WOTN; astonishing at close to 40, could have lasted for several more years. Expected dark cherry and menthol resonant notes, absolutely effortless finish.
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This was a super fun roller coaster. Opened up firing out the gate at a 95/96 point scale. The opposite of last time where the bottle was quite green and needed to integrate. Then it started to fade. The 83 next to it was eclipsing it. Thankfully the night lived on after dinner and I took the rest of this bottle to the hotel. Wow, it not only got a second wind but reached new higher levels. Maybe even a 98 at this point. I love 1985 wines in general and this showed why.
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Aromatic, floral and delicious aromas with leather and some foxy notes. Soft, rich and concentrated on the palate. More power here than I expected. On its peak now, I guess.
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Kleur: Robijnrood, lichte verkleuring aan de rand. Aroma / bouquet: Opvallend vitaal bouquet, stoer en krachtig, tegelijkertijd een subtiele maar aangename boersigheid / stalgeur. Smaak / Afdronk: Krachtige en vitale wijn, serieuze concentratie. Verfijnde zuren, iets plakkerige stoere tannines met een aangename bite. Prachtige balans, lange afdronk. Algemeen / potentieel: Geschonken uit Magnum… Fenomenale wijn. 50 + Kleur: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 15 + Smaak / Afdronk: 20 + Algemeen / potentieel: 10 = 100/100
Colour: Ruby red, slight discolouration on the edge. Aroma / bouquet: Striking vital bouquet, sturdy and powerful, at the same time a subtle but pleasant rustic / stable scent. Taste / Aftertaste: Powerful and vital wine, serious concentration. Refined acidity, slightly sticky, tough tannins with a pleasant bite. Beautiful balance, long finish. General / potential: Poured from Magnum… Phenomenal wine. 50 + Colour: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 15 + Taste / Aftertaste: 20 + General / potential: 10 = 100/100
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DJHAMMOND sums it up nicely with his description. PNP and the first glass was as described. Leather, red fruits with a long, long finish. For me though this dropped away somewhat quickly. Good but not great.
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Tasted blind. Some greenness on the nose took me to the Right Bank but once it was established as a left bank I had no doubt it’s Lalande. Very elegant, classic red and black fruit, underbrush and tobacco. Lovely.
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This was a revelation and is a real dark horse from an unappreciated vintage. Needing only a pop and pour, this is fully mature and integrated. Old leather, spice, plum, and blackcurrant dominate the nose and palate with a lengthy finish. Highly recommended.
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Nose: dried leaves, smoke, spices, leather, black fruits Notes: it's been a while since my last old left bank from the 80s. This bottle is in excellent conditions in terms of fill and it is showing quite well. 1985 is somewhat of a mediocre vintage from Pauillac and I can't recall many excellent examples from this vintage from this appellation, behind the great condition I can feel that the wine is perhaps a little less exciting than some of the bigger vintages thus the palate is a little weaker. Drink: now+ Rating: 89
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Total balance and harmony, tastes of roses, a hint of cherries, beautiful red fruits, long, complex finish. Elegant and deeply flavored. No decant needed.
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A great bottle which still has some life left in it. This is now at its peak and is not going to get any better assuming it has been stored correctly. Intellectually stimulating and wonderful for the senses.
Great nose with plenty of dark fruits / plums, dried herbs, smokiness, tobacco, spice and cedar. Body is dead yummy - there is a level of sucrosity and ripe fruits that are just plain delicious. Fresh and plenty of drive to take it to the finish line. Notes of capsicum or a tinge of greeness can be detected at the end.
Drink now to 2030.
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With DR at the HKC for a catch up lunch. Just PnP and totally open from the outset. Lovely mid, translucent ruby. Nose absolutely fabulous with plum, spice, soil, truffle, jasmine/lily, tobacco, leather, tea, cab franc pepper notes - so much there and such a fabulous variety! Palate is totally in balance, mid-weight (in a good way), sweet, healthy ripe fruit on the attack and just all integrated and balance on the way down. So lovely, delicious, low alcohol. Emotionally satisfying on every level! Thank you DR.
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This bottle was fabulous. Decanted for sediment about an hour before dinner and back into the bottle.
This was beautiful and exactly what I had hoped for. An excellent bottle, fairly dark ruby in the glass. Fruit tones in the blackberry/blackcurrant space, with pen ink and capsicum. Nice lengthy finish and in a perfect state for consumption. I was surprised at just how alive it was.
This was a good deal more dense and weighty than the 82 and 83, which as a pair came across as more light in body, elegant, less tannic, and more completely resolved
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1985 Bordeaux-o-rama (Noize): More elegant than its full-bodied flight mates and perhaps slightly suffered as a result. Undergrowth and truffle on the nose, but quite a bit of fruit on the palate, which felt clean, precise and effortless. I wasn't as impressed with the finish, though, which was slightly subdued. Still an excellent wine though - voted the group's runner-up (after its flight-mates).
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Jason’s 85 Claret @ Noizé, table 2 (Noizé, London): Slightly cloudy, dense. Blackcurrant and. Touch of mint. A big step up in density cf previous flights. Lots here. A lovely blend of the slightly brutish Bages and the extra lift and energy of the LLC. Best bottle of this yet. *****
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Beautiful, delicate, complex, resolved, tertiary. Florals, spices and mint on the nose, tangy-sweet palate interplay, some funky notes, nice lingering smoky, truffle-infused, black tea finish. A delight.
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Great showing from a perfect bottle. Softly layered and smooth with an ethereal texture and lovely flavors of roasted nuts and graphite minerals. Finishes crisp and satisfying with fully ameliorated tannins. Not much depth but beautifully rendered in the style of the vintage. very ready but is holding nicely.
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A favorite producer of mine there's all elegance and finesse to this. Perhaps a bit more of the green notes in addition to the black fruit and more library style bordeaux, but to me that just adds some interest. Drinking very well.
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Pnp. Nice garnet color with a fairly wide translucent rim but almost no browning. Initially with plenty of sous bois which fades, or rather integrates nicely as the wine opens up with more air. Sweet and soft, still generous fruit joining the leather. Fine and well integrated tannins. Rather short finish though. A nice mature 80s Bdx but clearly not what you might hope for when you pay the $350 this 85 vintage of a Super Second is going for these days...
Fully mature, if you own a bottle, or more, do not wait to pop a cork before the fruit continues to fade. There is still plenty to like in this medium-bodied, earthy, herbal, tobacco, smoke, and leafy focused wine, with its soft textures and earthy, red currant core of fruit. But it does require drinking sooner than later. Drink from 2022-2026.
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Glass from coravin at noble rot. Very good balance erring toward slightly sweet, sophisticated red fruit. Tannins resolved and fully mature but retains freshness. Not especially complex or long but I was perhaps expecting too much. Classic claret notes of cigar box and slight damp forest fooor. Perfect temperature (lending freshness) but maybe it needed a bit more air … I enjoyed it but perhaps prefer the more modern/structured lalande. This hasn’t made me a believer (and I want to be). I remain a Baron man when it comes to the Pichons.
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This bottle has been part of my Pichon Lalande collection for 25+ years. Capsule was swollen. Cork came out in one piece, but no longer sealing well. Low neck level, however. Rich garnet color and velvety smooth upon pouring, I had decided to decant this wine and drink it as it evolved. First glass was terrible. Smelled like a moist barn in the summer. Not much fruit present and downright salty. Tainted? TCA? I tried the Saran wrap trick and after a couple hours, the wine began to unfold. After 6-7 hrs, the off-putting smells and flavors were pretty much gone. Although the wine was full bodied, we are not talking powerhouse here. Balanced instead, feminine if you will, with tannins completely resolved, mild tertiary flavors of cedar and truffles, touch of green pepper and a slight minerality. Pleasant cassis and red fruits emerged, although not with the assertiveness of the 1982 Gran Prado Enea I had the night before. All in all a pleasant bottle of wine, that was perhaps 5-8 yrs past its peak. Even taking into consideration the cork/capsule condition of this bottle, I don't believe there is enough fruit or structure to keep this wine going. I will be drinking my remaining bottles soon.
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(375). Fully mature in half bottle, this retains freshness and is quite lovely. Cassis, cigarbox, leather. Not a powerhouse, but elegant and fun. A-/B+
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Drank with Ben and Brandon at June BYOB Very much like the last bottle I had but maybe a shade more youthful appearing. Above base neck fill. Cork perfect with Durand. Slow ox then air in glass. Deep youthful garnet color. Aroma opened quickly mostly dark fruit and cigar box and a bit of licorice. Palate similar, blackberry, cassis, tobacco, graphite. Medium weight. Fully mature but still vibrant and minimal sediment so while I do believe this is at peak, it should last a long time. Not super powerful and finish not so long like the last one but oh so good with the duck. One of my favorite wines, probably my favorite of those I’ve tasted from this vintage. Slightly different than the last one we had but I enjoyed it even more knowing we’ve now had 3 consistent great showings with this. I still say it’s a 96 which many will think too high but I really love this wine character. Chef and sous-chef given a taste and both seemed very pleased as well!
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Thursday at June BYOB (June BYOB, Collingswood NJ): Deep crimson color and full still at the rim.Not quite effusive notes of tobacco, cassis, earth immediately apparent upon opening. Mid weight with similar flavors, more linear palate (not expansive) which did not develop significantly with air. Nice but not especially persistent finish. Good/very good today. Bought as futures and active cellar stored ever since, this was fully mature and not likely to improve.
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24 Vintages of Pichon Lalande: All wines tasted blind. A few general observations: 1) Most wines showed the typical Pichon Lalande elegance. This is certainly one of the more delicate and elegant Paulliacs. 2) The relatively high Merlot content (often 20-30%) showed in many wines with fine, fresh rhubarb, rosehip and floral aromas I wouldn’t necessarily associate with a Medoc - all adding to the sensuous quality of the wines. 3) A few vintages showed the very sexy burnt sugar/coffee notes you associate with the 1982 Lalande or a Mouton or a Cheval Blanc - unfortunately, in most wines this night not to an extent and with an intensity to truly excite. 4) Following the legendary 1982 and until the most recent vintages (starting with 2014 but especially with 2016) there are three decades of pleasant Pichon Lalandes but hardly any vintage has the depth and length of truly great wines. The best wine tonight was the 2009 (rated 95+ points) with many more in the 92-94 point category.
TN: This was a very good wine, on par with the 89 and only slightly overshadowed by the 88. Medium- expressive nose, a bit rustic with tobacco and fresh dark fruit at the centre and just a touch of burnt sugar. Fine tannins and a good freshness on the palate, slightly creamy texture. Not overly deep but with beautiful herbal, cola and minerality notes circling around a more red fruit core. Nicely precise and balanced but with a touch sweetness and charm missing. This seems mature and will likely not improve from here on.
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In my cellar since release. V high level.decanted one hour and consumed over four hours watching US Open golf . Fantastic colour . Luminous bright red, hardly any bricking. Nose at first dominated by green pepper and mint. Over time nose softened and cedar and fruit came to the fore. Beautifully fragrant with ripe fruit still there. Lovely mouthfeeel, plenty of fruit with secondary notes and great balance. Excellent bottle
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It's really time to drink the 85 Pichon Comtesse. Three bottles from one source showed a nose dominated by tomato, beef blood, coal, and herb, the fruit softening and the palate light-footed (90 points). Another 5 bottles from another source with more fruit, more taut and together with blood, coal, and herb but more life ahead (92 points). The best bottles of 85 PCL that I've had recently do move into the 94 range, but they are relatively few and far between -- and quite likely becoming rarer with each passing year.
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Tasted in a tight vertical of Comtesse - 83, 85, 86 and 89. Very plush and soft tannins. Lacking in depth and classic pauillac leather and might be a touch past peak but still a very enjoyable and very drinkable wine.
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Drunk alongside the Baron 85. The two are surprisingly similar, both cedary and full of life, but the Lalande has the edge - a bit more precision, a minty streak that gives it more dimension, more zip. This really is fantastic claret.
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From Dad's Cellar, perfectly stored for decades. Decanted two hours before dinner of beef roast and potatoes au gratin with leeks. Drank alongside the 78 Palmer left from lunchtime and it was not much of a contest, this is just a bigger and better wine and certainly a big contrast in styles both because of terroir and vintage. Base neck fill, Cork came out perfectly with Durand and looked good. Initially a bit restrained on the nose but color a beautiful Garnet color which really didn’t change much over the course of the night and into the next day when a tiny bit was left but perhaps a bit deeper color with time. After about 90 min, the wine developed character and just kept getting better and better. It was absolutely lovely with the meat we had. Dark fruits, some cedar, brilliant complexity some of which is hard for me to pinpoint but maybe a little truffle or mushroom and just an incredible showing for this wine, best wine I’ve had in a long time. Finish is long at least 30 sec, feels very nice in the mouth, not opulent but full bodied. I think this wine is likely at peak but could well stay this way for a long time, might improve. I think it is better than the 1988 we had previously. Glad we have more of both of these though and anticipate a bit of bottle variation with these. 96 seems high for this but that's where I see it landing. Hope the next one we open is as good as this one was. 96
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A gorgeous showing for the 85 PCL, full of currant and black plum, pencil, fresh loam with just a touch of narcissus. Really pretty, evolving over the course of several hours. Supple tannin. Of the 4 bottles opened, 1 was truly excellent (this note), 2 were slightly less expressive (92-93), and 1 was corked.
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Vibrant deep garnet color. Dominated by grass, mushroom, forest floor, earthy undergrowth, leather, and tobacco notes on the nose and palate. After about an hour notes of toasted bread or biscuit showed up. Well integrated tannins still showing, especially on the finish. Well balanced if not a little delicate after 35 years - still full of body. Amazing long, full finish. Drink now if you’ve got it. Find some and drink it now if you don’t.
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Mushroom, leather, cedar, sweet, medium+ nose. Medium tannin and acidity. Rounded, the tannin fully integrated. Drank this together with 1985 Rausan Segla, prefer 1985 Pichon.
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An absolutely pristine bottle with a perfect cork. The essence of a great Bordeaux with age. A tiny bit of bricking, notes of olives, tapinade and herbs. The fruit is sweet and floral. Tannins very fine. Decanted two hours and served cool. I'd say this has another five years at least.
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This was dark garnet colored, medium-full bodied, complex, elegant and polished with nicely integrated black berry and black currant fruits accented by notes of cassis, black tea, coffee hints of spice and earth with a long smooth tannin laced polished finish. BOTN (Best of the Night)
Bordeaux 1985 Grand Tour; 5/5/2017-10/20/2023: Mini horizontal with 1985 Pichon Baron for 35th birthday. This showed some bricking but otherwise had the gentle colour of mature claret. It had a dusty nose with muted tertiary aromas and just the slightest barnyard funk which blew off quickly. On the palate, the cassis fruit showed more prominently compared to the Pichon Baron, accompanied by cedar and graphite typical of Pauillac.
This wine was less full-bodied than the Pichon Baron but more elegant and a slightly more complex finish. It also took a much longer time (3h) to open up compared to the Pichon Baron, which was decanted at the same time. Not a lot separating the two wines in this tertiary stage of their development, but this just about edges it in terms of elegance after fully fleshing out with air.
Unlikely to improve but should drink well for another 5+ years.
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Had some friends over who are seriously sophisticated beer drinkers but relative novice wine drinkers. I decided to do a mini-vertical and horizontal tasting over the evening of some Bordeaux. After seeing some recent tasting notes on the 1985 Pichon’s I decided to do a 1985 horizontal of Pichon Baron and Pichon Lalande. The mini-vertical was a 1995 and 1996 Chateau Belair-Marquis d’Aligre. I decanted all four at about 4pm and we tasted them repeatedly over the next 8 hours. The Lalande has had very mixed reviews. This bottle was very interesting and ranged from best to worst to best again over the timeframe. Upon opening it had a massive bouquet of heavy Bordeaux funk and barnyard with layers of earthy scents, leather and mostly red fruit. It showed its age a little with distinct bricking on the rim around a core of medium garnet. The palate was also red fruited and layered with lots those earthy flavors including some cedar and tobacco and a hint of chocolate on the finish. After an hour or so through the next several hours this was clearly number 3 in the lineup with muted flavors and a very short finish. It was good with the grilled steaks but seemed like it was “done”...THEN, we tried it again after dessert and it had transformed... the color had deepened and showed no bricking. The nose was more black fruit and floral driven with some cedar and tobacco but none of the funky barnyard. It was deeper and richer and had retained some elegance but was clearly markedly better that earlier. Then by the last half hour it fell apart again. This was a spectacular experience of the evolution of an aged old school Bordeaux and another lesson in the value of giving classic old wines plenty of air. I would have given this a 90-91 based on the experience of the first few hours (like I did on my last bottle) But this had a wonderful moment for about an hour at the 5-6 hour point that was quite special. One bottle left that I will probably try to have in the relatively near future.
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The best bottle of 85 PCL yet - fresh, vivacious nose full of currant, pencil, cedar, lots of fennel, and tobacco. Tangy and dynamic, I find it tough not to lose this despite my preconceived notions of the 85 PCL being over the hill. Having only had this three times, it’s tough to know what the mean and standard deviation really are.
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Stunning wine, looks like a 2000 Bordeaux, fresh, lots of fruits left, medium bodied, elegant, silky, with truffles & tobacco, a superb Pichon Lalande, Wotn with the 09 Rinaldi Ravera 95
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(375) A friend had done a big PLL vertical the day before to benefit my group and another charity, I opened this to toast him. Lovely, elegant, long. Lively fruit, cigarbox, earth. Ready to go in this format. Nice! A-
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The seventh wine of 14 vintages of PL back to ‘61 courtesy of Mark Golodetz. This showed so well tonight with tons of vigor and freshness to go along with classic Pichon flavors of black fruits, truffles and dill which added complexity rather than detracting from the wine. The finish is deeply satisfying and complex. Up against the ‘82 it held its own quite well.
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Geez, for all the great reviews this wine has gotten I'm wondering if mine came from "Rudy's Collection." Medium garnet color with a bit of orange peel beginning to show. Typical, if not expansive, bouquet of cedar, tobacco, earth, and a hint of mint. Quite astringent and tart with little weight and even less charm. Very disappointing given the reputation of this wine. My wife and I did our best to try and enjoy it over a Prime New York steak dinner but it was a chore. If someone out there has a better bottle we'd be happy to partake with you and find out if this bottle was just "way off".
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Day of the Goat: A Pichon Lalande Fractured Vertical (Leo & Cheryl's Place, Mpls, MN): Very dark red color. Drank a glass over 90 minutes. Earthy and more herbal than the '83 and bigger, bold dark fruits, cassis, blackberry. More intense and dense on the palate, black fruit, pencil, earthy, immense minerality, funk, tobacco. This is at least 5 years from peak and it can go another 15 to 20 years. Outstanding.
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The wine looks garnet colored. It smells like blackberry, blueberry, black currant (cassis), mushroom, forest floor, toast and oak. It tastes like blackberry, blueberry, black currant (cassis), forest floor, mushroom, toast and oak. The body is full. The wine finishes long. The wine has medium acidity.
