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
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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
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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.
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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)
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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.
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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
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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).
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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!
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2024 New Year's Day Double Blind Tasting: Double-blind. Knock-out left bank nose. This wine wins on nose alone. I could smell it all night long. I called it '96 Pichon Lalande so I was only off by a full decade. A great wine! So fresh at 37 years old.
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ROCKNROLLERs bottle, so see his note for treatment. I have only been fortunate enough to have this once before in 2014, and it is at the same level, qualitatively. This has the tertiary Bordeaux flavors and yet it is so smooth, suave, there is no rustic quality to it. Dang, hats off to Pichon Lalande, and I wish I'd bought more 5+ years ago.
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Robe à peine évoluée on ne voit pas à travers....Le bouquet est sûrement le plus complexe évalué cette année c'est affolant la succession d'arômes qui virevoltent:menthol,réglisse,tabac,cassis,prune,cerise,terre mouillée,sauge,marjolaine,café,chocolat et j'en oublie certainement c'est réellement magique.Le hic c'est que la bouche affiche une puissance phénoménale,une structure gigantesque,agrémentée d'une acidité bien présente.En gros pour la bouche ce vin a 10 ans d'âge alors qu'il affiche 37 au compteur.Cette cuvée a encore 50 ans devant elle !!!! Bref,on est loin d'un velouté magique,d'un vin complètement épanoui.C'est un bloc monolithique qui demande un affinage conséquent.Bref 100 pour le bouquet 90 pour la bouche d'où cotation finale 95.Le seul tracas et il est de taille c'est le bouchon:il est nécessaire de le remplacer pour une autre durée très longue.Sans cette assurance,je crains le pire pour les bouteilles restantes....
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From mag. Extremely youthful color, bright. Great classic Bord nose of blackberry, currant, graphite, cedar, tobacco, with hints of sage and marjoram. Very balanced with soft tannin and firm mild acidity. Perfect match for the racks of lamb ala Keller. Long soft finish. Happy to have more!
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M&PD Tasting: Argentinian Grill (Mount Baker, Seattle, WA): I am pretty certain this was lightly corked, as I kept getting moldy notes on the nose and a somewhat stripped palate. That said, this was tough to pinpoint due to the austere 1986 personality of this wine (which is a very atypically masculine Pichon Lalande). Regardless, it was very austere and very 1986. Powerful and dark with tobacco and mint.
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I had an option to say the bottle was flawed since the cork fell into it while using an ah-so puller and the fill was only to slightly below the neck line. But the aromas were classic cedar, forest floor and just a slight Bordeaux barnyard funk that disappeared in a couple of minutes. Eventually a dark fruit and currant nose emerged with a decant and several back and forth splashes between two glasses. The palate has the same blackberry fruit as before though not as flamboyant as the previous bottle. The prior comments are after four hours open.
Comments after open 24 hours: the finish is much more present with vibrant acidity and the tannin is very earthy, but not rustic. Thus the complex minerality of the wine has started to dominate the flavor profile, though the dark fruit is still present but has diminished a bit. I still like the wine despite the somewhat flawed bottle but I have to admit the wonderful experience with the prior bottle has most likely influenced me.
After 28 hours open: So four hours later I was surprised that the wine had evolved some more. Gone were the earthy tannins and they were replaced by sweeter, dryer yet sturdy tannin and acidity that now allows the blackberry fruit to re-emerge and with a finish lasting a full 30 seconds.
Now after 30 hours open the wine finally reaches its peak. The tannin is now fully integrated , the aromas are pure dark fruit and the palate is full of dark, brooding blackberry fruit that ends in a satisfying complex finish of dark fruit, cassis and anise.
So this suggests plenty of decant a d splash ing is required for this wine to show its true essence. I couldn't give it a 96 as before but the fact that the cork fell into the bottle may have influenced me to grade it a bit lower. Still, this is fine wine and I am happy to have fulfilled my duty to see it to its tasty end!
Not quite up there with previous bottles, but at this age you expect some bottle variance. ( please refer to my post note at the end,). That said, this was excellent with the wine managing to combine a masculne Paulliac profile with a hidden silky seductive side. Black cherry, plum, and leather are prominent with floral notes becoming more apparent. It has great balance and depth, but the finish was a little skewed this time out. As mentioned earlier this is just bottle variance and could rate this another couple of points higher on another occasion. A post note three hours in the decanter and an hour in the glass solved all issues, and I had to up the score.
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Perfect neck, color with a fabulous smooth silky robust taste with a great linguiring after taste. Nothing to be improved on this great wine. If you can get it you will not be disappointed
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At its peak, the 1986 Pichon Comtesse shows a paradoxical nose - muscular yet somehow simultaneously lush, packed with cassis, ink, licorice and a subtle floral accent, even more profound on the palate than on the nose. Best with about 1.5-2 hours in the decanter, tailing off a bit by 3.
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Second bottle after 3 years. Nose of pencil lead, some may interpret it as incense wood, blue fruits and forest floor in the background. On the palate, a melange of red and blueberries. Tannins are beautifully resolved. The aroma is slightly less intense from my previous encounter, but no less enjoyable. I am surprised by how well it is still able to deliver, hoping it continues to do so in the coming decades is my only wish.
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Revisited after approximately 3 years. Good cork. Bricking at the edges but still looks vigorous considering age. Cassis, cedar incense, and pencil lead. Quite profound pencil lead aroma. Background barnyard. Good density of fruit. Long finish with notes of cigar box. I think this is drinking at peak. Less fruit than 3 years ago suggesting it is starting its long downward trajectory.
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Great stuff - exactly what you’d expect from Pichon Lalande - plenty of soft sous bois notes, tobacco, cassis and great medium body finish. I prefer this over the 1996 at current status (the 96 is a bit too pyrazine-heavy for me). Really nothing wrong here - even had some magical element at the beginning that faded a bit over time. These bottles are why we drink wine.
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Double decanted for an hour before taking to Philly to have with out Philly wine group. First time since the Pandemic. This is miraculously youthful. No bricking. Very earthy and graphite oriented. Sous bois and barnyard as well. Fruit is secondary but there is some cassis and some tart red berry. Very light somewhat ethereal in texture. Lovely and elegant long finish.
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Brought by Dave to dinner at Melogranos. Huge fragrant nose, classic barnyard, tobacco, leather. On the palate, lots of complex secondary flavors, chewy, cedar, tobacco, fruit is in there somewhere but not a top player. Excellent, thought provoking.
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6 years since my last bottle. A bottle that has finally reached its prime and a wine that should drink well for another 2 plus decades. This was a very eloquent wine with less pronounced high pitched fruits found in the 2000 Pichon Baron. This is in a great spot to enjoy now with a 90 min decant. Revisit 2027
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Wine up full cork, but not corked (surprisingly). 30 minute decant. Very light nose, opened up over time to must, and dark fruit. Notes of blackberry, dried currant, cedar. Finishes soft and medium length. May not be the perfect representation, but thoroughly enjoyed.
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The tannins have melted and the Pichon Lalande character of sweet lush dark berry fruit is prominent. Sound acidity. Moderately fragrant, modest length. Seems more like Merlot than Cabernet Sauvignon. While it’s surely a tasty drink it lacks distinctiveness. I could not tell it was Pauillac; it could even have originated outside the Gironde. Enjoyable but not memorable.
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My experiences with ‘86 Bordeaux have never borne out the generally accepted consensus re harshness and tannins outliving fruit. Lucky I guess . Yes, they were fiercely tannic out of the box, but I’ve had some glorious examples. Friday night with Mark and Arlys the’86 PLL was classic in every regard. Slow to emerge from a 1 hour decant, it blossomed into everything one could hope for by evenings end. Delicate yet riveting blue fruit aromas and flavors leading to a gorgeously generous mid palate followed by a seamlessly long finish. In a perfect spot just now.
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Cork was intact, only 1/3 soaked. Right away, classic mature Bordeaux scent upon opening the bottle. Decanted and followed over 2 hours. A bit of funk blows off quickly. Tertiary notes including leather and tobacco dominate initially. Then, amazingly, blueberry notes appear. On the palate, tannins are a bit coarse but never unpleasant, and soften over time. Really speaks to the longevity of this vintage -- this particular bottle was probably not yet at peak.
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Decanted and followed over about an hour and a half, the 1986 PLL is showing marvelously today. The nose is intense, perhaps a bit compact with blue fruits and Bay leaf. I really liked the weight on the palate as well. Some of my table mates are a bit biased generally against the sometimes rough, angular tannins of 1986. This bottle, however, while still holding its structure (i.e. not nearly as resolved as the 82 or 83) has enough polish to avoid feeling hollow or astringent. I suppose this could hold a little while longer but certainly no crime to open now.
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This wine keeps on giving. The cork was removed by ah-so puller, wet to almost the top. But the wine body was fabulous. Cedar and forest floor nose initially after just a miniscule touch of Bordeaux funk. Over time black currant and blackberry fruit nose. The palate was initially very restrained even after decant. But after two hours the tannin was smooth and BlackBerry fruit peaked through. it was even more impressive 24 hours after open with the almost sweet tannin providing a wonderful backbone to the fruit. I saved about 6 ounces for a taste after 48 hours open and the wines multilayered complexity really showed with blackberry, black current and cedar blending harmoniously and a 5-10 second finish lingering on the tongue. This is first class wine. It will be good 10 years from now if kept well but it is already in a wonderful drinking window as this as good or better than the last bottle I opened in 2018.
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Not as good as previous bottle - but did not give appropriate time to open up. A lot of sweet fruit up front which faded as the wine got more air. Last few sips were the best.
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Brought this bottle to a michelin starred restaurant in London, they broke the cork and half dropped back in the bottle, causing them to decant and filter (urgh!!) the wine. Dinner was protracted and the wine was served three hours later, warmer than ideal!
Nose was promising, red fruits, pencil shaving and hints of coffee/chocolate but the palate was underwhelming. It lack intensity and vibrancy. Not sure if it was because of the filter and decanting combination, or just a poor bottle (given cork condition). Luckily (or not) there are 11 bottles remaining from this parcel i bought at Christies
At home with grilled steaks. Ruby, with brown edges, slightly translucent. Pronounced aroma from the start, with typical cassis, cedar, toasted French oak, unmistakably Bordeaux. Flavors are soft and round but have started to lose some fruit. Mostly dark fruits, like cassis, plums, but started to dry out after several hours. Time to drink up. I bought this on release in 1989 and have cellared it since. Last tasted 2016 and rated 98 but it has lost some fruit since then. Ric
Wine of the night in a blind small scale 86 Bordeaux tasting (unanimous vote by all tasters, beating one of the 1st growth) surprisingly young and expressive, feminine, complex Tannin soft and smooth
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Perhaps the finest Bordeaux I have had. Perfect drinking window. Balanced with ruby notes. Decanted and needed maybe half hour to show its full potential. Fabulous!
