Slightly reticent nose showing white stone fruits, plenty of citrus, passion fruit, papaya seeds, and oak. Further this shows tons of lime citrus on the palate, along with lemon zest, smoky oak, and more papaya seeds. Great crisp acidity, with a medium length finish. Milder with less power than some of its peers, but shows nice balance and is delicious. Good value here. Very good

Fabulous expressive nose showing tons of white peach, fresh ripe papaya, lychee, charred oak, and a hint of melon. Dense palate, displaying more charred oak, papaya seeds, fresh lemon juice, and a powerful underlying citrus cut. Generous acidity with a long finish. Superb depth and richness on this wine, yet with great citrus and acidity to bring this into perfect balance. Outstanding.

Gorgeous nose showing rich cassis, charred cedar, lead pencil, tar, and black cherry. More towards the red fruit end of the spectrum on the palate displaying red cherries, red currants, charred oak, black pepper, and cassis. Quite elegant on the palate showing great balance with firm acidity. Very good+

Expressive nose, showing plenty of ripe papaya, charred oak, nuts, and fresh orange juice. More charred oak comes through on the palate, along with fresh lemon, papaya, guava, and orange zest. Moderate acidity with a medium length finish. Lacking a bit of acidity to put this over the top. Good+

A bit restrained on the nose, displaying aromas of cassis, red cherries, asphalt, graphite, and saddle leather. Slightly sweet on the palate, showing lots of lead pencil, red currants, black cherries, cassis, and tar. While the nose seemed a bit shut down at this point, the palate was shining. Nice richness coupled with firm acidity. This should be stunning. Fantastic

Huge rich nose showing charred oak, cantaloupe, papaya seed, and some floral white flowers. More toasted oak on the palate, along with papaya, and plenty of lemon – lime citrus. The generous acidity delivers a firm cut on the palate, with a long finish. Quite fresh on the palate although a touch thin compared to some of its peers. Very good-

Tons of charred oak on the nose, along with ground coffee beans, black pepper, black cherry, cassis, and fresh mint. The charred oak carries through to the palate, as well as black cherries, cassis, and black pepper. Nice richness on this but there’s an overwhelming amount of oak for my liking. This needs some time to integrate and come together. Good+

Quite mild on the nose, showing aromas of lemon zest, toasted oak, papaya seed, and orange zest. More charred oak on the palate, along with papaya seed, cantaloupe, and plenty of fresh lemon juice. Medium acidity and a medium length finish. Lots of citrus freshness here on both the nose and palate. Good

Nice nose showing tons of tart candied lemon and charred oak, along with some papaya. Quite round and rich on the palate, showing plenty of fresh lemon juice and papaya, along with a bit of heat poking through. Lots of acidity and a long length finish. Lots of lemon character through this, although the heat on the palate is a touch distracting. There are some nice underlying components here but this needs some time to come together. Very good-

Quite earthy on the nose, giving off aromas of barnyard, leather, black cherry, cassis, lead pencil, and some tart Bing cherry. More leather and graphite on the palate, along with some cassis, cigar leaf, and black cherry. This is a huge wine with nice richness to the palate but it maintains nice balance, refraining from going over the top and becoming overly ripe or cloying. Very good+

Fantastic nose showing tons of toasted oak, chestnuts, white peaches, and some floral white flower aromas. Even better on the palate, displaying notes of papaya, white stone fruits, charred oak, white flowers, crushed stones, and tons of fresh lemon juice. Great firm acidity delivering a nice cut on the palate, while maintaining very good balance. As usual this is a treat. Fantastic

Great nose showcasing that smoky gravel that often comes through in SHL, along with rich cassis, lead pencil, leather, rich black cherry, spicy black pepper, and a touch of sweet blueberry. More smoky rocks on the palate, along with rich cassis, ripe red cherry, leather, and some spicy black pepper. Always like the profile of SHL and this doesn’t disappoint. Very good+