The wine should be drink up soon, depending on the condition of the bottle, if in pristine condition, it should last for another 5 years.
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Close to a perfect bottle of wine. Hard to pick individual notes it's so perfectly balanced. The fruit, acid and deep dark qualities paired with steak and potatoes made for a wonderful meal. Only wish I had a case more.
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From MAG. Wonderful tertiary Bordeaux notes with forrest floor and autumn leaves. Palate is fresh and soft, good mid mouth presence. Grand mature Bordeaux.
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P: LM, poss Med, body; NICE, ALMOST swtish ft met by some astringent pucker which somewhat resolves by the LONG finish with ult a bitter/swtness to the dusty tannins. Approachable now, but DESERVES another 3 yrs or so, then going beyond its 40th? 12.5% ABV; My EXC, poss EXC/EXC+. 94 & 91 pts RJonWine, 17/20 (2x) Jancis Robinson, + numerous other solid reviews listed on wine-searcher's "Tasting Notes" pg.
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Attended a head to head blind tasting of Pichon-Baron VS. Pichon-Lalande. Vintages were as follows for the Pichon-Baron: 1988, 1989, 1990 & 1998, Pichon-Lalande offerings were 1985, 1986, 1988 & 1996. The sixth blind wine happened to be the 1985 Pichon-Lalande. I thought wine #5 which happened to be the Pichon-Lalande 1988 was serious until I put this glass to my nose. Wow was my first note. Another Bordeaux legend in the making, this animal nosed wine offered incredible aromatic complexity, great acidity, and never-ending length. At age 33, this is the type of wine that got me into tasting wines. Oh I wish I had several cases in my cellar. This elixir will maintain it’s drinking plateau for another 15-20 years, yes I’m not kidding. Drink by 2040.
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Excellent bottle of Pichon Lalande. Ripe nose of dark fruit, green pepper, saddle leather, mushroom, and more earthy notes as the open bottle breathed. Fine palate of dark red and black fruit, earthy umami notes, very long finish. Tannins are gone but what remains is soft and well balanced. A wine hungry for food. Well aged and showing perhaps that the ‘85s aren’t going to improve any more but I predict a beautiful further five or 10 years before any fading.
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Wine Dinner (Zazie's, San Francisco): Ugh, fantastic aromatics, Black fruit, umami, slight cedar, slight green; palate is medium-full bodied, excellent medium acidity, fully integrated tannins, elegant, lovely mature black fruits; finish is long. This is superb. 94
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(375)A wine I’ve liked a lot before but was hoping holding on in half. Nose was a little funky and sour at first, but brightened. Cassis, pencil shavings, tobacco, and herbs. Resolved tannins and totally mature in this format, but elegant and delicious. A-
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Superbe bouteille plus fringante que les précédentes, suave et de belle longueur. Un alliage de finesse et de complexité aromatique. Excellent. 92-93 pts
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PnP. Left open for about 30 minutes. Color had a deep maroon core with some browning/orange tint at the edges. Aromas of dried red fruit, leather, fall leaves, and fresh mushrooms. On the palate, there is still red berry/plum warm compote with a bit of sweetness and acidity that went perfectly with some aged ribeyes.
Perhaps this was a better bottle from the last one I had a few months ago, which was came from a different source. Or, perhaps this bottle just stood out because my palate was shocked by the Scarecrow and Hundred Acre that we had on the table versus being in a middle of a lineup of older Bordeaux.
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A beautiful showing for this wine that seems to keep motoring on despite being at full maturity for a decade now. It has that wonderful nutty, gravelly flavor of aged Bordeaux with sexy dark fruits still apparent and just a hint of Pichon dill on the smooth finish. Just a lovely Bordeaux to drink tonight.
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After the overwhelming notes here I was a little disappointed. The wine was in good condition with fill in. Right after opening it showed almost nothing, so I decanted it. After that, it was structurally almost perfect with fine tannins and nice acidity. The aromas, however, remained pale. I felt it exactly as described by Antonio Galloni (you can find the note at google). A good wine but I had hoped for more.
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Can't add much to my January 6 2018 comments, except that it really does need a good hour to open out and show its fruit. No worries about it being over the top - may even improve a little more as the remaining tannins soften.
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Lutefisk and BYO: Bark with some browning; A hint of smoke, dark berries, emerging complexity in the glass; Mature and sweet fruit, fine structure, complex finish, fresh, lingering. In the beginning of its drinking window.
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Q4 - 2018 Tasting - Aged Bordeaux (Pre-1997) (New York, NY): 18 of 19 wines tasted double blind. This was decanted off the sediment (~30 mins) and double decanted back to bottle. Whereas the nose on the '89 was full of fruit - the nose on this was old and musty (not cardboard just old). The palate was much fresher than the nose would indicate though with the fruit still in evidence along with leather and cedar. I would definitely rather drink it than smell it. Group Vote - 3 pennies
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Q4 Wine Club - Aged Bordeaux (Our apt): Wine #18: A bit overshadowed by the big brother '89 which came right before. This is still quite nice. Reminds me a bit of raspberry liquer, some sweet and sour notes, a bit more intensity. With time almost becomes a black raspberry with more floral notes (almost a potpourri). Drinking very well. (3 pennies)
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Consistent with earlier tasting notes, classic Bordeaux floral bouquet, dark garnet colored, medium bodied, silky smooth polished nicely integrated blackberry and black cherry fruits with accents of cassis, cedar, leather, hints of tobacco, graphite, bell pepper, and earthy mineral.
Much younger than my previous bottle with decent power. Lots of black fruit, cedarwood and tobacco. But its a bit four squared tonight. Perhaps more air would help. Wine was decanted for 60 mins before serving.
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This wine reminded me of a old school claret. Still very vibrant with a good amount of acid, delicate dried fruit, forest floor, and mushrooms. Considering its current acid level it can easily go on longer in the cellar but it is in a fantastic tertiary drinking zone. If opened now however i would recommend decanting this and drinking it slowly. As I drank this over the hours the wine just got better and better as the acidity got tamer and more of the fruit and bouquet came forward.
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You know those wines that transcend you through 50 parallel universes in a 15-minute time span? Yeah, something like DMT, but better. The aromatics of this liquid warp you in with baked chocolate cake, sun-dried tomato, heavily smoked meat, tobacco, horse leather, a dash of green peppers and those ripe cherries that your nonna used to pick for you in late summer. Nothing dominates here, all is in perfect harmony. Dense, but elegant. Aged, but fresh as spring water. A true epiphany. If there was a Moby song for this wine, it would be called just that - Epiphany.
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Strong fruity plum on decanting. After about 45 minutes began to open out beautifully with strong perfume blackcurrant mixed with blackcurrant. Near perfect balance and one of the wines I will really remember - an epiphanous experience for Epiphany! And I still have a few more left...
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The last of my case, and not one disappointed. Huge nose, big bodied, fantastic fruit throughout the bottle, starting with black cherry and currents to finishing with a little more dark fruits. Still had a couple of years to go and had a long finish
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Very pretty indeed; very Pichon Lalande. The fruit is starting to thin, but there's still a very elegant cassis, pencil, herb nose with touches of white flower and lavender. So svelte in the mouth and nicely balanced. I would be curious to try this from very large bottles but wouldn't chase 750s at this point. 93-94
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This wine had been properly cellared since its purchase and the cork was in superb condition. Color is fading as expected with hints of brick on the edge - but still a nice garnet color for 32 years old. The wine had thrown almost no sediment - which was amazing. On the nose the initial aroma was some spice and "vegetal" notes - but both dissipated after some time in the decanter and glass. Medium-bodied mouth-feel with decent complexity and still good acidity on the tongue. In my opinion this wine has peaked and I do not believe that additional time in the cellar would be beneficial. Recommend drinking now. 91 points.
P.S. - tasted alongside an '81 Lafite Rothschild and I would give the nod to the Pichon (although both were quite enjoyable).
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VEO London, Bordeaux 80-s in Magnum (Restaurant La Trompette, Chiswick): Surprisingly great and truly Pichon Lalande (in style) between all the firework of this evening as PLL 1986 and 1989, Pichon Baron 1990 and Margaux 1983. Smooth and silky on the palate. Medicine box, leather and tobacco notes in nose and palate. A bit leaner and more developed than the other bottles but not less attractive and true-to-type.
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Ch. Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande Vertical Tasting with Nicolas Glumineau (Taberna del Alabardero): Shocker. Not sure I have ever had this vintage before. But this was easily my second favorite of the flight after the '82 -- and it did not lag the '82 by all that much. It is at the next stage of maturity compared to the '89 -- still featuring that same pitch-black fruit complexion but the palate more brothy and savory. The lead-pencil note is heavier on the cedar. This is delivering all the rewards of bottle age -- the tertiary flavors, integration, and texture -- with none of the details starting to fade. In other words I think we caught this at its absolute high point.
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Pichon Lalande dinner with Nicolas Glumineau (Taberna del Alabardero, Washington D.C.): Fully integrated nose displaying soft and round red and black fruit, cherry, strawberry water, a hint of cassis, cedar, dry leather, a hint of tobacco, lead pencil, bell pepper, and earthy mineral. Perhaps the silkiest and most polished palate, very precise, perhaps slightly lean, only a hint of red fruit, bright acidity and a medium to long seamless mineral and red fruit driven finish. Another classic Pichon Lalande.
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Subsequent notes on this wine from over two years ago. Medium-deep reddish garnet in color with some slight clearing at the edges. Full, fragrant, attractive, & aromatic nose of dark cherries, blackberries & cassis with overtones of classic cigar box notes of cedar & tobacco, floral notes of violets, tomato leaf, spices, mint/eucalyptus, herbal notes, anise, earthy & minerals. Medium-full bodied with a good concentration of well balanced & smooth textured, ripe fruit flavors of sweet cherries, blackberries & dark plums with spices, earthy, herbs & minerals. Long, lingering finish. Drinks quite well at present & although it may be close to is peak of development, it has the fruit/structure to hold onto this present plateau for a few more additional years if cellared properly.
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A friends anniversary celebration (Bern's Steakhouse): Hard to compete with a well-aged Bordeaux and this was just in an awesome spot. Woodsy, earthy, hints of black fruit, lots of floral. It's very pretty and very tasty.
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Ending a weekend Anniversary celebration with some Cellar Tracker buddies: This was pretty classic 1985 for me--pretty red fruit, a nice tannic grip, and lots of Bordeaux bell pepper. After several big bottles of Syrah preceding this bottle, this acidity almost acted like a palate cleanser. I expected a bit more floral quality and subtle spice, but this bottle was a bit more straightforward. Still delicious.
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This was a pleasure. Popped the bottle and started sipping. It needed a full half hour to hit stride. The tannins are there, but softening and its time to drink. Color is medium. The flavors are there in a refined, well crafted Pulliac: strawberry jam, plum, licorice, and an essence of hydrangea. This is why you age Bordeaux. Sip and smile.
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Decanted and enjoyed quickly with minimal air. Very Lalande and very 85! Quite deep looking, but lacks body in the mouth although smooth and little tannin left - presumably lots of merlot. Very clean with red and blackcurrant with a touch of tobacco and the cedar notes I expect from 85 Bdx. A really enjoyable Lalande without getting high ratings. Recommended, but drink over the next 5yrs - seems to be in a graceful decline (but not as advanced yet as 83 Lalande). 93pts
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Medium garnet color, some bricking. Classic Bdx nose of dark fruits, earth, mushroom. Palate of dusted cherry and currant, pencil/graphite, mild floral, mushroom. Medium texture, weight and finish...nice secondary notes into the finish. This is fully mature at this point and may be approaching a tertiary stage.
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A perfect bottle stored in the same cellar at 12 degrees Celsius since it's release. This allowed this example to present itself as the most youthful PC 85 I have tasted for years. A little tightlipped yet very promising at the opening but growing in elegance in the glass with a little time. Super classic notes of dark fruit, horsesaddle and cedar. An absolute delight.
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Now this was special. Had the grip and focus that the LLC 89 lacked. And it's way better than the 90PL. Just a hint of green adding life, but then it's smooth and seamless, ripe and cedary. Glorious.
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A great mature bordeaux. Pnp and let it breathe in the bottle. Classic bordeaux with ink, pencil lead, black fruit, and soil. Its very smoothe like many good 85 with subtle sweetness and acidity. Drinking really well now. 92+
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bottle, fill and cork all excellent. Deep color. This bottle was slightly off. It improved in the decanter and is still relatively young. This wine is always a favorite, but tonight it was just ok - lacking elegance and not as complex as usual
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Now this one was more like I expected, even with a quick decant and little breathing this was clearly correct compared to the other bottle opened earlier. Medium, slightly translucent garnet. On the nose I get "Bordeaux barnyard" as well as lots of herbal notes like lavender, anise and cloves. On the palate I still get the herbal notes of lavender, clove and rosemary, some black cherry and black currant. Tannins fully resolved, very smooth on the tongue. A fairly flat finish, a bit shorter than I expected.
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Although certainly classic Bordeaux it was tired and actually quite uncomplicated. On the nose some nice pencil and red fruit, but on the taste not a whole lot to show for. Tannins are pretty much gone. Letdown as '89 is spectacular!
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decent cork. very good nose. no negatives. medium body. soft tannins. balanced acidity. fruit fading on finish. 1-3 years past prime. excellent with our Italian entrees. recommended. drink now.
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Another online auction wine with no provenance. Striking garnet red fading to thin mahogany at the rim. High toned red and black currant, new saddle leather and jus a hint of dusty cocoa powder on the nose. Seems not at all over the hill. Very light and smooth - almost ethereal - entry. Graceful and poised. Blend beautifully into still fresh fruit that fills the top and back of your mouth. Eventually a pleasant leafiness starts to unravel. Layer still a meaty note develops. Finishes fresh, clean and dry with no trace of tannins. Very elegant wine!
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Pichon Lalande Tasting: Mature black currants, cloves, quite complex; Fine fruit in the mouth, could have been longer, tannin present, surprisingly structured.
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From a pristine bottle opened at the chateau, this has definitely lost some of its charm. The sensuous textures are there, but the fruit has started its fade. Drink up if have this in your cellar as it is not going to get better from here.
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Shared with old work colleagues as part of our bi-annual catch up. Still deep ruby and looking so young. Wonderful lush fruit and perfume nose, glacé cherry, jasmine, very glossy and very sexy. On the palate it tastes so in balance, lightly spice cherry fruit, great complexity and noticeable glycerin and roundness. Absolutely fabulous drinking right now but plenty of stuffing to be at this level for next 5-10 years. Not cheap but totally worth the experience.
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Right in its wheelhouse right now. Cork was completely soaked, but the wine was still singing. Bright medium ruby color. No funk on the nose, which showed cassis, cedar, leather, green pepper, and herbs. Nice weight, good concentration, and extremely well-balanced. Fruit is still going strong, and is perfectly complemented by the acidity. Beautiful long finish. Silky tannins. There is no reason to hold this any longer, as it is drinking at its peak.
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November 2015 - Copenhagen On a 1985 vertical of 16 wines, This has always been great and continues to be ..... just plain stunning, it is one of the most sexist of the 85' it is pure elegance with Pauillac Class, together with Lynch Bages better than Mouton and Latour !! I do not why but it reminds me of the 2014 Comtesse .... buy this one !!! and the 2014 !!! Drink 2015-2020
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From magnum (thanks, Pat). Faint perfume on nose. Amazing mint green lifted nose, per Charles. Very dark color. Palate shows band aid, black fruit, very smooth texturally. Michael K. likes the depth on the midpalate. Palate is very Pichon, dark, with a herbal aspect, nice balance, herbs and lots of band aid. La Sirène with the guys.
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Vertikal provning Pichon Lalande 12 årgångar 66-90. 1985: höstig doft av stall, kraftfull övermogen frukt, syltig, super balanserad, bra tannin struktur, kan lagras länge till, snäll årgång. Tillsammans med 82 min klara favorit ikväll.
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Tasted alongside 1985 Gruaud Larose and Cos d'Estournel and following a flight of 1989s from the same Chateaux. Slightly less evolution in terms of colour compared to the 1989s. Softer and more elegant and floral than the Cos (trying to avoid the word "feminine"). Really expressive with lots of fruit, good acidity, nice balance and length. More backward than the 1989. No rush drinking this. 92-94
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1982, 1985 & 1989 Bordeaux Super Seconds, with Richard Brazier (Handford Wines, London): A lot better than the 91 we rated it a couple of years ago. Still a good healthy red colour. Quite alive and fruit driven on the nose, subtle nose but very elegant and classy. Very much alive and singing at this stage, rich core of fruit still here, great length and just beautiful. A great Pichon Lalande and just on the money now. 94-95
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Light garnet. Showing a great nose of thin soil without being farmy. Very soft mouthfeel but still has good red cherry fruit and an agreeable tannic structure. Notes of tea leaf, red cedar, and some coffee. Drinking beautifully at the moment.
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Considering this bottle was not kept in the best environment, the wine held up magnificently! At first, there was a funky, damp smell to it but the taste was pure old school Bordeaux. Over the two to three hours that we drank it, the damp funkiness wore off and the wine progressed to a smoother, touch of fruit taste, no tannins. It was delicious!
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From magnum. At 30 years old, the wine's secondary characteristics shine through. This wine is drinking perfectly. An extremely elegant Pauillac that is fully resolved & holding. Not a bruiser but every element of this wine is in the right place- nose, body, & length. It's a privilege to enjoy the absolute harmony of this wine. Stunning!
Note- Perfect providence. Purchased on release, cellared, and move once when shipped to the U.S..
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°°° Bordeaux 1985 °°° (Emmen, Switzerland): Clear intensive in color. Nose shows leather, coffee and tar notes. Nice sweetness and quite elegant. Multilayered and complex structure. A very hedonistic wine. Love it...Drink now over the next decade
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85 Claret (La Trompette, London): Blind. A little leafy initially, then softer, creamier on the nose. Again very harmonious. Quite floral. Slightly wild perhaps, albeit in a restrained style. Gruaud? ****
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There was very little ullage, especially for a bottle that had been bottled over 25 years ago. Decanted wine and sat for an hour. The color was ruby red. No browning detected. The nose was intense black currants that exploded out of the glass with smoke and touches of oak. On the palate the wine is well balanced with a medium long persistence of black fruit. It reminded me of the 1981.
After writing my notes, I read Parker's notes from 2002. My only disagreement (drink now, starting to show age) is that the wine in this bottle was excellent and showing little signs of age, even after it was open for 3 hours.