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"Old Bordeaux" = '86! (Old Home of Woodward): Amazing when the worst wine of the night (WWOTN?) is this good! Seemed substantially younger than the GL before it. More garnet at the rim. A sweeter floral nose, more plum, creme de cassis, cedar and spice. Lovely texture, fairly sexy, so I guessed a '95 from the Margaux appellation. Whoops!
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Boldest nose of the tasting for me with more earth and cedar, but palate didn't quite match. A bit muted, but still all there. A good wine, but not as good as the rest this night.
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Jason's 1980s Bordeaux Dinner (La Trompette, Chiswick): Red and black berry fruited nose, touch of mint, smoke and earth. Medium bodied, cedary with some gravelly mineral, fresh/vibrant acidity, nicely balanced, quite long.
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Jason’s 80’s Bordeaux @La T: Dense ruby. Floral with a blackcurrant pastille element to the nose. Dense. Becomes a touch lactic with air although this seems to resolve again. Good line. ****
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Greatest Hits of the 80s! (La Trompette): A slightly better bottle than the one drunk in December. Fresh on the nose, full of black fruit and green herbs, with an undertone of oak moss and other lovely foresty things. Well-balanced on the palate, brighter and creamier than the nose (strawberry jam notes?) but overall savoury rather than sweet. Still some tannic grip, but in a really good spot - my #2 tonight..
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Needed 1.5 hours to really open up, and peaked at >2 hours. Once resolved, showed graphite, leather, cedar, pencil shavings and elegant dark fruit. Still remarkably fresh and young, though feels like it's in it's window right now. Lovely wine, as always.
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Most Splendid Game Dinner: The third flight of reds so the palate may have been starting to fade. This shone through however. Savoury - fully mature Pauillac. Seemed to be more on the palate than the nose, and taste more on the way out than the way in.
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Tasted a couple of times a year, this has entered its peak drinking window and is a relatively early developer for the vintage. It is not at the same level as the 1982 but is the best of rest fully mature. It is old school left bank Bordeaux at its best showing secondary and early tertiary notes. The nose is all about musty old leather, plum, blackcurrant with background violet hints. The palate is resolved but the tannin has retained a masculine bite with perfect balance and no residual harshness. The finish is excellent and fully integrated with a fantastic depth and pushing 60 seconds. As mentioned in previous notes this does need an hour or two in the decanter to blow off any barnyard funk. 96+
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Epic Bordeaux for an Epic Birthday!; 9/1/2021-9/12/2021 (Paris & Bordeaux): I feel a bit for this wine as I know that it's a good one and yet it got completely overshadowed in a line-up of 80's that included one of the best versions of my birth year and then 82 and 89. There's perhaps a bit less lift here than with those others, but still very tasty and a wine I'd be happy to drink any day.
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Tasted blind next to an 86 Talbot (which was off). This was fresh, tasting younger than it’s age. Lovely red fruit, sous bois and cigar box. Velvety with medium length and probably at its peak.
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Classic aged Bordeaux nose of leather, red fruit, and tobacco. Well balanced palate with integrated, yet still quite drying tannins. Notes of red currants and darker fruit tones towards the back of the palate. Long finish. Really lovely wine, although I preferred the 2000 next to it by a small margin.
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Classic aged Pauillac. Decanted and started drinking right away. Lovely tertiary notes with ripe fruits. I couldn't stop myself from going for more. Notice declining at 1.5 ~ 2 hour mark. Overall, it was more lively than I expected. Liked it so much and had to get another bottle from an auction site.
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Birthday dinner for Beth. Steak tartare and frites. The wine was perfectly mature and spot on. Should last another 5-10 years but no particular reason to wait.
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Best bottle of this I've had and the WOTN. Served bright, though this may be laland as it had an elegant herbal tobacco leaf character with mature fruit. Pretty mild tannin at this point but there's some austerity on the finish. Thought it was a '89 bdx, probably Lalande. Seems like the '86 is finally turning the corner towards maturity.
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24 Vintages of Pichon Lalande: All wines tasted blind. A few general observations: 1) Most wines showed the typical Pichon Lalande elegance. This is certainly one of the more delicate and elegant Paulliacs. 2) The relatively high Merlot content (often 20-30%) showed in many wines with fine, fresh rhubarb, rosehip and floral aromas I wouldn’t necessarily associate with a Medoc - all adding to the sensuous quality of the wines. 3) A few vintages showed the very sexy burnt sugar/coffee notes you associate with the 1982 Lalande or a Mouton or a Cheval Blanc - unfortunately, in most wines this night not to an extent and with an intensity to truly excite. 4) Following the legendary 1982 and until the most recent vintages (starting with 2014 but especially with 2016) there are three decades of pleasant Pichon Lalandes but hardly any vintage has the depth and length of truly great wines. The best wine tonight was the 2009 (rated 95+ points) with many more in the 92-94 point category.
TN: This was the weakest 80s Lalande tonight. Maybe just another 86 which needs a bit more time to unfurl (in the context of this large tasting the bottle has not been decanted beforehand). On the nose and palate very dark fruit and some slight tobacco, barnyard and minerality aromas but overall not very complex, precise and not expressive. The structure was fairly good with smooth tannins, a good acidity and tension. Good wine but nothing too interesting here.
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Started out great and interesting. In a vertical of the 85/86/89/01. This may have been my favorite to start. Complex, structured, classic bordeaux. Went well with food. Sadly it started to show just a touch of TCA later in the evening while the others got better. I hesitate to call this flawed since it showed so well early. 94 early, 90 after the small amount of cork taint reared its ugly head.
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Decanted 1hr30. Still incredibly deep in colour, with just gentle paling to rim - looks so young. Remarkably intense nose with masses of ripe brambles, cedar, tobacco and some faint fennel - perhaps a little age showing in the background. Palate shows plenty of freshness, very gentle background fine tannins; light primary fruits of deep bramble with secondary notes of light truffle, forest floor. A really amazing wine - still drinking beautifully with everything in balance and such a light & subtle touch. Delightful. Absolutely drinking now.
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aging red color with some brick at the rim, mature cassis and plum notes on the nose, earth notes, on the palate forest floor with a beaming ripe cassis fruit, light notes of green pepper, tannins resolved, clove notes, fine long fragrant finish, a fine 86 showing beautifully, aging at a glacial pace and with time in hand.
*****, now to 2030++
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Elegant nose with leather and light licorice; balanced; but still some unresolved tannin with a tart element on the front; layered and elegant semi-sweet blackberry finish.
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Stellar wine, unfortunately tasted along side 1992 Ridge Monte Bello, which out-Bordeaux-ed the Bordeaux. Almost impossible to distinguish the 2 by region in a blind tasting. Decanted at 5pm and tasted over 4 hours or so with some left to try tomorrow. Surprisingly little sediment. The wine is a medium to dark translucent garnet with little to no sign of bricking, so youthful for a 35 year old bottle. 12,5% ABV. Nose is smokey and earthy with a hint of game meat, then cassis, vanilla and chocolate. Palate is still fairly tannic to my surprise. Balanced and elegant with red, bordering on black fruit including plum, cassis, pomegranate and graphite on the finish which is long but not as long as the Monte Bello. Also by comparison it has less depth and complexity than the Ridge. Nonetheless this is a wonderful bottle of wine, that I actually think can still improve with some additional bottle age in a good cellar. Of note...I paid $35 for this wine on release.
p.s. More than 24 hours later this wine is still glorious. It has changed a little, more soft, slightly less fruity but it has a gorgeous nose and finish of blackberry bramble. Reminds me of when I used to pick wild blackberries at a country house we had in Pennsylvania. This will easily last another decade IMO
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The 86 Pichon Comtesse can really be super. However, a whole OWC of this showed slightly stewed, Amarone-like fruit. Other OWCs from the same source showed no signs of heat damage and the corks by and large were pristine without any evidence of prior seepage. I'm not sure is this is just barrel-to-barrel variation with some 1986 problems (many bottles of the Cos in particular show a similar Amarone-like character) or whether this case was at some point heat affected.
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Tasted in a tight vertical of Comtesse - 83, 85, 86 and 89. Unfortunately, this bottle was a bit 'green.' Unsure if I want to classify it as 'damaged' or 'flawed' after a similar experience with a 86 Comtesse for Christmas dinner a few weeks back.
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8th of 12, opened 2 hours, decanted one, fully travelled cork, perfect level, more fragrant and better balanced than last bottle noted more fully in 2014, attractive black plum notes and quite silky with enough weight of fruit to cover now largely integrated tannic base, fine persistence (didn't note any sourness on exit), colour and fruit intensity suggest further development possible, probable upside for 10 and further 10 years of life. VF (18.5).....always one of the more attractive 86s vieing with the sublime 82.
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I drink this a couple a times a year, and the last 12 months has seen it really come into its optimum drinking window. However, I must stress this is not the same wine if not decanted to blow off some of barnyard. It is a wonderful mature Bordeaux with a mature nose and palate showing secondary and tertiary notes. It is complex and the tannin is softened, with my only criticism being with the finish, which is lengthy but unbalanced and sour towards the end. I am quite happy to continue to drink this over the next decade at least without worrying about decline.
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Initially a bit sour but still with sweet coarse blackberry with manura and leather nose; after an hour smoothed out and had layers of earth and mocha and coffee and cassis; soft tannin in the finish with length.
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Nez très jeune sur le cassis frais, un peu de menthol et de tabac en cherchant bien. C'est net, pur mais vraiment pas complexe pour un sou et ce que ce soit le midi ou le soir. Si on veut être plus positif, il avait gardé toute sa netteté le soir malgré l'après-midi en vidange. Bouche comprimée à l'ouverture avec des tannins un poil féroces. Les 2h d'aération auront permis de civiliser tout cela pour donner un ensemble d'un équilibre parfait avec une matière plus fondue mais d'une droiture certaine. Le volume, le toucher, la précision, tout est très beau mais on est plus dans la contemplation que dans l'adhésion pleine du fait de ce manque de complexité aromatique. Finale d'une très bonne persistance, sans concession à l'image du reste !
Superbe pour la bouche mais gros regret sur l'aromatique que j'aurais aimée plus complexe pour évité cette austèrité++ même à table. Si 86 donne ça en ce moment, je vais mettre de côté les 96 pour fêter les 10 ans de maison de retraite...
Opened bottle with high expectations, and matched it. There was a slight hiss when the bottle was uncorked which emanated aromas of red fruits, blue berries and violets. It must be one of the most aromatic wines that I have had so far. The nose evolved to forest floor, then sweet wood, creme de cassis and ink. On the palate, the tannins have all but resolved, there is surprisingly freshness to this wine, what I describe as acidity when having strawberries, however this does disappear the longer I drank. Palate was notable for red fruits, blue berries, vanilla and hints of dark chocolate. A truly memorable wine!
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Special wine at 34 years old. Nose was exquisite. Very floral from initially uncorking. Time in the decanter made the nose more cedar, pencil lead. Cassis on the palate. Fine long finish. Something special.