Quite muted on then nose, showing light aromas of graphite, cedar, cassis, black cherry, and plum. The palate showed more power giving off spicy black pepper, more black cherry, lead pencil, clove, and fresh mint. Nice richness on the palate here, even if the nose is currently hiding. This will need some serious time. Very good+

Tons of graphite and cedar on the nose, along aromas of leather, asphalt, dark cherry, red currants, and charred oak. A bit astringent on the palate, showing more charred oak, cassis, lead pencil, asphalt, and tart red cherry. Delicious, classic Bordeaux, but this is hard as nails and needs tons of time. Very good+

Quite spicy on the nose, showing aromas of candied red cherry, prune, toasted oak, and blueberry. Lots of black cherry on the palate, along with red currants, charred oak, leafy mint, and lead pencil. Very good

Fantastic nose showcasing boysenberry, black plums, kirsch, tangy black currants, and crayon. More kirsch on the palate, followed by rich black cherry, spicy black pepper, tar, and clove. This is delicious, great tangy nose with nice richness and spicy on the palate. Plenty of structure while maintaining nice balance. This will be good. Fantastic

Great nose showing lots of kirsch, followed by aromas of boysenberry, red cherry, blueberry, and some clove spice. More kirsch on the palate, along with blackberries, red cherries, charred oak, and blueberries. Lovely kirsch profile with a pleasant richness on the palate. Very good+

Super rich on the nose showing aromas of concentrated black cherries, sweet blackberries, tar, plenty of spicy black pepper, and a touch of lead pencil. Quite sweet on the palate, displaying rich blackberries, blueberries, cassis, charred oak, and spicy black pepper. This is a huge, concentrated wine that stylistically has really separated itself from the pack. It’s certainly a well-made wine, but not for everyone, myself included. Very good-

Rich dried fruits on the nose, along with aromas of lead pencil, cassis, some floral notes, herbs, and a touch of barnyard. Rich black cherry on the palate, followed by cassis, herbs, with a bit more barnyard evident. There’s tons of tannin and acid structure here, yet retains nice balance. Very good+

Some cassis sweetness on the nose, along with blueberries, red cherries, and some floral notes. More red cherries and cassis on the palate, along with blackberries, lead pencil, and fresh mint. Mouth puckering acidity here. Very good

Fantastic nose showing tons of graphite and cedar aromas, along with some cassis sweetness, cigar box, rich black cherries, leafy mint, and a touch of blueberries. Plenty more lead pencil on the palate, followed by rich cassis, ripe black cherries, saddle leather, blackberries, fresh mint, cigar leaf, and a bit of coffee bean. I spoke with Jean-Michel Laporte and he commented this had started to shut down the last few months, and while it definitely wasn't as expressive as when I last tasted this with him out of barrel back in 2011, this was still excellent and is surely one of the wines of the vintage. Great richness without being overripe, tons of structure, and excellent balance. Outstanding.

Tons of freshly ground coffee beans on the nose, along with aromas of rich black cherries, blueberries, and sweet cassis. Plenty more cassis on the palate, as well as coffee beans, herbs, charred oak, and rich dark fruits. The structure is a bit soft here, and this is quite round and rich. Seems a bit forced. Good+

Nice cassis aromas on the palate, along with coffee beans, red cherries, mint, and a bit of lead pencil. A stronger showing of lead pencil on the palate, as well as cassis, black cherries, black currants, leather, and leafy mint. A bit astringent on the nose and soft on the palate, but this is nice for the price. Good+

Fabulous expressive nose showing tons of cedar and graphite, along with rich black cherry, cassis, and cigar leaf. The strong showing of lead pencil carries through to the palate, as well as cassis, sweet black cherry, and saddle leather. Great profile showing nice richness and lovely balance. Very good+

Some underlying cassis sweetness here on the nose, along with aromas of lead pencil, rich dark cherries, black plums, and tart cranberries. More lead pencil on the palate, as well as cassis, black cherries, red currants, toasted oak, and prunes. This was a bit on the sweet side, but the firm acidity helps balance this out. Very good

