wine: 95 Points
Fantastic stuff. Still very much alive. Drank it with a sous vide cap of ribeye.
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5/18/2017 - espesqpa@gmail.com Likes this wine: 95 Points
Fabulous wine. Brought it to a Pichon Laland tasting. Other Vintages were 78, 86,89,00 and 05. All were excellent . The older ones, 78 & 79 drank better. It was amazing how much life that they had. Typical Paulliac with the leathery, full bodied and still dense. Very profound wines. The 78 & 79 were still at their apex. The 79 still had good color, light red on edges. Very good fruit with a long finish, 45 + seconds. There was not a bad wine in the group. If you own these, you will be rewarded for for your patience while the tannins are shedding.
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4/22/2017 - paulst Likes this wine: 91 Points
Mature cedar manura and light blackberry; proper pairing is crucial- berger is best,
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4/10/2017 - Vinomnivore wrote: 89 Points
PNP, capsule was corroded and soaked cork. I was worried it would be flawed, but the wine was still in good form. The nose and flavor made me think of Mexican food, cilantro, green bell pepper, a hint of chipotle. This flavors were in balance with acid, a hint of dark fruit, earth, tobacco. It was enjoyable and interesting to sip on its own, but very few of our party returned to it for a second glass. We may not be aged Bordeaux people.
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4/9/2017 - ONEFIVE Likes this wine:
Clean bottle.
Pretty quiet on the nose with only some saddle leather and tobacco coming through.
Fully integrated with mostly dried fruit on the palate.
Would think this has a good 3-5 years left before the fruit dies out.
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3/9/2017 - paulst Likes this wine: 94 Points
Blackberry and youthful; balanced; long finish.
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2/25/2017 - paulst Likes this wine: 92 Points
Mature; chocolate; fully integrated; fruit is fading.
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2/18/2017 - paulst Likes this wine: 92 Points
Rubber and tar with classic Bordeaux notes; balanced and textured; elegant and soft with nice finish.
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2/11/2017 - kkleg Likes this wine: 94 Points
Very little sediment, just like my last bottle. Slight browning around the edges upon opening, but the color deepens a bit after some time in the decanter.
Beautiful, complex aged Bordeaux nose, with aromas of cherries and dusty cedar. The palate shows similar notes, with a perfect tannic grip and a finish that lingers for nearly two minutes.
This will probably hold for a few years yet, but I suggest drinking sooner rather than later. A gorgeous wine!
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1/31/2017 - Wine Expresso wrote: 91 Points
Decanted for half hour. Fruit is vibrant and still powerful considering an off vintage. Polished mouth feel with long finish. Very enjoyable.
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1/29/2017 - paulst Likes this wine: 94 Points
Rubber and earth; balanced and deep; mature and integrated; blackberry; long sweet earthy cedar finish.
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12/27/2016 - Javachip wrote: 91 Points
Base neck fill. Not decanted. Allowed to breathe in bottle 45 minutes before serving. Clear medium deep garnet-blood-brick red. Lovely bouquet of cigar humidor, red and black currants, creme de cassis, potpourri, forest floor, oyster shells, truffles. Similar on the palate, medium body, seamless, elegant, polished, satin mouthfeel.
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12/20/2016 - paulst Likes this wine: 91 Points
A bit corked; semi sweet blackberry; tobacco; sweet finish.
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11/6/2016 - DrZett wrote: 91 Points
What to drink before we die... (Restaurant Prinzinger, Düsseldorf (Germany)): At first there was nothing interesting but after some time it developed nice raspberry, ripe blueberries and wet compost flavours - quite interesting and nice. Just let it breath for some time.
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11/5/2016 - MikeATL Likes this wine: 89 Points
Mostly Older Bordeaux: Very pure currant fruit, elegant, fading a bit, but still quite pleasant.
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10/23/2016 - Tim Heaton Likes this wine:
A very nice, traditional Pauillac, with its best years already behind it, though it still manages a correct and even enjoyable showing. You've got to like pepper - in all its forms, from roasted poblanos, to coarse ground black pepper, to fresh bell pepper. But, these aromas are not overwhelming, they don't dominate anything, but rather they boldly complement the core of red and black fruits, the graphite, soil and the mushrooms. The wine is very clean, and the color is in fine shape (great fill, too), but it's clear, this is on the backside of its trajectory, so time to drink up. Lovely mature specimen that did not fade at all during the two hours we had it open. Very nice. Drink now or in the next 5 years.
PnP, served non-blind.
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9/3/2016 - Edeon Does not like this wine: 86 Points
The 1978 was stunning. This wine was a real turn off.
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6/5/2016 - chablis28 wrote: flawed
Lightly corked and semi drinkable. Came late in the night and I needed to back off anyhow for the drive home. Too bad as this could have killer.
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4/19/2016 - LWI wrote: 91 Points
Pichon Lalande Tasting: Bottle 2. Quite deep fruit, holding together well, darker and more youthful than #1.