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CC Bday Wine Dinner 2020!: Brought this bottle tonight and was quite looking forward to try it due to the recent strong CT reviews. Red fruits, raisins, liquorice, slight leather, sandalwood, spices. The age brought out some earthiness and bramble. However, some of us noted a slight tinge of heat damage which I agree. Till the next bottle. 91
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Note upon opening: Burnt ruby. Exotic fruit nose. Astringent red fruits in mouth; with airing the stringency softens and the wine displays jammy dark fruits. Double decanted; one hour in decanter and then back in bottle; drank about 5 hours after opening at friend's birthday dinner with rare tenderloin, right before the 1986 Lafite Rothschild (97 points, outstanding now) and the 1986 Mouton Rothschild (98 points, could actually use more time). Those wines were better, but the Pichon was excellent.
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Pop amd pour. Quintessential aged BDX. On the nose: cedar, smoke, dried blueberry. On the palate, good acidity, very savory with loads of cedar, sweet soft mesquite, dried blue and blackberry. Attenuated tannin. Perfectly mature.
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Bottle seems ok , decanted for two hours . Colour dark deep red , with some water and orange hints . Nose clearly left bank BDX , with some freshness like mint and menthol and earthy tones . Black currant at the start of tasting , later on some really pecil lead and graphit -> Paulliac ! Very balanced Bordeaux , with lots of sweet fruit and some integrated acid . Tannics , for this year , very integrated , the merlot makes a nice drinking wine ( "feminin" touch ) . I don´t think , that the wine gets better , so enjoy it now , or during the next years . 93 / 18 Points .
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Opened and decanted a couple of hours in advance. Black cherry, cassis and cigarbox with very big structure that is seamlessly and perfectly integrated. Big and powerful with a long, graceful life going forward.
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Drinking great. Past the peak maybe, but only just heading to other side. Color still terrific with very limited sign of age. Nose brings the berries, but there’s also earthy notes, coffee (?) and some very subtle pine. Interesting that I only decanted a half hour before, but it kept improving over the next hour plus. Lots of tangy dark fruit. Elegant, medium bodied at best. Long finish. Very classy.
This is at its peak, but should stay here for at least the next decade, albeit with occasional bottle variance. It is classic old school Bordeaux. Blackcurrant, plum, old leather and cigar box dominate the nose and palate. It possesses great depth and a lengthy finish, and although robust the tannin is seamless with no residual rough edges. A hour or two in the decanter helps blow off the initial barnyard. I am a great fan of this wine, but I think the subsequent great years starting in 1995 began to show more elegance, and for myself makes the 1986 Pichon Lalande even more unique.
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Classic Bordeaux nose of forest floor and dark fruit. The palate is savory and complex with notes of black currants, earth and cigar box. Well balanced. A wonderful mature claret.
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Somewhat hazy red color. Aromas of cassis, tobacco and mint. Ripe, fully integrated fruit in the mouth with excellent depth and length. Nicely complex and lithe on the palate. Although at very end of its peak drinking period, the wine actually improved over the course of an hour. Delicious but drink up!
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Decanted for 2 hours before writing these notes. THat said, the wine continues to evolve nicely. Tough and closed at first, almost notes of cork but this fades (same on two bottles). Opens up nicely to good Pauillac nose, CS dominant, complex, coffee notes. Good colour and depth too. On palate medium body, well rounded, still tannic, very CS dominant, good fruit to counteract tannins. Medium finish with some astringency.
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Classic, straight forward left bank, earthy, good tannins still, a bit austere, excellent shape, thought it was much younger than it was. Lawry's Dirty Dozen Blind.
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Nose: Cassis, tobacco, graphite. Tight and deep with layers of black fuit and still strong tannin. Palate: Cassis, black cherry, coconut oak and graphite. Finish: more dark fruit and graphite.
Long way to develop on this. A great PLL.
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Wow! From auction. No bricking. Casis, leather, tobacco. Nice tanins but not too drying. Acidity and nice delicate fruit. Showed incredibly well. Good bottle.
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Hardly changed since I last had it in 2012. Classic four square cassis claret that even a 4 hour decant could coax little out of. Leave till 2050 - I’m not kidding. My last bottle from a case drunk over 20 years.
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Beautifully put together but very shy for the first three (!) hours in the decanter. This is clean and pure but still fairly structured. When this finally opened up, it was classic Pauillac with dark currants, graphite, and subtle tertiary notes. Very well balanced. Despite the tannins, I'm not sure this will get much better with time, In any event, it's quite lovely now and very representative of both the producer and vintage. Just give it time in the decanter -- for good bottles (this was pristine), I don't think six hours would be excessive.
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This was not quite up there with some my previous bottles, but that goes with the territory with wine 30+ years. However, it is unmistakably a 1986 Paulliac, with all the characteristics of an old school big Bordeaux. It is firmly in its drinking window, but definitely needs a few hours in the decanter to fully enjoy it. The nose is deep and musty with blackcurrant, plum, and old leather. The palate is robust with tannin and multi layered with complexity. However, with this bottle the finish was a little sour and out of balance. As stated, this ranges from excellent to absolutely superb, but this was at the lower end of the scale. As mentioned this goes with the territory, and this and the Talbot, are still the best left bankers 1986 apart from the first growths and the Las Cases.
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Wide open and delicious. Rich nose of leather, earth, minerals and red fruit. Still some cherry fruit on the earthy silky dry palate. Very silky smooth, great balance and very long. In a great place.
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Grosses Aromaspektrum mit viel Sekundär- und Tertiäraromen aber noch immer etwas Frucht nach 33 Jahren. Intensiv, langanhaltend und keinesfalls müde. BoW 18.5/20
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The sixth wine of 14 vintages of PL back to ‘61 courtesy of Mark Golodetz. I continue to be disappointed by this wine and it showed rather awkward and strict compared to most other vintages with firm tannins not much complexity. There is depth underneath so perhaps it just needs more time but to me it was an ugly duckling in the line-up tonight. A perfect bottle as they all were tonight but it was easily trumped by the ‘88 alongside. 89?
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Drinking at mid peak currently. Nose delivers cassis, plums, pencil lead and a hint of green herbs. Mouthfeel is velvety, medium bodied with lovely mature fruit, resolved tannins and long finish. Very regal and elegant classic Bordeaux without a hint of rusticity. Double decanted 4 hours prior to drinking.
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Pencil lead, cassis, some leafiness, violets, bitter chocolate, and wet bricks on the nose. On the palate, this is fully mature. It's structured, yet so finely knit that it comes across elegant. Power and grace. This has a sense of effortless beauty that is hard to describe. It impresses with it's harmony, not with any particular aspect. Terrific depth and breadth. The wine has a richness coupled with focus and restraint to it that it all comes out perfectly balanced. A classically proportioned archetypal Pauillac. Wonderful and drinking at peak. Thanks RM!
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The first of four bottles from a mixed lot, and boy is this good. Dark fruits, pencil lead and a silky smooth texture. The palate is cohesive and seamless, very supple, and quite long. Drinking very well now and should be on a long plateau. Perfect with grilled steaks on a beautiful summer night. Brought to the Wallicks in Bridgehampton.
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Punchy bouquet with some classic Pauillac forest floor and lead pencil about the still dense and purple fruit. Palate resolving nicely too, no hard edges. More pleasant than I remember. Doesn't hit the same flashy highs that Mouton can achieve, but has some showy and exotic projections. 92-93.
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Attended a head to head blind tasting of Pichon-Baron VS. Pichon-Lalande. Vintages were as follows for the Pichon-Baron : 1988, 1989, 1990 & 1998, Pichon-Lalande offerings were 1985, 1986, 1988 & 1996. The first blind wine happened to be the 1986 Pichon-Lalande which had a damaged cork. What a shame since the wine had tremendous complexity however, the wet earth, humus and mushroomy notes were overwhelming. Under this state it scored 85, however, I would love to try another bottle.
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This is fast approaching its peak, moving forward significantly in the last 12 months, and is fully ready to drink now. Classic old school Bordeaux it is full of blackcurrant, plum, and old leather. Showing full secondary and tertiary characteristics, there is excellent depth and balance on the palate, and a 30+ seconds finish. Do decant for 4 or 5 hours. 96+
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Some people at the table hypothesized that this is simply still not ready, but if it's not giving more after 33 years I'm wondering if it ever will be "ready."
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Bordeaux 1986 Stock, Oslo: Forførende duft med solbær, skogsbær, kryddertoner og støvete kjeller. Veldig rik og strukturert. Delikat, konsentrert og med stor fruktfølelse. Veldig "mørk" frukt, god tanninstruktur. En massiv vin
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There are few simple life pleasures that are as good as my Ribeye and a well cellared, very good vintage of Pichon Lalande.
One of my favorite New Years Eve traditions is to have an old Pichon Lalande and my Ribeye. This one was close to Heaven.
I come from a mother who raised seven kids on her own as my father passed away five months before I was born. An amazing feat on her part. I say this only to say, if you didn’t eat at rapid pace, you didn’t get your fair share. So, I learned to eat quickly as we all did.
However, this steak and a Pichon Lalande takes over an hour and has lasted two hours on several occasions. One small bite of steak and a small sip of the right Pichon Lalande and my eyes roll as my head dips in complete appreciation and study. This 86 was no exception! Pichon Lalande is simply my favorite steak wine.
The nose on the front end reveals some barnyard but, dissipates as it opens in the glass. Saddle-wood & cedar, forest floor & dark cassis. Ripe & slightly baked; blackberries, dark cherries, mixed dark berry liqueur notes, blueberries, black raspberries, black plum, plum, cherry notes on the glass edges and high nose. Black licorice, limestone minerals, dry stones, dry brush, steeped tea, light herbaceous notes, burnt caramel, vanillin, dark spice with bright red & blue flowers and dark withering florals.
The body is medium full and flat out gorgeous as it tantalites the palate. It’s a slow sipper. The tannins are slightly tarry & well resolved with years ahead. The structure, tension, length and balance have hit full harmony. Dark cassis, ripe & slightly baked; blackberries, dark cherries, mixed dark berry liqueur notes, blueberries, black raspberries, black plum, raspberries, plum and cherry notes on the glass edges and high nose. Black licorice, sweet tarry notes, limestone minerals, dry stones, dry brush, saddle-wood & cedar, forest floor, dark expresso roast, pipe tobacco, soft leather, dry crush rocks, steeped tea, light herbaceous notes, burnt caramel, vanillin, dark spice with bright red & blue flowers and dark withering florals. The acidity is like a waterfall over the palate. The long finish can only be described as ripe, ruby, well balanced Heaven and it is persistent for minutes. Puts on weight with an hour & half plus in the decanter. Tannins also...round, slightly gritty and dusty.
Open 6 hours before serving with a quick double decant. Black cherry and plum with cassis and cigarbox. Impressive concentration and depth to start but still seemingly backward. An hour in glass made this come across as richer and more generous. So enjoyable now, with upside from here.
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Spectacular nose from the get-go, very fresh, a touch funky but quite rich to go with some rusticity. Cinnamon, dark chocolate, showing some earth and leather, but exotic as well with an amazing floral scent of hotel lobby lilies. The palate is so cabernet, fully mature but still kicking with great fruit, glycerin, tannin and intensity. My WOTN easily. 96 pts.
