Popped cork in AM and decanted 4 hours and then back in bottle for tasting. On the nose did not get much of any earthiness or typical bordeaux. Cab dominated. The people drinking it blind thought was a Napa cab. Modern wine making in hot vintage with dark ripe fruit, smooth almost glossy no obtrusive tannins. Overall good wine but not for bordeaux purists!
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Bordeaux 2018 - 5 Years On - 7 Reds: Time to check in on some top 2018s, and the initial observations were all confirmed: A) This is obviously the ripest, sweetest Bordeaux vintage in the last decade. While only one wine (Cos d'Estournel, 88pts) was overripe and overdone, two others (Calon Segur - 94pts, Grand Puy Lacoste - 91pts) are not for purists and are quite sweet - at least this young. B) Despite the ripeness, the wines are generally very balanced and harmonious, not as extracted or thick as many 2009/2010s. C) The structural frames are of high quality with ultra-fine tannins and good acid backbones. However, with so many other great vintages produced in recent years, this is not the vintage to chase - especially for purists. The group winner was the highly elegant, seductive yet aristocratic Pichon Lalande (rated 95pts), just ahead of my WOTN, the floral, perfumed, airy Canon (96pts).
TN: Medium expressive nose with intriguing coffee notes, dark and red berries, some herbs. Wow, an amazing Pauillac with that Mouton burnt sugar notes to die for. Seamless on the palate with so much coffee, herbs, fresh strawberries, some dark red berries, herbs, graphite. This reminded me very much of a young-ish magnum of the legendary 1982 we had some years ago. The structure is quite perfect: the wine is so round and smooth with a wall of fine tannins, no excess weight, superb freshness. This is a fantastic, hedonistic yet elegant and sophisticated Cabernet which proves again that PLL is among the very best wines today in Bordeaux.
Decanting: Quickly double decanted three hours before consumption, no extensive decanting necessary.
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Part of a small Bordeaux 2018 5-years on tasting. The wines were partially served single-blind. Main observations: 1/ the vintage pairs concentration and ripeness with weightless and elegant structures. 2/ tannins are generally finely grained and well-integrated. 3/ Extraction levels managed well with only 1 instance of heat and no overripe fruit. 4/ Best bottles were Canon and Pichon Longueville.
Tasting note: Tasted single-blind. Herbaceous with coffee notes, chocolate and red berry fruit. Fresh and juicy palate. Full bodied, but fine and elegant, amazing tension, yet light like a feather for a Paulliac
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12/8/2023 - Handy1 wrote: 95 Points
Popped cork in AM and decanted 4 hours and then back in bottle for tasting. On the nose did not get much of any earthiness or typical bordeaux. Cab dominated. The people drinking it blind thought was a Napa cab.
Modern wine making in hot vintage with dark ripe fruit, smooth almost glossy no obtrusive tannins. Overall good wine but not for bordeaux purists!
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11/28/2023 - richshoes Likes this wine: 94 Points
finding more recent tastings of this to be a little bit too sweet and too much plum...still young and dense though
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11/7/2023 - ayalao3 wrote: 98 Points
Tasted alongside chateau margaux, palmer, and haut brion. This one came in in third place but was in par with the two 1st growths.
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9/3/2023 - Cailles wrote: 95 Points
Bordeaux 2018 - 5 Years On - 7 Reds: Time to check in on some top 2018s, and the initial observations were all confirmed: A) This is obviously the ripest, sweetest Bordeaux vintage in the last decade. While only one wine (Cos d'Estournel, 88pts) was overripe and overdone, two others (Calon Segur - 94pts, Grand Puy Lacoste - 91pts) are not for purists and are quite sweet - at least this young. B) Despite the ripeness, the wines are generally very balanced and harmonious, not as extracted or thick as many 2009/2010s. C) The structural frames are of high quality with ultra-fine tannins and good acid backbones. However, with so many other great vintages produced in recent years, this is not the vintage to chase - especially for purists. The group winner was the highly elegant, seductive yet aristocratic Pichon Lalande (rated 95pts), just ahead of my WOTN, the floral, perfumed, airy Canon (96pts).
TN: Medium expressive nose with intriguing coffee notes, dark and red berries, some herbs. Wow, an amazing Pauillac with that Mouton burnt sugar notes to die for. Seamless on the palate with so much coffee, herbs, fresh strawberries, some dark red berries, herbs, graphite. This reminded me very much of a young-ish magnum of the legendary 1982 we had some years ago. The structure is quite perfect: the wine is so round and smooth with a wall of fine tannins, no excess weight, superb freshness. This is a fantastic, hedonistic yet elegant and sophisticated Cabernet which proves again that PLL is among the very best wines today in Bordeaux.
Decanting: Quickly double decanted three hours before consumption, no extensive decanting necessary.
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6/19/2023 - sirpat00 wrote: 97 Points
Part of a small Bordeaux 2018 5-years on tasting. The wines were partially served single-blind. Main observations: 1/ the vintage pairs concentration and ripeness with weightless and elegant structures. 2/ tannins are generally finely grained and well-integrated. 3/ Extraction levels managed well with only 1 instance of heat and no overripe fruit. 4/ Best bottles were Canon and Pichon Longueville.
Tasting note:
Tasted single-blind. Herbaceous with coffee notes, chocolate and red berry fruit. Fresh and juicy palate. Full bodied, but fine and elegant, amazing tension, yet light like a feather for a Paulliac
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