Sunday Night Burger Night: Cork was red to the end but no obvious damage. Nose, gravelly, after a while you get a hint of camp fire, bramble. On the palate - there's still a tautness here, like the tannins aren't fully resolved. Some freshness, even lightness but this doesn't seem fully happy in its skin. Over the course of a couple of hours it opens up but never starts to sing.
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Color, clear red with some sediments after decanting. 1st nose, fruits and oak. 2nd nose, cedar and earth. On the palate, vibrant and youthful with fresh character. Very lovely texture and aroma. Paired beautifully with grilled lamb and potato gratin.
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Pauillac can age gracefully, 24 years and years of life ahead: plum, espresso, blackberry, tobacco, cassis, smoke, dried black fruit, soft raisin, medium plus body, long finish. Q-event at Mei Wah
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Christmas eve with Valerie, Charlotte and Martha. Bottles purchased circa 2005, in my cellar since. Decanted for about 2 hours prior to drinking, served with my Balsamic Chicken risotto. Drank over 90 minutes.
Medium ruby color, no real signs of age. Nose was red fruits, graphite, and. Red fruits, currants, floral notes, herbs and tobacco. Some secondary notes, lighter through the mid palate. Medium body and finish.
Was tight when first opened, decant made a difference. Showing well now and should hold for a while. Seems there is some bottle variation (or range of expectations. This vintage lacks the depth and complexity of the 2000, but still enjoyable.
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I have never tasted a pichon lalande quite like this - very atypical - no sign of bricking at the edges but still the fruit is all but gone - it has a gentleness about it that I enjoyed - would drink soon though
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Drink it over the course of two hours! Rather dark ruby in colour with a touch of orange hue, translucent, noble nose of ripe strawberries, a hint of sweetness, a touch of meatiness on the palate, not exceptionally complex, rather soothing with a medium finish, will put a smile on your face! A brilliant performance here!
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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, 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: Surprisingly, this was one of the wines of the tasting and almost on par with the 1996 (which has a higher precision but is a touch less sexy). This bottle showed quite expressive and intense with very ripe dark red berries, burnt sugar and coffee. On the palate it had lots of pure sweet strawberries, along with some cherries and darker berries, herbs, minerality, burnt sugar. Round structure, light and airy, the right amount of creaminess and freshness. At first I scored this 96+ point but that first boom quickly faded away and the wine became more pedestrian. Still 94 points are well deserved here. Given this experience, I would not decant the wine.
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Clear dark ruby in color. Lovely nose that reveals red fruits, florals, hints of baking spice and earth. Rather supple and easy on the palate that shows a mix of sweet and sour red fruits, savory/earthy spice, medium acidity, mild tannins and a sour cherry finish. Not becoming of a Pichon Lalande from classic years.
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Bouquet and body gave the immediate impression of a grand cru. First time in years— though certainly not the only grand cru lately. Tobacco, tar, leather, cherry. Still tannic, with years to go. Needed 2 hours for more cherry and cream to break through. Thoughly enjoyable. Finish was long, but should have been longer.
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Has a stunning bouquet, but palate does not quite live up to the nose, with a rather short finish (for the level of wine). I doubt if there is any positive development to come.
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From a bottle purchased upon release and cellared in pristine fashion, this medium garnet blend of 47% Merlot, 37% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Cabernet Franc and 7% Petit Verdot is somewhat disappointing. Although there still remains plenty of red currant and cherry fruit, it plays second fiddle to bay leaf, earth, wood and tobacco notes. Medium-bodied and seamlessly alcoholic (13%) but with medium-weight residual tannins that are somewhat rustic, it lacks the cohesion that should be occurring at the 20-year point for this particular vintage and château. While the middle palate is sufficiently dense, the finish is only medium in length and is quite angular. There is no need to drink well-cellared bottles right away, but I wouldn't expect that additional cellaring would smooth the rough edges of this particular Pichon-Lalande vintage. Drink now-2024.
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Weekly tasting group RWP #347; 1999 (@ BS): Beautiful and exclusive, luxurious, complex bouquet with beautiful oak, cedar and autumn impressions. On the palate juicy red and dark fruit acidity, sweet spices, chocolate, coffee, round tannin and an enormous length. Elegant and great wine. No hurry at all.
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This is a classic medium bodied well developed Bordeaux! Hints of cedar, ample dark cherry and white pepper on the finish that slowly transitions into more dominant cherry after an hour plus after opening. The smell is amazing! Very textbook Bordeaux and distinctly Pichon Landande in character. The color is quite typical of a mature Bordeaux, showing nice bricking but not overly so... One of the better '99s I've had, and it does set itself apart from typical less fruit driven wines of that vintage. It is not as good as the 2000 or 2001, big drop off in complexity vs the 2000, and from what i recall of the '01, same thing, but not as dramatic as from the 2000. Wonderful wine! It's not really fair to compare it to the 2000- which is one of the Chateau's all time greats! It's nearly half the price too, so keep that in mind.. If you have $130-$160 to spend, i don't think you would be at all disappointed with the caliber of this wine. If you love Pichon lanande, you will definitely want to scoop up some of this as you wait for the near vintages to mature!
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Beyond expectation after other disappointing same vintage bottles.. seems excessive bottle variation .. perfect condition mellow but not old , food friendly even to vegetarian celerac tart ....
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The 99 Pichon Comtesse isn't quite yet fully mature, but with an hour of air it isn't holding too much back, either. Eventually it does show an easy, fruity nose full of raspberry and pencil. Ultimately lacking in the complexity or drive of the great years, this doesn't provide the pleasant surprise that some 99s can.
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This is a very light feminine bdx. Nice perfume nose, faint barnyard and leather. Nice mineral red fruit, subtle finish. The nose is better than the taste.
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Notes frm memory. Delicious wine. Better than I expected from 1999. Red fruit, currants, herbs, tobacco, a little sweetness (burned sugar) and a touch of coffee. Delicious with the roast, rack of lamb.
So nice of my friend Leslie to bring the wine.
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Opened 2 bottles from the same case. One was so unpleasantly acidic on first opening that we thought the bottle was probably flawed. After about 90 minutes in the decanter however, both bottles opened up to a pleasant though surprisingly light state. Did not taste excessively aged, but was probably just not a great vintage to begin with. In any case, direction seems only likely to go down from here so will be drinking up.
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De Fargues vertical + Nopa (Sense, Nopa): Strong pyrazines. Slight manure. Wet dog (Brett). Big palate. Elevated alcohol. Elevated acid. Elevated tannins. Chewy. Baking spices with Brett well integrated and damp earth. Missing a bit of blackcurrant. Corked? Slight cardboard. No score- might be slightly corked.