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A good wine friend's 50th birthday. (@ PCr): This bottle was corked (again). I just saw that the bottle I tasted in 2012 was corked as well. Tonight’s bottle was from a different retailer.
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Welp, another disappointment. I've had hit and miss experiences with this particular wine, and this was very much on the miss side. There's a core of black fruit, some light graphite and tobacco notes, and a sharp/stinky unripe vegetal note - not the standard herbal greenness I expect from PLL, but something more sour and unripe (Andy says cat litter-like) on the nose. The palate's quite nice - more polished and less tannic than I expect '86s to be, but this is a letdown, a decent wine but totally underwhelming given what I expect from PLL with some age.
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I opened this because of the CT notes and because I have 3 from an impeccable private cellar where they have rested since release. Fill levels in my bottles if "low neck". Cork extracted well with The Durand opener, but was 3/4 wet. Decanted part of a 750ml and topped the remainder with Argon and re-corked with solid cork for next day. Waited 30+ minutes to sample from decanter, but the nose of old leather, tobacco, pencil shavings, dark berry, faint chocolate, overcame me and I poured some to taste. Wow, this is what all Bordeaux should aspire to be! The nose continued to improve and become more fruity over the next hour while I watched Monday night football while eating some leftover rare Prime filet in a sandwich. Fruit became more prominent with time and this came across as a much younger, but very enjoyable Bordeaux. I hope I remember to leave notes on the remainder of this memorable bottle tomorrow.
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Clear ruby garnet. Rich aromatics, nice mouthfeel initially, but then finishes rather tannic. When will these ‘86s be ready to drink? Impressive, but hold
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Yves's Memorial; 11/10/2018-11/11/2018 (MO): Amazing how young this is, as the crimson color you'd expect of a 10yo bdx. Showing more aromatics than my last bottle, but the palate is still stately and foursquare. Big and powerful, and could still use some time.
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Had this aside 3 other 86 BDX, - talbot, rauzan and cos, this was a stunning example of why I started drinking aged wine. Reignited the spark in a big way. Classic.
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Taken to The Butchershop Glasgow. Not the most auspicious start. The young waitress make a pig’s ear of things and stuffed the cork straight into the bottle. Anyways, slightly Bretty off the bat, but after 90 mins decant this was singing. Very little ochre on the rim. Very clean and youthful looking. Beautiful cedar, cigar and leather nose. The tannns were velvety and the dark fruit was so so good. This has ages to go. A superstar wine.
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From an Enomatic sample. A vigourous bottle showing almost a young impression or very little sign of old age. The nose reveals more of fruit character than the usual dominating tobacco and leather aromas from a 30y old wine but of course they are there as well. More of the same theme but the fruit is more shy on the palate, coupled with a hint of orange zest. Silky fine tannin and a very fine fine long lingering finish. In very good shape for a wine of 30 years of age. 94p
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I try this on an annual basis, and it gets better each time. It is very typical of the left bank in this vintage, very muscular and masculine, and classic old school Bordeaux. The nose and palate are all about blackcurrent, plum, and cedar with barnyard always there in the background. The tannin is almost fully resolved but it will always be steely as with the vintage as a whole. The depth and balance are impeccable, and with a good finish, if a little on the short side. Decanting for a few hours is still essential.
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Opened a half bottle for Alex to enjoy, the cork was completed saturated and smelled musty, nose of black cherry and a touch of bret from the get go, over the next thirty minutes the nose improved dramatically and also showed, roasted coffee, black berry, cassis and baker's chocolate, same on the palate, opened consistently throughout the hour as I enjoyed it, the bret blew off, showed richer and richer black cherry and even hinted at red cherry during this time, elegant, almost mouth filling fruit, surprisingly subtle for a Pauillac, and a medium/long but flavorful finish. Uploaded photo of bottle/label/sediment as shown by sunny background.
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Have had several of these. Some were corked, others disappointing. Double decanted and then drank from bottle at Le CouCou ($95 corkage!) This wine was delicious and exactly how an aged Bordeaux should be. Finesse and depth. Ready now but could go longer.
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Stored in cold cellar since release. Similar to previous bottles but slightly less impressive. Lovely bouquet. Mouth filing black fruits but seemed to lack complexity. Drink soon?
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From a half bottle, cork wet almost all the way but not quite, base neck fill.
7th time’s a charm? I’ve had about six bottles, mostly 750mLs that were are disappointments. Like prior noted mostly austere, faded, muted, and/or corked. This current bottle may have had a little cork taint too, however, it was fabulous.
Very much a characteristic 1986, a grower, gaining complexity and finesse on the nose and palate over 3 hours, this was the 86 Lalande I’ve been waiting for to match Parker’s lofty score. Such a complex nose of black fruit of various types, dark cherry, plum, cassis, and blackberry, with earth, forest floor, oak, cigar, stemmy greenness, and some exotic notes I can’t describe, this really showed Pauillac and Bordeaux. The palate was initially tannic with lots a fruit but mellowed out, gained umami and complexity and really because a treat. I do see similarities to the 1996 but haven’t had one of those this good. Maybe in time? Pristine bottles of the 1986 in 750mL should easily have a decade left.
I’m sad there is so much Lalande bottle variation. I had trouble with the 1996, 1989, 1986, and God forbid the 1982. All are stellar when they are on.
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These 86s are all over the map, seemingly identical bottles as far as storage go, can be extremely good or very disappointing, but well worth the gamble. The good bottles are similar to the 96 but a little faded.
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Decanted for about 2-3 hours prior to service. Think this bottle was corked. Sensitive TCA tasters picked this up on the nose. I could not smell anything off or musty - but the palate was pretty non-expressive, which seems to confirm the diagnosis. A shame - was looking forward to tasting
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My Super Secret Surprise Birthday Celebration Extravaganza (Friends apt): Some thought this might have been corked and certainly it started off less expressive than one would have thought, but it just kept coming together throughout the night. Not as many detailed notes as by the time this was really opening up the notebook was not as readily available. Still, an interesting wine.
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Mature color. Faint aroma clean and correct. Better on the palate, medium concentration, solid berry fruit and cassis, moderate complexity, slightly high acidity. Not bad just nothing inspiring or memorable. Barry thought it was still young, I did not. Apparently this vintage of Pichon-Lalande has a lot of bottle variation.
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Essentially identical to my previous note on '86 Pichon Lalande. This is holding at a very high, almost ideal level. There is a slight rust-color tinge to the deep garnet ruby.
Easily 10-15 years of terrific drinking left but why wait? This sexy MILF was in very fine form tonight.
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Second bottle in 2018 with exact same notes. Purchased on release and stored in professional storage since release. Time to drink this; fruit is starting to fade leaving "structure" behind (tannins, acid). Not bad, but not as great as it once was. Does not compare to the 1986 Lafite or Margaux any more. All agreed it was only going to become less-balanced as the fruit continues to slip away. A mature Bordeaux that is just past its peak; drink NOW.
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Revisited this after a disappointing bottle a few weeks ago, and this was much better. Takes some time to open out aromatically, but it's worth the wait with lots of tobacco, graphite, cedar, and gentler green pepper and leafy notes accenting a core of ripe black fruit. A really classic PLL flavour profile with the fruit still quite fresh, but showing lots of development. It's drinking very nicely with a lot of the '86 tannin integrated - this is one of the less tannic wines I've had from the vintage, and among the more accessible '86s I've had lately.
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Sunday at Salil's: Salil's bottle. This one opened up after an hour plus in the decanter to yield some dark fruit along with pencil lead and dry tobacco. A very good wine but I would expect more from this wine than this bottle showed.
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A day in Noizé (Noizé restaurant, London): Bother, another corked bottle of this (2/2), though not as badly so as the previous one. Cool, dark fruit, but with a green element not unlike a 78, but becoming woodier with air alongside a metallic feel to the mid palate. Finishes a little woody too. Shame because there's a 4* wine underneath it.
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Famous for its cameo in the Sopranos, it is a very classic old style Bordeaux; it varies between good and excellent depending on the bottle. The nose is very generous with mature aromas of blackcurrent, plum and barnyard. I feel that the palate does have room for development but the tannin and fruit have good depth and a decent finish. It is very typically left bank 1986 and up there with the elite of the vintage, with some obvious exceptions. Ignoring the first growths and the Las Cases, it is the best of the vintage. It has years of evolvement ahead but already it is everything a old style Bordeaux should be. Do decant for a couple of hours. 95+.
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Wine Flock Intro Retro - Cabs (Jordan's): Served double blind in what turned out to be a 86 BDX flight. Much debate about whether or not this was corked. I was initially convinced it was corked, then coaxed into believing it was sound, and changed my mind once again upon reveal when we determined a non-corked version of this wine would show much, much better. The nose here has an earth/funk/cork note that detracts from fresh plum, cedar and cigar. The palate is still showing good fruit (which is why i conceded this may not be corked) but it's a bit dull and fades on the back end. Probably an 86-87 point showing, and most likely a corked bottle.
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Chicago Wine Flock..."Bordeaux and Cali Cab from Jordan" (Chez Whitehead - Northbrook IL): Tasted double blind in what turned out to be a 1986 Left Bank Bordeaux flight (all open 2 hours with a quick double decant). Everybody wondered at first if this was corked or just musty. Some even enjoyed it. I thought it was an 80-point wine, so was then certain it was corked when unveiled, given my experience with other great bottles of this wine.
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Young and fresh due to the high acidity from 1986. Since this has finally shed some of the worst tannins, it is drinking very well. Not a heavy wine by any means, rather more lean and elegant. The nose is more restrained than many other vintages, i.e. 1989, 1990 and 1996 but is also less interesting, Shows that 1986 is worth waiting for, but that it really is not up there with the best vintages on the left bank.
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Showing some age in the glass. Core is starting to fade. In the zone in the palate. Great tannic structure along with full fruit and fresh acidity. A slightly rustic edge but this is just gorgeous. Still has at least 7-10 years before it starts to decline.
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Earthy nose but with some flowers, showing Lalande's finesse. Relatively pronounced fruit with some tertiary development. Elegant on the palate with a slightly soft texture. Needs at least 2 and up to 3 hours in the decanter to open up. Tannins are not fully resolved, so this has some life ahead of it.
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Vin équilibré et très classique, avec des notes de tabac et de cerises. C'est vin et magnifiquement équilibré, l'accord est une merveille avec le succulent bœuf braisé. Long et fin, sérieux voire un brin austère, mais d'une plénitude admirable, avec une belle complexité. 93 pts
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Spectacular. I think a lot more to come. Slow ox for a couple of hours and then decanted. A very youthful bottle. Had the 1988 last week and it felt way more mature. The nose on the '88 was more impressive. This felt younger. It still tastes fresh. A stunning wine with gorgeous tannins and black fruit and cedar on the palate. Amazing balance. Sensational.