Quite rich on the nose, displaying aromas of concentrated rich dark fruits, blackberries, lead pencil, cassis, and fresh mint. Rich blackberries come through on the palate, along with toasted oak, cassis, graphite, and cedar. Rich fruit on both the nose and palate yet not over the top. Very good

Quite a bit of coffee beans on the nose, along with aromas of cassis, rich red cherries, graphite, and cedar. More lead pencil and coffee on the palate, as well as cassis, rich black cherries, spicy black pepper and clove. This is delicious already, with nice richness, firm structure, and great balance. Fantastic-

Great nose showing a bit of earth, along with aromas of cassis, red cherries, asphalt, and leafy mint. Some nice cassis sweetness peeking through on the palate, as well as lead pencil, mint, black cherries, and cigar leaf. Gripping acidity and balanced richness. Very good-

Fantastic nose exhibiting tons of rich cassis and black cherry, lead pencil, as well as some dark dried fruits. Very smooth and balanced on the palate with great velvety texture, showing sweet black cherries, cassis, and lead pencil. Great richness without going over the top. Very good+

Great nose kicking off tons of rich dark cherry and dark berries, along with sweet cassis, black pepper, and a touch of coffee bean. More cassis coming through on the palate with some sweet red cherries making an appearance as well, along with some graphite, cedar, and black pepper spice. Great depth on this, with a delicious graphite and cedar profile. Fantastic-

This shows some candied red cherry on the nose along with rich cassis and charred oak. Tons more cassis comes to the forefront on the palate, as well as some black cherry and toasted oak. Quite clean on the palate, with gripping chalky tannins and long length finish. Nice balance with firm acidity. Very good

Quite rich on the nose showing tons of ripe dark fruits, cassis, toasted oak, and fresh coffee beans. Plenty of black cherry on the palate, along with some nice red fruits peeking through, leather, coffee beans, and tart red currants. Firm acidity with nice length. Very good

Fantastic nose showcasing tons of classic cedar and graphite, along with some black cherries, cigar leaf, and toasted oak. Plenty more lead pencil on the palate, as well as some rich cassis, charred oak, black cherry, asphalt, and a nice touch of fresh mint. Great acid cut here with no shortage of gripping tannins. Fantastic

Nice nose showing tons of rich black cherry along with some dark plum, cigar leaf, fresh mint, and a hint of lead pencil. A touch more to the red fruit profile on the palate showing rich red cherries, leather, cigar, graphite, and cedar. Moderate tannins and acidity, I liked this more than I have in previous vintages. Very good

This was showing slightly candied and pruney on the nose, along with rich red fruits, cigar leaf, and a touch of fresh mint. Much more exciting on the palate with rich black currants and candied red cherries showing through, along with cigar box, graphite, cedar, and a touch of prune. Firm acid cut with a long finish. I’m a big LB fan but this seemed to be in a bit of an awkward phase as usually LB shows much better than this when young, especially from a top vintage such as this. I went back and re-tasted at the end of the event and that sample was slightly improved with more purity and less dried fruits, although still not up to the usual standards. I’m going to reserve judgement on this, especially after reading the notes of others who tasted this in other cities and had a more positive experience with this wine. NR

Fantastic nose with endless depth, showing tons of graphite and cedar, along with rich red cherry, cassis, and fresh mint. Plenty more lead pencil on the palate along with ripe red cherries, cigar leaf, leather, and cassis. There’s a nice core of rich yet not over the top fruit, with firm acidity and great balance. I’m a big fan of LP and this does not disappoint. Delicious. Fantastic+

Fantastic nose showing great depth, with expressive aromas of ripe red cherry, toasted oak, cedar, rich cassis, coffee beans, and graphite. No disappointment on the palate, showing more rich red cherry with some tart red currants to compliment, along with coffee beans, lead pencil, leather, and a touch of fresh mint. Great balance between richness and structure with firm acidity. Nice buy at this price point. Fantastic