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Chateau de Fargues Vertical; 6/1/2016-6/4/2016 (Sens, San Francisco): Yourhful, almost modern nose with ripe black fruit, slight heat, some underlying green; palate is full bodied, excessively alcoholic. This is a bit odd. No one else thought this was flawed and neither do I, but I don't know what to make of it. Unrated.
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Wow, I love this. First time trying this vintage, I believe the only other vintage I've had is the 1988. It's both what I expect from a solid Pauillac producer and yet also a wildly pleasant surprise. Who would expect 37% Merlot in a 1999 vintage from an old Bordeaux chateau? Each sip is a journey: at first it seems to be pretty much what you would expect from this chateau and at 16 years of age; it's after you've downed the wine that a surprise develops...it's very different from anything I've had on my palate in a long time, and hard to describe. Kind of a roasted marshmallow almond cherry vanilla finish that goes and goes. It keeps me wanting to refill my glass and take it slow. I love this and am so happy that I have more bottles to tap. I'd drink it over the next three years.
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Like a dialled back edition of the 2000 but dirtier with far more leather and less sweet red fruit. Not particularly elegant considering the Lalande house style. Black / green olives, some coffee. Somewhat tannic. Still a good bottle of wine.
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really showing its potential. beautiful balance. well integrated tannins and alcohol. still strong and fruity. bit dissapointed with the length of the finish. drink now!
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Informal evening @ Roel's (Netherlands): Intriguing nose of ink, musk, cinnamon, macerated red and black fruit, coffebeans, cigarbox and cedar. Not the most dense mid-palate, no, there's a lovely transparency and drinkability to this wine. Very generous and accessible. Just pull the cork and enjoy.
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I am hoping this wine went into a dumb phase cos i had higher hopes. great structure, nose and mouthfeel but strangely one dimensional for this estate. no signs of premature ageing, taste again in 2019
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Bought on release and cellared @ 55 degrees since. Not at all over the hill. Edges bright red. Nose full of cedar and mature cab flavors. Still some tannin in the mouth. Took 2-3 hours in a decanter to start showing its best. I'm waiting several more years before I open the next bottle. Very nice wine with the duck! Love it!
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5 Decades of Chateau Pichon Lalande, with Richard Brazier (Handford Wines, London): This is 37% Cab Sauv! Again the colour is dense and no discoloration at all. Quite a mild nose, reclusive especially when compared with the 2002 we tried just before. The palate though is one of a very good wine. Good fruit, good density we should add and depth and just a light touch of dry/bitter tannin on the finish. This wine unlike the 2002 feels like it has potential and will definitely improve with time. 89 for now and would not rush it as this will def climb in the 90s in a few years.
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Again quite dark in colour, glowing. Sweet fruit, chocolate, tobacco on the nose. Good balance and acidity, but still quite angular, a bit rustic. Well made, good length. No rush, this should keep and evolve over the next 10+ years.
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Very mature, almost over the hill, attractive nose, but lacking in mid palate and a quite short finish. Some edgy greenness as well. Not a great vintage for this chateau...
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Harmonius, succulent nose, with currants, ink and dark fruit. In perfect development, but still lacking some generosity. Tannic, medium-fullish body. Harmonius and oaky with ink flavours. Good balance and descent length. Smooth and in perfect drinking window. Lacking that extra stuff for higher marks.
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- Brick color with fast forming legs. It's somewhat balanced and has flavours of blackberry, black currant and mushroom with a medium/full body. Coarse texture with a long finish - Nose is old world for sure. Loaded with fruit. There is still a lot of backbone to this wine. Still tannic and mellows with time.
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Sweet spot right now! What a perfect claret. Intense aroma yet elegant at the same time. Butterscotch, very ripe blackberries, cedar wood and cigars in a perfect combination. Less impressive, but still very elegant taste which lasts. Slightly better than the '98 which I had 1,5 years ago.
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Similar to last tastings, this is ready to be slammed now. Nice integration of fruit and tannins. Lacking some of the "grab her butt" feminine sensuality that I ususally associate with Pichon. Nevertheless this is quite nice and I cannot imagine it getting a hell of a lot better as it does not have great depth.
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Pop and pour. Nose of dark chocolate mocha, vanilla cream, orange chocolate, mint, terroir, coca cola. color of medium to tanslucent garnet to the rim with bold legs and seductive tears. Palate of earth, blood, vanilla cream, dark chocolate, spice, tart black and red fruit. Smooth tannins, medium to full mouth feel. Will allow wine to rest and open until dinner.
Well, this wine was stunning after 3 hours opened. Smoothed tannins, fruit silky and refined on the palate, subtle and succulent finish. If this is somewhat an off year than I can't wait to try the other vintages. Drank alongside an 89 Canon-la-Gaffelière which was absolutely stunning. They competed for WOTN and finished in a dead heat. Bump score to 92
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Acker Merrall and Condit's second auction (Chicago Elysian Hotel): One of the "cheaper" wines of the event - all things are relative of course. Deep ruby red, perfumed aroma, oaky notes, still youthful, leather, wood, drawing room, kind of classic in that sense, faint berries provide a little sweetness.
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Acker auction tasting (Chicago, IL): Cedary, vegetal nose. Slightly stemmy. Sweet on the palate; smooth tannins. Exuberant; I feel that this could use a bit more structure. For me, it just seems too hedonistic and ripe.
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Needs an hour decant, or better to open up. When it does, this is a very satisfying wine. On the nose, a bit tight and ungiving. But on the palate, delightful. Rich fruit that is subtle in its attack. Plush mouthfeel. This bottle seems to be just starting its transition from primary to secondary. A bottle like this would probably be even better in 5 years. 92+ pts.
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($130) Appearance: Brick, ruby; Aroma: Delicate, hint of red fruit, red pepper, spice, cedarwood, leather, black fruit; Taste: Worm attack, round taste, shorter finish, long supple aftertaste of almond, vanilla, and hazelnut, slight vegetal notes, balance
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Deep dark red. Leather, dark fruit and a bit earthy. Fruit is beginning to gently fade. Dark fruit, tar, green, and dustiness on the palate. Dusty tannins and a longish finish.
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Very mature and fully integrated; it showed some bell pepper and reminded me that while I liked the mature fragrances---the pepper notes detract from my enjoyment of the wine. I like the Baron far more than PLL...
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1990 Bordeaux quartet round #1 meeting #2 (at Arnoldo's): Dark red-black. Heavy earthy wet-forest-soil aroma. Rich, heavy, full-body, leather, caramel, tannic, dry on the palate. Medium harmony. Less impressive than the aroma.
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The color is dark and brooding with absolutely no bricking on the rim. This wine has a huge nose of cigar box, pencil lead, and cedar with typical blackcurrant. There's also a classy floral aroma to it. The taste is smooth and tobaccoey, but slightly bitter. There's a lot of dark fruits in it, but the secondary flavors are starting to emerge. The finish is pretty chewy and lasts about 30 seconds. This wine is still very young and tight, but very good. It will undoubtedly improve significantly with some time. I have one more bottle and will wait at least 5 years before I even think about opening the other one.