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Cassis, leather and tapenade. Superb colour, very little fade. Supremely elegant, fruit still in evidence, but acidity starting to rise a little. Just about perfect condition now; old leather books, tobacco, such elegance and refinement. Really what great Claret is all about.
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Cork soaked to the end, but ullage was good. A very reddish garnet color; some browning at the rim. Still drinking quite well for a 31 year old wine; and still drinking in its maturity plateau, but a little more towards the end. Cherry, blackberry, some blackcurrant, earth, cedar, cigar box, French oak (seems a little more prominent this time). Still has rich and intense fruit, but seems very slightly less so than when last tasted almost five years ago. Good balance. This time, a nice pairing with prime rib-eye. Score 93+.
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Loved this wine. In general, my appreciation of the 1986 vintage increased quite a bit in the past 5-7 years of tasting. This wine still has vibrant rubby color with no indications of old age. Fantastic strong aromas and balanced complex taste evolve in the glass starting from a mix of spices with black cherry to aromatic tobacco, plum, prune and dark chocolate. It's still very fresh with high acidity, which perhaps is responsible for its longevity. To me, it is still close to the peak of maturity and probably has another 4-5 years before it moves into the "late maturity" phase.
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Dernière bouteille de ce vin acheté en primeurs. Même note qu'il y a 3 mois, encore très bon, arômes tertiaires présents, perd de sa substance avec l'air. A terminer.
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väldigt trevlig bordeaux, mogen fin med härliga mognadstoner, tobak ceder, mull och en härlig cassisfrukt. lång fin eftersmak, tog ett tag att öppna upp sig men en väldigt härlig flaska vin.
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Red fruit, barnyard, anise on the nose with some dried fruit. Light and bright on palate, vibrant red fruit, soft tannins, young with a chalky finish. Herbs notes mid-palate with quintessential old world Bordeaux favors. Light in color with amber edges, easy, soft drinking. very enjoyable.
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Tasted blind, this wine had a red/purple center with orange rims. The medium+ intensity nose showed coco powder, black cherries, brown spices, anise, and soil.
In the mouth, this wine was ripe and light with rounded tannin. It had great balance and length and developed a fine grained texture that was quite impressive. This was much more approachable than most 1986s. However, there was still a firm/mineral element that soil worshippers will enjoy. However, tasters focused on jammy fruit may never find satisfaction here.
This was a lovely wine that was in the zone and close to 95 points. Give it 5+ hours of air and enjoy the subtle fireworks!
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Capsule was intact. Mid neck fill. Cork almost fully soaked but nice "pop" when pulled out. Decanted for 2hrs and tasted then 90 mins more.
Tannins completely integrated and fruit is still very prominent. Was probably best at about 2.5-3hrs in the decanter. Started to fade just a bit after that but remained tasty until bottle was finished 5 hrs after opening.
Have one more that I'm excited to open sooner than later.
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Still young, but with two hours of air drinking beautifully. Cannot over emphasize the transformation of this wine after a two hour decant. Well balanced, however noticeable tannins. IMO this wine may just be entering its drinking window. This bottle at least could easily have gone another 10 years. Cedar, pencil lead. Despite tannins, approching elegant. 95
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This is a wine which is starting to nudge towards full maturity. It has a full nose of blackcurrent, cedar, and tobacco which continues on the palate. The tannin is typically 1986 and it grips the mouth but is in total balance with the fruit. The finish is wonderfully long and once again, although tannic, perfectly balanced. This does settle in the glass after 20 minutes or so, and I would recommend that it still needs a couple of hours in the decanter before consumption. This is a very classic Bordeaux with big bold tannins; whether it will develop further with the tannins sweetening is to be seen.
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Bouteille achetée en primeur. Bouchon totalement imbibé mais sorti d'une pièce. Non carafé. Grenat tuilé, moyennement brillante. Moins multi facettes qu'il y a 5 ans, plus évolué, arômes tertiaires avec quelque rémanence de cassis. La bouche est plus linéaire, moins complexe. Longueur moyenne. À boire.
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Bought on release and stored in excellent conditions. Decanted about 6 hours before service.
Wow, this wine is amazing right now! This vintage of Pichon Lalande has its reputation for a reason. Dark ruby with little edge deterioration. It's a monster Bordeaux, but with a finesse that is associated with the "feminine" style of Lalande (compared to the brawn of Pichon Baron). Leather, cassis, raspberries on the palate. Still not at full maturity, so probably 20 years of great drinking left.
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Frukten er i fin form etter 31 år. God fylde i munnen. God syre og perfekt tanninsnerp. Men vinen er nesten taus i nesen. Og det hjelper lite med en time i glasset. Skuffende ut fra pris, og hva man forventer av produsenten.
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Bottle had corroded capsule, possible seepage and a little mold on top of cork. Tasted after opening and thought the wine was over the hill. Decent color, but nose and taste way off. Tasted 30 min after opening - worse, same opinion. Left it in decanter - tasted after 2 hours. Wow, what a change! Wine had totally transformed and was now fresh and vibrant. Nice fruit, elegant, beautiful nose. Very enjoyable.
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Drinking superbly right now. A real beauty with a bit of backbone to the hedonistic dark berry flavoured juice and crushed blackberry and blueberry scents.
50+5+13+18+9=95
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With news of a new job and it being superbowl Sunday, as good a reason as any to open a good wine. This was high shoulder fill and had some signs of past seepage. The cork was soked to the top but there was a nice 'pop' when pulling out the cork. Brilliant youthful appearing crimson color that seemed to darken in the glass. More youthful and powerful than recent '81,'88, and '89. Nice aromatic nose of saddle leather and tobacco leaf. Palate was softer than expected, though some tough tannins peaked out on transition to the finish, they were much less prominent than many '86's. Primary fruit is gone, but there's plenty of black currants mixed with the expected leafy herbal character of Lalande. Lengthy tobacco leaf finish. I don't know the blend here but comes across as having a high percentage of cabernet. Very much enjoyed as it had more elegance than many '86's.
I have been hearing that there is a high percentage of corked bottles of this wine. Well, this is not one of them. It is elegant with bright fruit,tobacco, still some tannins, and a deliciously long finish. I am not sorry I opened this bottle, but if I wasn't concerned I would have held onto it a little longer, although quite a nice pairing with my steak au poivre.
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Sweet spot age 30. Served BYOB at a local restaurant, there was a collective gasp from the table when poured. Exhilarating nose of licorice, black cherry and raspberry followed by silky palate coating taste and long, long finish. If a date, this was a 38 year old lingerie model with an IQ to match her exquisite beauty.
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From a magnum with a 3 hour decant. Faint smell of oxidation when first opened but this blew off after time. Still very youthful looking dark ruby colour with no hint of bricking at the edge of the glass. The nose is disappointing, one-dimensional and lacking any of the complexity of other vintages of this wine. On the palate there is again a lack of complexity and depth with notes of lead and wood dominating any fruit lurking underneath. There are no obvious tannins that need to be aged out here and I doubt any prolonged bottle age will bring out secondary and tertiary flavours. Disappointing.
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1 juledagsfylla med Bdx: The Pichon Lalande 1986 and 1989 where tasted up against each other. Two great vintages from the 80´s where the 1986 is suppose to be best one. From our tasting the 1986 had quite youthful colour, deep and ruby. Tertery aromas on the nose of light swamp, wet EUR pallet and liquorice. Tart concentration on the palate with more red fruit and elegance. The wine falls a bit short to expectations. And the wine looses even more touch after 1 - 1.5 hours in the decanter.
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SO'd for a few hrs, then decanted, medium ruby with slight brick rim, dark fruit with leather & a touch of tobacco, soft tannins, long finish; delicious & ready to drink
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Enjoyable but monolithic and massively structured. This would be aptly paired with a steak in December after two-plus hours in the decanter. Cleary very well built but tough to get a lot of pleasure out of just yet.
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Delicious bottle of Pichon; much better than last bottle consumed earlier this year. Good cork, improved over 3 hours. Suggest 30 mins of decanting. Nice color, no bricking, elegant, beautiful nose, wonderful fruit. Classic
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From Imperial. What an amazing difference from the 750 ml bottles I have had over the years. Less earthiness, deep, full bodied, very complex, a long life ahead. My rating was 2 pts higher than the 750 ml. Nice pairing to Lamb Loin with Lobster Risotto and Pearl Onions.
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Bordeaux 1986 single blind tasting at Grappe, Stockholm. With Mr Carl-Jan Granqvist and Mr Johan Edström. Soft and elegant but with a a firm backbone. Very good.
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En väldigt bra flaska som känns som att den är som bäst just nu. En underbar mognad med elegant frukt, ceder, skogsmark och söt tobak. Väldigt elegant med fin textur och längd
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Decanting for a little bit (30 minutes) made a big difference. Delicate bouquet of red and dark fruit, leather, earth and white pepper. Medium+ body, elegant and complex with a lingering finish. Not as good as the 82 but this is a great wine.
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Oregon Notes.; 8/5/2016-8/26/2016: sweet, young fruit. bright and amazingly refreshing. back palate still has some big tannins. true claret - elegant and making the food shine along with the wine.
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Really impressive, though still years away from maturity. A core of rich red and dark fruited flavours framed by cedar, graphite, and that signature PLL green herbal accent on the nose, but it's still a bit tannic and austere on the palate. With time (this was double decanted well before dinner) it opens out and becomes more accessible, with the tannin easing up and the fruit and developed earthy notes deepening.
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An atypical Monday (Dale's): Sour cherry and currant on the palate, with graphite and a bit of earth & smoke. Very silky. Some drying wood tannin in the background. Much silkier and less rich than the 1981. Very good.
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This wine lacks vibrancy. It still has deep saturated fruit without the typical tertiary flavors you would expect from a 30 year old wine but it just falls a bit flat. I liked previous bottling a of this same wine a lot better. The bottom of the cork was in bad shape, although there were no signs of seepage.
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Classic claret nose, with dusty fruit, pencil lead, and whiff of bell pepper. Medium-bodied on the palate but a bit faded and lean. Not sure if this is representative, as it seemed far more mature than one would expect from this chateau and vintage.
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Opened up and poured into a smaller sized decanter and in about an hour it was in the zone. This gave off an undeniably fragrant nose of blackberry currant, cedar, tobacco, unlit matchstick and earth that lead way to an elegant medium bodied red fruited palate that lingers ever so nicely on the finish.
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Still alive but unmoving. Purchased from my local wine shop who assured me it was acquired from a quality cellar. Decanted half the bottle for an hour, and coravin'd the rest to compare. Nose is textbook Bordeaux, old church, dried roses, cedar. The palate had light tobacco, pale fruit and no mid palate, backend just fell off a cliff. Flat. Cork was perfect, neck was full. Disappointed.
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Subtle hints of cherry and blackberry but this is a full bodied old fashioned Bordeaux arrested by steely tannins. A great wine but perhaps still to reach its drinking plateau. This does benefit from a long decant.
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Knightsbridge 30th Anniversary Party (The Bristol - Chicago IL): Gobs of black fruit with lots of structure and cigarbox hints. A wine I've liked a great deal over time, and liked again tonight. Good now, better in the future and certainly it would have been better with more air.