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4/19/2016 - LWI wrote: 90 Points
Pichon Lalande Tasting: 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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11/9/2015 - Markus IWC wrote: 91 Points
Vertikal provning Pichon Lalande 12 årgångar 66-90. 1979: syltig, generös, merlot driven, katrinplommon, ålderstoner, torkad svamp doft, fuktig, norrländsk myr, härlig mognad, bra syra i slutet, perfekt att dricka nu. Top 5 baserat på blinda röster från 16 personer i sällskapet, en av två årgångar som båda experterna/projektledarna hade som top 4 favorit, den andra var 1982.
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10/13/2015 - blanquito wrote:
Expressive nose of mint, lead pencil, tobacco, capsicum, woody maybe even some new oak aromas.
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9/27/2015 - KenK Likes this wine: 92 Points
This bottle was drinking nicely and was best from a blind tasting of 1969, 1979, 1989. Was guessed as PLL 1996 by one taster (CRH), pretty impressive considering it was served double blind, so he had no early clue on the country let alone the estate. I think that comment speaks volumes as to how this was drinking. No one came close to guessing 1979. I really think PLL killed it in 1979, but don't let anyone else know that...shhh. Most thaought is was a Cali Cab from a great vintage in the 1980's.
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9/17/2015 - tinybubbles Likes this wine: 90 Points
Faint white pepper and vanilla on the somewhat sweet nose. The Palate has thinned but still exhibits light black raspberry and midpalate sweetness before tightening up on the finish. A better vintage than advertised in many respects. Double decanted and then corked for two hours before serving.
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9/11/2015 - Gestalted Likes this wine: 88 Points
Really amazed that there's still life in this wine! There was even detectable sweetness in both the nose and tail end of the finish. As you'd expect, a ton of earthy, herby tobacco notes. The other surprise was the opaque color. Really interesting experience.
--
Consumed at at cellar temp: 60°-65° F. Friends don't let friends drink red wine at room temp!
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7/24/2015 - LJD Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drank alongside a '78 and both were showing there age. I was torn as time went on which was the better wine, but this one initially felt more integrated and elegant. Someone at the table thought it could go another 5 years, which would surprise me. Not at all bad to drink though.
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4/24/2015 - rralls wrote: 92 Points
This was amazingly still fresh and going strong. Poured at a blind tasting and no one guessed it was anywhere near that old.
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4/8/2015 - mattyboy_ Likes this wine: 91 Points
Still drinking well - the tannins are still there. Started out a bit musty but blew off to show stewed plums, dried red berries, earthy and leathery. very old school claret.
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3/17/2015 - Midde Likes this wine: 93 Points
great to open and drink right away! Tannins are still there.. Not overpowering but i would not suggest to decant it..
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11/9/2014 - europat55 wrote: 93 Points
Gorgeous nose with barnyard and vegetal notes (A-). Well integrated palate with predominant leather notes. Still feels young (A-).
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10/23/2014 - pekingunther Likes this wine: 93 Points
The wine out of DM was drinking beautifully. Perfect balance front to back palette, length on finish of 40+ seconds. Proof again that wines in largerfFormats that are older, tend to find a balance that 75cl doesn't. Plenty of fruit, fully integrated tannin. Tobacco and a little leather on the nose. Just an amazing wine experience.
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9/26/2014 - LightDancer wrote: 82 Points
Past its prime, but enjoyable. Decanted. Most of fruit was gone, but after 30 minutes seemed to re-emerge. Old leather, tobacco.
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9/19/2014 - christ80 wrote: 93 Points
still had great body. drank really well. it lost flavor after 30 minutes, but until then, was excellent
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7/9/2014 - Vinnut Likes this wine: 93 Points
Deep dark garnet with some bricking at the edges. Forward, fragrant & attractive nose of complex, well developed & mature ripe fruit aromas of dark cherries, cassis & plums with classic cigar box overtones of cedar & aged tobacco, floral notes of violets & lavender, herbal notes of juniper, sage & rosemary, some underbrush & green bell pepper with secondary notes of earthy, truffles, coffee, olives, dusty, leather, some spiciness and minerals. Full bodied with a good concentration of silky textured, balanced, well integrated, developed & mature ripe fruit flavors of dark cherries, black currants & plums with spices, earthy, herbs, some cocoa & minerals. Long lingering smooth finish. Drinks quite well at present at 35 years of age and appears to have the structure & fruit to hold onto its current plateau of development for a few more additional years.
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5/29/2014 - peternelson wrote: 92 Points
Pichon-Lalande Vertical Tasting (Mark Allen): More fresh cherry and red currant than the '66, with a touch of strawberry; forest floor mixed with light berries and cedar. Great balance with light tannins still there to give it a little grip. Very nice. (RP 90)
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4/18/2014 - stubot Likes this wine: 93 Points
Lovely delicate wine. Brambles and blackcurrant on the nose with some menthol and cedar. Blackcurrant, spice, earthiness and wood, rich but light with everything well balanced and a long finish. Probably at it's peak like others have said, but perhaps still has legs.
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4/15/2014 - pipegarcia Likes this wine: 94 Points
Garnet body with no apparent sediments. Aromas of forest floor, dust, dry fruit. Very elegance and balance.
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4/5/2014 - kkleg wrote: 93 Points
- Garnet color - Decanted to remove sediment, but there was hardly any in the bottle. Slight browning around the edges. You'd never guess this was 35 years old. This is in beautiful spot right now.