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Started out tight, with notes of pencil shavings and minerality, slate. After a few hours the nose was potent toasted vanilla, the a strong berry note came out on the palate. A very nice wine that was still improving. Would be nice to try it again in 5-10 years.
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starts out with the black side of forest floor with a light espresso accent. the nose exudes a delicate sweet maize with light roasty notes and quite the expression of iron and granite. at 10 years in the tannins are still quite upfront with the slightest hints of integration under way. tim calls this a 20-25 yr wine. tasted along side the 1999 ridge monte bello, which was showing more evolved than the comtesse de lalande.
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Awesome nose of dusty gravel, graphite, tobacco and some black currant and blackberry trying to peak through. Great austerity and stoniness. Great tannin and acid balance. Nice mineral structure for some dusty black currant and tobacco. Opened with a 1999 Ridge Monte Bello. Both incredible, but hard to believe it's basically the same varietal blend.
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13% alcohol. always a fun monkey in the left bank wrench as it's a merlot based wine. a pleasant nose dominated by some graphite. weak tannin indicates this wine is ready to drink, and i would expect to to hold for a while, but not necessarily improve. i like this quite a bit more than the professional critics. clearly, it's developed more expressively than they predicted. violets, leather, a hint of toffee.
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A tie with the Monte for wine of the night. Kind of a big daddy. Showed up late - forgettable early in the night. Med. acidity; med. tannins. Dark red fruit, red currants. Espresso notes on the nose. Longish finish. Obviously high quality but not super interesting. My last drunken scribbles were "If I want Bordeaux I will drink this."
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Wine exceeded my expectations (given low RMP rankings of 87-88). From the moment of uncorking over the course of a two hour dinner this wine maintained consistency throughout. It is drinking well and I believe will drink at it's peak for 3 more years. The wine is balanced with subtle tannin and fruit yet a smooth finish that brings out leather and oak and leaves your tongue and mouth cleansed and yearning for more.
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Glad to have gone ahead w this one--had the distinctive Pauillac earth tone w strong blackberry notes, but only medium finish; drank w L & Julie on Christmas Eve '08.
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Elegant bouquet with sweet cassis, some paprika and oak. The taste has a lot of elegance as well. Soft cassis, oak and vanilla. The tannin is ripe and soft. Although it will stay ok for several years this wine is in fact ready for drinking. I don’t think it will gain much in score.
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In the glass, faded strawberry at the rim quickly moving to a deep, dark, opaque red at the center. On the nose, menthol and currants. On the palate, more of the same, with hints of tobacco and soy, soft tannins leading to a somewhat silky mouthfeel, and a moderate finish. Varietally correct, a pleasant wine with some age that provides additional enjoyment, but not an extraordinary one. Having been fortunate enough to have had the '82, and at the risk of being glib, I'd say the '99 is just like that, but with the volume on 2.
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Dark and velvety on the color. Nose is all alcohol and not much in the way of fruit. Great compliment to the goat cheese tonight. Sweetness and oak dominate. Great choice for a restaurant wine list to avoid price gauging.
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Impressive nose of vanilla oak at first, definite tobacco notes as well. Thinner on the palate, and the sweetness of the oak dominates. Tannins and acidity began to imbue balance as it opens. There is elegance, but it could use a few more years to integrate. Thinness on the midpalate is the main weakess, along with what seems like too much oaky sweetness.
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Dieprood met schemering. Een zeer fraaie neus met mokka, hopjesvla, zoethout, theebladeren en cassisfruit. Dan een frisse aanzet in de mond met frivole zuren. Mooie spanning. Laurier in de afdronk, lavendel en drop. Licht in zijn tannines. Puntje van kritiek: mist wat breedte in het midden, komt daardoor wat puntig over. 16,5/20
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Tend to believe this one is 1999, to the best of my wine knowledge, the 1999 Pichon-Lalande is so young, taste like a 3 year old infancy, should decant it for at least 4 hours to taste, perhaps my storage temperature is just too low! Deep purple red, steely smell covered the fruits, sitting in the glass for about an hour to open the wine a bit more, clearly the wine is not a blockbuster, but 20-25 years of life is for sure, at least considering my storage temperature!
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We put this 99 Comtesse side by side with the 99 Baron to see how they would fare against each other. While the Comtesse de Lalande showed a slight purple hue the Baron showed a more evolved brownish one. You could see they had different styles already by their color intensity but no advantage for any so far. The nose was the first victory for the Baron, more intense and open with lot's of cassis and secondary notes. The Comtesse was more shy and only showed some of her dark fruits, more like plums and blackberries. On the palate things got tighter, now it's more a matter of personal preferences. The Lalande much more soft, round, seductive, with much finess and elegance. The Baron with more power, opulence, a much firmer backbone and fresher acidity. I would still give an edge for the Baron though. The finish gives the Comtesse a nose ahead, more elegant, softer and rounder while the Baron left a more austere note. With the food (Filet de Manzo) the structure and acidity of the Baron fared much better than the softness of the Comtesse and overall we gave the Baron a declared victory on the 99 vintage.
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Classic Bordeaux, classic Pauillac, classic Pichon-Lalande. Expressive lead-pencil details, showing more mineral than wood, frame the seductively supple black-fruited palate. The tannin is soft and integrated, making this a serious wine that goes down the gullet as easy as a quaffer.
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1999 Bordeaux Tasting (Cafe Caprice, Austin TX): Effusive nose. Pencil lead, cigar box, cassis galore, sandalwood, soy. Good depth, nice finish, very polished and elegant wine. Kept getting better throughout the evening. Better than RP's evaluation IMO. Many tasters liked this very much. For me one of the better wines of the night, but not on par with the Leoville Poyferre or Monbousquet.
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What a nose! This is just a wonderful wine to inhale; however it is quite closed on the palate. Dense and opaque in the glass, the wine coats the tongue but isn't giving much love at the moment. I would hold for another 2 years and give it plenty of air; good potential for a few more points upon maturity. I would add that this is my preference for value--a wine that has rich nose and flavor, longevity and under $40.
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Medium ruby, turning garnet color at the edges. This wine has been sitting in the wine store for some time evidently, so it is probably prematurely aged. The nose is actually extravagant, showing ripe creamy cassis and Cuban tobacco and notes of leather. In the mouth, less impressive, perhaps verging on slightly simple, but otherwise fairly well balanced. Tannins are pretty mild, this wine is medium bodied. Certainly not up to the standards of the better Pichon Lalande (nowhere close to the 1996, for example), but I still feel it has been under-rated by the critics. Definitely deserves more than an 87. 89-90 points.