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Pichon Lalande Tasting: Bottle #2. Deep, exotic, some minerals; surprisingly soft mouthfeel, more youthful than bottle #1, a bit more opulent – although the term does not apply well, a complex and wonderful wine. 96+
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Pichon Lalande Tasting: Bottle 1. Brought as ‘without vintage’ – unreadable. Turned out to be the -86. Black currants og minerals, comlex smell; very structured and very -86, moderate fruit, but what is there is very clear, long and intense. An elegant wine.
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An elegant wine with good concentration and balance, fully integrated tannins and a seamless finish. For my taste, a wine that is in a perfect place. I really dig this!
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Popped and poured at W in Omotesando. Excellent-looking bottle and high neck fill. The sommelier was able to pull the cork out in one piece despite the bottom third being completely soaked. No bricking at all, and the wine was dark and youthful. Would have guessed it to be 10-15 years younger than its actual age. Great experience.
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Deep dark Ruby in color. No signs of aging really. Beautiful nose and great classic flavors of cedar, leather, but still packing some fruit. Overall lovely wine in perfect harmony. Would have guessed it half the age it was.
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A medium translucent ruby in the glass; blackberry & raspberry fruit on the nose, with a note of iron as well.
It has taken forever for '86 wines to come around, but near 30 years this wines seems comfortably in it's drinking zone. Nice finish - popped & poured in preparation for dinner later today - I think this will drink well today.
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Still garnet and opaque, with some brick at the edges. Pronounced aromas of cedar, cassis, French oak, earthy, did not diminish over four hours. Quite viscous. On the palate, still plenty of fresh dark fruits...cassis and black cherries, perfectly balanced with acidity and tannin. Rich lingering aftertaste, just a touch hot on the finish. I bought this on release in 1989 and have cellared it since. Amazing that a thirty year-old wine should still be this youthful. Time to drink, though. Ric
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Showing a glacial path of aging. Black licorice aromas. Candied grape and med/- tannin. An ethereal drink with water-weight to the palate. As this opens up, the palate fattens out and shows a nice level of density to the palate. Still holding on to substantial fresh blackberry fruit. 'Maple syrup' is called out. Full, rich and concentrated.
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What few 1986's drunk have not been particularly memorable but this was sensational! Unmistakably Pichon Lalande, open and absolutely delicious. Should easily last another five years.
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New Year's Eve Celebration of Four Second Growth Bordeaux. Happy New Year to all CT members. Lovely nose of cedar, blackberry, barnyard, more of the same on the palate, the barnyard grew into TCA and detracted from its rating, medium/big body, long finish. My #4 of 4.
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Even ruby throughout without a hint of maturity. Classic black olive and cassis. Beautiful, poised medium weight, silky, balanced, long, and gentle. The fruit is still crisp and this has buckets of time in hand, but marvelous now. A highly successful '86 showing none of the brutal structure for which the vintage was known during its first 20 years.
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Wine really opened up after an hour and was outstanding with Lamb Chops. Elegant, nice nose, soft tannins, but definitely think this wine might go another 5 years
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Vertikal provning Pichon Lalande 12 årgångar 66-90. 1986: potentialen klädd med stor kropp och kraft. Tyvärr kork defekt och helt uttorkad. Hade troligen varit top 3 annars.
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Like other great Left-Bank estates, this '86 just isn't ready at the moment. Closed and oaky. Dense cabernet fruit not giving up much complexity yet. Hopefully these will start to ease up in a few more years.
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Nice garnet, no breaking in meniscus, holding together beautifully. Resolved soft tannins in balance with medium alcohol and extract a feminine soft style - long finish. Very good bordeaux
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Bordeaux Left Bank (semi blind) (Amsterdam Wijn Antiquariaat): Beautiful complex nose full of ripe fruits, cream, herbs, some iron, tar and earth. Luscious and smooth on the well-balanced and delineated palate. Seems a lot younger than you would expect.
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Shared with friend after decanting for at least three hours. Worried that the wine would be flawed based on reviews here but it wasn't. It evolved all night coming in and out of focus at times and began to decline over the 5 hours it was put through decant and consumption. But on balance was really good....just not as good as I remember in 1999 and 2003 when it was my favorites. My last bottle and it was enjoyed with an old friend who first gave it to me so long ago. I love wine!
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Previous notes apply. Tannins still indicate aging possible. Elegant and great with filet, et al. Sorry there are not more copius notes. Sometimes when at dinner with special friends you just, eat, drink and enjoy and not spend all night evaluating wine. Everyone loved it up against an 83 Mouton. Both wines were excellent.
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Opened along side with 81 Vega Silica Unicon, 82 Lych Bages, 83 Las Mission Haut Brion, 85 Ducru-Beaucaillou and 88 Mouton Rothschild. The best was LB, then VS, Mouton and this one, then La Mission, and DB. The ones in better vintage showed better structure and complexity.This Pichon Lalande was very floral on the nose after an hour in decanter. Violet and leather on the nose. Dark cherries, spices, blue berries, liquorice with smooth structure. Medium long finish. This is surprisingly young and very enjoyable. It should be good for another 5 years.
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This wine is really coming into its own. Tar, damp earth, and wonderful white pepper. Notes of eucalyptus, light licorice, sour cherry, tart pomegranate and smoke. Initially it provided a somewhat astringent backend but with time the abundance of remaining sweetness and acid was quite evident. Served after a 1.5 hour decant and then consumed over the subsequent 2 hours. This wine has plenty of time left but is fantastic now.
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Goodbye 2014, Hello 2015 (Jade Palace): Served in a flight of a mini-vertical of Bishan Lalangs - '83, '86 and '95. After the previous flight of '60s wines, the comment that everyone echoed was "too young!"; And indeed this was... way too young, with almost no sign of secondary flavours at all. Nose of graphite, some earth. Palate was dark-fruited, very fresh with fine tannins. Based on tonight's showing, won't be surprised if it would last another 1-2 decades.
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Utterly charming and seductive, especially for a 1986. This well stored bottle was just entering its drinking platform. Full range of red and black fruits, with secondary earthy notes beginning to emerge. Hints of laurel, licorice, menthol and medicine cabinet, together with thick fleshy substance. Excellent wine! Will continue to drink well for 20+ years.
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Chateau Pichon Lalande Dinner with Nicolas Glumineau (Commanderie de Bordeaux, Singapore): From Magnum. Medium-dark garnet. Nose of dark fruit with earthy tones, masculine Medoc. On the palate this is still quite closed like so many 1986 (and will probably never turn around) where they just overdid it withe the tannins. It is not bad now if you are used to Bordeaux but it would be exaggerated to say that they struck the right balance here between fruit and structure. Make sure you drink this with a steak.
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fantastic. Fresh dark and delicious. Dry finish. Added depth after 1 hr decant and really singing after 2 Classic papillae old school but still has fresh energy ... Drink now or 10 years but I doubt will improve only change as in a really good place now
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Mesmerizing at 28 years old. Still a powerful core of dark cassis fruit on both the nose and palate, with bluish fruit developing later. Mint, cedar and graphite foundation, but rich, sumptuous multi-note nose. Smells like an exotic spice market. Meaty and confected, like candied bacon. My first experience with a high-end Bordeaux this old with great provenance and excellent storage. Magnificent.
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Very similar to my previous TNs. From 750ml, VTS fill, stood bottle for days. Cork was in beautiful shape (for a change)! PnP with rack of lamb and roast tenderloin. Gorgeous, deep garnet color. Leather and cassis on the nose, if a touch lacking. Sweet, dense red fruit on the palate. Perfect tannins. Medium-plus length finish tonight. Beautiful fully mature Pauillac, showing fabulously tonight. Ah, bottle variation: this time for the win, yay! Seems plenty of life remaining on these, yet zero reason to wait. Enjoy!
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Last bottle of this year. Still hanging on but beginning to fade out. Was served in a line up of a vertical next to 88, 89, 90, and 95 and had a hard time standing up the 88 which was served next. I don't think I have to describe a Pichon, we all know, or should know what they are.
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No formal notes - Bottle was in great shape, great fill, cork was soaked halfway through, no signs of seepage. I have had multiple bottles of this wine over the last 10 years and while great I have always felt it was still a little closed and left me wanting more....not this bottle! Does this mean the '86's are coming around? Maybe? The Comtesse was on fire this night!
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Popped and poured. Dark color. Nose seemed a little off. Wine astringent with no fruit. Would suggest it was flawed except that there have been a lot of flawed bottle posts. Drank over a 3 hour period.
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Zachys bottle. Colour was correct but had this furniture polish nose that overwhelmed the fruit. I feel the bottle was affected in some way. It was not a cork issue but perhaps a heat or storage issue. Sadly a disappointment but other bottles I have had have been fresh and delicious.
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Corked! Should have heeded all the warnings from earlier posts. A shame, because it seems like there were some pretty good ingredients below the taint. No more 86 for me, will focus on 96 now when it comes to Lalande.
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7 th of 12, perfect fill, decanted an hour - mid garnet, orange rimmed, lighter than last note, elegant, complex bouquet, black fruit, some cedar and graphite, medium rich, quite high toned giving fruit attractive freshness, long and complex, perfect with rare sirloin, super wine at or towards its peak now, if without that extra richness and dimension of the 82. Fine plus (18/20).
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All black fruit with cigarbox everywhere, moderate ripeness but lots of complexity. Great structure that is just perfectly integrated, balanced, with great length. I have liked this wine for a decade+ and it continues to both perform tremendously and continues to show upside.
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Great drinking window. Excellent development of secondary characteristics and layered complexity but yet still good core of fruit and richness through the palate. Well balanced now but no rush.
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Second bottle of a case bought on futures in 1987 ($240?). This was a year where the Merlot crop mostly failed, making this a strongly Cabernet wine -- which I like. The wine is velvety in texture yet still firm with dark berry and plum fruit and just a touch of lead pencil. Would that most clarets were still made like this and were as inexpensive as this was. No hurry to drink the remaining bottles.
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Decanted for 4 hours. Deep crimson. Nose of graphite, chocolate, earth, herbs. Sweet chocolate, lead pencil, game meat, plums and cardamom. A lovely wine. 3rd best of the mini-vertical.
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BYOB dinner with Jamie Pollack (Bourbon Steak): This bottle is showing incredibly well. Classic Pauillac like the 90 LB but more uplifting and expressive nose, and more precise palate. Expressive sweet red fruit driven nose, plum, cedar, light caramel, a hint of lead pencil and sweet spices. Excellent concentration and exceptional balance, intense sweet red fruit driven palate impression, fully integrated tannins and seamless finish. I find the wine sensual and hedonistic. I can drink this all day.