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Medium-deep reddish garnet in color with some amber & slight clearing at the edges. Full, fragrant, attractive, & aromatic nose of developed, mature & complex aromas of dark cherries, blackberries & cassis with overtones of classic cigar box notes of cedar and aged tobacco, floral notes of violets, tomato leaf & green bell pepper, spices, mint/eucalyptus, herbal notes, anise & juniper, earthy & minerals. Medium-full bodied with a good concentration of developed, mature & complex, well balanced, supple, plush, elegant & silky smooth textured, rich ripe fruit flavors of sweet cherries, blackberries & dark plums with spices, earthy, herbs & minerals. Long, lingering smooth finish. Drinks quite well at present and although it may be at its peak of development, it has the fruit/structure to hold onto this present plateau for a few more additional years although any further development would be minimal.
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The 1985 Pichon Lalande is drinking perfectly right now, and this bottle was much superior to my last encounter with a rather fatigued bottle in London. The wine is classic Pichon Lalande, bursting from the glass with a projected bouquet of tobacco, red and black cherry, cedar and rich loamy soil. On the palate the tannins are nicely melted and the wine is typically supple, generous and expansive. The combination of Pichon Lalande and the extremely elegant 1985 vintage was always going to be a winner. Really in a very nice place and more mature than Mouton Rothschild drunk alongside.
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Chateau Pichon Lalande Dinner with Nicolas Glumineau (Commanderie de Bordeaux, Singapore): Medium-light garnet. Expressive nose with a noticeable barnyard/brett tone to it, for me a bit too much vs. the other aromas, but very popular at our table. Very soft and elegant palate providing excellent drinkability with food. Fully mature, will not get better, so drink up.
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A mature one. Great reflection of Pauillac terrior. Strong aroma of leather, pepper, cinnamon and black fruits in a well controlled and elegant style. Solid and excellent structure.
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OJH Party (Racquet Club Chicago): From a perfect looking bottle with a fill almost up to the cork. Outstanding nose of earth, dark fruit, herbs, subtle green pepper. Beautifully silky Pichon texture. Fully mature and round in the mouth. Great smooth finish. Perfect time to drink this wine.
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Great 1980s Bordeaux Tasting and Dinner (Michael Restaurant - Winnetka IL): Tasting. Lean styled fruit for the vintage, moderately mature, with tobacco, licorice, cooked mushroom and bell pepper. Very balanced and well textured, this is drinking well now but probably not the concentration to improve going forward, or worth holding for more than another decade.
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Occasional dinner group; Mature and classical Bordeaux (@ WB): Beautiful bouquet with sweet spices, still some dark berries and a touch of pleasant barnyard. On the palate still a beautiful wine with chocolate and cinnamon. a touch of sweetness nicely balanced by good acidity and soft, fully integrated tannin which is a bit drying. Overall a good concentration and length. Fully mature now.
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Mature colour, brick red rim. Hint of cork? Blows off. Developed, mature aromas of cigar box, cedar, blackcurrant, licorice, and a whiff of bonfire. Full bodied, fruity and mature with pleasant tannins. Juicy, with good fruit, but lacks some concentration compared with the marvellous '89. Ends relatively short. A decent wine, but 5 points off the younger sister.
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Not showing as well as prior bottles. My friend called this, but it had a bloody mary nose. Spot on. Pichon silkiness was there but the fruit a little muddled.
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Tasting. Very nice aromatic start with tobacco, black plum, some bell pepper (in a nice Cab Franc way). Long and fresh on palate. Firm throughout. Drinking well with lots of longevity left.
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5 Decades of Chateau Pichon Lalande, with Richard Brazier (Handford Wines, London): Probably the first vintage in our line up that shows some discoloration. The nose is very much an 85, light spice, leather, earthy notes. Very classic on that front. On the palate it lacks density (What St Julien reds have in 85 that makes them such great wines)and is loosing its vibrancy. Very healthy wine but definitely one to drink up at this stage. Has def seen better days. 91-92
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Secondary notes quite dominant on the nose, tobacco, coffee, cedar. Compared to the 1989 less persistent and focussed on the palate, slightly rustic and fading towards the finish. Drink up.
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Medium red with brown rim. Needs an hour in decanter to open up. A mature nose with leather, mint and dark berries. Elegant. The tannins are well integrated with a nice acidic backbone. Medium plus aftertaste. Mouthwatering. A very nice bottle of wine. Drink now or over the next 5 years.
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More than a little disappointing. Good pencil lead, earth, but the fruit is fading and this doesn't show the floral components you'd expect of aged Lalande. I've found the '85 Barton, Talbot, Mouton (and probably others) all in a similar state of decline. Drink up.
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A night of Bordeaux as Tom Reddick pays a return visit to NYC. (Le Philosophe.): A Labrador retriever of a wine as it's just so friendly and welcoming, which is how I view the '85 vintage as a whole. It's fully integrated and has a wonderful softness and elegance about it that put a smile on everyone's face. There's plenty of sweetness to the black fruit, terrific earthiness with a bit of tobacco and herb. At peak, but no rush. My second favorite wine of the night. Solid A-.
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A beautiful bordeaux from my birth year...dark fruit, leather and pepper in a wonderfully integrated package..this wine has 10+ years left on it...my WOTN!
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Very similar to the last bottle. Decanted and drank over 4 hours. Smokey nose with earth, leather and some green pepper notes. Palate matches with a nice sweetness of red fruit that emerges after about 30min. Beautiful silky texture and lovely medium+ smooth finish.
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Ibid Leve's May2012 note below. Stood 750ml bottle night before; VTS fill. Opened 3 hrs before serving, then PnP after dinner. Pretty one-dimensional at this stage, and pales a bit next to recent tastings of the 1986. Medium finish. 91-92 pts. Drink up soon
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A real treat. Started off as mentioned with green pepper and evolved over the next hour. First from pepper to fruit. Then from fruit to earthy and leather notes. Plenty if life left, but it is in a great place. I became a fan
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Dark ruby, youthful looking. Right out of the gates: lots of green pepper (which made me nervous...), cedar, spices, some tobacco. Within 15 minutes, the red fruits showed up and this was especially good, with tremendous complexity on the nose and palate. It just goes to show how good these top Bordeaux properties can be in average years. It still has tannins left, good acidity, and will have a long future ahead of it (I would say another 10-15 years). This was great by itself, and even better with some spinach + feta chicken sausage.
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Another great bottle of this wine. Smokey nose with earth, leather and some green pepper notes. Palate matches with a nice sweetness of red fruit that emerges after about 30min. Beautiful silky texture and lovely medium+ smooth finish.
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Not a great showing from this bottle. Long on the palate, but not as complex as previous tastings. The aroma was uncharacteristically tight as well. Still good though.
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Great low-tide on the nose. This bottle wasn't as good as previous thought; still great fruit but not as complex as the 83. Unmistakable Pichon Lalande. I'll be searching for more.
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Nez un peu tertiaire mais suave de poivron rouge, avec des tomates séchées, boite à cigare et cèdre. Très belle bouche en finesse, suave, c'est toute l'élégance classique de l'appellation et surtout, celle du crû. Un peu plus large et plus abouti que le Lafite '99, ce dernier étant probablement plus subtil et élégant. 92-93 pts
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Reticent nose initially; later it depened with some rubber, manura and earth; tobacco, cedar, light blackberry; some cherry; not a lot of minerality and texture; ended with some heat.
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Excellent! Deep and complex nose showing dark berries, tobacco, cedar, and spicebox. Fantastic palate - smooth, deep, rich, quite intense and at the same time light on its feet. Suave and complex finish. Amazingly young for a 27 year old wine, and destined to go strong easily for an additional decade or more. What a treat.
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Incredibly young for a 27 year old wine, gorgeous nose of cigar box, coffee, leather, graphite and spices. Still tannic and dense, it seems to have gained weight in the last couple years. Very long and balanced, will last at least another 10-15 years. A fantastic wine, one of the wines of the vintage, especially from pristine bottles like this one.
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Bordeaux Søskenparsmaking (Moss, Norway): Rødbrun. Varm, kokt, vegetal, søtlig nese av jord, lær og paprika. Kommer seg noe med luft, men det grønne preget er støyende. Varm og bløt frukt med fin syre. Ingen optimal flaske.
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Lovely classic Bordeaux nose of red berries and pencil lead. The acidity was playing games in my mouth, and together with an ok complexity makes this a nice drink. Quite long. I would not think this would get any better.
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Un nez très séduisant de tabac, de cèdre, du poivron rouge, un peu de fumée. La texture est très belle, dans un style aérien, léger et profond à la fois. Le fruit est presque sucré, le vin a une belle vigueur, qui me confirme que la bouteille un peu fatiguée prise au lunch de Noël était imparfaite. D'une finesse exemplaire, c'est un textbook claret, d'une grande classe. Complexe, suave, c'est typique de ce cru qui est l'élégance faite vin de Pauillac. 93-94 pts
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Ruby with lightening of color at the edge, smoke, truffle, tobacco, wet earth, ripe blackberry and plum scents lead to a fully mature, delicate, refined, silky style of Pichon Lalande. With a plush, velvet textured, elegant, black cherry finish, there is no reason to hold this any longer.
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Rupert's 1985 'Super Seconds' (The Medlar, London): Initially a little sweaty and lactic on the nose. Second hand socks, though this lifts to show a far cleaner nose. Full, rounded, sweet fruited. Lovely. A touch of christmas pud on the nose with some air. Splendid. Guessed Pichon L. ****1/2
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Decanted and drank over 2 hours. Fully mature. Classic Pichon nose that did take about an hour to get going. Smoke, earth, some green pepper. The palate was silky and developed quite a bit of sweetness as it stayed open. Medium finish. Enjoyable.
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Nez évolué, cigare, girofle, pas super charmeur, un peu fatigué . Par contre, très belle bouche superbe équilibre, un vin de finesse et de classe. Finale vaporeuse. Un vin de texture donc! 91+ pts
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Wine of the night, perfect fill, higher up the neck than a well stored Lynch Bages 2000. Took a while to open to fantastic aromas of leather and undergrowth. Great balance and very long finish, still at least 10 years at the top of its game.
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Peter Mansell's Farewell Dinner (Christie's Amsterdam): Magnum. Starts out slightly vegetal and edgy, but opens up well to become an elegant, refined wine with sufficient energy. But an elderly lady still, even if she has aged gracefully. Now.
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Decanter Chateau Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande Masterclass (Landmark Hotel London): Medium garnet fading to a tawny rim. Mature nose with undergrowth, cedar, dried leaves and leather which makes it rather heavy for the feminine style of Pichon Lalande. Lovely fully mature claret, with pencil shavings in the palate, cedar, sweet prunes. Long aftertaste. Plush texture and structure which warrants further ageing. Tannins are still firm if a little austere.
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From Magnum. Medium ruby colour. Medicinal, tobacco and eucalyptus in the nose. Soft and smooth on the palate with tobacco, cassis, some meat and earth on the palate.
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Burnt tobacco on the nose, fascinating. Smooth and soft on the palate, thoroughly resolved and quite a delicious wine, but not possesing an extra quality to it, not thrilling.
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bottle was in pristine shape....fill level well into neck, cork only partially saturated.
Have you ever walked into a pet store and seen a group of puppies where one has tremendous personality is jumping around and wagging it's tail? and then you see its twin, equally adorable, but lying subdued on the floor of the cage....well this wine is the latter.
the color was perfect. not even bricking at the edge, a deep garnet. The bouquet suggested exciting things to come: plummy dark fruit, oak, a hint of eucalyptus. The entry was sweet, and surprisingly for this vintage almost devoid of acidity while showing some tannin. I waited for it to fan out on my tongue and show some sexy midpalate...and I waited. Took another sip, and waited. Slurped it on my tongue, and waited. But it kept lying on the floor of the cage.
It had persistence and good fruit because the finished lasted a long time, but it was missing exuberance. It never sizzled even though all the components were there. Too bad because I would have happily given it a higher rating, I am a big fan of PL in the 80s.
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Great nose / aroma. Started with low-tide and dirt, but blew off after about 20 minutes to reveal intense dark fruit. The finish on this one was shorter than say, the 83 (or the last 85), but still fantastic. Slight discoloration around the edges.
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this, weak and disappointing. bouquet was good but depth missing and possibly wine had gone past its sell by though others i know tasting the same vintage felt similar
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Old Bordeaux: a nice little warmup as we are doing a multi-decade vertical of Pichons soon. Classic, feminine Pichon, with telltale floral notes, depth of pitch to its lavender nose and lovely dark fruit. Not overtly complex, but very bouquet driven and intoxicating. An Audrey Tatou wine.
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Older Bordeaux (Chez Glowa - Bethesda, MD): Beautiful medium-red color in the glass. Nose was absolutely beautiful with lovely florals, tobacco leaf, cedar and cassis. Palate was feminine, classy and fresh with classic Pauillac characteristics. Subtle mushroom, rose petals, cassis, and leather comprise this exceptional wine's palate. Drinking beautifully well.
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I was very nervous about this bottle as my friend had one recently that was falling apart as well as the mixed reviews on cellartracker. This was a near pefect old mature bordeau very round and silky in the mouth with muted tannins. My friend brought a 85 Mouton and this at least this night blew it away. Definitely wotn. I purchased it from a very reputable local wine merchant who had obtained it from what he describes as a pristine cellar. So I guess if the wine was well stored it will be drinking great right now and probably will not get better.
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Medium red, garnet edged. Purely Pauillac in the nose, gobs of tobacco leaf, cherry and cassis, mushroom and camphor. Low persistent tannin and acid, not falling apart. Round and silky in the mouth, with fat fruit, finishes with good fat and length. Jeez, here's another '85 which never went underground or faded in 25 years. That's my testament of superb vintages; how many others will ever drink so very well, for so long ? Bottle #22 of twenty-four, plus mags. I thought I'd bought plenty of this, but another case make make me happier still.
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Old school Claret smells of rusty nails, cassis, green bean, decaying flowers and sulphured plum. There’s a graphite spine and plenty of underlying earthiness. It is complex and cerebral and drinking very nicely.
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Le Gavroche Welcomes Gildas d’Ollone (Vancouver, BC): At it's peak now. While a real delight, this was slightly forgotten sitting next to the '83. More merlot in this than the '83, with a nose of currant, leather, sour plum with a touch of menthol. Tobacco, dark plum, and cedar on the palette. A touch sweet
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1985 Pichon Lalande should be listed in the dictionary next to "pretty wine". It is not the most concentrated. Nor is it the most aromatic. But everything is just right. Soft, smooth, elegant and silky with tobacco, truffle, cassis, spice and earthy notes. The is fully mature. It will not improve and might slowly lose its fruit. But it drinks great today and that's what counts!
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This was just outstanding. Textbook Bordeaux characterists. Perfect nose. Leather, cedar, barnyard. Exquisite palate. Perfectly balanced tannins--a function of lengthy bottle age. Decent finish. I couldn't be happier with this wine.
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Tasted January 13, 2010 at an offline. Garnet to dark garnet color in the glass, hue throughout. Nose of briar patch, leather, roses, black cherries, black berries and saddle soap. Flavors of plums, black cherries, black berries and light notes of currants. Medium to bright acidity, medium tannins, medium to full bodied. Drink or hold.
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Packed with sweet fruit, cedar, spices, and a hint of burnt caramel/toffee. Powerful, aromatic nose that showed no signs of slowing down. Slight bricking and lots of sediment, so definitely decant first. Not a lot of tannins left, which permitted the sweetness to dominate, possibly just a bit too much. This was reminiscent of a recently consumed 1985 Saint Pierre, which leads me to agree with JimHow below that this was both more St. Julien than Pauillac as well as representative of the 1985 vintage.
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1985 Bordeaux tasting of five wines, third place. Nose of cabernet, cayenne pepper, and cedar, more of the same on the palate, touch simple this afternoon, rich, soft, lovely fruit to taste, medium/long finish.
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Not at all as i remembered it, initially not sure the bottle was 100% as it had a very funky moldy nose, but soon enough it had blown off. Still very youthful and in need of a good 2 hours in the decanter, thick texture and purple brown in colour. Very different in taste to the 82, 83, 86 and 89, a strange combination of cough medicine, cherry and tobacco. It got better and better the longer it stayed in the glass. Have to try another bottle soon, not sure it'll taste the same..
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Offline Backstreet - Darker in color than 83, vibrant red fruits, cassis, tobacco, long cedar on a finesse style finish. A little thinner than the 83 as well.
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Very funky nose. More power, but far less elegant, than the '83. The more I came back to this one, the less I liked it. However, it was in some very tough company.
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Backstreet Bordeaux Tasting (Backstreet Wine Salon - PHX, AZ): Much denser than the 83. powerpacked with wonderful red fruit, spice and tobacco. incredibly complex and youthful. this wine is drinking at its peak. has all the characteristics that i'm looking for in a mature Bordeaux. 50+5+14+16+7=93
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This is as good as this wine is going to get. Characteristic Pichon cedar, with some plumminess and menthol. The tannins are largely shed now, and there is a real soft sweetness to this wine that makes it very light in the mouth despite excellent size and length. Lovely!
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I can't recall who brought this to the champagne and bdx offline at Sweets & Savories. This was presented next to the 86' version of the same wine, and this one showed far better. It's not a powerful masculine wine, more delicate but still with good strong fruit. It had a minty/herbal side which was very pleasant. This is fully mature and I suspect it will not improve. A very solid showing, and probably a good value because it's not from the sexier 1986 vintage.
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Medium garnet core, wide rim with orange hints. A little subdued on the nose at first, but soon opening out to reveal spice, sweet red-toned fruit and some attractive soil notes. Showing more on the palate with sweet strawberry fruit, spice, sweet tea flavours and a few fruit cake notes on a sneaky, persistent finish. Fully mature, with harmonious tannins and integrated acidity, an elegant, mellow, perfectly balanced wine drinking perfectly now.
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Classic Pichon Lalande...elegant, subtle but seductive. Brick edge, shy nose upon opening, but evolved nicely with red fruit, orange notes, spice and earth. Flavors nicely integrated with the fruit initially tending toward red currant, raspberry with blackberry emerging later. Plenty of subtle notes of earth, truffle, briar, etc. None predominates and they add structure to the experience. Fully mature and should be consumed without delay. This bottle was a little less intense than the last we tasted of this vintage, but still very good stuff!
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Drunk over dinner with Greg and Sayo at Chez Patrick, Sun Street. Feral nose. Absolutely "at point" in drinkability. Has lost a touch of fruit so some acidity is poking through but this is a gorgeous, light, feminine classic Pauillac. Good length that drifts into beautiful light toffee. I wouldn't hold it any longer if I still had some in my celler. Totally by chance we paired it with a 1989 La Lagune, which made it a re-match of a dinner we had 18 months ago. Then the Pichon won the day for me but tonight I think the La Lagune fought back and came out fractionally ahead. Erm, pointless to try and separate them really.
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The French Laundry...21 Courses, 11 Wines, Infinite Memories; 7/21/2007-7/22/2007 (The French Laundry (Yountville, Napa Valley, California)): Consumed at the Emery home on the eve of Amy's 40th birthday, served with grilled Flannery ribeyes. Medium garnet robe with garnet-brick rim. Intense, complex bouquet of bing cherries, leather, savory and (yes) bacon fat. Medium-bodied on the palate and with low-to-medium acidity, the tannins in this wine have all but melted away. The complex flavors are presented with a silky texture which carries through the middle palate and leads to a long, smooth finish. This wine is still delicious at this point and merits an unblinded score of 93, but would best be drunk over the next five years.