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Medium brickish red. Medium aroma of sweet tarts. Full bodied structure with noticaeable tannin, but good fruit to back it up . Slight strawberry and bramble undertones. 1/02
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2/18/2024 - Sean Tay wrote: 93 Points
Pronounced nose intensity with notes of violet, flora, chocolate, blackfruits, toast. Medium+ acidity and medium tannin.
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1/17/2024 - Doctor Vyd Likes this wine: 90 Points
Deep color pleasant fruity nose nice smooth finish So much nicer than the bottle tasted 26 December 2023
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12/26/2023 - Doctor Vyd Likes this wine: 87 Points
Good color Pleasant fruity nose smooth short finish
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10/3/2023 - lozatron Likes this wine:
Sunday Night Burger Night: Cork was red to the end but no obvious damage. Nose, gravelly, after a while you get a hint of camp fire, bramble. On the palate - there's still a tautness here, like the tannins aren't fully resolved. Some freshness, even lightness but this doesn't seem fully happy in its skin. Over the course of a couple of hours it opens up but never starts to sing.
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7/22/2023 - Collector1855 wrote: 95 Points
From MAG. Popular at the table. Very classic with excellent tertiary Pauillac notes. Medium- body, elegant, long finish with fine tannins.
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4/1/2023 - Bison Likes this wine: 91 Points
Still going strong after 23 years
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3/25/2023 - margaux321 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Color, clear red with some sediments after decanting. 1st nose, fruits and oak. 2nd nose, cedar and earth. On the palate, vibrant and youthful with fresh character. Very lovely texture and aroma. Paired beautifully with grilled lamb and potato gratin.
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1/20/2023 - Mark van Delft Likes this wine: 95 Points
Pauillac can age gracefully, 24 years and years of life ahead: plum, espresso, blackberry, tobacco, cassis, smoke, dried black fruit, soft raisin, medium plus body, long finish. Q-event at Mei Wah
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12/24/2022 - walkerjfw wrote: 90 Points
Christmas eve with Valerie, Charlotte and Martha. Bottles purchased circa 2005, in my cellar since. Decanted for about 2 hours prior to drinking, served with my Balsamic Chicken risotto. Drank over 90 minutes.
Medium ruby color, no real signs of age. Nose was red fruits, graphite, and. Red fruits, currants, floral notes, herbs and tobacco. Some secondary notes, lighter through the mid palate. Medium body and finish.
Was tight when first opened, decant made a difference. Showing well now and should hold for a while. Seems there is some bottle variation (or range of expectations. This vintage lacks the depth and complexity of the 2000, but still enjoyable.
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1/18/2022 - hargy Likes this wine: 91 Points
I have never tasted a pichon lalande quite like this - very atypical - no sign of bricking at the edges but still the fruit is all but gone - it has a gentleness about it that I enjoyed - would drink soon though
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8/24/2021 - Tao wrote: 93 Points
Drink it over the course of two hours! Rather dark ruby in colour with a touch of orange hue, translucent, noble nose of ripe strawberries, a hint of sweetness, a touch of meatiness on the palate, not exceptionally complex, rather soothing with a medium finish, will put a smile on your face! A brilliant performance here!
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6/23/2021 - Cailles wrote: 94 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, 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: Surprisingly, this was one of the wines of the tasting and almost on par with the 1996 (which has a higher precision but is a touch less sexy). This bottle showed quite expressive and intense with very ripe dark red berries, burnt sugar and coffee. On the palate it had lots of pure sweet strawberries, along with some cherries and darker berries, herbs, minerality, burnt sugar. Round structure, light and airy, the right amount of creaminess and freshness. At first I scored this 96+ point but that first boom quickly faded away and the wine became more pedestrian. Still 94 points are well deserved here. Given this experience, I would not decant the wine.
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3/3/2021 - devraj Likes this wine: 91 Points
Clear dark ruby in color. Lovely nose that reveals red fruits, florals, hints of baking spice and earth. Rather supple and easy on the palate that shows a mix of sweet and sour red fruits, savory/earthy spice, medium acidity, mild tannins and a sour cherry finish. Not becoming of a Pichon Lalande from classic years.
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12/15/2020 - WinePlanner Likes this wine: 95 Points
Bouquet and body gave the immediate impression of a grand cru. First time in years— though certainly not the only grand cru lately.
Tobacco, tar, leather, cherry. Still tannic, with years to go. Needed 2 hours for more cherry and cream to break through. Thoughly enjoyable. Finish was long, but should have been longer.
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8/15/2020 - LB88 wrote: 90 Points
Still rather tannic at this stage. Needs more time
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7/19/2020 - SimonS wrote: 91 Points
Has a stunning bouquet, but palate does not quite live up to the nose, with a rather short finish (for the level of wine). I doubt if there is any positive development to come.
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12/10/2019 - La Cave d'Argent wrote: 88 Points
From a bottle purchased upon release and cellared in pristine fashion, this medium garnet blend of 47% Merlot, 37% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Cabernet Franc and 7% Petit Verdot is somewhat disappointing. Although there still remains plenty of red currant and cherry fruit, it plays second fiddle to bay leaf, earth, wood and tobacco notes. Medium-bodied and seamlessly alcoholic (13%) but with medium-weight residual tannins that are somewhat rustic, it lacks the cohesion that should be occurring at the 20-year point for this particular vintage and château. While the middle palate is sufficiently dense, the finish is only medium in length and is quite angular. There is no need to drink well-cellared bottles right away, but I wouldn't expect that additional cellaring would smooth the rough edges of this particular Pichon-Lalande vintage. Drink now-2024.
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11/4/2019 - Kyr Likes this wine: 95 Points
I had another 1999 that was flawed, but this one was a revelation.
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10/7/2019 - Zweder wrote: 93 Points
Weekly tasting group RWP #347; 1999 (@ BS): Beautiful and exclusive, luxurious, complex bouquet with beautiful oak, cedar and autumn impressions. On the palate juicy red and dark fruit acidity, sweet spices, chocolate, coffee, round tannin and an enormous length. Elegant and great wine. No hurry at all.
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8/3/2019 - Marquis du Vin Likes this wine: 93 Points
This is a classic medium bodied well developed Bordeaux! Hints of cedar, ample dark cherry and white pepper on the finish that slowly transitions into more dominant cherry after an hour plus after opening. The smell is amazing! Very textbook Bordeaux and distinctly Pichon Landande in character. The color is quite typical of a mature Bordeaux, showing nice bricking but not overly so... One of the better '99s I've had, and it does set itself apart from typical less fruit driven wines of that vintage. It is not as good as the 2000 or 2001, big drop off in complexity vs the 2000, and from what i recall of the '01, same thing, but not as dramatic as from the 2000. Wonderful wine! It's not really fair to compare it to the 2000- which is one of the Chateau's all time greats! It's nearly half the price too, so keep that in mind.. If you have $130-$160 to spend, i don't think you would be at all disappointed with the caliber of this wine. If you love Pichon lanande, you will definitely want to scoop up some of this as you wait for the near vintages to mature!