Cedar and sweet fruit on the nose. Dark fruits, cedar, leather, and earth on the palate. The finish is incredibly long and flavorful.
This vintage might not be a highly-sought after one, but this is a great wine. It is definitely at its peak, but it will hold for a few years yet.
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3/9/2014 - paulst Likes this wine: 94 Points
Mature and nicely integrated; soft and lean with cedar and light coffee; lightly jammy blackberry-cherry; lingers on and on.
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2/1/2014 - Spl232 Likes this wine: 93 Points
From a magnum, great wine but it was outclassed by the '88 MonteBello served along side. While there was some lovely depth on this wine, there was a ever present green note on the palate that was a little disruptive among the other notes. On any other night, I'd likely have been much more forgiving.
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1/3/2014 - paulst Likes this wine: 93 Points
Cedar, blackberry and smooth well integrated tannins; structured with long finish.
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12/27/2013 - Amerique wrote: 90 Points
vegetal flavors, soft, sweet black cherry fruit)
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12/25/2013 - johnh1001 wrote: 94 Points
Another great bottle. Love the herbal notes and soft, supple texture. Really in a great spot right now.
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12/15/2013 - paulst Likes this wine: 95 Points
Harmony; cedar, blackberry; so expressive of place; understated; classy; length.
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12/14/2013 - johnh1001 wrote: 94 Points
What a pleasant surprise. This was ready to go immediately although it kept improving over 3 hours. Elegant nose of dark fruit, cedar, green pepper and earth. Dark fruit, herbs and leather on the palate. Round, smooth and perfectly balanced. A great Pichon to enjoy right now.
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12/8/2013 - paulst Likes this wine: 84 Points
Port like; very mature; some leather, rubber and cedar; rather weak, but still reflective of Pauillac character.
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11/23/2013 - paulst Likes this wine: 95 Points
Amazing life and complexity for a 79. Beautiful classic nose of cedar and leather; blackberry and licorice; long elegant finish; developed fully after a 3 hr decant.
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11/18/2013 - mike l. Likes this wine: 91 Points
N Lead for days
P this bottle was a touch more acidic then the last two. Really opened up with food.
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8/24/2013 - humagne wrote: 96 Points
Must be the best 79. Super balance and elegance, but power at the same time. That is what is great wine...
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8/20/2013 - mike l. wrote: 96 Points
Up there in my top 5 reds ever.
Shocked how much fruit is still here (tons), and how air over an hour didn't hurt at all. Classic nose, tons of pencil lead and forest and mud and stuff. But it's the palate that's so perfectly balanced and fleshy and decadent. Beautifully integrated right now and should please for at 5-8 more years. For 100$ this was a brilliant wine. Have to grab a couple more!
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8/18/2013 - christophee Likes this wine: 93 Points
Garnet, brick with med-lite viscosity in the glass. Ripe, rustic nose of prune, plum, wild raspberry, olive, mushroom, wet earth, melted-down chocolate and dried tobacco. Secondary touch of green and hide. Medium body, ripe and plush on the palate. Present red and dark fruit combined with aged Bordeaux nuance. Plum, raspberry, cherry, olive oil, tobacco, strawberry, clove, mushroom and tobacco. Secondary spearmint and bell pepper. Perfectly balanced layers. Med-long finish. Excellent quality, pleasing complexity.
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8/14/2013 - G_H Likes this wine: 89 Points
Slightly metallic, vanilla, some oak, forest floor, nice aged bordeaux.
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6/13/2013 - -E- wrote: 91 Points
1979 Bordeaux horisontal (Oslo): Klar, mørk dyp rød med svakt oransjestikk i kanten. Mørk, lett søtlig nese med hint av knekk, søte, mørke bær, lær og hint av brent treverk. Bløt og myk frukt som har samtidig har fin fasthet. Frisk syre. Lett tanninbitt i finish.
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4/30/2013 - humagne wrote: 96 Points
Complex, classic nose, mature with mushrooms, tobacco, spices, cedarwood. Elegant and smooth, with resolved tannins. Long finish. Wine is in great shape now.
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4/9/2013 - Wine_lvr wrote: 92 Points
Nicely aged wine. One wound not expect a Bordeaux but rather a great Napa Cab out of the 70s. Just great, still drinks very nicely even though it is a bit past its peak.
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3/25/2013 - humagne wrote: 94 Points
Complex nose, nice attack, elegant and long finish. Very drinkable now. Not tired.
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3/10/2013 - .M. wrote: 90 Points
Flott, frisk farge uten antydning til brunt. Støv, smør, karamell, lakris og blyant på nese. Rund og bløt, sursøt --men frisk -- frukt av syltet jordbær og solbær. Litt vandig i avslutningen, men god lengde, noen myke tanniner. Tilfredsstillende vin som var i ungdommelig, fin form nå (må ha vært perfekt lagring) -- men som kanskje ikke skal ligge for mye lenger.
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3/8/2013 - -E- wrote: 91 Points
Mild rød, nesten uten brunstikk i kant. Svakt skyet. Mild, noe støvete nese med lett sødme og et floralt og forførende rødbærspreg. Hint av tobakk. Frisk og transparent frukt med bløt struktur og frisk syre. Fjærlette tanniner i en mildt sursøt og finish med ok lengde. Overraskende frisk og ungdommelig for alderen.