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Pichon-Lalande Vertical Tasting (Mark Allen): Dark cherry, black currant, a bit spicy with light vanilla nuances still there; medium bodied, fine tannins, forest floor and darker berries single this one out of the 8 vintage vertical. Smooth, good balance, darker and bigger than the others; not as elegant as the '79. (RP 94)
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Stored in a cold cellar since release. Fill lower neck. Cork excellent. Perfect condition. Classic Pauillac. Lovely bouquet.Full bodied, dense, black fruits. Just lacks complexity to be truly great. Will keep many years in a good cellar.
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2 hr decant: Cedarwood most present with pencil lead, almost tastes oxidized. 3 hr decant: Blackberry liquor beginning to show. 4 hr decant Shutting down, MUCH more tannic. Nose consistent throughout.
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Big Bordeaux VII (Kevin's house): 2 hour decant and drank a small pour over about an hour. Savory, rich and interesting nose. Rich mouthfeel. Nice round fruit. Graphite. I'm happy to say this Bordeaux's palate was as good or better than the nose. Blackberry liquer comes out after about 45 minutes and seemed to be gaining with time.
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Big Bordeaux VII: Featuring 1986 & 1989 Super Seconds (Rocknroller's (Kevin & Vicki's Place)): Very dark red-purple color with 2-3mm clear meniscus. 2hr double decant, drank a 2.5oz pour over 3 hours. Nose is more fruity, with blue and black fruit, blueberry, blackberry liqueur, red licorice, briary, dry earth, subtle mushroom, mint, ripe fruits, crème de cassis and graphite. The palate is full bodied, good depth here, crème de cassis, anise, lead pencil, blue and black fruits, blackberry, blueberry, with a medium plus finish.
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Dégustation Bordeaux 1986 Chez Christophe: Je croyais cette bouteille légèrement bouchonnée à l'ouverture. L'aération dissipe ce que je croyais être du liège, mais elle ne réhabilite pas cette bouteille pour autant. Un nez mine de crayon, un peu de caramel, de viande séchée. La bouche est austère, très pauillac, avec une finesse mais dans un style bien austère et des notes un peu végétales. Les qualités de texture sont toujours là, mais l'aromatique ne suit pas. Je la reconnais à l'aveugle et suis certain qu'il s'agissait d'une bouteille imparfaite, car ce millésime du domaine est fort réputé. 88 pts
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Flawed bottle: Corked. I noticed, all too late unfortunately, that there are A LOT of flawed bottles of this wine on this forum. That is not a good sign to me, especially since the percentage of corked wines is supposed to be between three and seven percent. If I get another corked bottle, I will definitely sell the remaining bottles. Too bad, as I was really looking forward to this bottle. Maybe Latour and Margaux are onto something by experimenting with screw caps on some of their First Growths.
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Still very good. Corks in excellent condition, colour garnet no bricking, lovely soft fruit aroma and long black fruit taste. What more can you ask of 28 year old?
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The cork disintegrated while inserting a waiter corkscrew. Should have used my Coravin or a two prong cork removal tool. The wine was not corked and actually very red and opened nicely in about an hour. The nose was pleasant vegetal and flowers with eucalyptus. The palate dried fruit and the finish tart. Bottom line: not worth the money. Go Napa.
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This was the second bottle we opened; first bottle was corked. The cork in this bottle was about half saturated; wine was deep purple with lead pencil, vegetal aroma and taste. It opened up after being out for a while, some fruit and tannin. Not too bad. Certainly better than the first bottle of PLL we opened on the same night.
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double-decanted & slow-ox one hour; no noticeable evidence of taint. clipped, pinched & attenuated; TCA not really detectable on nose but all the telltale characteristics are here. purchased on futures, cellared perfectly since release, second bottle from this case flawed. BUMMER!
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Drank with JB and Gary. Special year of the horse treat over roast chicken lunch! Odd bottle lot from Acker so wanted to check it out and reassess where this most backward of wine is right now. Well, it is in a sweet spot at last. Still deep ruby and looking like a wine from the 90s, it was oozing dark bramble and custard fruit. Surprisingly spicy on the nose but very pure with undertones of both jasmine and darker undergrowth, leather and kink. A lush and long mouthful that is in perfect balance right now and I think bottles can be safely opened and enjoyed. Far superior to the 89 and more substance than the very pleasurable 85 and 83, I think it is on par with 82 but is more "classical" as compared with the exotic nature of the 82. The owner always preferred her 86 over her 82 and I think I know why!
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Similar to my previous TNs. From 750ml, VTS fill, stood bottle for many days. Cork literally disintegrated, so I sawed most of the dust out and pushed the remainder into the bottle and strain/decanted (multiple times, thus introducing much more air sooner/faster than I would have intended). Far less browning, almost none in fact: much deeper garnet color than prior bottles. Sadly, the nose on this continues to be subdued. Sweetness of some dense red fruit on the palate. The tannins are still present, and do dry this out a touch. Medium-plus length finish tonight. Beautiful fully mature Pauillac. Seems plenty of life remaining on these, yet not enough evidence to suggest significant more patience.
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muted nose with hints of cedar wood and dark berries. Well rounded middle weight flavours with good length and smooth finish. I was expecting something much more expressive and elegant, and suspect that the bottle was defective due to storage in its earlier life. (I bought it from a very dependable source two years ago). The other tasters liked it though.
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Bottle had a nice fill and colour was nice and dark, definitely didn't look like a 27 year old wine. Beautifuly typical Bordeaux notes of earth, forest, tobacco and pencil on the nose with very little hint of acidity even as the wine sat in the glass for a long time. However if you own this wine, I personally would not decant this and, much like some of the othe posts on the page, would suggest you drink this pretty soon (<5yrs). But still an excellent expression of Pauillac here. Full disclosure: I drank this with two other experienced tasters who were not as enthused.
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Drank Dec 14th 2013, This bottel seemed a bit tired now, compared to the bottle I drank in 2009. The tannins have faded and it is very delicate, still a nice nose and some soft fruit and cedar notes . Still enjoyable but watch what you drink it with , I don't suggest having it with food other than very mild flavored. Drink up!!
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Boston CT Offline (Concord, MA): Nose: Tropical Red Fruit, Coconut, Vanilla, Spice and Cedar. Very elegant and perfumed. Really evolved as it opened. Palate: Very soft and resolved with a nice polish to the mouthfeel. Silky and filled with Cherry, Plum, allspice and some sweet cherry/vanilla notes. Finish: Lingers with drying tannin and nice fruit notes.
Just a gorgeous wine.
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Wine club does 86/90 Bordeaux (and others): Still so young. Aristocratic, polished, crystalline. Plums, chocolate on the attack. Grainy tannin for Pichon, but not for 86. Long finish. I think this would have benefited from more air.
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Keith's 50th Birthday Celebration (Bin 75): Cloudy dark core with orange rim; tobacco, compost, Bordeaux funk is blowing; beautiful fruit, dense, black currant, lots of pencil lead, mineral, so balanced and lots of life left; absolutely delicious; called Leoville Las Cases because of the balance and lead.
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Lovely nose and perfume. Tight initially then opened up after sitting in glass. Recommend decanting 2-3 hours in advance as showed much better with air. This wine feels like it could keep going for some time - 10+ more years?
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Still nearly black colour. Plenty of lead pencil on the nose with palate dominated by black fruits. The usual 86 structure still there but now slowly starting to release the previous vice-like grip on the wine. Impressive showing.
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This is a great wine. Just beautiful now,, well balanced still plenty of fruit, the nose wafts out from the bottle, I was afraid that it would not last, but after the guests have gone it seems even better. Long taste. No sign of age in the colour. Apologies that I have put it down in the wrongorder
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A mature ruby-garnet colour, this wine possesses a beautifully expressive and sweet bouquet of cedar wood, dried red berries, blackcurrant, tobacco, and notions of loamy soil. The tannins are fully resolved, and this wine shows beautiful intensity and persistence. Though seemingly fully mature, this wine surely still has a long life ahead of it.
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Library wine, popped and enjoyed over a 3 hour period. Soaked cork. Surprisingly dark purple color with some light edges. Nose woke up after 30 minutes to reveal intense smells of cassis, dark currant, tobacco, and a streak of green pepper which was intriguing rather than objectionable. Still quite fresh on the palate with buoyant, ripe red currant fruit loaded with grippy sweet flavor. Tannins got a bit dusty at first but then integrated later in the evening, with just enough accompanying structure to add gravitas. Acidity was moderate and lent freshness. Long finish with sweet red plum notes and a hint of tobacco and leather. Wonderful wine, very much alive at age 27.
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A wine for gamblers as one bottle may be great and the next is flawed. Luckily this one was a winner. Sweet nose and very present cabernet. In the mouth quite juicy or creamy. Lasts very long in the mouth. For me this game is over: only had two bottles, the first from hell and this one from heaven.
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Sunday Brown Bag Tasting: 2003 Bordeaux (Mike & Judi's): Opens with Pichon Lalande's telltale green/herbal streak, followed by tobacco, black fruit and spice box notes. Integrated and balanced, with flavors of black fruit, tobacco, spice box and red currants. Forest floor, roasted herbs and red fruit linger on the finish. Absolutely terrific.
Levels into neck. Mature cabernet flavor. Still opaque in the bottle, slightly goes into brick in the glass, but no signs of orange or brown. To the major part Tannins are integrated but wine is well "al dente" with core and still "furry". Third bottle, not decanted this time. Gets better after one hour. Typical lovely "silky" taste I like from Pichon Lalande. Pleasant to drink. Nice bottle, two left. Suggest this will keep for the next 5 years.
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Klar, mørk dyp rød. Dyp, forførende nese med solbær og mørke, røde bær, mild blyantspiss, skogbunn og hint av vanilje. Konsentrert, tett og dyp frukt med fremdels innslag av primær råhet i strukturen. Delikat med saftig og frisk syre. Tørr utgang med lett bitt i tanninene. Flott lengde. Kan fremdeles trenge litt tid.
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Nose was stunning both on opening and after 2 hours decanting. Cork in good condition and well sealed but some stains reaching top of cork. Color tending towards brick. Tannins soft and completely integrated, great aromatics but overall a little austere on drinking alone. Finish was medium. Perfect with food (fillet mignon).
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Cork broke, but seal seemed good Color still good, deep with only a little lightness at the edge Alas, slightly oxidized and not at all what the last bottle was. Very little fruit, peppery, bit of cassis, a little angular. Oh well, 27 yo, you takes your chances....
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From 750ml, VTS fill. Not overly consistent with my previous tasting notes. Biggest change was not having planned to open this. Pressed into action, I only stood bottle up for 15-20 min, and slow oxed for 45 min, then decanted and served on its own over the next couple hours. Browning, deep garnet color. Nose was much more shut on this one than previous bottles. More sweetness on the palate tonight. Only a medium length finish tonight. Still plenty enjoyable, but not exceptional.
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We had a vertical of 6 vintages of this wine. This was the oldest. The colour is still good no sign of browning, the nose better on immediate opening but tended to fade: cigar box. The taste like Raisin, and Black Pepper. The body is Medium/Full. The wine has Smooth texture. The wine finishes Medium length.