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3/17/2019 - Nikiel Likes this wine: 92 Points
Beyond expectation after other disappointing same vintage bottles.. seems excessive bottle variation .. perfect condition mellow but not old , food friendly even to vegetarian celerac tart ....
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12/27/2018 - englishman's claret wrote: 90 Points
The 99 Pichon Comtesse isn't quite yet fully mature, but with an hour of air it isn't holding too much back, either. Eventually it does show an easy, fruity nose full of raspberry and pencil. Ultimately lacking in the complexity or drive of the great years, this doesn't provide the pleasant surprise that some 99s can.
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12/4/2018 - skurtz Likes this wine: 91 Points
This is a very light feminine bdx. Nice perfume nose, faint barnyard and leather. Nice mineral red fruit, subtle finish. The nose is better than the taste.
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11/18/2018 - TashNYC wrote:
Notes frm memory. Delicious wine. Better than I expected from 1999. Red fruit, currants, herbs, tobacco, a little sweetness (burned sugar) and a touch of coffee. Delicious with the roast, rack of lamb.
So nice of my friend Leslie to bring the wine.
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9/23/2018 - jadedw11 wrote: 87 Points
Opened 2 bottles from the same case. One was so unpleasantly acidic on first opening that we thought the bottle was probably flawed. After about 90 minutes in the decanter however, both bottles opened up to a pleasant though surprisingly light state. Did not taste excessively aged, but was probably just not a great vintage to begin with. In any case, direction seems only likely to go down from here so will be drinking up.
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7/17/2018 - Catman14 wrote: 87 Points
Needs to open for one hour. May be past its time.
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12/15/2017 - gwpski wrote:
Surprisingly light and very good. Not much nose but great taste. Great with a nice steak.
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11/2/2017 - Nikiel Does not like this wine: 85 Points
over age .. flat ..
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9/24/2017 - hargy Likes this wine: 89 Points
rather disappointing and lacking in those things that are Pichon Lalande - perhaps it is past its best?
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6/28/2017 - King Julien wrote: 91 Points
Drank at Hélène Darroze London as part of a wine pairing dinner, so decided to add a quick note. Nice wine, a bit tired and probably past its peak.
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1/18/2017 - Sultanrocks Likes this wine: 92 Points
Bright ruby red,aromatic with balanced tanin,hint of oak and cherry. Nice long finish. Best wine for the night
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6/4/2016 - RajivAyyangar wrote: flawed
De Fargues vertical + Nopa (Sense, Nopa): Strong pyrazines. Slight manure. Wet dog (Brett). Big palate. Elevated alcohol. Elevated acid. Elevated tannins. Chewy. Baking spices with Brett well integrated and damp earth.
Missing a bit of blackcurrant.
Corked? Slight cardboard.
No score- might be slightly corked.
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6/4/2016 - aagrawal wrote: flawed
Chateau de Fargues Vertical; 6/1/2016-6/4/2016 (Sens, San Francisco): Yourhful, almost modern nose with ripe black fruit, slight heat, some underlying green; palate is full bodied, excessively alcoholic. This is a bit odd. No one else thought this was flawed and neither do I, but I don't know what to make of it. Unrated.
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11/24/2015 - WineGoblin Likes this wine: 93 Points
Wow, I love this. First time trying this vintage, I believe the only other vintage I've had is the 1988. It's both what I expect from a solid Pauillac producer and yet also a wildly pleasant surprise. Who would expect 37% Merlot in a 1999 vintage from an old Bordeaux chateau? Each sip is a journey: at first it seems to be pretty much what you would expect from this chateau and at 16 years of age; it's after you've downed the wine that a surprise develops...it's very different from anything I've had on my palate in a long time, and hard to describe. Kind of a roasted marshmallow almond cherry vanilla finish that goes and goes. It keeps me wanting to refill my glass and take it slow. I love this and am so happy that I have more bottles to tap. I'd drink it over the next three years.
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9/29/2015 - The Vines That Bind Likes this wine: 90 Points
Like a dialled back edition of the 2000 but dirtier with far more leather and less sweet red fruit. Not particularly elegant considering the Lalande house style. Black / green olives, some coffee. Somewhat tannic. Still a good bottle of wine.
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9/16/2015 - FLI Likes this wine: 91 Points
Elegant and well balanced.
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1/18/2015 - Tavastgatan wrote: 92 Points
Fully mature. Very fine Pauillac nose. Quite light and feminine.
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9/6/2014 - MvD Likes this wine: 91 Points
really showing its potential. beautiful balance. well integrated tannins and alcohol. still strong and fruity. bit dissapointed with the length of the finish. drink now!
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8/13/2014 - jkoenen wrote: 92 Points
Informal evening @ Roel's (Netherlands): Intriguing nose of ink, musk, cinnamon, macerated red and black fruit, coffebeans, cigarbox and cedar. Not the most dense mid-palate, no, there's a lovely transparency and drinkability to this wine. Very generous and accessible. Just pull the cork and enjoy.
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7/20/2014 - bunhiong wrote:
I am hoping this wine went into a dumb phase cos i had higher hopes. great structure, nose and mouthfeel but strangely one dimensional for this estate. no signs of premature ageing, taste again in 2019
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5/3/2014 - Radboy wrote: 92 Points
Lovely licorice and tobacco flavors that are nicely balanced.
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1/20/2014 - dmurray84098 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Bought on release and cellared @ 55 degrees since. Not at all over the hill. Edges bright red. Nose full of cedar and mature cab flavors. Still some tannin in the mouth. Took 2-3 hours in a decanter to start showing its best. I'm waiting several more years before I open the next bottle. Very nice wine with the duck! Love it!
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1/16/2014 - SoCal wrote:
Pauillac is still king in my book. Give me an "off" vintage over most wines any day. I do agree it is time to drink this one. No more aging required.
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1/11/2014 - Radboy wrote: 91 Points
Similar to previous notes. Bottoms up!
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11/25/2013 - wihong wrote: 92 Points
Color: Brick brown, not opaque. Nose: Bright cherry, barnyard musty, gamy, beef jerky, clove. Palate entry: Silky tannin, juicy cherry, licorice. Mid-palate: Licorice, eucalyptus, leather. Finish: Licorice, beef jerky, black pepper. Very fresh, juicy, fruity, soft tannin and approachable, complex wine.
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10/17/2013 - Papies wrote: 89 Points
5 Decades of Chateau Pichon Lalande, with Richard Brazier (Handford Wines, London): This is 37% Cab Sauv! Again the colour is dense and no discoloration at all. Quite a mild nose, reclusive especially when compared with the 2002 we tried just before. The palate though is one of a very good wine. Good fruit, good density we should add and depth and just a light touch of dry/bitter tannin on the finish. This wine unlike the 2002 feels like it has potential and will definitely improve with time. 89 for now and would not rush it as this will def climb in the 90s in a few years.