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South Florida does Pichon-Lalande: This '85 showed exactly as expected for this friendly vintage. The medium ruby color was an accurate predictor for the medium weight and body and modest but pure finish. Delicate but not weak and about as elegant as Lalande can be. I can't imagine it will improve.
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Seattle Tasting Group does Pauillac (Seattle, WA): A beautiful, mature nose with lots of stalk, charcoal and tobacco. Yummy, a nice silky, mature palate, again with tobacco, and then cherries and tar. I initially scored this an 89 but retasted after 2 hours, and this had improved considerably.
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A 90-point Robert Parker wine. Drunk over dinner of veal with friends at our home. Delicate on the nose and palate but very classic Pauillac and gorgeous. Good length. Clearly a light style of vintage but, to steal Michael Broadbent's words, this is wine and not fruit juice. The key word here is "elegant". I'll look forward to the second bottle I have. The other bottle we drank that night was a 1989 Ch. La Lagune, which was much deeper coloured, fruitier and with good length. I was the only one to prefer the Pichon.
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Slight browing at rim, with sweet cherry nose. Cherry and sweet tobacco dominate, with really remarkable acidity for a wine this age. Very, very nice wine.
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Drank this at Frédérique's 50th birthday dinner at K&L Bistro. Dinner was terrific, and this wine was at peak. Wonderfully smooth as silk, like velvet across the palate; tannins fully integrated. Nose and palate showing lovely maturity; dark fruit developed quite nicely, with light cedar notes. Not extremely complex, but utterly delicious. Unfortunately, my last bottle.
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Steven K. Friendship Lunch (University Club): Full red color. Typical Pichon towering floral cofee red fruit aromas - absolutely lovely. A bit musty on the palate but with nice round red fruit and firm acidic finish. 94 pts.
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Tasting of 80's Bordeaux at Seattle Wine Storage (Seattle, WA): This was a second bottle imported by Bordeaux Wine Locators. Similar flavor profile to the prior bottle, but it shows more smoke, mint and a much darker aromatic profile. The palate is dark, loaded with mineral, much more monolithic. If anything, this second bottles needs much more time than the prior bottle.
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Tasting of 80's Bordeaux at Seattle Wine Storage (Seattle, WA): This was from Chuck's bottle imported by Jefferson Wine & Spirit's. This reminds me of a taste of the 1983 back in September, 2004 at Daniel in NYC. Exotic notes of smoked meat on the nose. The palate is open, sexy and seductive, lovely texture, a little minty. A very nice wine.
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A Lunch: Pichon 85 Chapelle 88 Tart 00: From Magnum. A bottle full of earthly delights. This is picture perfect Bordeaux, hovering on the edge of amber, quivering with ripe, sweet fruit, smokey in a Cuban kind of way and all wrapped in such a lovely silky package that it becomes the only topic of conversation. It’s so easy and delightful as it slips down with the lamb, not shouting greatness just a gentle reminder with each sip.
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Stood it for 5 days. Lots of cassis that fans out with some leather notes. THere is a burnt/toast quality that develops 3/4 of the way through that is pleasurable. I would say it is a typical well made Pichon Lalande. Had it with homemade burgers.
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Soft and floral with aromas of violets and moss. Has definitely lost a lot of its weight and is less interesting on the palate than on the nose. Some red berry flavors left but really starting to let go. Not to be kept much longer.
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Lovely mature saturated colour; wonderful bouquet, earthy, creamy, deep, cherry and blackcurrant fruit, perfect harmony; fleshy but above all elegant and feminine on the palate, ripe tannins and acidity, immaculate balance; lovely length, hint of bay leaf. At peak, now - 2015.
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Tasted double-blind at Vintage Wines, Ltd. Bottle generously donated by Bob Bartnett. My overall impression is..."Wow." This is a Bordeaux which typifies the hedonism of the vintage. Medium ruby/garnet in color with an orange rim, the nose explodes with a bouquet of black cherry, leather, mint, cedar and brier. Medium-bodied on the palate, with relatively low acidity and similar complex flavors as for the nose. Long, smooth finish. This is an anniversary wine, but won't last to the silver one (i.e. 2010). :-(
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Tasting of four 1985 Bordeaux blind, first place, nose of cedar, cigar box, tobacco, and rich black cherry fruit, lots of sex juice to enjoy throughout the evening, very showy, nice acid, big body, and long, flavorful finish.
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Hollywood Wine Seminar. Medium light color. The fragrance is tender, obvious and delicate. Ready. Vintage typical. Clive Coates: “more Merlot, delicious, fully ready, elegant, will last 15 years at least, correct“
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With K at home at dinner (steaks). Very great appearance--blood-red ruby, deep and substantial. Coats the glass. Nose is leans, displays plenty of blackcurrant fruit. It is on the palate where this wine really struts its stuff. It's chewy and substantial, with plump, generous fruit reined in by a judicious amount of oak and tannin. Good length. Dry finish. This wine ideally needs a few more years to round off some rough edges, but it's a brawny and satisfying wine even now. 5-10-16-8: 89/100.
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Chateau Pichon Lalande 8 Vintages (Lafayette, Ca.): Tasting of 7 Chateau Pichon Lalande. Bright red color in the glass, rich, candy, fruit nose, same in the mouth but richer fruit, slightly forward fruit, fantastic cabernet finish that lingers softly on the palate and aftertaste. My #1 and Group tied #2.
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Chateau Pichon Lalande and Duckkhorn Cabernet Sauvignon-Bordeaux vs. Napa. Fooled me completely as it had a spicy, rich, woody nose, it was a big, brooding mass of fruit that was both viscous and suggests the need for 5 years of cellaring, it has a solid finish and impression, My #4 and Group #1
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Extraordinary dark purple black, stains the glass. Medium weight and viscosity. Vigorous. Classic Pauillac Cabernet Sauvignon. More tannins than fruit. A big wine for Pichon Lalande. Needs 8-10 years, may come around.
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5/4/2024 - noiregonian Likes this wine: 95 Points
WOTN; astonishing at close to 40, could have lasted for several more years. Expected dark cherry and menthol resonant notes, absolutely effortless finish.
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4/14/2024 - Pitkin_CT Likes this wine: 96 Points
Drinking beautifully
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12/25/2023 - Pitkin_CT Likes this wine: 97 Points
Drinking beautifully. My favorite Christmas wine!
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12/6/2023 - Rani Likes this wine: 93 Points
Tasted blind. Unmistakable Payillac nose of dried parsley and thyme, pencil shavings. Quite soft tannins, classic claret, notes of ink and tobacco.
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12/2/2023 - Jd6725 Likes this wine: 97 Points
This was a super fun roller coaster. Opened up firing out the gate at a 95/96 point scale. The opposite of last time where the bottle was quite green and needed to integrate. Then it started to fade. The 83 next to it was eclipsing it. Thankfully the night lived on after dinner and I took the rest of this bottle to the hotel. Wow, it not only got a second wind but reached new higher levels. Maybe even a 98 at this point. I love 1985 wines in general and this showed why.
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11/18/2023 - AudunG Likes this wine: 95 Points
Aromatic, floral and delicious aromas with leather and some foxy notes. Soft, rich and concentrated on the palate. More power here than I expected. On its peak now, I guess.
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11/6/2023 - WildeMeeuw Likes this wine: 100 Points
Kleur: Robijnrood, lichte verkleuring aan de rand. Aroma / bouquet: Opvallend vitaal bouquet, stoer en krachtig, tegelijkertijd een subtiele maar aangename boersigheid / stalgeur. Smaak / Afdronk: Krachtige en vitale wijn, serieuze concentratie. Verfijnde zuren, iets plakkerige stoere tannines met een aangename bite. Prachtige balans, lange afdronk. Algemeen / potentieel: Geschonken uit Magnum… Fenomenale wijn. 50 + Kleur: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 15 + Smaak / Afdronk: 20 + Algemeen / potentieel: 10 = 100/100
Colour: Ruby red, slight discolouration on the edge. Aroma / bouquet: Striking vital bouquet, sturdy and powerful, at the same time a subtle but pleasant rustic / stable scent. Taste / Aftertaste: Powerful and vital wine, serious concentration. Refined acidity, slightly sticky, tough tannins with a pleasant bite. Beautiful balance, long finish. General / potential: Poured from Magnum… Phenomenal wine. 50 + Colour: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 15 + Taste / Aftertaste: 20 + General / potential: 10 = 100/100
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9/29/2023 - Ianjaig Likes this wine: 93 Points
DJHAMMOND sums it up nicely with his description. PNP and the first glass was as described. Leather, red fruits with a long, long finish. For me though this dropped away somewhat quickly. Good but not great.
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7/6/2023 - Triforwine Likes this wine: 95 Points
see my notes for the '88 Pichon Lalande as we did '85 vs '88 vertical.
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7/1/2023 - Rani Likes this wine: 94 Points
Tasted blind. Some greenness on the nose took me to the Right Bank but once it was established as a left bank I had no doubt it’s Lalande. Very elegant, classic red and black fruit, underbrush and tobacco. Lovely.
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6/2/2023 - djhammond Likes this wine: 96 Points
This was a revelation and is a real dark horse from an unappreciated vintage. Needing only a pop and pour, this is fully mature and integrated. Old leather, spice, plum, and blackcurrant dominate the nose and palate with a lengthy finish. Highly recommended.
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5/22/2023 - TWSA wrote: 89 Points
Nose: dried leaves, smoke, spices, leather, black fruits
Notes: it's been a while since my last old left bank from the 80s. This bottle is in excellent conditions in terms of fill and it is showing quite well. 1985 is somewhat of a mediocre vintage from Pauillac and I can't recall many excellent examples from this vintage from this appellation, behind the great condition I can feel that the wine is perhaps a little less exciting than some of the bigger vintages thus the palate is a little weaker.
Drink: now+
Rating: 89
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5/14/2023 - Lipsman Likes this wine: 97 Points
Total balance and harmony, tastes of roses, a hint of cherries, beautiful red fruits, long, complex finish. Elegant and deeply flavored. No decant needed.
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4/16/2023 - tanduybui Likes this wine: 94 Points
A great bottle which still has some life left in it. This is now at its peak and is not going to get any better assuming it has been stored correctly. Intellectually stimulating and wonderful for the senses.
Great nose with plenty of dark fruits / plums, dried herbs, smokiness, tobacco, spice and cedar. Body is dead yummy - there is a level of sucrosity and ripe fruits that are just plain delicious. Fresh and plenty of drive to take it to the finish line. Notes of capsicum or a tinge of greeness can be detected at the end.
Drink now to 2030.
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3/15/2023 - dchain Likes this wine: 94 Points
With DR at the HKC for a catch up lunch. Just PnP and totally open from the outset. Lovely mid, translucent ruby. Nose absolutely fabulous with plum, spice, soil, truffle, jasmine/lily, tobacco, leather, tea, cab franc pepper notes - so much there and such a fabulous variety! Palate is totally in balance, mid-weight (in a good way), sweet, healthy ripe fruit on the attack and just all integrated and balance on the way down. So lovely, delicious, low alcohol. Emotionally satisfying on every level! Thank you DR.
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3/11/2023 - jviz wrote: 96 Points
This bottle was fabulous. Decanted for sediment about an hour before dinner and back into the bottle.
This was beautiful and exactly what I had hoped for. An excellent bottle, fairly dark ruby in the glass. Fruit tones in the blackberry/blackcurrant space, with pen ink and capsicum. Nice lengthy finish and in a perfect state for consumption. I was surprised at just how alive it was.
This was a good deal more dense and weighty than the 82 and 83, which as a pair came across as more light in body, elegant, less tannic, and more completely resolved
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2/14/2023 - Tao wrote: 93 Points
Colour: Dark, translucent ruby red, watery hue. Beautiful and healthy!
Nose: Strong nutty, peppery note, a hint of sweet minerals, mainly dark leathery fruits.
Palate: Smooth, silky texture, tannins fully resolved, definitely showing its age, again, mouthful of leathery dark fruits, a medium finish!
Slightly lighter than the 1983 and it is indeed rather lovely to drink and of course, great for the St Valentine's ♥ day celebration 🎉
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2/2/2023 - NickA Likes this wine: 94 Points
1985 Bordeaux-o-rama (Noize): More elegant than its full-bodied flight mates and perhaps slightly suffered as a result. Undergrowth and truffle on the nose, but quite a bit of fruit on the palate, which felt clean, precise and effortless. I wasn't as impressed with the finish, though, which was slightly subdued. Still an excellent wine though - voted the group's runner-up (after its flight-mates).
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2/2/2023 - SimonG wrote: 95 Points
Jason’s 85 Claret @ Noizé, table 2 (Noizé, London): Slightly cloudy, dense. Blackcurrant and. Touch of mint. A big step up in density cf previous flights. Lots here. A lovely blend of the slightly brutish Bages and the extra lift and energy of the LLC. Best bottle of this yet. *****
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1/21/2023 - blanquito wrote: 93 Points
Beautiful, delicate, complex, resolved, tertiary. Florals, spices and mint on the nose, tangy-sweet palate interplay, some funky notes, nice lingering smoky, truffle-infused, black tea finish. A delight.
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10/31/2022 - CruVines wrote:
L5
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10/21/2022 - dream Likes this wine: 94 Points
Great showing from a perfect bottle. Softly layered and smooth with an ethereal texture and lovely flavors of roasted nuts and graphite minerals. Finishes crisp and satisfying with fully ameliorated tannins. Not much depth but beautifully rendered in the style of the vintage. very ready but is holding nicely.
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9/9/2022 - paulst Likes this wine: 92 Points
Light earthy berry; elegant; soft; silky; soft tannin; light acidity and smooth light finish.
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9/4/2022 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
A favorite producer of mine there's all elegance and finesse to this. Perhaps a bit more of the green notes in addition to the black fruit and more library style bordeaux, but to me that just adds some interest. Drinking very well.
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8/19/2022 - pavel_p wrote: 89 Points
Pnp. Nice garnet color with a fairly wide translucent rim but almost no browning. Initially with plenty of sous bois which fades, or rather integrates nicely as the wine opens up with more air. Sweet and soft, still generous fruit joining the leather. Fine and well integrated tannins. Rather short finish though.
A nice mature 80s Bdx but clearly not what you might hope for when you pay the $350 this 85 vintage of a Super Second is going for these days...
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7/9/2022 - Jeff Leve wrote: 90 Points
Fully mature, if you own a bottle, or more, do not wait to pop a cork before the fruit continues to fade. There is still plenty to like in this medium-bodied, earthy, herbal, tobacco, smoke, and leafy focused wine, with its soft textures and earthy, red currant core of fruit. But it does require drinking sooner than later. Drink from 2022-2026.
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5/24/2022 - Macdog Likes this wine:
Glass from coravin at noble rot.
Very good balance erring toward slightly sweet, sophisticated red fruit. Tannins resolved and fully mature but retains freshness.
Not especially complex or long but I was perhaps expecting too much.
Classic claret notes of cigar box and slight damp forest fooor.
Perfect temperature (lending freshness) but maybe it needed a bit more air …
I enjoyed it but perhaps prefer the more modern/structured lalande.
This hasn’t made me a believer (and I want to be). I remain a Baron man when it comes to the Pichons.
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5/17/2022 - johnh1001 wrote: 95 Points
Wonderful balance and sweetness of fruit after 1 hour
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2/18/2022 - Doubleten Likes this wine: 91 Points
This bottle has been part of my Pichon Lalande collection for 25+ years. Capsule was swollen. Cork came out in one piece, but no longer sealing well. Low neck level, however. Rich garnet color and velvety smooth upon pouring, I had decided to decant this wine and drink it as it evolved. First glass was terrible. Smelled like a moist barn in the summer. Not much fruit present and downright salty. Tainted? TCA? I tried the Saran wrap trick and after a couple hours, the wine began to unfold. After 6-7 hrs, the off-putting smells and flavors were pretty much gone. Although the wine was full bodied, we are not talking powerhouse here. Balanced instead, feminine if you will, with tannins completely resolved, mild tertiary flavors of cedar and truffles, touch of green pepper and a slight minerality. Pleasant cassis and red fruits emerged, although not with the assertiveness of the 1982 Gran Prado Enea I had the night before. All in all a pleasant bottle of wine, that was perhaps 5-8 yrs past its peak. Even taking into consideration the cork/capsule condition of this bottle, I don't believe there is enough fruit or structure to keep this wine going. I will be drinking my remaining bottles soon.
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1/12/2022 - DaleW wrote:
(375). Fully mature in half bottle, this retains freshness and is quite lovely. Cassis, cigarbox, leather. Not a powerhouse, but elegant and fun. A-/B+
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11/11/2021 - Triforwine Likes this wine: 96 Points
Drank with Ben and Brandon at June BYOB
Very much like the last bottle I had but maybe a shade more youthful appearing.
Above base neck fill. Cork perfect with Durand. Slow ox then air in glass. Deep youthful garnet color. Aroma opened quickly mostly dark fruit and cigar box and a bit of licorice. Palate similar, blackberry, cassis, tobacco, graphite. Medium weight. Fully mature but still vibrant and minimal sediment so while I do believe this is at peak, it should last a long time. Not super powerful and finish not so long like the last one but oh so good with the duck. One of my favorite wines, probably my favorite of those I’ve tasted from this vintage. Slightly different than the last one we had but I enjoyed it even more knowing we’ve now had 3 consistent great showings with this. I still say it’s a 96 which many will think too high but I really love this wine character. Chef and sous-chef given a taste and both seemed very pleased as well!
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11/11/2021 - SoundinBetween wrote:
Thursday at June BYOB (June BYOB, Collingswood NJ): Deep crimson color and full still at the rim.Not quite effusive notes of tobacco, cassis, earth immediately apparent upon opening. Mid weight with similar flavors, more linear palate (not expansive) which did not develop significantly with air. Nice but not especially persistent finish. Good/very good today. Bought as futures and active cellar stored ever since, this was fully mature and not likely to improve.
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6/23/2021 - Cailles wrote: 92 Points
24 Vintages of Pichon Lalande: All wines tasted blind. A few general observations: 1) Most wines showed the typical Pichon Lalande elegance. This is certainly one of the more delicate and elegant Paulliacs. 2) The relatively high Merlot content (often 20-30%) showed in many wines with fine, fresh rhubarb, rosehip and floral aromas I wouldn’t necessarily associate with a Medoc - all adding to the sensuous quality of the wines. 3) A few vintages showed the very sexy burnt sugar/coffee notes you associate with the 1982 Lalande or a Mouton or a Cheval Blanc - unfortunately, in most wines this night not to an extent and with an intensity to truly excite. 4) Following the legendary 1982 and until the most recent vintages (starting with 2014 but especially with 2016) there are three decades of pleasant Pichon Lalandes but hardly any vintage has the depth and length of truly great wines. The best wine tonight was the 2009 (rated 95+ points) with many more in the 92-94 point category.