91+ P
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3/2/2013 - beezer6 wrote: 91 Points
Domaine Wine Storage Saturday BYOB (Domaine Wine Storage (Chicago)): Really nice. And a great change up from the rest of the younger wines of the day.
Funky Bordeaux styling. Nice blood orange, cinnamon, baking spices.
Palate is soft and completely resolved. Really nice length with underbrush and potpourri accents.
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3/2/2013 - KeithAkers wrote: 92 Points
Another Saturday at Domaine (Domaine Wine Storage, Chicago IL): Nose: Gorgeous and flowing nose filled with tones of tobacco, cedar, bell pepper, some cigarette ash, and some dark red fruits. This is beautifully balanced and nuanced with very good layering.
Taste: Medium/full bodied with nice supporting tannins. There is a silky quality to the tones of tobacco, leather, dark red fruits, bell pepper, and cigarette ash. The balance and refinement emerge with a bit of air as well.
Overall: This showed extremely well. It grew a bit in the glass and was a picture of poise and refinement.
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3/2/2013 - tooch wrote: 94 Points
Saturday Afternoon at Domaine (Domaine Wine Storage - Chicago, IL): Gorgeous. Nose of balsamic, spice, dark fruits, and tobacco. The palate was a mix of berries, rich tobacco, and smokey earth. Just a beautiful wine that was drinking incredibly well. An impressive wine from a maligned vintage.
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1/28/2013 - John McCabe wrote: 94 Points
Very soft and gentle, lovely fruit. Definitely on the wane and needs to be drank sooner rather than later, but still showing beautifully.
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12/25/2012 - Matt T wrote: 90 Points
I really did not think this bottle was going to be drinkable. There was a thick ring of mold under the capsule and on top of the cork. The cork itself was mostly dried out and the bottle showed evidence of seepage. Somehow the wine had survived--although it was a bit muted upon opening. After a two hour decant it improved significantly. Relatively smooth with notes of bell pepper, dark chocolate, and vanilla. Mid-length finish. A few years past peak, but a much better than expected experience.
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12/15/2012 - BillyT wrote: 94 Points
Time to drink. With lamb, foie gras and it was stunning but can tell it is at peak approaching the other side. Chocolate, leather, cassis, dark fruit. Absolutely spectacular but I'm biased toward this wine and its producer. I strong point, however, is that this 79 was consistent with most other vintages and you knew you had Pichon Lalande in your mouth. Rare achievment.
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10/6/2012 - Bklyndude wrote: 95 Points
Had this with partner for our 20th anniversary dinner last night, as accompaniment for grilled filet mignon. Sat bottle upright first thing in the morning, strained and decanted mid-day. Surprisingly little sediment for such a mature bottle. Vibrant crimson color with absolutely zero bricking and a nose wafting out of the decanter of dried cherries, apricots, leather and a fair amount of wood. Snuck an initial sip and - not surprisingly - found it to be shut down, with some of the mouth-puckering green pepper astringency other reviewers have noted. But with five hours of air, the taste caught up with the rich nose. Palate-coating, rich red fruit flavor with a still quite prominent spine of wood that gave the wine depth and a silky (though not overly long) finish. The cedar notes gave it away as Paulliac, but there is no way would I have believed this to be a 33 year-old bottle. 1998, maybe even 2000, but 1979? Utterly, completely - and very pleasantly - shocked. Just super.
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9/28/2012 - John McCabe wrote: 92 Points
I had about four bottles of these ten years ago and they were absolutely lovely then - one of my favorite Bordeaux at the time. Now trying this again it has faded a little and has lost some of its sweetness. I'm getting a lot of mushroom and some leather; the tones are slightly drab. Still a nice wine, but worth drinking now vs. holding.
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9/8/2012 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 91 Points
Wine Group Bordeaux Tasting. Lovely nose of dark fruit, hint of pencil lead, more of the same on the palate with hints of green pepper, tobacco, and herbs, medium body and medium/long finish. Over the peak and then some but still enjoyable.
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8/1/2012 - Bradford wrote: 93 Points
Nice plump fruit, chocolate, with some earth and raw mushroom emerging. A very pure, luscious quality to the body. Very enjoyable with magret de canard aux girolles....
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5/18/2012 - dbkitc wrote: 90 Points
Gracious, elegant claret. Still has a fine core of fruit yet has certainly entered the domain of tertiary flavors. A touch of damp earth could also be detected. A nice lunch wine. (90)
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5/3/2012 - macker100 wrote: 92 Points
Over dinner. Beautiful older vintage PL, with floral and strawberries on the initial nose. As night progressed, additional burnt tobacco and rubbing alcohol notes emerged. Palate was svelte, refined with lighter red fruit notes, tobacco, cedar. Nice classic finish.