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10/17/2013 - rossi.wine wrote: 90 Points
Again quite dark in colour, glowing. Sweet fruit, chocolate, tobacco on the nose. Good balance and acidity, but still quite angular, a bit rustic. Well made, good length. No rush, this should keep and evolve over the next 10+ years.
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10/13/2013 - davesdream Likes this wine:
Needed 20+ minutes to open up and then, wow, still drinking well, plenty of fruit left, balanced, light-medium body. Drink now.
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8/6/2013 - BillyT wrote: 92 Points
Previous notes apply
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7/9/2013 - Yagil wrote: 90 Points
Bordeaux 1982-1900-2000 tasting (The Traklin Wine-Bistro): Dark red-black.
Heavy earthy wet-forest-soil aroma.
Rich, heavy, full-body, leather, caramel, tannic, dry on the palate. Medium harmony. Less impressive than the aroma.
my conclusion: hard to find an enjoyable Bordeaux from 1999...
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6/17/2013 - johnh1001 wrote: 88 Points
Alliance dinner. Drank over 3 hours. Nose of dark fruit, earth, wood and green herbs. A bit angular in the mouth. Medium finish. Drink soon.
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4/1/2013 - MvD Likes this wine:
very nice, well integrated tannines, still powerful but not overly expressive. typical paulliac, Nearing the end of its lifespan. Drink now and enjoy
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3/30/2013 - Flavito wrote: 87 Points
Very mature, almost over the hill, attractive nose, but lacking in mid palate and a quite short finish. Some edgy greenness as well. Not a great vintage for this chateau...
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3/2/2013 - BillyT wrote:
Notes in a couple of hours. I am posting now to remind myself when I opened the wine.
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1/28/2013 - Stefan75 Likes this wine: 91 Points
From DMag, not decanted - ripe cherries, medium bodied, tannins perfectly integrated, simply good pauillac
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1/5/2013 - Ljuay wrote: 89 Points
Nose is great with more earthy flavored. Medium to full body with a strong finish of vanilla and spice. Awesome with red meat. Drinking now.
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12/31/2012 - Argrath wrote: 90 Points
Harmonius, succulent nose, with currants, ink and dark fruit. In perfect development, but still lacking some generosity.
Tannic, medium-fullish body. Harmonius and oaky with ink flavours. Good balance and descent length. Smooth and in perfect drinking window. Lacking that extra stuff for higher marks.
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11/25/2012 - Marc S wrote: 88 Points
- Brick color with fast forming legs. It's somewhat balanced and has flavours of blackberry, black currant and mushroom with a medium/full body. Coarse texture with a long finish - Nose is old world for sure. Loaded with fruit. There is still a lot of backbone to this wine. Still tannic and mellows with time.
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9/7/2012 - klino wrote: 94 Points
Sweet spot right now! What a perfect claret. Intense aroma yet elegant at the same time. Butterscotch, very ripe blackberries, cedar wood and cigars in a perfect combination. Less impressive, but still very elegant taste which lasts. Slightly better than the '98 which I had 1,5 years ago.
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5/19/2012 - Radboy wrote: 92 Points
Similar to last tastings, this is ready to be slammed now. Nice integration of fruit and tannins. Lacking some of the "grab her butt" feminine sensuality that I ususally associate with Pichon. Nevertheless this is quite nice and I cannot imagine it getting a hell of a lot better as it does not have great depth.
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4/27/2012 - James B wrote: flawed
Horribly corked and completely undrinkable. Two out of three bottles of this were corked. Bummer.
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2/26/2012 - vicewine wrote: 92 Points
Mature, well integrated and delicious... better than the previous bottle.
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2/17/2012 - BillyT wrote: 92 Points
Pop and pour. Nose of dark chocolate mocha, vanilla cream, orange chocolate, mint, terroir, coca cola. color of medium to tanslucent garnet to the rim with bold legs and seductive tears. Palate of earth, blood, vanilla cream, dark chocolate, spice, tart black and red fruit. Smooth tannins, medium to full mouth feel. Will allow wine to rest and open until dinner.
Well, this wine was stunning after 3 hours opened. Smoothed tannins, fruit silky and refined on the palate, subtle and succulent finish. If this is somewhat an off year than I can't wait to try the other vintages. Drank alongside an 89 Canon-la-Gaffelière which was absolutely stunning. They competed for WOTN and finished in a dead heat. Bump score to 92
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1/28/2012 - Dulcie and Aylwin wrote:
Acker Merrall and Condit's second auction (Chicago Elysian Hotel): One of the "cheaper" wines of the event - all things are relative of course. Deep ruby red, perfumed aroma, oaky notes, still youthful, leather, wood, drawing room, kind of classic in that sense, faint berries provide a little sweetness.
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1/28/2012 - acyso wrote: 90 Points
Acker auction tasting (Chicago, IL): Cedary, vegetal nose. Slightly stemmy. Sweet on the palate; smooth tannins. Exuberant; I feel that this could use a bit more structure. For me, it just seems too hedonistic and ripe.
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1/23/2012 - vanpe003 wrote: 92 Points
Needs an hour decant, or better to open up. When it does, this is a very satisfying wine. On the nose, a bit tight and ungiving. But on the palate, delightful. Rich fruit that is subtle in its attack. Plush mouthfeel. This bottle seems to be just starting its transition from primary to secondary. A bottle like this would probably be even better in 5 years. 92+ pts.
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1/11/2012 - andrew.schoen wrote: 97 Points
($130) Appearance: Brick, ruby; Aroma: Delicate, hint of red fruit, red pepper, spice, cedarwood, leather, black fruit; Taste: Worm attack, round taste, shorter finish, long supple aftertaste of almond, vanilla, and hazelnut, slight vegetal notes, balance
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12/9/2011 - vicewine wrote: 91 Points
vibrant and juicy wine, not showing too much age, a little less integrated than what you would expect from a mature claret.
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12/4/2011 - Radboy wrote: 92 Points
In a real sweet spot now with great fruit and finish. Yum.
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7/28/2011 - vumansky wrote: 90 Points
Deep dark red. Leather, dark fruit and a bit earthy. Fruit is beginning to gently fade. Dark fruit, tar, green, and dustiness on the palate. Dusty tannins and a longish finish.
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7/18/2011 - BradA wrote: 88 Points
Very mature and fully integrated; it showed some bell pepper and reminded me that while I liked the mature fragrances---the pepper notes detract from my enjoyment of the wine. I like the Baron far more than PLL...
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5/5/2011 - Yagil Likes this wine: 91 Points
1990 Bordeaux quartet round #1 meeting #2 (at Arnoldo's): Dark red-black.
Heavy earthy wet-forest-soil aroma.
