April 22, 2024 - This kept getting better hours after opening.
April 21, 2024 - A perfect bottle, perfect fill, perfect provenance. Young feel with a rich, yet balanced fruit, black berries, tobacco, chocolate. Wonderfull freshnes, no hurry to drink this.
#Brøndsalen#Bichel
April 16, 2024 - A full flavored wonderful wine. Right after opening, on the first sip, the acid was showing more than it should. But within half an hour or so it had already mellowed and the wine was wonderfully balanced with nice fruits. Before opening the fill seemed a bit low, but it turned out that it was nothing to worry about because the wine was wonderful
April 14, 2024 - Phenomenal
April 14, 2024 - Youthful appearance and alive on the nose.
Dried red and black fruit, tobacco, damp soil, and density.
In the mouth it is med- body, med acid, med tannin.
Well balanced with vibrancy and structure. Only knock is that it is slightly thin (less ripeness = more acid).
It’s holding up well due to the freshness and tannin. Fruit is hanging on well.
This will age for at least another 10-15 years.
March 30, 2024 - The one with Old Bordeaux (Praelum): Perhaps a victim of bottle variation. The last time I had the 86 Lalande it was firing with graphite and waves of mature plums but tonight this was muted on the nose and slightly fading on the palate. Noticeably left bank with subtle power and elegance but also slightly sweet (kirsh and black plums)
March 22, 2024 - Compared to 86 Mouton and LLC tasted last two weeks, I found the Pichon to be more evolved and not in the same class as the other two, but that isn’t to say it is any slouch. Nose is classical Pauillac, pencil shaving, some smoke, and earth. Tannins seem very fine lending to a smooth, plush mouthfeel, which a surprise given the vintage. Color is still relatively deep with bricking on the edge. Medium acidity. A very pleasurable drink, but not as precise as the Mouton or LLC. Seems to be at peak, but should last another decade.
March 14, 2024 - 1986 vintage. Tasted multiple bottles (6 btls for an 1986 BDX horizontal dinner-one btl corked). Great fills with-age appropriate corks. Used a Durand for all bottles. Double decanted with a mesh screen. Tasted over the course of four hours. Medium body throughout. Body was there for all bottles but the 5 bottles were lacking the hallmark cocoa powder, blueberries and beguiling femininity that define this producer. The 1989 is (currently) a dead ringer for how the 1986 was tasting as of 4-5 years ago...and the 1989 is a drink now for the next 2-3 years before drop-off. Haven't had an example of the 1986 that was tasting at the top of the bell curve (96) in 5 years. In larger format bottles-possibly. 3.14.24
February 18, 2024 - 50+5+12+15+8=90 Seems to be fading. Tannins are gone but so is some of the bouquet and complexity. Maybe a slightly bad bottle? (The cork crumbled on opening).
January 19, 2024 - Oh man. This bottle was singing beautifully.
Feels like it still has 30 years of life ahead (which it would if it wasn’t for the cork, now fully soaked). I need to split the rating in two tho.
Technical rating 93-94.
Pleasure rating 96-97, no doubt.
I’ve set the rating at 95 for “par condicio”.
Opened 2,5h. Needed longer aeration.
I had another bottle I would’t wait longer than it’s 40’s to pop. And of course, I would not hesitate to give it more air in a decanter.
Enjoy!