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5/3/2012 - Nutty08 wrote: 93 Points
Mid-neck fill. Light bricking on the edges, but still quite crimson. Popped and poured and ready to go, but enjoyed over the next few hours. Initial nose that was herbaceous and slightly green, with a bot of green pepper. Later this turned to more of a vinyl, burned rubber/lit match that was "interesting" but not too off putting. Light to mid-weight palate with dried red fruits but still showing some cassis and cedar spice. A touch hollow, but great persistence on the palate with a stony sandalwood character. Fine acidity. Changed but didn't really fade over a few hours. Yes plenty of green flavors, and not especially concentrated, but great persistence and balance. Prominent acidity, probably drying out a touch. Drink up--this is delightful.
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3/31/2012 - Mrroute66 wrote: 97 Points
Wow. Perfect color and nose right out of the bottle.
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3/15/2012 - vumansky wrote: 91 Points
Bring Your Special Bottle Night (Crown Wine Cellars, Hong Kong): Garnet color fading. Earth, barnyard funk, leather, stewed fruit. Medium finish with low acidity. Expected something more.
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2/6/2012 - DavidDay wrote:
Pretty much faded away
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1/29/2012 - dcasper wrote: flawed
Corked!
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12/7/2011 - FAA wrote: 90 Points
Surprising good. Still had a good nose, and the fruit was apparent but beginning to fade. Decanted an hour before drinking, longer would have been helpful, as the wine needed to open more.
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11/14/2011 - Goldstone wrote: 90 Points
Group de Degustation Diner, L'Anniversaire de Daniel, '1970s in France & Elsewhere' (Hong Kong Wine Vaults, Aberdeen, Hong Kong): Drank double-blind. Lovely clear and bright translucent light blood-red colour. Nose is....gosh!...fully mature but very complete Bordeaux....still some youthful box-wood on the nose (which is weird because it's clearly not young), very nice black and red berry fruits and also a lovely stinky element of stables floor strewn with fresh hay. Palate is quite fresh acidic attack, medium weight, a bit dilute on the mid palate but then lots of red fruit and dry tannic attack on the back end. Quite tart and acidic but not overly so and the box-wood is also there again on the back of the palate. Not much length but it does carry a subtle resonance. Old but in some ways still young....I like it a lot.
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10/16/2011 - Hank Gillespie wrote:
Selected a bottle of the 1979 Chateau Pichon Lalande yesterday afternoon to accompany a rack of fresh Alberta lamb with dinner.
This vintage has long been a strong choice with me, particularly with Lalande and Palmer as these wine offers up some truly pleasing
characteristics in the bouquet and on the palate. This bottle didn’t disappoint.
High fill in the bottle – about ¾” below the bottom of the cork; long cork extracted intact and I proceeded to decant the wine after opening,
about 3 hours prior to serving; some fine sediment and a noticeable amount adhered to the inside of the glass surface; extremely dark mahogany in colour,
extending out to a thin amber rim; bouquet flowed readily from the glass – cassis – cedar notes – spice – an element of fresh hazelnut and coffee;
rich and full in the mouth – some elegance as the wine slid out to the mid palate and lingered there; black currant fruit seems to explode in bunches;
harmony of the elements and flavours in evidence with the tannins more or less completely resolved; nice frame held firm;
finishes very long – an aftertaste of black currant and spice that lasted a full minute and a half. Alas, my inventory is pretty
much depleted. Nice choice to accompany the lamb.
Background music was from the album Waltz For Debby featuring Ahmad Jamal’s piano stylings - part from Bubba’s Restaurant in
Fort Lauderdale in March of 1980, and from a concert in Cannes in January, 1981, which featured Gary Burton on vibes. Several outstanding
tracks, including Morning Of The Carnival and Autumn In New York.
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8/7/2011 - bertou wrote: 92 Points
Very nice evolved Bordeaux with beautifull depth, complexity. But the best was the mouthfeel, superb silky texture at the beginning followed with perfect balance between the matter, freshness and tannins of excellent quality. Very long in the mouth.
A really nice Pauillac
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6/20/2011 - lesz wrote: 90 Points
I liked it as a very mature bordeau but one of my friends thought it was a little flawed as it was too vegetative like green peppers- didn't taste it myself
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6/19/2011 - EGunderson wrote: 91 Points
Not quite the same meaty smell that I remember from other bottles, but still a nice nose overall. Lots of fruit and a smooth finish. Great wine.
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4/9/2011 - vespasian wrote: 92 Points
Good ruby colour, only a very slight fade at the rim. Impressive for age; Dried Cherries, Cranberries. Good intensity. Fresher notes of wild cherry as well. Beautiful perfume opening up with complex notes of cedar, cigar box and typical Pauillac graphite; smooth, elegant palate. Silky tannins. Very rich core of fruit still. Finishes strong with nice minerality on show. Very long. Exceptional 1979 Pauillac.
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1/17/2011 - g-man wrote: 93 Points
Just a great mature expression of Brdx. Fair amount of herb and tobacco with the tanis fully resolved. This wine is probably at or beyond its' peak so I wouldn't wait much longerto consume.
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12/23/2010 - Radboy wrote: 92 Points
A nice tasting older Bordeaux. Wonderful blend of mushrooms, truffles with gentle earth.
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12/12/2010 - Alex H wrote: 88 Points
Birthday wines; 12/10/2010-12/14/2010: Round soft offering of plush velvety currant fruits. Juicy and sumptuous and more st julien or right bank i thought.