Rich, heavy, full-body, leather, caramel, tannic, dry on the palate. Medium harmony. Less impressive than the aroma.
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2/13/2011 - Radboy wrote: 92 Points
Well defined fruit and firm bodied. Reminds me of this girl I met at the bar in Miami last week....
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12/29/2010 - Lord Rayas wrote: 92 Points
Alex's dinner with Julian/Ada, David/Jeannie, PN/Esther (The Mirror): Typical alluring aroma of caramel, tobacco, sweet black currants and herbs. Drinking well
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12/17/2010 - europat55 wrote: 90 Points
18-bottle Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande Vertical (1976-2007) (Jeff & Chuck's, Mountain View, California): Classic Lalande. Beautiful feminine bouquet with blackcurrents, cassis, chocolate covered cherry. Balanced palate. 30 seconds finish. This has room to grow to a 91+ pts, but also quite enjoyable now. Outstanding!
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12/17/2010 - flywineguy wrote: 88 Points
Dill pickle oak, damp terroir smoky and ready to drink. Drank with JM and CZ.
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12/5/2010 - hpchew7 wrote: 90 Points
Double decanted before dinner. Dark fruits, tobacco on the nose. Blackcurrants, cedar box, still quite chewy on the palate. Very nice.
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11/17/2010 - BigJ wrote: 92 Points
I agree with Jonradus unfortunately this was my only bottle! nice reminder though of top wines in off years
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6/5/2010 - jonradus wrote: 91 Points
The color is dark and brooding with absolutely no bricking on the rim. This wine has a huge nose of cigar box, pencil lead, and cedar with typical blackcurrant. There's also a classy floral aroma to it. The taste is smooth and tobaccoey, but slightly bitter. There's a lot of dark fruits in it, but the secondary flavors are starting to emerge. The finish is pretty chewy and lasts about 30 seconds. This wine is still very young and tight, but very good. It will undoubtedly improve significantly with some time. I have one more bottle and will wait at least 5 years before I even think about opening the other one.
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4/25/2010 - gjv115 wrote: 91 Points
Started out tight, with notes of pencil shavings and minerality, slate. After a few hours the nose was potent toasted vanilla, the a strong berry note came out on the palate. A very nice wine that was still improving. Would be nice to try it again in 5-10 years.
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1/10/2010 - marcobellini wrote: 91 Points
decanted for 1h.
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11/21/2009 - fandj wrote: 85 Points
I am hoping this is a case of bottle variation. Pichon Lalande is a longtime favorite. It was fine, but slightly disappointing.
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11/15/2009 - Serge Birbrair wrote:
tasted blind. The wine is drinking now remarkably well, balanced, playful, long finish and pure enjoyment.
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10/2/2009 - nzinkgraf wrote:
starts out with the black side of forest floor with a light espresso accent. the nose exudes a delicate sweet maize with light roasty notes and quite the expression of iron and granite. at 10 years in the tannins are still quite upfront with the slightest hints of integration under way. tim calls this a 20-25 yr wine. tasted along side the 1999 ridge monte bello, which was showing more evolved than the comtesse de lalande.
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10/2/2009 - Beavis77 wrote:
Awesome nose of dusty gravel, graphite, tobacco and some black currant and blackberry trying to peak through.
Great austerity and stoniness. Great tannin and acid balance. Nice mineral structure for some dusty black currant and tobacco.
Opened with a 1999 Ridge Monte Bello. Both incredible, but hard to believe it's basically the same varietal blend.
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9/24/2009 - MRichman wrote:
Party Like It's 1999: A 10 year look back at 1999 Bordeaux (Public Restaurant, NYC): Sweet baking spices. Bright, open, med-light weight. Clove and candied fruit. Too sweet, this reminds me of some of the sweeter vintages of the early 00’s as Bordeaux lunged toward a more modern style. Lacks concentration, complexity.
B/B-
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5/16/2009 - Marc S wrote: 90 Points
Wonderful bottle of wine. Very light fopr a Pauillac. Not heavy with tannins. Very nice finish and gets better after an hour or so.
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4/26/2009 - jeff nowak wrote: 90 Points
13% alcohol. always a fun monkey in the left bank wrench as it's a merlot based wine. a pleasant nose dominated by some graphite. weak tannin indicates this wine is ready to drink, and i would expect to to hold for a while, but not necessarily improve. i like this quite a bit more than the professional critics. clearly, it's developed more expressively than they predicted. violets, leather, a hint of toffee.
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2/28/2009 - milwaukeewino wrote:
A tie with the Monte for wine of the night.
Kind of a big daddy.
Showed up late - forgettable early in the night.
Med. acidity; med. tannins.
Dark red fruit, red currants.
Espresso notes on the nose.
Longish finish.
Obviously high quality but not super interesting.
My last drunken scribbles were "If I want Bordeaux I will drink this."
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2/9/2009 - kia_napa wrote:
Fantastic bottle; very suttle nose with hints of spice after an hour of decanting. Very refined taste.
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1/24/2009 - BWebb wrote: 92 Points
Wine exceeded my expectations (given low RMP rankings of 87-88). From the moment of uncorking over the course of a two hour dinner this wine maintained consistency throughout. It is drinking well and I believe will drink at it's peak for 3 more years. The wine is balanced with subtle tannin and fruit yet a smooth finish that brings out leather and oak and leaves your tongue and mouth cleansed and yearning for more.
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12/24/2008 - isdblm@lsu.edu wrote: 90 Points
Glad to have gone ahead w this one--had the distinctive Pauillac earth tone w strong blackberry notes, but only medium finish; drank w L & Julie on Christmas Eve '08.
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12/16/2008 - Rupert wrote: 86 Points
31 Vintages of Pichon Lalande 1928-2005; 12/16/2008-12/17/2008 (IOD, London): Relatively dumb on the nose, some leafiness, ripe palate, but curiously characterless
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10/1/2008 - Jeff Leve wrote: 87 Points
Unripe and lean. Not a lot of pleasure or complexity in this medium/light bodied wine. Owners should drink it sooner than later.
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9/29/2008 - Zweder wrote: 90 Points
Elegant bouquet with sweet cassis, some paprika and oak. The taste has a lot of elegance as well. Soft cassis, oak and vanilla. The tannin is ripe and soft. Although it will stay ok for several years this wine is in fact ready for drinking. I don’t think it will gain much in score.
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9/4/2008 - fandj wrote: 90 Points
Really lovely, classic Bordeaux.