TN: This was a very good wine, on par with the 89 and only slightly overshadowed by the 88. Medium- expressive nose, a bit rustic with tobacco and fresh dark fruit at the centre and just a touch of burnt sugar. Fine tannins and a good freshness on the palate, slightly creamy texture. Not overly deep but with beautiful herbal, cola and minerality notes circling around a more red fruit core. Nicely precise and balanced but with a touch sweetness and charm missing. This seems mature and will likely not improve from here on.
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6/20/2021 - redders Likes this wine: 94 Points
In my cellar since release. V high level.decanted one hour and consumed over four hours watching US Open golf . Fantastic colour . Luminous bright red, hardly any bricking. Nose at first dominated by green pepper and mint. Over time nose softened and cedar and fruit came to the fore. Beautifully fragrant with ripe fruit still there. Lovely mouthfeeel, plenty of fruit with secondary notes and great balance. Excellent bottle
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4/4/2021 - Rupert wrote: 93 Points
Beautiful, cedary, classic - perhaps lacking some of the energy of past bottles.
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2/7/2021 - englishman's claret wrote: 91 Points
It's really time to drink the 85 Pichon Comtesse. Three bottles from one source showed a nose dominated by tomato, beef blood, coal, and herb, the fruit softening and the palate light-footed (90 points). Another 5 bottles from another source with more fruit, more taut and together with blood, coal, and herb but more life ahead (92 points). The best bottles of 85 PCL that I've had recently do move into the 94 range, but they are relatively few and far between -- and quite likely becoming rarer with each passing year.
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2/6/2021 - MPC61 wrote: 92 Points
Tasted in a tight vertical of Comtesse - 83, 85, 86 and 89. Very plush and soft tannins. Lacking in depth and classic pauillac leather and might be a touch past peak but still a very enjoyable and very drinkable wine.
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1/30/2021 - Rupert wrote: 95 Points
Drunk alongside the Baron 85. The two are surprisingly similar, both cedary and full of life, but the Lalande has the edge - a bit more precision, a minty streak that gives it more dimension, more zip. This really is fantastic claret.
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12/24/2020 - paulst Likes this wine: 94 Points
Perfect condition; manure with leather; textured blackberry; showing tannin with nice long finish.
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11/30/2020 - DaleW wrote:
So pretty from half bottle, cassis accented with cedar and a light mushroom/truffle note, elegant and balanced. A-/B+
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11/18/2020 - Triforwine Likes this wine: 96 Points
From Dad's Cellar, perfectly stored for decades. Decanted two hours before dinner of beef roast and potatoes au gratin with leeks. Drank alongside the 78 Palmer left from lunchtime and it was not much of a contest, this is just a bigger and better wine and certainly a big contrast in styles both because of terroir and vintage. Base neck fill, Cork came out perfectly with Durand and looked good. Initially a bit restrained on the nose but color a beautiful Garnet color which really didn’t change much over the course of the night and into the next day when a tiny bit was left but perhaps a bit deeper color with time. After about 90 min, the wine developed character and just kept getting better and better. It was absolutely lovely with the meat we had. Dark fruits, some cedar, brilliant complexity some of which is hard for me to pinpoint but maybe a little truffle or mushroom and just an incredible showing for this wine, best wine I’ve had in a long time. Finish is long at least 30 sec, feels very nice in the mouth, not opulent but full bodied. I think this wine is likely at peak but could well stay this way for a long time, might improve. I think it is better than the 1988 we had previously. Glad we have more of both of these though and anticipate a bit of bottle variation with these. 96 seems high for this but that's where I see it landing. Hope the next one we open is as good as this one was. 96
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11/8/2020 - englishman's claret wrote: 94 Points
A gorgeous showing for the 85 PCL, full of currant and black plum, pencil, fresh loam with just a touch of narcissus. Really pretty, evolving over the course of several hours. Supple tannin. Of the 4 bottles opened, 1 was truly excellent (this note), 2 were slightly less expressive (92-93), and 1 was corked.
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10/6/2020 - BullDeacon Likes this wine: 96 Points
Vibrant deep garnet color. Dominated by grass, mushroom, forest floor, earthy undergrowth, leather, and tobacco notes on the nose and palate. After about an hour notes of toasted bread or biscuit showed up. Well integrated tannins still showing, especially on the finish. Well balanced if not a little delicate after 35 years - still full of body. Amazing long, full finish. Drink now if you’ve got it. Find some and drink it now if you don’t.
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9/26/2020 - Sean Tay Likes this wine: 93 Points
Mushroom, leather, cedar, sweet, medium+ nose. Medium tannin and acidity. Rounded, the tannin fully integrated. Drank this together with 1985 Rausan Segla, prefer 1985 Pichon.
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9/8/2020 - Moonie Likes this wine: 95 Points
An absolutely pristine bottle with a perfect cork. The essence of a great Bordeaux with age. A tiny bit of bricking, notes of olives, tapinade and herbs. The fruit is sweet and floral. Tannins very fine. Decanted two hours and served cool. I'd say this has another five years at least.
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9/5/2020 - rmcnees Likes this wine: 93 Points
This was dark garnet colored, medium-full bodied, complex, elegant and polished with nicely integrated black berry and black currant fruits accented by notes of cassis, black tea, coffee hints of spice and earth with a long smooth tannin laced polished finish. BOTN (Best of the Night)
https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2020/09/big-bottle-birthyear-mania-for-wedding.html
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8/8/2020 - Isaac L Likes this wine: 93 Points
Bordeaux 1985 Grand Tour; 5/5/2017-10/20/2023: Mini horizontal with 1985 Pichon Baron for 35th birthday. This showed some bricking but otherwise had the gentle colour of mature claret. It had a dusty nose with muted tertiary aromas and just the slightest barnyard funk which blew off quickly. On the palate, the cassis fruit showed more prominently compared to the Pichon Baron, accompanied by cedar and graphite typical of Pauillac.
This wine was less full-bodied than the Pichon Baron but more elegant and a slightly more complex finish. It also took a much longer time (3h) to open up compared to the Pichon Baron, which was decanted at the same time. Not a lot separating the two wines in this tertiary stage of their development, but this just about edges it in terms of elegance after fully fleshing out with air.
Unlikely to improve but should drink well for another 5+ years.
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6/22/2020 - Vinterest Angus Likes this wine: 93 Points
Wonderful. Still feels like it had some life left in it, must have been a particularly good/well-stored bottle. Perfect old claret.
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6/20/2020 - oldwines Likes this wine: 94 Points
Had some friends over who are seriously sophisticated beer drinkers but relative novice wine drinkers. I decided to do a mini-vertical and horizontal tasting over the evening of some Bordeaux. After seeing some recent tasting notes on the 1985 Pichon’s I decided to do a 1985 horizontal of Pichon Baron and Pichon Lalande. The mini-vertical was a 1995 and 1996 Chateau Belair-Marquis d’Aligre. I decanted all four at about 4pm and we tasted them repeatedly over the next 8 hours. The Lalande has had very mixed reviews. This bottle was very interesting and ranged from best to worst to best again over the timeframe. Upon opening it had a massive bouquet of heavy Bordeaux funk and barnyard with layers of earthy scents, leather and mostly red fruit. It showed its age a little with distinct bricking on the rim around a core of medium garnet. The palate was also red fruited and layered with lots those earthy flavors including some cedar and tobacco and a hint of chocolate on the finish. After an hour or so through the next several hours this was clearly number 3 in the lineup with muted flavors and a very short finish. It was good with the grilled steaks but seemed like it was “done”...THEN, we tried it again after dessert and it had transformed... the color had deepened and showed no bricking. The nose was more black fruit and floral driven with some cedar and tobacco but none of the funky barnyard. It was deeper and richer and had retained some elegance but was clearly markedly better that earlier. Then by the last half hour it fell apart again. This was a spectacular experience of the evolution of an aged old school Bordeaux and another lesson in the value of giving classic old wines plenty of air. I would have given this a 90-91 based on the experience of the first few hours (like I did on my last bottle) But this had a wonderful moment for about an hour at the 5-6 hour point that was quite special. One bottle left that I will probably try to have in the relatively near future.
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6/15/2020 - johnh1001 wrote: 94 Points
Soft and silky. Classic Pichon. Perfect right now.
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5/1/2020 - hargy Likes this wine: 93 Points
drunk alongside the 1985 Lafite and lost nothing in comparison - uniquely Pichon Lalande - gentle and maybe starting a long slow decline love it!
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2/16/2020 - LWI wrote: flawed
Wonderful deep and complex fruit beneath a strong coat of cork.
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2/3/2020 - englishman's claret wrote: 94 Points
The best bottle of 85 PCL yet - fresh, vivacious nose full of currant, pencil, cedar, lots of fennel, and tobacco. Tangy and dynamic, I find it tough not to lose this despite my preconceived notions of the 85 PCL being over the hill. Having only had this three times, it’s tough to know what the mean and standard deviation really are.
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1/31/2020 - johnh1001 wrote: 94 Points
Soft and beautiful. Drank well for 2 hours
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1/6/2020 - DaleW wrote:
(375) balanced and lively, cassis and black plum with cigarbox/cedar and a little anise note. A-/B+
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12/13/2019 - europat55 wrote: 94 Points
Pichon Lalande & Pichon Baron from 1982-1990 Vertical (Andre and Sabine's House, Mountain View, CA): Nose: A-/A Palate: A-
My #2, Group's #2 (54 pts). Tasted Blind.
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11/12/2019 - Claret & CdP Gang Likes this wine: 95 Points
Stunning wine, looks like a 2000 Bordeaux, fresh, lots of fruits left, medium bodied, elegant, silky, with truffles & tobacco, a superb Pichon Lalande, Wotn with the 09 Rinaldi Ravera
95
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9/17/2019 - DaleW wrote:
(375) A friend had done a big PLL vertical the day before to benefit my group and another charity, I opened this to toast him. Lovely, elegant, long. Lively fruit, cigarbox, earth. Ready to go in this format. Nice! A-
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9/15/2019 - dream Likes this wine: 95 Points
The seventh wine of 14 vintages of PL back to ‘61 courtesy of Mark Golodetz. This showed so well tonight with tons of vigor and freshness to go along with classic Pichon flavors of black fruits, truffles and dill which added complexity rather than detracting from the wine. The finish is deeply satisfying and complex. Up against the ‘82 it held its own quite well.
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9/1/2019 - paulst Likes this wine: 95 Points
Manura and leather; layered with a coarse body; sweet integrated finish.
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8/31/2019 - trouts10 Does not like this wine: 84 Points
Geez, for all the great reviews this wine has gotten I'm wondering if mine came from "Rudy's Collection." Medium garnet color with a bit of orange peel beginning to show. Typical, if not expansive, bouquet of cedar, tobacco, earth, and a hint of mint. Quite astringent and tart with little weight and even less charm. Very disappointing given the reputation of this wine. My wife and I did our best to try and enjoy it over a Prime New York steak dinner but it was a chore. If someone out there has a better bottle we'd be happy to partake with you and find out if this bottle was just "way off".
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5/14/2019 - rocknroller wrote: 95 Points
Day of the Goat: A Pichon Lalande Fractured Vertical (Leo & Cheryl's Place, Mpls, MN): Very dark red color. Drank a glass over 90 minutes. Earthy and more herbal than the '83 and bigger, bold dark fruits, cassis, blackberry. More intense and dense on the palate, black fruit, pencil, earthy, immense minerality, funk, tobacco. This is at least 5 years from peak and it can go another 15 to 20 years. Outstanding.
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5/13/2019 - Sean Tay wrote: 90 Points
The wine looks garnet colored. It smells like blackberry, blueberry, black currant (cassis), mushroom, forest floor, toast and oak. It tastes like blackberry, blueberry, black currant (cassis), forest floor, mushroom, toast and oak. The body is full. The wine finishes long. The wine has medium acidity.
The wine should be drink up soon, depending on the condition of the bottle, if in pristine condition, it should last for another 5 years.
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5/7/2019 - Radio60 wrote: 96 Points
Close to a perfect bottle of wine. Hard to pick individual notes it's so perfectly balanced. The fruit, acid and deep dark qualities paired with steak and potatoes made for a wonderful meal. Only wish I had a case more.
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5/3/2019 - Collector1855 wrote: 96 Points
From MAG. Wonderful tertiary Bordeaux notes with forrest floor and autumn leaves. Palate is fresh and soft, good mid mouth presence. Grand mature Bordeaux.
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4/26/2019 - srh Likes this wine:
Friday Tasting Group: Farewell to One of the Group's Stalwarts (Vintage Wines Ltd., San Diego, CA): N: RIPE berries with notes of smoke; Intensity lurking
P: LM, poss Med, body; NICE, ALMOST swtish ft met by some astringent pucker which somewhat resolves by the LONG finish with ult a bitter/swtness to the dusty tannins. Approachable now, but DESERVES another 3 yrs or so, then going beyond its 40th? 12.5% ABV; My EXC, poss EXC/EXC+. 94 & 91 pts RJonWine, 17/20 (2x) Jancis Robinson, + numerous other solid reviews listed on wine-searcher's "Tasting Notes" pg.
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4/18/2019 - paulst Likes this wine: 92 Points
Rubber and tar nose; textured black cherry and raspberry; long heavy finish.
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3/31/2019 - Ara Kafafian Likes this wine: 95 Points
Attended a head to head blind tasting of Pichon-Baron VS. Pichon-Lalande. Vintages were as follows for the Pichon-Baron: 1988, 1989, 1990 & 1998, Pichon-Lalande offerings were 1985, 1986, 1988 & 1996. The sixth blind wine happened to be the 1985 Pichon-Lalande. I thought wine #5 which happened to be the Pichon-Lalande 1988 was serious until I put this glass to my nose. Wow was my first note. Another Bordeaux legend in the making, this animal nosed wine offered incredible aromatic complexity, great acidity, and never-ending length. At age 33, this is the type of wine that got me into tasting wines. Oh I wish I had several cases in my cellar. This elixir will maintain it’s drinking plateau for another 15-20 years, yes I’m not kidding. Drink by 2040.
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3/27/2019 - Richard P Howden Likes this wine: 93 Points
Excellent bottle of Pichon Lalande. Ripe nose of dark fruit, green pepper, saddle leather, mushroom, and more earthy notes as the open bottle breathed. Fine palate of dark red and black fruit, earthy umami notes, very long finish. Tannins are gone but what remains is soft and well balanced. A wine hungry for food. Well aged and showing perhaps that the ‘85s aren’t going to improve any more but I predict a beautiful further five or 10 years before any fading.
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3/26/2019 - aagrawal wrote: 94 Points
Wine Dinner (Zazie's, San Francisco): Ugh, fantastic aromatics, Black fruit, umami, slight cedar, slight green; palate is medium-full bodied, excellent medium acidity, fully integrated tannins, elegant, lovely mature black fruits; finish is long. This is superb. 94
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3/13/2019 - paulst Likes this wine: 95 Points
Cedar and tar; blackberry; balance with a hint of sour; sweet and sour blackberry with elegant finish.
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2/26/2019 - DaleW wrote:
(375)A wine I’ve liked a lot before but was hoping holding on in half. Nose was a little funky and sour at first, but brightened. Cassis, pencil shavings, tobacco, and herbs. Resolved tannins and totally mature in this format, but elegant and delicious. A-
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2/23/2019 - d'Artagnan wrote: 92 Points
Superbe bouteille plus fringante que les précédentes, suave et de belle longueur. Un alliage de finesse et de complexité aromatique. Excellent. 92-93 pts
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1/25/2019 - DoubleD1969 wrote: 92 Points
PnP. Left open for about 30 minutes. Color had a deep maroon core with some browning/orange tint at the edges. Aromas of dried red fruit, leather, fall leaves, and fresh mushrooms. On the palate, there is still red berry/plum warm compote with a bit of sweetness and acidity that went perfectly with some aged ribeyes.
Perhaps this was a better bottle from the last one I had a few months ago, which was came from a different source. Or, perhaps this bottle just stood out because my palate was shocked by the Scarecrow and Hundred Acre that we had on the table versus being in a middle of a lineup of older Bordeaux.
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1/11/2019 - dream Likes this wine: 93 Points
A beautiful showing for this wine that seems to keep motoring on despite being at full maturity for a decade now. It has that wonderful nutty, gravelly flavor of aged Bordeaux with sexy dark fruits still apparent and just a hint of Pichon dill on the smooth finish. Just a lovely Bordeaux to drink tonight.
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12/31/2018 - Bedi wrote:
After the overwhelming notes here I was a little disappointed. The wine was in good condition with fill in. Right after opening it showed almost nothing, so I decanted it. After that, it was structurally almost perfect with fine tannins and nice acidity. The aromas, however, remained pale. I felt it exactly as described by Antonio Galloni (you can find the note at google). A good wine but I had hoped for more.
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12/26/2018 - JF999 Likes this wine: 98 Points
Can't add much to my January 6 2018 comments, except that it really does need a good hour to open out and show its fruit. No worries about it being over the top - may even improve a little more as the remaining tannins soften.
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12/16/2018 - LWI wrote: 94 Points
Lutefisk and BYO: Bark with some browning; A hint of smoke, dark berries, emerging complexity in the glass; Mature and sweet fruit, fine structure, complex finish, fresh, lingering. In the beginning of its drinking window.
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11/16/2018 - fontaine wrote: flawed
Corked
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11/4/2018 - retired_and_roving Likes this wine:
Q4 - 2018 Tasting - Aged Bordeaux (Pre-1997) (New York, NY): 18 of 19 wines tasted double blind. This was decanted off the sediment (~30 mins) and double decanted back to bottle. Whereas the nose on the '89 was full of fruit - the nose on this was old and musty (not cardboard just old). The palate was much fresher than the nose would indicate though with the fruit still in evidence along with leather and cedar. I would definitely rather drink it than smell it. Group Vote - 3 pennies
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11/4/2018 - MC2 Wines wrote:
Q4 Wine Club - Aged Bordeaux (Our apt): Wine #18: A bit overshadowed by the big brother '89 which came right before. This is still quite nice. Reminds me a bit of raspberry liquer, some sweet and sour notes, a bit more intensity. With time almost becomes a black raspberry with more floral notes (almost a potpourri). Drinking very well. (3 pennies)
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11/4/2018 - paulst Likes this wine: 94 Points
Cedar and balanced; elegant; light blackberry; soft tannins; smooth finish.
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11/3/2018 - d'Artagnan wrote:
Excellent vin élégant et suave, dont la finesse s'est imposée face à un Beringer Private Reserve 1994 plus fringuant mais moins raffiné.
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9/22/2018 - paulst Likes this wine: 94 Points
Cedar leather with blackberry; complex and long.