Great rich cherry profile on the nose, along with some charred oak, coffee beans, cassis, and a touch of mint. Tons more cassis comes through on the palate, complimented by more rich red cherry, coffee, and toasted oak. Lovely mouth feel and great balance. Quite rich on the palate to the point that it’s a touch sweet however a good foundation of acid and tannins keep this in check. Great buy at this price. Fantastic

Outstanding nose kicking off tons of cedar and graphite along with some cassis, leather, and rich black cherries. Consistent yet with a bit more red fruit on the palate, showing rich red cherry, lead pencil, and cassis along with some tart red currants. Great acidity with a firm tannin backbone. This is delicious and very nicely balanced with tons of Pauillac character. This is much improved and leaps and bounds better than when I tasted this out of barrel back in 2011. Fantastic+

Fantastic nose showing tons of lead pencil shavings, cassis, ripe black cherry, cigar leaf, leather, and a touch of asphalt. Rich and delicious on the palate showing ripe red cherries, cedar, graphite, leather, and some sweet cassis. Exceptional balance even at this stage, combined with a long finish and no shortage of structure. Classic Pauillac characteristics and another great PB. This will need plenty of time but is easily one of the stars of the vintage. Outstanding

Quite elegant on the nose especially next to the other Pichon, showing tons of red cherry, cassis, spicy black pepper, and a touch of toasted oak. A fair bit richer on the palate compared to the nose, showing a generous amount of red cherry, cassis, leather, cigar leaf, black pepper spice, and fresh mint. This was quite shy on the nose although much more expressive on the palate leaning much more towards the red fruited end of the spectrum especially compared to the other Pauillac’s tasted on this day. Delicious and balanced. Fantastic

Excellent nose showing tons of creamy honey, ripe red apples, pear, candied ginger, lemon zest, and floral white flowers. Nice and viscous on the palate showing more honey and ripe pears, along with some red apple, orange peel, ginger, and a hint of lime citrus. Great balance with a lovely tongue coating texture. Very good+

Fantastic expressive nose showing tons of spicy candied ginger along with some fresh orange juice, lemon oil, honey, red apples, pears, and some nice floral notes. Plenty of honey coming through on the palate, as well as some red apple skins and more candied ginger and white flowers. Great balance with a nice bite of spice on the finish. This was showing a bit more sweetness compared to the others on display tonight but the acidity and spice helped bring this into form. Fantastic.

Very precise and focused on the nose showing lots of caramel along with some ginger spice, green apples, and floral white flower notes. Tons of ripe green apple follows through onto the palate, as well as some lime peel, pears, melon, and gingerbread. Loved the green apple profile to this complimented by some nice ginger spice. Lots of precision with great acidity running all the way through. Fantastic+

Quite fresh on the nose giving off aromas of fresh lemon and lime citrus, orange juice, ripe red apples, pears, honey and a touch of spice. A bit more richness on the palate showing baked red apples, gingerbread, honey, orange zest, and some floral white flowers. Perfectly enjoyable but this lacked the intensity and stuffing that the top wines brought to the table tonight. Good+

Very spicy on the nose showing plenty of ginger and cloves, along with ripe red apples, crushed almonds, and some floral aromas. Plenty of red apple skins on the palate, as well as some salty toffee, pears, roasted peanuts, and white flowers. The spice dominates on the nose but shows a bit more restraint on the palate. Very good

More restrained and a bit less sweetness on the nose here showing tons of orange peel, along with some caramel, flowers, honey, and spice. More open on the palate, showing caramel, candied ginger spice, tangerine peel, ripe red apples, and pears. Great balance with firm acidity. Very good+

Nice orange peel and fresh lemon citrus on the nose, along with some ginger spice, pears, and red apples. Displaying quite a bit more spice on the palate ion the form of ginger and white pepper, along with some red apple skins, cantaloupe, and coffee beans. The nose was a bit restrained at first but picked up a fair bit more power on the palate, with tons of spice. Nice intensity and power. Very good+