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6/14/2008 - rguynn wrote:
bad bottle. this was improperly stored for about 5 years and it shows. kind of shame
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4/27/2008 - jshufelt wrote: 90 Points
In the glass, faded strawberry at the rim quickly moving to a deep, dark, opaque red at the center. On the nose, menthol and currants. On the palate, more of the same, with hints of tobacco and soy, soft tannins leading to a somewhat silky mouthfeel, and a moderate finish. Varietally correct, a pleasant wine with some age that provides additional enjoyment, but not an extraordinary one. Having been fortunate enough to have had the '82, and at the risk of being glib, I'd say the '99 is just like that, but with the volume on 2.
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3/3/2008 - tendring wrote: 94 Points
Just opaque, showing age.
Lanolin and fruit nose, vegetal notes, good complexity, welcoming.
Dry, well integrated, needs food, dusty, very long.
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11/17/2007 - pikemasterflash wrote: 89 Points
Dark and velvety on the color. Nose is all alcohol and not much in the way of fruit. Great compliment to the goat cheese tonight. Sweetness and oak dominate. Great choice for a restaurant wine list to avoid price gauging.
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11/13/2007 - johnphinney8 wrote: 90 Points
Impressive nose of vanilla oak at first, definite tobacco notes as well. Thinner on the palate, and the sweetness of the oak dominates. Tannins and acidity began to imbue balance as it opens. There is elegance, but it could use a few more years to integrate. Thinness on the midpalate is the main weakess, along with what seems like too much oaky sweetness.
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11/8/2007 - ErinByrne wrote: 91 Points
Musky nose, rich flavors of raspberry, elegant finish. Enjoyed with Digital Media Task Force members with Chef's Tasting Menu at Country.
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10/24/2007 - DavidK wrote: 88 Points
Dieprood met schemering. Een zeer fraaie neus met mokka, hopjesvla, zoethout, theebladeren en cassisfruit. Dan een frisse aanzet in de mond met frivole zuren. Mooie spanning. Laurier in de afdronk, lavendel en drop. Licht in zijn tannines. Puntje van kritiek: mist wat breedte in het midden, komt daardoor wat puntig over. 16,5/20
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9/19/2007 - mattiasjansson wrote: 95 Points
Blind Night - Kevin Stoddard's (Kevin Stoddard's house): Pencil lead. Complex fruit, earth. Long, beautiful, elegant finish.
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6/29/2007 - Tao wrote: 90 Points
Tend to believe this one is 1999, to the best of my wine knowledge, the 1999 Pichon-Lalande is so young, taste like a 3 year old infancy, should decant it for at least 4 hours to taste, perhaps my storage temperature is just too low! Deep purple red, steely smell covered the fruits, sitting in the glass for about an hour to open the wine a bit more, clearly the wine is not a blockbuster, but 20-25 years of life is for sure, at least considering my storage temperature!
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12/31/2006 - Jiuwine.com wrote: 93 Points
An unique drink with complex scents from this vintage, plums, cream, with dense, leafy blackcurrant sweetness on the palate.
More pictures at http://www.winekakis.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=4038#4038.
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11/30/2006 - Roughl wrote: 88 Points
Disappointing: lack of depth, grip and distinctive character for a wine of this breed.
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10/4/2006 - JR Encanto wrote: 85 Points
complex but mature. Cassis, oak, subtle tannins but didn't blow me away. There are others worth your time.
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7/23/2006 - cousteau wrote: 89 Points
We put this 99 Comtesse side by side with the 99 Baron to see how they would fare against each other. While the Comtesse de Lalande showed a slight purple hue the Baron showed a more evolved brownish one. You could see they had different styles already by their color intensity but no advantage for any so far. The nose was the first victory for the Baron, more intense and open with lot's of cassis and secondary notes. The Comtesse was more shy and only showed some of her dark fruits, more like plums and blackberries. On the palate things got tighter, now it's more a matter of personal preferences. The Lalande much more soft, round, seductive, with much finess and elegance. The Baron with more power, opulence, a much firmer backbone and fresher acidity. I would still give an edge for the Baron though. The finish gives the Comtesse a nose ahead, more elegant, softer and rounder while the Baron left a more austere note.
With the food (Filet de Manzo) the structure and acidity of the Baron fared much better than the softness of the Comtesse and overall we gave the Baron a declared victory on the 99 vintage.
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7/22/2006 - ezagottis wrote: 91 Points
Very elegant and well-rounded, but not distinctive in personality - lost to same year Pichon Baron, more intense and with greater personality
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6/1/2006 - Keith Levenberg wrote: 94 Points
Classic Bordeaux, classic Pauillac, classic Pichon-Lalande. Expressive lead-pencil details, showing more mineral than wood, frame the seductively supple black-fruited palate. The tannin is soft and integrated, making this a serious wine that goes down the gullet as easy as a quaffer.
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7/27/2005 - steffenpelz wrote: 90 Points
1999 Bordeaux Tasting (Cafe Caprice, Austin TX): Effusive nose. Pencil lead, cigar box, cassis galore, sandalwood, soy. Good depth, nice finish, very polished and elegant wine. Kept getting better throughout the evening. Better than RP's evaluation IMO. Many tasters liked this very much. For me one of the better wines of the night, but not on par with the Leoville Poyferre or Monbousquet.
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6/6/2005 - BradA wrote: 90 Points
What a nose! This is just a wonderful wine to inhale; however it is quite closed on the palate. Dense and opaque in the glass, the wine coats the tongue but isn't giving much love at the moment. I would hold for another 2 years and give it plenty of air; good potential for a few more points upon maturity. I would add that this is my preference for value--a wine that has rich nose and flavor, longevity and under $40.
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1/14/2005 - Rupert wrote: 86 Points
Thick, some blackcurrants, some bacon. Chunky. But no grip, no zing, and so somewhat dull.
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8/21/2004 - CSteefel wrote: 89 Points
Medium ruby, turning garnet color at the edges. This wine has been sitting in the wine store for some time evidently, so it is probably prematurely aged. The nose is actually extravagant, showing ripe creamy cassis and Cuban tobacco and notes of leather. In the mouth, less impressive, perhaps verging on slightly simple, but otherwise fairly well balanced. Tannins are pretty mild, this wine is medium bodied. Certainly not up to the standards of the better Pichon Lalande (nowhere close to the 1996, for example), but I still feel it has been under-rated by the critics. Definitely deserves more than an 87. 89-90 points.
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7/3/2004 - Rupert wrote: 88 Points
Moderately fragrant sweet oak nose, quite dense, persistent sweet finish. Nice solid wine, but lacks grip or acidity and therefore just a bit dull.
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1/4/2004 - OneLastSyrah wrote:
Blind 1999 Bordeauxs @ Amici's: Smoke, cedar, oak, pencil lead, pencil wood, tannin and a hint of pinon. Rich sweet fruit that is somewhat monolithic.
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1/1/2002 - winefool wrote: 91 Points
Medium brickish red. Medium aroma of sweet tarts. Full bodied structure with noticaeable tannin, but good fruit to back it up . Slight strawberry and bramble undertones. 1/02
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