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5/27/2018 - paulst Likes this wine: 93 Points
Rubber, tar nose; fully integrated tannins; sweet blackberry, cedar and earth; light finish.
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5/15/2018 - rmcnees Likes this wine: 92 Points
Consistent with earlier tasting notes, classic Bordeaux floral bouquet, dark garnet colored, medium bodied, silky smooth polished nicely integrated blackberry and black cherry fruits with accents of cassis, cedar, leather, hints of tobacco, graphite, bell pepper, and earthy mineral.
https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2018/05/pichon-lalande-gruaud-larose-1985.html
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5/9/2018 - Lype Likes this wine:
No formal notes
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5/2/2018 - paulst Likes this wine: 95 Points
Rubber and tar; concentrated; supportive and lively tannins; earth; deep concentrated blackberry; rich and supple; long finish.
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4/7/2018 - paulst Likes this wine: 95 Points
Leather with sweet earth; salty gravel; organized; cherry and blackberry; structured; long sweet earthy finish.
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3/30/2018 - Old Claret wrote: 90 Points
Seems to be drying out
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2/23/2018 - Burgnick wrote: 90 Points
Much younger than my previous bottle with decent power. Lots of black fruit, cedarwood and tobacco. But its a bit four squared tonight. Perhaps more air would help. Wine was decanted for 60 mins before serving.
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2/18/2018 - Lipsman wrote: flawed
Corked.
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1/30/2018 - sung251 Likes this wine: 94 Points
This wine reminded me of a old school claret. Still very vibrant with a good amount of acid, delicate dried fruit, forest floor, and mushrooms. Considering its current acid level it can easily go on longer in the cellar but it is in a fantastic tertiary drinking zone. If opened now however i would recommend decanting this and drinking it slowly. As I drank this over the hours the wine just got better and better as the acidity got tamer and more of the fruit and bouquet came forward.
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1/27/2018 - grapenomad wrote: 99 Points
You know those wines that transcend you through 50 parallel universes in a 15-minute time span? Yeah, something like DMT, but better. The aromatics of this liquid warp you in with baked chocolate cake, sun-dried tomato, heavily smoked meat, tobacco, horse leather, a dash of green peppers and those ripe cherries that your nonna used to pick for you in late summer. Nothing dominates here, all is in perfect harmony. Dense, but elegant. Aged, but fresh as spring water. A true epiphany. If there was a Moby song for this wine, it would be called just that - Epiphany.
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1/12/2018 - paulst Likes this wine: 93 Points
Rubber with blackberry; tannins still resolving; good structure.
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1/6/2018 - JF999 Likes this wine: 98 Points
Strong fruity plum on decanting. After about 45 minutes began to open out beautifully with strong perfume blackcurrant mixed with blackcurrant. Near perfect balance and one of the wines I will really remember - an epiphanous experience for Epiphany! And I still have a few more left...
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1/1/2018 - cschenck wrote:
The last of my case, and not one disappointed. Huge nose, big bodied, fantastic fruit throughout the bottle, starting with black cherry and currents to finishing with a little more dark fruits. Still had a couple of years to go and had a long finish
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12/27/2017 - hargy Likes this wine: 92 Points
a favourite but the fruit is slowly disappearing - such a classy wine
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12/26/2017 - paulst Likes this wine: 94 Points
Cedar with sweet earth; elegant and smooth; long sweet finish.
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12/3/2017 - englishman's claret wrote: 93 Points
Very pretty indeed; very Pichon Lalande. The fruit is starting to thin, but there's still a very elegant cassis, pencil, herb nose with touches of white flower and lavender. So svelte in the mouth and nicely balanced. I would be curious to try this from very large bottles but wouldn't chase 750s at this point. 93-94
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12/1/2017 - lockwood Likes this wine: 91 Points
This wine had been properly cellared since its purchase and the cork was in superb condition. Color is fading as expected with hints of brick on the edge - but still a nice garnet color for 32 years old. The wine had thrown almost no sediment - which was amazing. On the nose the initial aroma was some spice and "vegetal" notes - but both dissipated after some time in the decanter and glass. Medium-bodied mouth-feel with decent complexity and still good acidity on the tongue. In my opinion this wine has peaked and I do not believe that additional time in the cellar would be beneficial. Recommend drinking now. 91 points.
P.S. - tasted alongside an '81 Lafite Rothschild and I would give the nod to the Pichon (although both were quite enjoyable).
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11/4/2017 - Ary wrote: 94 Points
VEO London, Bordeaux 80-s in Magnum (Restaurant La Trompette, Chiswick): Surprisingly great and truly Pichon Lalande (in style) between all the firework of this evening as PLL 1986 and 1989, Pichon Baron 1990 and Margaux 1983. Smooth and silky on the palate. Medicine box, leather and tobacco notes in nose and palate. A bit leaner and more developed than the other bottles but not less attractive and true-to-type.
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10/21/2017 - joshabramson Likes this wine: 96 Points
This took an hour or two to really open up and let go of some of the barnyard funk, at which point this was drinking extremely well!
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10/18/2017 - Keith Levenberg wrote: 96 Points
Ch. Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande Vertical Tasting with Nicolas Glumineau (Taberna del Alabardero): Shocker. Not sure I have ever had this vintage before. But this was easily my second favorite of the flight after the '82 -- and it did not lag the '82 by all that much. It is at the next stage of maturity compared to the '89 -- still featuring that same pitch-black fruit complexion but the palate more brothy and savory. The lead-pencil note is heavier on the cedar. This is delivering all the rewards of bottle age -- the tertiary flavors, integration, and texture -- with none of the details starting to fade. In other words I think we caught this at its absolute high point.
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10/18/2017 - dcwino wrote: 94 Points
Pichon Lalande dinner with Nicolas Glumineau (Taberna del Alabardero, Washington D.C.): Fully integrated nose displaying soft and round red and black fruit, cherry, strawberry water, a hint of cassis, cedar, dry leather, a hint of tobacco, lead pencil, bell pepper, and earthy mineral. Perhaps the silkiest and most polished palate, very precise, perhaps slightly lean, only a hint of red fruit, bright acidity and a medium to long seamless mineral and red fruit driven finish. Another classic Pichon Lalande.
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9/13/2017 - paulst Likes this wine: 94 Points
Cedar earthy tobacco; blackberry; deep; balanced with long finish.
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9/9/2017 - paulst Likes this wine: 93 Points
Cedar; earth and blackberry; lean but coarse; great length.
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7/17/2017 - Vinnut Likes this wine: 94 Points
Subsequent notes on this wine from over two years ago. Medium-deep reddish garnet in color with some slight clearing at the edges. Full, fragrant, attractive, & aromatic nose of dark cherries, blackberries & cassis with overtones of classic cigar box notes of cedar & tobacco, floral notes of violets, tomato leaf, spices, mint/eucalyptus, herbal notes, anise, earthy & minerals. Medium-full bodied with a good concentration of well balanced & smooth textured, ripe fruit flavors of sweet cherries, blackberries & dark plums with spices, earthy, herbs & minerals. Long, lingering finish. Drinks quite well at present & although it may be close to is peak of development, it has the fruit/structure to hold onto this present plateau for a few more additional years if cellared properly.
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7/7/2017 - Rupert wrote:
NadNash dinners: Just perfect. The best bottle yet. All the cedar and cab you could want, tangy, vibrant. Utterly wonderful.
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7/1/2017 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
A friends anniversary celebration (Bern's Steakhouse): Hard to compete with a well-aged Bordeaux and this was just in an awesome spot. Woodsy, earthy, hints of black fruit, lots of floral. It's very pretty and very tasty.
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7/1/2017 - S1 Likes this wine:
Ending a weekend Anniversary celebration with some Cellar Tracker buddies: This was pretty classic 1985 for me--pretty red fruit, a nice tannic grip, and lots of Bordeaux bell pepper. After several big bottles of Syrah preceding this bottle, this acidity almost acted like a palate cleanser. I expected a bit more floral quality and subtle spice, but this bottle was a bit more straightforward. Still delicious.
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5/20/2017 - jschnabel wrote: 94 Points
This was a pleasure. Popped the bottle and started sipping. It needed a full half hour to hit stride. The tannins are there, but softening and its time to drink. Color is medium. The flavors are there in a refined, well crafted Pulliac: strawberry jam, plum, licorice, and an essence of hydrangea. This is why you age Bordeaux. Sip and smile.
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4/29/2017 - JulianSkeels wrote: 93 Points
Decanted and enjoyed quickly with minimal air. Very Lalande and very 85! Quite deep looking, but lacks body in the mouth although smooth and little tannin left - presumably lots of merlot. Very clean with red and blackcurrant with a touch of tobacco and the cedar notes I expect from 85 Bdx. A really enjoyable Lalande without getting high ratings. Recommended, but drink over the next 5yrs - seems to be in a graceful decline (but not as advanced yet as 83 Lalande). 93pts
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4/18/2017 - Rupert wrote: 94 Points
Just a touch of green, fresh, elegant, still full of life. Cedar, savouriness. Brilliant.
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3/14/2017 - paulst Likes this wine: 94 Points
Young with blackberry; manura nose with rubber; robust; deep.
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3/9/2017 - walkerjfw wrote: 92 Points
Zachy's Auction - Day 1 - Pre Paulee (Le Bernardin Privee, New York): Generous contribution from one of our table mates...this was splash decanted and drank over 45 minutes.
Medium garnet color, some bricking. Classic Bdx nose of dark fruits, earth, mushroom. Palate of dusted cherry and currant, pencil/graphite, mild floral, mushroom. Medium texture, weight and finish...nice secondary notes into the finish. This is fully mature at this point and may be approaching a tertiary stage.
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1/26/2017 - Honeyburst Likes this wine: 94 Points
A perfect bottle stored in the same cellar at 12 degrees Celsius since it's release. This allowed this example to present itself as the most youthful PC 85 I have tasted for years. A little tightlipped yet very promising at the opening but growing in elegance in the glass with a little time. Super classic notes of dark fruit, horsesaddle and cedar. An absolute delight.
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1/5/2017 - Rupert wrote: 95 Points
Now this was special. Had the grip and focus that the LLC 89 lacked. And it's way better than the 90PL. Just a hint of green adding life, but then it's smooth and seamless, ripe and cedary. Glorious.
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11/30/2016 - Burgnick Likes this wine: 92 Points
A great mature bordeaux. Pnp and let it breathe in the bottle. Classic bordeaux with ink, pencil lead, black fruit, and soil. Its very smoothe like many good 85 with subtle sweetness and acidity. Drinking really well now. 92+
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11/27/2016 - paulst Likes this wine: 94 Points
Loaded; lead pencil; dense and youthful; deep raspberry-blackberry with a tannic backdrop.
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11/10/2016 - paulst Likes this wine: 93 Points
Deep nose with rich blackberry and leather and tobacco; cedar and blackberry with some semi tart blackberry-cherry fruit.
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10/19/2016 - johnh1001 wrote: 94 Points
Another superb bottle
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10/15/2016 - vindictive wrote:
bottle, fill and cork all excellent. Deep color. This bottle was slightly off. It improved in the decanter and is still relatively young. This wine is always a favorite, but tonight it was just ok - lacking elegance and not as complex as usual
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10/14/2016 - pablopilot wrote: flawed
Second corked bottle of the night. What did we do to deserve this?
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9/18/2016 - oldwines Likes this wine: 91 Points
Now this one was more like I expected, even with a quick decant and little breathing this was clearly correct compared to the other bottle opened earlier. Medium, slightly translucent garnet. On the nose I get "Bordeaux barnyard" as well as lots of herbal notes like lavender, anise and cloves. On the palate I still get the herbal notes of lavender, clove and rosemary, some black cherry and black currant. Tannins fully resolved, very smooth on the tongue. A fairly flat finish, a bit shorter than I expected.
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9/18/2016 - oldwines wrote: flawed
Just not quite right, even after breathing while better, I opened another...
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9/2/2016 - jrh82 wrote: 88 Points
Although certainly classic Bordeaux it was tired and actually quite uncomplicated. On the nose some nice pencil and red fruit, but on the taste not a whole lot to show for. Tannins are pretty much gone. Letdown as '89 is spectacular!
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8/13/2016 - dlb291@pacbell.net Likes this wine: 90 Points
decent cork. very good nose. no negatives. medium body. soft tannins. balanced acidity. fruit fading on finish. 1-3 years past prime. excellent with our Italian entrees. recommended. drink now.
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8/9/2016 - kfrench150 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Another online auction wine with no provenance. Striking garnet red fading to thin mahogany at the rim. High toned red and black currant, new saddle leather and jus a hint of dusty cocoa powder on the nose. Seems not at all over the hill. Very light and smooth - almost ethereal - entry. Graceful and poised. Blend beautifully into still fresh fruit that fills the top and back of your mouth. Eventually a pleasant leafiness starts to unravel. Layer still a meaty note develops. Finishes fresh, clean and dry with no trace of tannins. Very elegant wine!
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4/19/2016 - LWI wrote: 94 Points
Pichon Lalande Tasting: Mature black currants, cloves, quite complex; Fine fruit in the mouth, could have been longer, tannin present, surprisingly structured.
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4/16/2016 - Jeff Leve wrote: 90 Points
From a pristine bottle opened at the chateau, this has definitely lost some of its charm. The sensuous textures are there, but the fruit has started its fade. Drink up if have this in your cellar as it is not going to get better from here.
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1/22/2016 - paulst Likes this wine: 94 Points
Rubber; textured and mature but with nice tannic presence; long elegant finish.
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12/14/2015 - paulst Likes this wine: 94 Points
Balanced and concentrated; tannins smooth but noticeable; cedar and tar, blackberry, some licorice and cherry; very long finish.
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12/10/2015 - dchain Likes this wine: 94 Points
Shared with old work colleagues as part of our bi-annual catch up. Still deep ruby and looking so young. Wonderful lush fruit and perfume nose, glacé cherry, jasmine, very glossy and very sexy. On the palate it tastes so in balance, lightly spice cherry fruit, great complexity and noticeable glycerin and roundness. Absolutely fabulous drinking right now but plenty of stuffing to be at this level for next 5-10 years. Not cheap but totally worth the experience.
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11/29/2015 - DrinkBordeaux wrote: 93 Points
Right in its wheelhouse right now. Cork was completely soaked, but the wine was still singing. Bright medium ruby color. No funk on the nose, which showed cassis, cedar, leather, green pepper, and herbs. Nice weight, good concentration, and extremely well-balanced. Fruit is still going strong, and is perfectly complemented by the acidity. Beautiful long finish. Silky tannins. There is no reason to hold this any longer, as it is drinking at its peak.
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11/26/2015 - In2wines Likes this wine: 94 Points
November 2015 - Copenhagen
On a 1985 vertical of 16 wines, This has always been great and continues to be ..... just plain stunning, it is one of the most sexist of the 85' it is pure elegance with Pauillac Class, together with Lynch Bages better than Mouton and Latour !! I do not why but it reminds me of the 2014 Comtesse .... buy this one !!! and the 2014 !!!
Drink 2015-2020
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11/10/2015 - Pknut wrote:
From magnum (thanks, Pat). Faint perfume on nose. Amazing mint green lifted nose, per Charles. Very dark color. Palate shows band aid, black fruit, very smooth texturally. Michael K. likes the depth on the midpalate. Palate is very Pichon, dark, with a herbal aspect, nice balance, herbs and lots of band aid. La Sirène with the guys.
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11/9/2015 - Markus IWC wrote: 96 Points
Vertikal provning Pichon Lalande 12 årgångar 66-90. 1985: höstig doft av stall, kraftfull övermogen frukt, syltig, super balanserad, bra tannin struktur, kan lagras länge till, snäll årgång. Tillsammans med 82 min klara favorit ikväll.
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10/14/2015 - rossi.wine wrote: 93 Points
Tasted alongside 1985 Gruaud Larose and Cos d'Estournel and following a flight of 1989s from the same Chateaux. Slightly less evolution in terms of colour compared to the 1989s. Softer and more elegant and floral than the Cos (trying to avoid the word "feminine"). Really expressive with lots of fruit, good acidity, nice balance and length. More backward than the 1989. No rush drinking this. 92-94
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10/14/2015 - Papies wrote: 95 Points
1982, 1985 & 1989 Bordeaux Super Seconds, with Richard Brazier (Handford Wines, London): A lot better than the 91 we rated it a couple of years ago.
Still a good healthy red colour. Quite alive and fruit driven on the nose, subtle nose but very elegant and classy. Very much alive and singing at this stage, rich core of fruit still here, great length and just beautiful. A great Pichon Lalande and just on the money now. 94-95
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9/29/2015 - The Vines That Bind Likes this wine: 91 Points
Light garnet. Showing a great nose of thin soil without being farmy. Very soft mouthfeel but still has good red cherry fruit and an agreeable tannic structure. Notes of tea leaf, red cedar, and some coffee. Drinking beautifully at the moment.
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9/7/2015 - Carmen400 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Considering this bottle was not kept in the best environment, the wine held up magnificently! At first, there was a funky, damp smell to it but the taste was pure old school Bordeaux. Over the two to three hours that we drank it, the damp funkiness wore off and the wine progressed to a smoother, touch of fruit taste, no tannins. It was delicious!
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9/7/2015 - Rabun Likes this wine: 93 Points
From magnum. At 30 years old, the wine's secondary characteristics shine through. This wine is drinking perfectly. An extremely elegant Pauillac that is fully resolved & holding. Not a bruiser but every element of this wine is in the right place- nose, body, & length. It's a privilege to enjoy the absolute harmony of this wine. Stunning!
Note- Perfect providence. Purchased on release, cellared, and move once when shipped to the U.S..
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8/1/2015 - Wine_lvr Likes this wine: 94 Points
°°° Bordeaux 1985 °°° (Emmen, Switzerland): Clear intensive in color. Nose shows leather, coffee and tar notes. Nice sweetness and quite elegant. Multilayered and complex structure. A very hedonistic wine. Love it...Drink now over the next decade
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7/9/2015 - SimonG wrote: 93 Points
85 Claret (La Trompette, London): Blind. A little leafy initially, then softer, creamier on the nose. Again very harmonious. Quite floral. Slightly wild perhaps, albeit in a restrained style. Gruaud? ****
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4/18/2015 - lgvotta Likes this wine: 94 Points
There was very little ullage, especially for a bottle that had been bottled over 25 years ago. Decanted wine and sat for an hour. The color was ruby red. No browning detected. The nose was intense black currants that exploded out of the glass with smoke and touches of oak. On the palate the wine is well balanced with a medium long persistence of black fruit. It reminded me of the 1981.
After writing my notes, I read Parker's notes from 2002. My only disagreement (drink now, starting to show age) is that the wine in this bottle was excellent and showing little signs of age, even after it was open for 3 hours.