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12/11/2010 - Paul S wrote: 92 Points
Alex's Birthday BBQ (Alex's place): First of a pair with the 1980. Like its younger sister, this was surprisingly good for the vintage, but while the other was quite clearly Pauillac, this drank more like a right-bank. I really liked the nose, which showed, blueberries, cassis, spice, and tobacco, along with a nice meatiness. Very merlot I thought, and the palate compounded that impression. Soft, velvety and full of feminine charm, it showed opulent dark cherries, some chocolate, spice and more tobacco notes moving into a long juicy finish with more succulent fruit. Very fresh and alive, it just lacking some of the subtsance of top vintages of Lalande. I enjoyed it tremendously though, and it went beautifully with a BBQ'ed Cajun Chicken breast.
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11/23/2010 - reactorD wrote: 91 Points
A little too much accid, perhaps. No bricking whatsoever, looks like a 10 yr old wine. Full of fruit and spices. This is an easy drink, and has some more time left. Best after 2 hours decant.
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10/4/2010 - FLI wrote: 92 Points
A bit acidic on the open, but softened almost immediately into the picture of elegance. Restrained fruit, earthy, smooth. Over the course of the evening, the fruit began to fade - not surprising. Don't wait to enjoy this one - it seems to have slightly tipped over the top (though I expect a very leisurely slide down with interesting stops along the way).
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8/1/2010 - jjclips2 wrote: 92 Points
Birthday Wines (Kruger's D*ck): When I saw this one pulled, I thought I have tasted in past, and I have. This was quite shy at first. Firm in acidity and tannin, the midpalate didn't flesh out for 20 minutes or so in glass. After a while I was surprised with a burst of black fruits, cherry and cassis. The acidity softened a bit and tannins rounded out. Lots of autumnal aromas, leaves, potpourri, mushrooms. It was fun to watch this blossom in the glass over 30 minutes at least.
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7/9/2010 - Jeremy Holmes wrote:
In a marvellous place right now with tertiary smells of truffles, smoked meats and boot leather. There’s still a sweet, vinous core and it is a wine that’s showing good aged complexity yet remains vibrant and energetic. Very pleased that I still have a couple of these in the cellar.
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6/11/2010 - Catnapped wrote: 93 Points
This bottle was in excellent shape. Decanted about an hour before tasting. It continued to improve for about another two hours at which point it started dropping off rather quickly. Past its prime but still holding up remarkably well given the vintage. Great nose right out of the bottle, classic Pauillac lead pencil and earthiness. My favorite wine of the night.
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4/29/2010 - BIlgen wrote: 85 Points
Medium red, brownish, very bright
Nice earthy nose, tones af vanilla, tobacco
Mature, soft but still powerfull, very round
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4/9/2010 - Anonymous Likes this wine: 92 Points
The nose was very expressive with classic graphite, cassis and leather. The fruit was dried cherry laced with cedar...it's real tasty. This bottle still showed quite a bit of fruit...the tannins were resolved. It was smooth and had nice structure.
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1/3/2010 - wilmette vino wrote:
really nice and full of life for a 30 year old wine from a moderate vintage. Bottle fill was low neck, but color was ruby purple paling to the rim. Nose was gentle flowers and fruit, and on the palate the fruit was still there, in a stylish autumnal way, moderately long with nicely balancing acidity on the finish. I was sorry to finish my last bottle of this, but it was time.
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12/25/2009 - dave smigielski wrote:
Past its prime, but lots of cigar box and forest floor, we enjoyed this for Christmas dinner. Cork moist, but no mold or moisture under the foil.
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12/24/2009 - Matt T wrote: flawed
This was a disappointing showing. Good cork, opened and decanted for a couple of hours. Nice smell with a bit of earth, mint, and green pepper on the nose. After a couple of hours this still had not opened for business. I did not have a chance to try the wine after more extended decanting, but this seemed quite a bit past its prime with a very faded brown edge and only traces of green bell pepper and earth. I could tell it had been a well balanced wine at one point, but there was just not much left to evaluate here.
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10/18/2009 - W.Simons wrote:
Very impressive. Rich, layered nose of sweet, mature fruits, cigar, cedar, and vegetal notes. Damp earth and leaves, very autumnal. Great richness and balance on the palate. Definitely agree with the sentiment of this wine having an "intellectual" character, but there was certainly also a "superficial" level of enjoyment as well.
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10/17/2009 - rralls wrote: 92 Points
Cork still intact and in good condition -- came out solid. Still had its fruit upon opening with typical bordeaux flavors and aromas. Lots of earth and dirt on this one.
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8/19/2009 - KenK wrote: 90 Points
Jim's & Angelo's Birthday Wines at Vie (Vie (Western Springs)): Leafy briary dried black fruit aromas with very slight green edge that is primarily mineral driven.
Nice sweet dried blackberry charred flavor with mild herbal quality. Smooth and well integrated. a nice drink featuring dried fruits in slighlty rustic style. 90
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2/14/2009 - Terkel wrote: 93 Points
My 30th birthday dinner (Restaurant Cofoco): Fine red center with a slightly brown hue. Pure, refined black currant bush with notes of mint, earth and cedar on the sweet nose. Very fresh and juicy black currant and earth first on the palate. More leafs, cedar and tobacco on the midpalate and finish. It is refined, yet intense on the palate with good lively acidity and velvety tannins. Ready to drink now but still vibrant and lively.