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3/14/2015 - Vinnut Likes this wine: 93 Points
Medium-deep reddish garnet in color with some amber & slight clearing at the edges. Full, fragrant, attractive, & aromatic nose of developed, mature & complex aromas of dark cherries, blackberries & cassis with overtones of classic cigar box notes of cedar and aged tobacco, floral notes of violets, tomato leaf & green bell pepper, spices, mint/eucalyptus, herbal notes, anise & juniper, earthy & minerals. Medium-full bodied with a good concentration of developed, mature & complex, well balanced, supple, plush, elegant & silky smooth textured, rich ripe fruit flavors of sweet cherries, blackberries & dark plums with spices, earthy, herbs & minerals. Long, lingering smooth finish. Drinks quite well at present and although it may be at its peak of development, it has the fruit/structure to hold onto this present plateau for a few more additional years although any further development would be minimal.
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2/22/2015 - William Kelley Likes this wine: 94 Points
The 1985 Pichon Lalande is drinking perfectly right now, and this bottle was much superior to my last encounter with a rather fatigued bottle in London. The wine is classic Pichon Lalande, bursting from the glass with a projected bouquet of tobacco, red and black cherry, cedar and rich loamy soil. On the palate the tannins are nicely melted and the wine is typically supple, generous and expansive. The combination of Pichon Lalande and the extremely elegant 1985 vintage was always going to be a winner. Really in a very nice place and more mature than Mouton Rothschild drunk alongside.
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11/26/2014 - Collector1855 wrote: 93 Points
Chateau Pichon Lalande Dinner with Nicolas Glumineau (Commanderie de Bordeaux, Singapore): Medium-light garnet. Expressive nose with a noticeable barnyard/brett tone to it, for me a bit too much vs. the other aromas, but very popular at our table. Very soft and elegant palate providing excellent drinkability with food. Fully mature, will not get better, so drink up.
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11/26/2014 - paulst Likes this wine: 95 Points
Leather, terrior and tar nose; opulent and silky; balanced; beautiful; smooth long silky soft but textured body and finish.
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11/5/2014 - dimdic wrote: 92 Points
A mature one. Great reflection of Pauillac terrior. Strong aroma of leather, pepper, cinnamon and black fruits in a well controlled and elegant style. Solid and excellent structure.
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11/1/2014 - SimonSays wrote: 87 Points
A bit disappointed... still great but not worth the price.
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9/14/2014 - johnh1001 wrote: 94 Points
OJH Party (Racquet Club Chicago): From a perfect looking bottle with a fill almost up to the cork. Outstanding nose of earth, dark fruit, herbs, subtle green pepper. Beautifully silky Pichon texture. Fully mature and round in the mouth. Great smooth finish. Perfect time to drink this wine.
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7/3/2014 - falp wrote: 93 Points
very elegant, ready to drink. mild tanins.
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6/22/2014 - Burgundy Al wrote: 92 Points
Great 1980s Bordeaux Tasting and Dinner (Michael Restaurant - Winnetka IL): Tasting. Lean styled fruit for the vintage, moderately mature, with tobacco, licorice, cooked mushroom and bell pepper. Very balanced and well textured, this is drinking well now but probably not the concentration to improve going forward, or worth holding for more than another decade.
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1/25/2014 - Zweder wrote: 93 Points
Occasional dinner group; Mature and classical Bordeaux (@ WB): Beautiful bouquet with sweet spices, still some dark berries and a touch of pleasant barnyard. On the palate still a beautiful wine with chocolate and cinnamon. a touch of sweetness nicely balanced by good acidity and soft, fully integrated tannin which is a bit drying. Overall a good concentration and length. Fully mature now.
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1/15/2014 - Dsos wrote: 90 Points
Mature colour, brick red rim. Hint of cork? Blows off. Developed, mature aromas of cigar box, cedar, blackcurrant, licorice, and a whiff of bonfire. Full bodied, fruity and mature with pleasant tannins. Juicy, with good fruit, but lacks some concentration compared with the marvellous '89. Ends relatively short. A decent wine, but 5 points off the younger sister.
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11/23/2013 - Amerique wrote: 94 Points
Previous notes apply with the exception that rich leathery flavors dominated. Beautiful bottle of claret.
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10/29/2013 - johnh1001 wrote: 91 Points
Not showing as well as prior bottles. My friend called this, but it had a bloody mary nose. Spot on. Pichon silkiness was there but the fruit a little muddled.
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10/26/2013 - Burgundy Al wrote: 92 Points
Tasting. Very nice aromatic start with tobacco, black plum, some bell pepper (in a nice Cab Franc way). Long and fresh on palate. Firm throughout. Drinking well with lots of longevity left.
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10/17/2013 - Papies wrote: 91 Points
5 Decades of Chateau Pichon Lalande, with Richard Brazier (Handford Wines, London): Probably the first vintage in our line up that shows some discoloration. The nose is very much an 85, light spice, leather, earthy notes. Very classic on that front. On the palate it lacks density (What St Julien reds have in 85 that makes them such great wines)and is loosing its vibrancy. Very healthy wine but definitely one to drink up at this stage. Has def seen better days. 91-92
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10/17/2013 - WinoRick wrote: 90 Points
Good color, but fading.
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10/17/2013 - rossi.wine wrote: 91 Points
Secondary notes quite dominant on the nose, tobacco, coffee, cedar. Compared to the 1989 less persistent and focussed on the palate, slightly rustic and fading towards the finish. Drink up.
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10/13/2013 - lepetitchateau wrote:
Not as good an example this time - weedy.
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8/27/2013 - pskard Likes this wine: 93 Points
Medium red with brown rim. Needs an hour in decanter to open up. A mature nose with leather, mint and dark berries. Elegant. The tannins are well integrated with a nice acidic backbone. Medium plus aftertaste. Mouthwatering. A very nice bottle of wine. Drink now or over the next 5 years.
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8/11/2013 - englishman's claret wrote: 92 Points
More than a little disappointing. Good pencil lead, earth, but the fruit is fading and this doesn't show the floral components you'd expect of aged Lalande. I've found the '85 Barton, Talbot, Mouton (and probably others) all in a similar state of decline. Drink up.
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8/9/2013 - Eubulos Likes this wine: 95 Points
Simply delicate, full but elegant, lots of life left. A Claret to make people who normally don't like Claret, change their mind, Great !
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6/20/2013 - BradKNYC wrote:
A night of Bordeaux as Tom Reddick pays a return visit to NYC. (Le Philosophe.): A Labrador retriever of a wine as it's just so friendly and welcoming, which is how I view the '85 vintage as a whole. It's fully integrated and has a wonderful softness and elegance about it that put a smile on everyone's face. There's plenty of sweetness to the black fruit, terrific earthiness with a bit of tobacco and herb. At peak, but no rush. My second favorite wine of the night. Solid A-.
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6/3/2013 - cooberp Likes this wine: 91 Points
2013 Wine Media Guild dinner (SD26, NYC): Most complex nose so far. Red currant, tobacco, smoke and leather, and a hint of barbecue. Nice acidity; wants food.
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5/9/2013 - awilliamson4 Likes this wine: 96 Points
A beautiful bordeaux from my birth year...dark fruit, leather and pepper in a wonderfully integrated package..this wine has 10+ years left on it...my WOTN!
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4/10/2013 - Hex triplet #43302E Likes this wine:
Beautiful, mature claret. Great sweet fruit, cedar, integrated tannins. A real pleasure.
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4/7/2013 - johnh1001 wrote: 93 Points
Very similar to the last bottle. Decanted and drank over 4 hours. Smokey nose with earth, leather and some green pepper notes. Palate matches with a nice sweetness of red fruit that emerges after about 30min. Beautiful silky texture and lovely medium+ smooth finish.
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3/8/2013 - nortonnose Likes this wine: 92 Points
Ibid Leve's May2012 note below. Stood 750ml bottle night before; VTS fill. Opened 3 hrs before serving, then PnP after dinner. Pretty one-dimensional at this stage, and pales a bit next to recent tastings of the 1986. Medium finish. 91-92 pts. Drink up soon
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2/22/2013 - K28226 wrote: 95 Points
A real treat. Started off as mentioned with green pepper and evolved over the next hour. First from pepper to fruit. Then from fruit to earthy and leather notes. Plenty if life left, but it is in a great place. I became a fan
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12/29/2012 - RyanJames wrote: 93 Points
Dark ruby, youthful looking. Right out of the gates: lots of green pepper (which made me nervous...), cedar, spices, some tobacco. Within 15 minutes, the red fruits showed up and this was especially good, with tremendous complexity on the nose and palate. It just goes to show how good these top Bordeaux properties can be in average years. It still has tannins left, good acidity, and will have a long future ahead of it (I would say another 10-15 years). This was great by itself, and even better with some spinach + feta chicken sausage.
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10/22/2012 - johnh1001 wrote: 93 Points
Another great bottle of this wine. Smokey nose with earth, leather and some green pepper notes. Palate matches with a nice sweetness of red fruit that emerges after about 30min. Beautiful silky texture and lovely medium+ smooth finish.
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10/15/2012 - nortonnose wrote: 91 Points
PnP fr 750. No formal tasting notes; nose was short, but this showed nicely. Should last a couple more years but no need to delay playing through....
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10/7/2012 - Lipsman wrote: 93 Points
Not a great showing from this bottle. Long on the palate, but not as complex as previous tastings. The aroma was uncharacteristically tight as well. Still good though.
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9/22/2012 - mariolanza wrote: 91 Points
cedary, earthy, great colur, evolved, mature. Drank perfectly
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9/11/2012 - dcasper wrote: 91 Points
Great low-tide on the nose. This bottle wasn't as good as previous thought; still great fruit but not as complex as the 83. Unmistakable Pichon Lalande. I'll be searching for more.
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8/18/2012 - d'Artagnan wrote: 92 Points
Nez un peu tertiaire mais suave de poivron rouge, avec des tomates séchées, boite à cigare et cèdre. Très belle bouche en finesse, suave, c'est toute l'élégance classique de l'appellation et surtout, celle du crû. Un peu plus large et plus abouti que le Lafite '99, ce dernier étant probablement plus subtil et élégant. 92-93 pts
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7/23/2012 - paulst wrote: 89 Points
Reticent nose initially; later it depened with some rubber, manura and earth; tobacco, cedar, light blackberry; some cherry; not a lot of minerality and texture; ended with some heat.
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7/11/2012 - ron m wrote:
Excellent! Deep and complex nose showing dark berries, tobacco, cedar, and spicebox. Fantastic palate - smooth, deep, rich, quite intense and at the same time light on its feet. Suave and complex finish. Amazingly young for a 27 year old wine, and destined to go strong easily for an additional decade or more. What a treat.
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7/9/2012 - Flavito wrote: 95 Points
Incredibly young for a 27 year old wine, gorgeous nose of cigar box, coffee, leather, graphite and spices. Still tannic and dense, it seems to have gained weight in the last couple years. Very long and balanced, will last at least another 10-15 years. A fantastic wine, one of the wines of the vintage, especially from pristine bottles like this one.
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6/1/2012 - -E- wrote: 89 Points
Bordeaux Søskenparsmaking (Moss, Norway): Rødbrun. Varm, kokt, vegetal, søtlig nese av jord, lær og paprika. Kommer seg noe med luft, men det grønne preget er støyende. Varm og bløt frukt med fin syre. Ingen optimal flaske.
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6/1/2012 - LWI wrote: flawed
Bordeaux Siblings (Moss, Norway): A lot of brett
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6/1/2012 - Apotheca wrote: 91 Points
Lovely classic Bordeaux nose of red berries and pencil lead. The acidity was playing games in my mouth, and together with an ok complexity makes this a nice drink. Quite long. I would not think this would get any better.
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5/12/2012 - d'Artagnan wrote: 93 Points
Un nez très séduisant de tabac, de cèdre, du poivron rouge, un peu de fumée.
La texture est très belle, dans un style aérien, léger et profond à la fois. Le fruit est presque sucré, le vin a une belle vigueur, qui me confirme que la bouteille un peu fatiguée prise au lunch de Noël était imparfaite. D'une finesse exemplaire, c'est un textbook claret, d'une grande classe. Complexe, suave, c'est typique de ce cru qui est l'élégance faite vin de Pauillac. 93-94 pts
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5/7/2012 - Jeff Leve wrote: 92 Points
Ruby with lightening of color at the edge, smoke, truffle, tobacco, wet earth, ripe blackberry and plum scents lead to a fully mature, delicate, refined, silky style of Pichon Lalande. With a plush, velvet textured, elegant, black cherry finish, there is no reason to hold this any longer.
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4/18/2012 - Rupert wrote: 94 Points
1985 super seconds tasted blind (Medlar, Chelsea, London): Deep, tangy, beautiful and voluptuous, a complete claret
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4/17/2012 - SimonG wrote: 94 Points
Rupert's 1985 'Super Seconds' (The Medlar, London): Initially a little sweaty and lactic on the nose. Second hand socks, though this lifts to show a far cleaner nose. Full, rounded, sweet fruited. Lovely. A touch of christmas pud on the nose with some air. Splendid. Guessed Pichon L. ****1/2
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4/15/2012 - johnh1001 wrote: 93 Points
Decanted and drank over 2 hours. Fully mature. Classic Pichon nose that did take about an hour to get going. Smoke, earth, some green pepper. The palate was silky and developed quite a bit of sweetness as it stayed open. Medium finish. Enjoyable.
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12/23/2011 - d'Artagnan wrote: 91 Points
Nez évolué, cigare, girofle, pas super charmeur, un peu fatigué . Par contre, très belle bouche superbe équilibre, un vin de finesse et de classe. Finale vaporeuse. Un vin de texture donc! 91+ pts
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12/1/2011 - Flavito wrote: 96 Points
Wine of the night, perfect fill, higher up the neck than a well stored Lynch Bages 2000. Took a while to open to fantastic aromas of leather and undergrowth. Great balance and very long finish, still at least 10 years at the top of its game.
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11/21/2011 - Xavier Auerbach wrote: 90 Points
Peter Mansell's Farewell Dinner (Christie's Amsterdam): Magnum. Starts out slightly vegetal and edgy, but opens up well to become an elegant, refined wine with sufficient energy. But an elderly lady still, even if she has aged gracefully. Now.
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11/19/2011 - Stefanos T. wrote: 95 Points
Decanter Chateau Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande Masterclass (Landmark Hotel London): Medium garnet fading to a tawny rim. Mature nose with undergrowth, cedar, dried leaves and leather which makes it rather heavy for the feminine style of Pichon Lalande. Lovely fully mature claret, with pencil shavings in the palate, cedar, sweet prunes. Long aftertaste. Plush texture and structure which warrants further ageing. Tannins are still firm if a little austere.
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11/11/2011 - Ary wrote: 93 Points
From Magnum. Medium ruby colour. Medicinal, tobacco and eucalyptus in the nose. Soft and smooth on the palate with tobacco, cassis, some meat and earth on the palate.
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10/24/2011 - lepetitchateau wrote: 92 Points
Burnt tobacco on the nose, fascinating. Smooth and soft on the palate, thoroughly resolved and quite a delicious wine, but not possesing an extra quality to it, not thrilling.
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10/14/2011 - kr522 wrote: 92 Points
bottle was in pristine shape....fill level well into neck, cork only partially saturated.
Have you ever walked into a pet store and seen a group of puppies where one has tremendous personality is jumping around and wagging it's tail? and then you see its twin, equally adorable, but lying subdued on the floor of the cage....well this wine is the latter.
the color was perfect. not even bricking at the edge, a deep garnet. The bouquet suggested exciting things to come: plummy dark fruit, oak, a hint of eucalyptus. The entry was sweet, and surprisingly for this vintage almost devoid of acidity while showing some tannin. I waited for it to fan out on my tongue and show some sexy midpalate...and I waited. Took another sip, and waited. Slurped it on my tongue, and waited. But it kept lying on the floor of the cage.
It had persistence and good fruit because the finished lasted a long time, but it was missing exuberance. It never sizzled even though all the components were there. Too bad because I would have happily given it a higher rating, I am a big fan of PL in the 80s.
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10/10/2011 - dcasper wrote: 93 Points
Great nose / aroma. Started with low-tide and dirt, but blew off after about 20 minutes to reveal intense dark fruit. The finish on this one was shorter than say, the 83 (or the last 85), but still fantastic. Slight discoloration around the edges.
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6/11/2011 - rnellans wrote: 95 Points
Typical herbal/floral nuances characteristic of PL. More fruit than the 89. Nice depth, length with more layers. Very good wine.
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5/31/2011 - dcasper wrote: 95 Points
Outstanding. As good or better than the 83. A true gem that is in prime shape. No discoloration at all and absolutely full of fruit.
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5/27/2011 - jarmstrong20 wrote: 96 Points
Smooth with balanced spice...still! Lingering tannins with soft fruit at the beginning. Excellent match to softer foods like duck and lamb.
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5/20/2011 - Timothymarkwebb wrote: 76 Points
this, weak and disappointing. bouquet was good but depth missing and possibly wine had gone past its sell by though others i know tasting the same vintage felt similar
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5/15/2011 - Timothymarkwebb wrote:
Thin, weak, no pinch or depth but decent at first taste
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4/23/2011 - Faryan wrote: 93 Points
Old Bordeaux: a nice little warmup as we are doing a multi-decade vertical of Pichons soon. Classic, feminine Pichon, with telltale floral notes, depth of pitch to its lavender nose and lovely dark fruit. Not overtly complex, but very bouquet driven and intoxicating. An Audrey Tatou wine.
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4/23/2011 - tooch wrote: 93 Points
Older Bordeaux (Chez Glowa - Bethesda, MD): Beautiful medium-red color in the glass. Nose was absolutely beautiful with lovely florals, tobacco leaf, cedar and cassis. Palate was feminine, classy and fresh with classic Pauillac characteristics. Subtle mushroom, rose petals, cassis, and leather comprise this exceptional wine's palate. Drinking beautifully well.
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1/31/2011 - lesz wrote: 97 Points
I was very nervous about this bottle as my friend had one recently that was falling apart as well as the mixed reviews on cellartracker. This was a near pefect old mature bordeau very round and silky in the mouth with muted tannins. My friend brought a 85 Mouton and this at least this night blew it away. Definitely wotn. I purchased it from a very reputable local wine merchant who had obtained it from what he describes as a pristine cellar. So I guess if the wine was well stored it will be drinking great right now and probably will not get better.
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1/31/2011 - Hodby wrote: 93 Points
Medium red, garnet edged. Purely Pauillac in the nose, gobs of tobacco leaf, cherry and cassis, mushroom and camphor. Low persistent tannin and acid, not falling apart. Round and silky in the mouth, with fat fruit, finishes with good fat and length. Jeez, here's another '85 which never went underground or faded in 25 years. That's my testament of superb vintages; how many others will ever drink so very well, for so long ? Bottle #22 of twenty-four, plus mags. I thought I'd bought plenty of this, but another case make make me happier still.
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1/4/2011 - PatrikO wrote: 89 Points
Tired.
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12/17/2010 - europat55 wrote: 93 Points
18-bottle Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande Vertical (1976-2007) (Jeff & Chuck's, Mountain View, California): Very smooth, classic Lalande that seems to be a good representation of what the '95 will be in 10 years. Tannins fully resolved. Outstanding!
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12/11/2010 - Amerique wrote: 93 Points
Slightly sweet black cherry fruit, very forward, expansive nose, soft cedary flavors, very ready to drink
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11/16/2010 - Jeremy Holmes wrote:
Old school Claret smells of rusty nails, cassis, green bean, decaying flowers and sulphured plum. There’s a graphite spine and plenty of underlying earthiness. It is complex and cerebral and drinking very nicely.
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10/31/2010 - crikel wrote: 88 Points
A thin vail of herself. The wine has peaked and is declining. A brown tinge throughout, but the flavor essence of Lalande is still there.
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10/29/2010 - MattTM wrote:
Le Gavroche Welcomes Gildas d’Ollone (Vancouver, BC): At it's peak now. While a real delight, this was slightly forgotten sitting next to the '83. More merlot in this than the '83, with a nose of currant, leather, sour plum with a touch of menthol. Tobacco, dark plum, and cedar on the palette. A touch sweet
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10/6/2010 - Jeff Leve wrote: 92 Points
1985 Pichon Lalande should be listed in the dictionary next to "pretty wine". It is not the most concentrated. Nor is it the most aromatic. But everything is just right. Soft, smooth, elegant and silky with tobacco, truffle, cassis, spice and earthy notes. The is fully mature. It will not improve and might slowly lose its fruit. But it drinks great today and that's what counts!
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6/22/2010 - ed-d wrote: 89 Points
Good deep color. A bit weedy on the nose. Plum & leather flavors on the palate. Seems very soft & approachable at this point. Tasted blind.
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6/15/2010 - James B wrote: 95 Points
This was just outstanding. Textbook Bordeaux characterists. Perfect nose. Leather, cedar, barnyard. Exquisite palate. Perfectly balanced tannins--a function of lengthy bottle age. Decent finish. I couldn't be happier with this wine.
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1/13/2010 - wineismylife wrote: 93 Points
WIML92-93
Tasted January 13, 2010 at an offline. Garnet to dark garnet color in the glass, hue throughout. Nose of briar patch, leather, roses, black cherries, black berries and saddle soap. Flavors of plums, black cherries, black berries and light notes of currants. Medium to bright acidity, medium tannins, medium to full bodied. Drink or hold.
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11/23/2009 - pablopilot wrote: 95 Points
Very well integrated,soft and beautiful complexity.
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9/5/2009 - TheBusiness724 wrote: 93 Points
Itching for just a bit more structure, but this is good stuff. Same as previous note.
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7/8/2009 - TheBusiness724 wrote: 93 Points
Packed with sweet fruit, cedar, spices, and a hint of burnt caramel/toffee. Powerful, aromatic nose that showed no signs of slowing down. Slight bricking and lots of sediment, so definitely decant first. Not a lot of tannins left, which permitted the sweetness to dominate, possibly just a bit too much. This was reminiscent of a recently consumed 1985 Saint Pierre, which leads me to agree with JimHow below that this was both more St. Julien than Pauillac as well as representative of the 1985 vintage.
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6/22/2009 - JimHow wrote: 94 Points
Exactly what you would expect. Just so representative of the 1985 vintage. Strength and elegance. Stunning nose. More St. Julien than Pauillac here.
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5/24/2009 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 91 Points
1985 Bordeaux tasting of five wines, third place. Nose of cabernet, cayenne pepper, and cedar, more of the same on the palate, touch simple this afternoon, rich, soft, lovely fruit to taste, medium/long finish.
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5/20/2009 - PatrikO wrote: 94 Points
Much better than last bottle. flamboyant, perfumes the room with sweet tar and cedar. Full bodied and have shed much of tannins. Lovely.
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5/8/2009 - PatrikO wrote: 92 Points
Not at all as i remembered it, initially not sure the bottle was 100% as it had a very funky moldy nose, but soon enough it had blown off. Still very youthful and in need of a good 2 hours in the decanter, thick texture and purple brown in colour. Very different in taste to the 82, 83, 86 and 89, a strange combination of cough medicine, cherry and tobacco. It got better and better the longer it stayed in the glass. Have to try another bottle soon, not sure it'll taste the same..
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4/30/2009 - goofy Yno wrote: 92 Points
red fruits, old shoe nose, good fruits in the mouth dusty,
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4/30/2009 - jivey wrote: 88 Points
Offline Backstreet - Darker in color than 83, vibrant red fruits, cassis, tobacco, long cedar on a finesse style finish. A little thinner than the 83 as well.
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4/30/2009 - jeff nowak wrote: 88 Points
dave's bordeaux blowout (backstreet wine salon): tannic and full of mature notes, especially tea, but lacked nuance.
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4/30/2009 - Alex G. wrote:
Very funky nose. More power, but far less elegant, than the '83. The more I came back to this one, the less I liked it. However, it was in some very tough company.
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4/30/2009 - ScottS wrote: 93 Points
Backstreet Bordeaux Tasting (Backstreet Wine Salon - PHX, AZ): Much denser than the 83. powerpacked with wonderful red fruit, spice and tobacco. incredibly complex and youthful. this wine is drinking at its peak. has all the characteristics that i'm looking for in a mature Bordeaux.
50+5+14+16+7=93
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4/30/2009 - mattiasjansson wrote: 91 Points
Backstreet - Bordeaux (Backstreet Wine Salon, Phoenix, AZ): More fruit left than the '83. Surprisingly youthful.
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4/24/2009 - pablopilot wrote: 96 Points
This is as good as this wine is going to get. Characteristic Pichon cedar, with some plumminess and menthol. The tannins are largely shed now, and there is a real soft sweetness to this wine that makes it very light in the mouth despite excellent size and length. Lovely!
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12/26/2008 - presterjohn Likes this wine:
Dark berries, v warm, elegant, delicate, delicious, v subtle, good soft tannins.
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12/16/2008 - Rupert wrote: 94 Points
31 Vintages of Pichon Lalande 1928-2005; 12/16/2008-12/17/2008 (IOD, London): Herbs and funk, slightly medicinal, but this menthol tone addes freshness to the sweet fruit, it's cedary too, very lovely
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7/10/2008 - Phin wrote: 91 Points
Good fruit on nose, but somewhat hidden on the palate. An acidic edge, not bad, but structured. Seemed out of balance with the fruit. Smoke and earth.
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4/25/2008 - futronic wrote: 92 Points
4th Annual Italian Offline Pre-Game - Champagne and Bordeaux (Sweets & Savories, Chicago, USA): Medium-ruby colour with garnet flecks. Aromas of spice, currant, leather, and cigar box. Medium-bodied, very elegant, with smoke, currant, and herbs on the palate. Moderate finish, ~30-35s, with red fruit and spice.
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4/25/2008 - wineismylife wrote: 93 Points
WIML93+
Tasted April 25, 2008 at an offline. No formal notes.
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4/25/2008 - grossie wrote: 92 Points
I can't recall who brought this to the champagne and bdx offline at Sweets & Savories. This was presented next to the 86' version of the same wine, and this one showed far better. It's not a powerful masculine wine, more delicate but still with good strong fruit. It had a minty/herbal side which was very pleasant. This is fully mature and I suspect it will not improve. A very solid showing, and probably a good value because it's not from the sexier 1986 vintage.
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12/26/2007 - Paul D wrote: 95 Points
Medium garnet core, wide rim with orange hints. A little subdued on the nose at first, but soon opening out to reveal spice, sweet red-toned fruit and some attractive soil notes. Showing more on the palate with sweet strawberry fruit, spice, sweet tea flavours and a few fruit cake notes on a sneaky, persistent finish. Fully mature, with harmonious tannins and integrated acidity, an elegant, mellow, perfectly balanced wine drinking perfectly now.
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12/23/2007 - cab4me wrote: 90 Points
Classic Pichon Lalande...elegant, subtle but seductive. Brick edge, shy nose upon opening, but evolved nicely with red fruit, orange notes, spice and earth. Flavors nicely integrated with the fruit initially tending toward red currant, raspberry with blackberry emerging later. Plenty of subtle notes of earth, truffle, briar, etc. None predominates and they add structure to the experience. Fully mature and should be consumed without delay. This bottle was a little less intense than the last we tasted of this vintage, but still very good stuff!
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10/6/2007 - Goldstone wrote: 91 Points
Drunk over dinner with Greg and Sayo at Chez Patrick, Sun Street. Feral nose. Absolutely "at point" in drinkability. Has lost a touch of fruit so some acidity is poking through but this is a gorgeous, light, feminine classic Pauillac. Good length that drifts into beautiful light toffee. I wouldn't hold it any longer if I still had some in my celler. Totally by chance we paired it with a 1989 La Lagune, which made it a re-match of a dinner we had 18 months ago. Then the Pichon won the day for me but tonight I think the La Lagune fought back and came out fractionally ahead. Erm, pointless to try and separate them really.
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7/21/2007 - La Cave d'Argent wrote: 93 Points
The French Laundry...21 Courses, 11 Wines, Infinite Memories; 7/21/2007-7/22/2007 (The French Laundry (Yountville, Napa Valley, California)): Consumed at the Emery home on the eve of Amy's 40th birthday, served with grilled Flannery ribeyes. Medium garnet robe with garnet-brick rim. Intense, complex bouquet of bing cherries, leather, savory and (yes) bacon fat. Medium-bodied on the palate and with low-to-medium acidity, the tannins in this wine have all but melted away. The complex flavors are presented with a silky texture which carries through the middle palate and leads to a long, smooth finish. This wine is still delicious at this point and merits an unblinded score of 93, but would best be drunk over the next five years.
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7/20/2007 - sdr wrote: 88 Points
South Florida does Pichon-Lalande: This '85 showed exactly as expected for this friendly vintage. The medium ruby color was an accurate predictor for the medium weight and body and modest but pure finish. Delicate but not weak and about as elegant as Lalande can be. I can't imagine it will improve.
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6/30/2007 - tsnb wrote:
Drank at Curt Cross' 65th birthday dinner with steak. Very good.
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2/23/2007 - Eric wrote: 91 Points
Seattle Tasting Group does Pauillac (Seattle, WA): A beautiful, mature nose with lots of stalk, charcoal and tobacco. Yummy, a nice silky, mature palate, again with tobacco, and then cherries and tar. I initially scored this an 89 but retasted after 2 hours, and this had improved considerably.
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1/2/2007 - LoireFan wrote: 93 Points
A perfect bottle showing well.
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10/21/2006 - Xavier Auerbach wrote: 96 Points
Mature, medium colour; glorious bouquet, soft and mature, earthy, perfumed, elegant, red fruit, delectable; velvety and fleshy, perfect weight, excellent length. Perfection.
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8/27/2006 - KenK wrote: 89 Points
Chicago's Best Bordeaux Tasting Ever? (Ken's Home): Earthy wine with enjoyable green herbal edge.
A classy wine with good gripe, but a drop in the midpalate lowered my score.
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4/16/2006 - Goldstone wrote: 91 Points
A 90-point Robert Parker wine. Drunk over dinner of veal with friends at our home. Delicate on the nose and palate but very classic Pauillac and gorgeous. Good length. Clearly a light style of vintage but, to steal Michael Broadbent's words, this is wine and not fruit juice. The key word here is "elegant". I'll look forward to the second bottle I have. The other bottle we drank that night was a 1989 Ch. La Lagune, which was much deeper coloured, fruitier and with good length. I was the only one to prefer the Pichon.
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4/9/2006 - terroirgeek wrote:
Slight browing at rim, with sweet cherry nose. Cherry and sweet tobacco dominate, with really remarkable acidity for a wine this age. Very, very nice wine.
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1/7/2006 - xwine wrote:
Drank this at Frédérique's 50th birthday dinner at K&L Bistro. Dinner was terrific, and this wine was at peak. Wonderfully smooth as silk, like velvet across the palate; tannins fully integrated. Nose and palate showing lovely maturity; dark fruit developed quite nicely, with light cedar notes. Not extremely complex, but utterly delicious. Unfortunately, my last bottle.
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1/1/2006 - winefool wrote: 94 Points
Full red. Killer aroma of red cherry and hints of green and black pepper. Lovely rich deep black cherry. 94+ pts. 1/06
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11/25/2005 - plitton wrote: 95 Points
Cona Thanksgiving 2005; 11/23/2005-11/27/2005: Velvety smooth, mature tannins, hints of cassis and saddle leather. Couldn't get enough of it--wonderful!!! Enjoyed with The Turkey.
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10/27/2005 - winefool wrote: 94 Points
Steven K. Friendship Lunch (University Club): Full red color. Typical Pichon towering floral cofee red fruit aromas - absolutely lovely. A bit musty on the palate but with nice round red fruit and firm acidic finish. 94 pts.
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10/9/2005 - Eric wrote: 89 Points
Tasting of 80's Bordeaux at Seattle Wine Storage (Seattle, WA): This was a second bottle imported by Bordeaux Wine Locators. Similar flavor profile to the prior bottle, but it shows more smoke, mint and a much darker aromatic profile. The palate is dark, loaded with mineral, much more monolithic. If anything, this second bottles needs much more time than the prior bottle.
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10/9/2005 - Eric wrote: 91 Points
Tasting of 80's Bordeaux at Seattle Wine Storage (Seattle, WA): This was from Chuck's bottle imported by Jefferson Wine & Spirit's. This reminds me of a taste of the 1983 back in September, 2004 at Daniel in NYC. Exotic notes of smoked meat on the nose. The palate is open, sexy and seductive, lovely texture, a little minty. A very nice wine.
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10/1/2005 - The Wine Bum wrote:
A Lunch: Pichon 85 Chapelle 88 Tart 00: From Magnum. A bottle full of earthly delights. This is picture perfect Bordeaux, hovering on the edge of amber, quivering with ripe, sweet fruit, smokey in a Cuban kind of way and all wrapped in such a lovely silky package that it becomes the only topic of conversation. It’s so easy and delightful as it slips down with the lamb, not shouting greatness just a gentle reminder with each sip.
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8/31/2005 - Ben wrote:
sorry for the repeat tasting note, but DAMN THAT WAS GOOOOOOD!!
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8/31/2005 - Ben wrote: 96 Points
spectacular!!!! perfectly balanced and mature. drink now (or in the next 5 years) or forever hold your peace.....enjoy
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7/3/2005 - Jay A wrote: 89 Points
Stood it for 5 days. Lots of cassis that fans out with some leather notes. THere is a burnt/toast quality that develops 3/4 of the way through that is pleasurable. I would say it is a typical well made Pichon Lalande. Had it with homemade burgers.
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5/17/2005 - MRichman wrote:
1985 Bordeaux Horizontal (Bouley, NYC): Complex with some dark tar and wonderful herb. A bit short. Subtle.
A/A-
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5/2/2005 - Topper wrote: 89 Points
Soft and floral with aromas of violets and moss. Has definitely lost a lot of its weight and is less interesting on the palate than on the nose. Some red berry flavors left but really starting to let go. Not to be kept much longer.
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10/23/2004 - Xavier Auerbach wrote: 93 Points
Lovely mature saturated colour; wonderful bouquet, earthy, creamy, deep, cherry and blackcurrant fruit, perfect harmony; fleshy but above all elegant and feminine on the palate, ripe tannins and acidity, immaculate balance; lovely length, hint of bay leaf. At peak, now - 2015.
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10/19/2004 - MRichman wrote:
David Wainwright's Cos Vertical, 1985 Horizontal (Le Cirque): Rich, classy, full, smooth. Juicy. A little light core. Silky.
A--
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9/26/2003 - La Cave d'Argent wrote: 94 Points
Tasted double-blind at Vintage Wines, Ltd. Bottle generously donated by Bob Bartnett. My overall impression is..."Wow." This is a Bordeaux which typifies the hedonism of the vintage. Medium ruby/garnet in color with an orange rim, the nose explodes with a bouquet of black cherry, leather, mint, cedar and brier. Medium-bodied on the palate, with relatively low acidity and similar complex flavors as for the nose. Long, smooth finish. This is an anniversary wine, but won't last to the silver one (i.e. 2010). :-(
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2/28/2003 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 96 Points
Tasting of four 1985 Bordeaux blind, first place, nose of cedar, cigar box, tobacco, and rich black cherry fruit, lots of sex juice to enjoy throughout the evening, very showy, nice acid, big body, and long, flavorful finish.
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9/29/2002 - Henman wrote:
N: light barnyardy and floral nose.
P: light bodied,pleasant,a little cassis.
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3/1/1997 - sdr wrote: 86 Points
Hollywood Wine Seminar. Medium light color. The fragrance is tender, obvious and delicate. Ready. Vintage typical.
Clive Coates: “more Merlot, delicious, fully ready, elegant, will last 15 years at least, correct“
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2/1/1996 - sdr Likes this wine: 90 Points
Sweet open nose. Medium color, medium weight. Seductive. Relatively light, drinkable now, typical ‘85. Fine.
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2/9/1995 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 88 Points
1985 Bordeaux Tasting 10 Wines+ 1986 Gruaud Larose+1967 Chateau Suduiraut (Lafayette, Ca.): Very herbal, barnyard, bark on the nose, very rich balanced fruit on the palate, medium body, viscous in the glass, medium balance and finish. My #8 and Group #2.
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11/7/1990 - MicklethePickle wrote: 89 Points
With K at home at dinner (steaks). Very great appearance--blood-red ruby, deep and substantial. Coats the glass. Nose is leans, displays plenty of blackcurrant fruit. It is on the palate where this wine really struts its stuff. It's chewy and substantial, with plump, generous fruit reined in by a judicious amount of oak and tannin. Good length. Dry finish. This wine ideally needs a few more years to round off some rough edges, but it's a brawny and satisfying wine even now. 5-10-16-8: 89/100.
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4/25/1990 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 93 Points
Chateau Pichon Lalande 8 Vintages (Lafayette, Ca.): Tasting of 7 Chateau Pichon Lalande. Bright red color in the glass, rich, candy, fruit nose, same in the mouth but richer fruit, slightly forward fruit, fantastic cabernet finish that lingers softly on the palate and aftertaste. My #1 and Group tied #2.
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2/28/1990 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 89 Points
Chateau Pichon Lalande and Duckkhorn Cabernet Sauvignon-Bordeaux vs. Napa. Fooled me completely as it had a spicy, rich, woody nose, it was a big, brooding mass of fruit that was both viscous and suggests the need for 5 years of cellaring, it has a solid finish and impression, My #4 and Group #1
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3/22/1989 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 90 Points
1985 Bordeaux vs. Cabernet Sauvignon.
Fantastic nose, open, fruity, soft tannins, hint of bell pepper.
My #5 of 5.
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11/1/1988 - sdr wrote: 87 Points
Extraordinary dark purple black, stains the glass. Medium weight and viscosity. Vigorous. Classic Pauillac Cabernet Sauvignon. More tannins than fruit. A big wine for Pichon Lalande. Needs 8-10 years, may come around.
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