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1/10/2009 - ATBridge wrote:
Trentieme Fete d'Anniversaire et degustation de Bordeaux mil. 1979 (Indianapolis, IN): See my note from 12/06. I bought this wine at auction and the cork suggests the wine was kept at the chateau and re-bottled in 1993. Two previous bottle were very pleasing (and young), but this bottle both smelled and tasted like over-ripe cheese. Not at all enjoyable and, in fact, offensive. Curiously, some of the Napa fans in the group rated it as a top wine of the night.
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12/16/2008 - Rupert wrote: 90 Points
31 Vintages of Pichon Lalande 1928-2005; 12/16/2008-12/17/2008 (IOD, London): Sweet cedary fruit, fat, rather attractive
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11/6/2008 - Goldstone wrote: 90 Points
White Truffle Dinner (Chez Patrick Sun Street, Hong Kong): Transparent reddish colour and noticeably bricking. A lovely nose of classic old Pauillac, rich in tertiary character best described as old compost heap. Mouthfilling on the palate with great cassis fruit, cedar woods vanilla which opened up a lot as the evening went on, although it had less depth and more prominent acidity than its 1982 sibling. Good length with distinct "in your head" sensations. An intellectual rather than hedonistic wine, whereas the 1982 is both.
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11/6/2008 - dschneersohn wrote: 96 Points
2008 White Truffle dinner paired with incredible selection of wines. This was the 4 wines we tasted on that night, and it was compared with Pichon Lalande 1982 and Lynch Bages 1982. Very surprisingly, the Pichon 1979 for most we more enjoyable than the Pichon 1982, and some even preferred it over the Lynch bage 1982. It was well rounded, plenty of aromas in particular licorice, cigar box and leather but still had enough acidity and some fruit left to make it so nice. I am definitely going to try to find some more as it was my last bottle.
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12/13/2007 - KeithAkers wrote: 91 Points
HDH bordeaux tasting (evanston IL): nice bricking on the color
nose: real nice bordeaux nose. raspberry, tobacco, and cranberry mostly with some leather, cedar, and barnyard also coming through
taste: real nice. getting mainly cranberry, tobbacco, and cedar with hints of barnyard straw
overall: this is drinking great right now and has enough structure on it to last another 5-6 years before it starts to decline. Real nice wine with a good solid finish
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10/27/2007 - BIlgen wrote: 87 Points
Very dark red, no sign of old age
Soft nose, blackbarries, ceder wood, well rounded perfume, complex
Beautiful taste, round, soft finish, power a bit is gone, but still strong an elegant
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10/14/2007 - dougie wrote: 91 Points
A beautiful wine. Very smooth. Opened and poured off a glass for two hours. The fruit continued to come out for another two hours. Not a big wine or heavy wine by any means. Certainly ready to drink. Would not wait to many more years. Everyone liked it with the Prime Rib. Elegant.
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10/1/2007 - jjclips2 wrote: 91 Points
Decided to open after reading other's responses. Showed extremely youthful on the palate and held a slight piney/menthol note that was offensive on the nose, so I decided to decant. The colour was a brilliant garnet with only slight brick highlights. It opened up beautifully with loads of baking spices, some cedar and vanilla, and black cherry. The palate was still youthful with more than expected fruit up front, bitter chocolate, olive tapenade, and very dusty tannins. The colour and palate alone did not show a 28 year old wine. I think this was stored in a colder than desired climate. Great experience though.
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7/12/2007 - Nanda wrote: 91 Points
Introspective Retrospective Tasting at Ken's (Ken's Place): Dark brown to ruby in color and translucent at the rim. Generous and gorgeous nose seduces with earth, herbs and cigar box. Palate is complex with medium bodied fruit. Cassis is complemented by tobacco leaf, green herbs, minerals, and tea leaves. Finish is beautifully complex and still showing some sweet fruit in the long encore. Excellent.
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6/3/2007 - Cahill wrote: 90 Points
Cork was soaked and spongy, the wine had leaked through into the capsule and there was something growing there, and there was a bite missing on the bottom of the cork. Opened and decanted approximately 40 minutes before serving, was able to pour off a crystal clear claret into the decanter. Nose was consistent with previous note (cassis, wood, roasted herbs and perhaps a touch of coffee). Some slight oxidation, but still well balanced and surprisingly fresh. Still drinking very well, but, alas, my last bottle.
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4/27/2007 - DaleW wrote: 90 Points
Nose of herbs and a hint of pine oil, very mature fruit, midweight with resolved tannins. Balanced acidity, nice finish, elegant, drink up
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4/26/2007 - trankin wrote: 91 Points
SOBER tasting - dinner w/ Spouses (Equus): Nose of forest floor and pine needles (in an aged pine needle, good way). Lovely purple fruits, still structured but fairly mature. Great texture, nice spiciness. Subtle.
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4/17/2007 - Cahill wrote: 90 Points
Opened shortly before serving, and did not decant (as it turned out, the fine sediment was manageble with careful pouring). Cork was intact, stained along its length, but clean on top. Mature nose of cassis, wood, roasted herbs and perhaps a touch of coffee. Still well balanced, at alternating turns the wine seemed fresh on the palate, and then slightly oxidized. I would say that this particular bottle was a little past peak, but still drinking very well.
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12/30/2006 - nealrob wrote:
It would be unfair to put a numerical score on this one, because it was definitely past its prime. Aroma was very medicinal, taste was tending toward vinegar with no other tastes. Thin, simple and disappointing, but at least it was a gift and I did not pay for it.
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12/2/2006 - ATBridge wrote:
A fascinating bottle with a pristine label. Pulled the cork which reads "Rebouche au chateau en 1993." Cork appears to be brand new. I served this wine blind to some friends and the guess was that this was a wine from the 90s, and possibly from the right bank--wrong!! Very youthful in color and on the nose. Sweet cassis and earth on the nose, with the trademark Pichon Lalande "greenness"--not an undesirable trait in this bottle.
In the mouth the wine indeed tastes young, in part due to the tanninc finish. There is balance of the fruit, however, to suggest that this wine, despite being 27 years old, has the components to continue to age well. I bought these bottles recently and they were sold as "recently re-released"--Indeed a testament to the cellars of Pichon Lalande.
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8/22/2006 - Nanda wrote: 93 Points
Dinner and Fine, Aged Wine at Le Francais (Wheeling, IL): Dark ruby to purple in color. The nose is more herbal than fruity (which is right up my alley) and also has leather and tar notes. In the modied with the tannins melted into the fruit. Quite soft with a flavor profie similar to the nose. Green herbs and dark fruit. Fully mature and oh-so enjoyable.
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2/18/2006 - BIlgen wrote: 85 Points
Deep red huie, no orange rim, almost black
Black berrry nose, closed but with soft fruits
Rondeur, lang after taste, great mature wine, well developed
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8/21/2004 - Hank Gillespie wrote:
Decanted two bottles of the Pichon Lalande, and was able to pour off the clean wine easily. Some fine sediment adhered to the glass surface, and the balance at the bottom. Very long corks in great condition - fill level midway in the neck - extremely dark, with a browning hue, just fading slightly to the rim; perfumy bouquet, offering up a blend of fine cassis, sweet spice, against a broad cedar backing; truly a pleasant bouquet, and showing some fresh coffee, ripe olives and an edge of smoke with some short sniffs; full and expansive on the palate; rich and velvety smooth, with seemingly low acidity; cascading black currant flavours, coupled with just a hint of earthiness; tannins are pretty well subsided, and just a small amount holding the structure in place; very long finish, where the fruit lasts and lasts. Fine wine from a vintage which didn't receive especially good reviews at the time. I've been very pleased with the Pichon and also Palmer from '79, although my cellar stock is becoming low on both wines.
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5/31/2003 - Joe Belmaati wrote: 90 Points
Dark red in the glass. Light brown at the rim. Strawberry jam on the nose. Nice structure and definition. Also good fruit sweetness. Mature and resolved. Somewhat astringent and bitter on the medium finish.
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6/12/1998 - mdefreitas wrote: 80 Points
Pre Auction Wine Tasting w/ 1962 Unico & Krugs (NYC): Autumnal leaves, earth, band-aid aromas. Not much fruit. Pass, pass, pass.
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12/13/1997 - Zweder wrote: 90 Points
Aged top Bordeaux with my local tasting club (@ My place): Elegant and complex. Very harmonious although there is quite much acidity. The wine is in the phase where it looses all its youthful impressions and is becoming tertiary.
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5/18/1996 - dbg wrote:
still deep red, nose needed a little coaxing at first but classic Bdx
as it warmed - silky smooth, rich, Ithink it has another 5 years of
likfe left yet
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2/1/1996 - sdr Does not like this wine: 81 Points
Slightly bitter. Too tannic for the meager fruit. Lacks the color and body of the ‘78.
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8/1/1992 - sdr Does not like this wine: 80 Points
Too tannic for the fruit. Going nowhere.
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2/11/1991 - FransS wrote: 95 Points
A Latour - Les Forts tasting: the pirate in this tasting and the best wine too; lovely vanilla, perfect touch of wood, perfumed, refined spices, a female style combined with persistence; everything in balance.
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8/4/1990 - MicklethePickle Likes this wine: 87 Points
With MPL, BLR and Diane at S&F survey of '79 Bordeaux. Rich ruby. Thick. Sweet fruit i the nose. Slightly weedy/herbal. On the palate, good flavor. Excellent balance with a long finish. Silky and elegant. Good wine. 5-10-15-7: 87/100.
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2/11/1990 - MicklethePickle Likes this wine: 89 Points
With K at home at dinner (steak). Dark red ruby. Nose was reticent for a couple of seconds, then opened to reveal a hauntingly lovely fragrance. Great chocolate, cocoa-scented fruit. On the palate, the wine is very good, plump, round, fairly rich, and drinking very well now with very little in the way of abrasive tannins. Very nice body and excellent balance. Long, elegant finish. 5-12-15-7: 89/100.
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