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Misc Bordeaux (Frederiksberg): A little restrained nose but with a little black currant fruit and coffee. Intense young black currant flavors with a young sharp acidity. Some green herbs are also showing. It does seem a little to dry and rustic but otherwise a nice wine.
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Bottle was in excellent condition. Opened by a sommelier and decanted for about 30 minutes...I had high expectations for this bottle but found it to be slightly lean and high in acid. The acid put the wine slightly out of balance for me masking its dynamic flavors. Nevertheless engaging and enjoyable.
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This continues to perform nicely. From 750ml, VTS fill. Stood bottle up for an hour, slow oxed for an hour, then PnP and enjoyed on its own over the next couple hours. Slight bricking, deep garnet otherwise. Nose is simply lovely Pauillac. Power and finesse on the palate. I like Paul S' 1/22 note below, captures the essence of the whole package nicely. Only a medium length finish on this tonight. I can't imagine this improves with further aging.
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Rheingau Gourmet Festival "Weinraritätenlunch Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande" (12 PLC vintages), late Feb 2013: classic Bordeaux red with brown reflexes; cassis, bread and earth aromas and flavors; plenty of tannin, took about 30 minutes to soften up a little bit.
1-2 h decanting time would have beneficial.
Tannins are still kind of overwehlming. If you go through the literature this seems to be the fate of a lot 1986 left bank clarets (most prominent the Mouton). Will they ever mature and fully open up?
1st flight: 1986 - 1988 - 1989 - 1990
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Double decanted because taking it to a dinner. Worth doing as there is enough sediment to mess up the wine if being transported. This wine is still good. No sign of age in the colour. Nose good good but not complex and the taste lingers,
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The fill was base neck and the cork was sound; opened an hour before service, but not decanted. It seems as though most bottles of the '86 Pichon Lalande have a slightly angular and austere character, and this bottle was no exception. Good and complex aromatics, but lacking in terms of depth and texture. I greatly prefer the '88 Pichon Lalande!
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The family resemblance to the famous '82 is there. Fruit, fruit, fruit, maybe 50% blackberry and 50% blueberry. The tannins have dissolved . But surprisingly one dimentional at full maturity.
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Martin's Birthday Bash (Gallery Hotel, Singapore): Decanted for an hour or so before I got to it, I thought this was another very strong wine. However, while clearly from a stronger vintage, probably even being the stronger wine than the 1994 Haut Brion that preceded it, I found this just a touch less enjoyable on the night than its more Southerly neighbour. Nevertheless, this was very impressive. The nose was very Pauillac, very Pichon-Lalande in fact, with toasty tobacco notes and stewed tea leaves, an edge of green peppers, then nice, high-toned cassis aromas bedded into a layer of mushroomy earth. Nice stuff. The palate was slowly approaching its zenith I thought. Mature, elegant, it pleased on all levels, with silky tannins wrapped and juicy, almost citrussy orange acidity wrapped around attractive cassis fruit flavours with just the right amount of ripeness on them. A nice touch of spice and herb at the end added a good bit of complexity as the wine pulled away in a nicely long finish, all underscored by a pretty serious backbone. While this is not one of the truly great Pichon-Lalandes (say, like the 1982 or the 1996), it is certainly a very good one indeed. However, I somehow got the nagging feel that this was technically correct, without quite moving the soul. All in all, a very impressive wine, but just lacking a little je ne sais quois. Like many 1986's, this has the bones to age beautifully, and a few more years in the cellar may just cure that.
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Fantastic effort. Decanted two double magnums after lying in reserve since the vintage was released. Not a great deal of sediment and easy to decant after standing the bottles for 5 days. Ruby but showing its age with some garnet beginning to come through on the edge. Good fruit, tobacco, leather and a long finish.
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Strong mint/menthol aroma at the start, very smooth palate but almost restrained within the first hour after immediate decant. Strong black and red fruit with vanilla cream notes. Some spice on the mid palate. Solid fruit finish. More to come in a couple of hours.
2 hours in and the wine is singing. Structured fruit with impeccable balance, silkiness on the palate with a nice dark fruit and spice finish. Tannins almost completely resolved. More to come.
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I was playing host, so it was hard to spend a lot of time really assessing the wine - hate it when that happen! However wine was in its prime and could go longer. I double decanted and then it was open for a couple of hours - no problem and seemed about right. Very little sediment. Good plum and leather with only a hint of the classic graphite / bell pepper; however clearly identifiable as a quality left bank. Fine tannins, beautifully integrated with a long finish
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Very top shoulder fill and once the top of the capsule was removed you could see the cork was soaked and feel how soft it was. I was worried the wine might have gotten too much air and was maturing faster than hoped, so we waited a while to open. Too long it turns out. Cork came out in one piece. Decanted for 30 minutes then run through a vinturi into another decanter and then decanted for 30 minutes. The wine looked ever so young and it was largely closed for the next couple hours. Still the nose started to emerge and was classic. Flowers, cassis, pencil lead, cedar on the nose. On the palate the tannins were still dense but the wine was smooth. Because the wine was so closed only hints of its potential greatness came through. Will need to revisit this wine either with 4+ hours of decanting or another 5 years in the cellar.
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Opening bottles tonight in anticipation of going to a tasting where a '74 Mondavi Reserve of impeccable provence will be on the table. So, needed something that will hold up. This will fit the bill.
After 10 minutes in the glass, the nose is outrageous. Dark red fruit, a hint of resin, a touch of leather and secondary character. On the palate, much younger than the nose suggests. Medium to medium heavy in body, with some remaining acidity and a bit of pencil lead on the finish. Soft on the finish, if not super plush. Some remaining tannins. Perhaps better with another few years, but this has started to open up and seems to be within its prime drinking window, particularly with a brief decant.
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From 750ml. Stood bottle up overnight. Opened an hour before serving, no decant. Enjoyed sipping for an hour before dinner, then during main course of daube & roasted veggies. I really like Chainthroer's note below - love this guy! - so I'm once again giving him an "ibid + ditto" here! His note is very representative of my experience tonight. Wonderful richness, med-long finish. No hurry to open these, though they are indeed performing beautifully right now
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In good form tonight, decanted for an hour or so, eaten with duck made with orange zest. Unexpectedly, the wine paired extraordinarily well with the orange. Happy to have many more '86 left and hoping for more.
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This wine seems to get better as it ages, but still consistent with my evaluations over the years . A dark ruby color, with reddish bricking characteristics; yellowing at the rim. Highly complex aromas and flavors of cherry, blackberry, black currant, earthiness, cedar, cigar box, leather, violets. Just a slight touch of graphite in the mouth. Great structure and balance, A very long and soothing finish. A great pairing with the turkey, dressing and gravy. It still has some years to be appreciated. Wish I had more than two bottles left! Score 94+.
Great color to the rim. Needs a GOOD 3 hours open. Chocolate, mocha, leather, blood, meat on the nose with medium body. Well balanced with great dark black fruit, terroir, resolved tannins and good acidity. A solid classic worth every penny. Love this wine.
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Tasted multiple times with consistent results from many different bottle formats. Dense dark nose of leather, earth, tobacco, some smoke and a bit of green pepper. The palate matches and is somewhat tight and angular even after hours of air. The texture of this wine is rougher than other Pichon Lalandes I have had and while this is consistent with other 86s I am worried it will not round out in the future. Time will tell. Medium finish. A good wine, but I prefer other vintages like 85, 89 and of course 82 right now.
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Opened for several hours, but not decanted. This was fairly open right after pulling the cork. Softened quickly in the glass. Medium weight fruit, short length, nicely complex on nose and palate. Tannins present, firm but with a light touch. Finesseful. Of place.
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My love hate relationship with this wine continues. This time I think I have fathomed how to serve it. I's open, decant and serve straight away. One probably needs to decant because there is sediment, perhaps not that much, but enough. The wine is still remarkably young looking - no hint of brown. Nose was very good to begin with but after 4 hours it was gone. Taste was rounded, merlot, soft, complex, reasonably long. I think the wine is at its peak, not to say it won't last, but it won't improve either.
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Magnifique état de conservation pour cette bouteille achetée en primeur! Belle couleur grenat brillant. Premier nez d'encre et de sous-bois, ensuite (après 1 heure) cassis et autres baies. Attaque vive en bouche et similitudes avec le nez, s'est améliorée sur les 2 à 3 heures qu'on a bu le vin. Longue finale avec des tanins bien présents mais parfaitement intégrés. Le décantage s'impose selon moi. Bel avenir.
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Sampled 9/8/12. Base neck fill. Cork was mostly soaked with a little having seeped up to the capsule. When first opened, the wine seemed oxidized but this was just in the neck and it evaporated out. After about 15 minutes the wine really started to come alive. Tobacco, black currant, cassis, pencil lead, leather - all on the nose. On the palate this wine is huge with all the same notes. The finish was almost disappointing at about 30 seconds.
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Double decant. Notes to come at dinner. WOW. Krug Champagne, Louis Latour Corton-Charlamagne, Pichon Comtesse. What a great night and meal at Bistro Vitael in San Antonio. Foie Gras and Escargot follwed by Veal Liver and Qual. The Pichon was incredible. Opened about 6 hours prior, decanted 3-4 prior and returned to bottle 1 hour prior. Worked insanely well. Previous notes apply. The wine had deep rich color to the rim belying its age and great body on the glass. The fruit was still impressive with dark black fruit, balanced aromas and flavors with completely integrated tannins. This was what I expected from this wine. However, as others suggest, it still remains youthful and has much life ahead.
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Tasted at the Vintner's Club in SF. Strong burst of fruit and leather when first poured but quickly falls off and the palate is overwhelmed by the acidity. Looking at the cork this bottle was not properly stored and the wine shows.
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Glorious wine. Beautiful nose with mint and pencil shaving. Dense with cedar, tobacco, herbal without being green. Great mouth feel. Good length. Opened, sat for 45 min, no decanting, fading by hr 4.
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Smell: A little cassis left, dried fruits, lots of oak, pencil shavings, tobacco, spicy, herbal, a bit animalic Taste: Intense dried fruits, still quite a lot of tannins left, long aftertaste of dried fruits and oaky spice
A very good bordeaux! There is a lot of oak but it's very nicely integrated. Think it will continue to get better - guessing it might peak in about 4-5 years or so.
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Le (limite') Tour de France (Home): After having read some of the previous notes on CellarTracker, I decided to give this wine a good deal of time in its decanter. The tasting was at 1 p.m. and it was going to be the 4th wine poured. Opening it at 11 a.m. would give it at least 4 hours to stretch its legs. The cork extracted perfectly and my first impression as I emptied the bottle was that the color could be mistaken for a very youthful wine. It appeared to be at the stage just after the last hints of purple have subsided. Similar youth was present in the aroma. Even though the blend that year was recorded as 45% Cabernet to 35% Merlot, the mintiness of the Cab was leaping out of the vessel. By the time we got around to this wine, the only real change that had taken place was that a little of the alcohol had blown off. This still could have passed for a 4- or 5 year-old wine. The first taste was marked by tannins that were in the process of stepping from center stage. This must have been a massively tannic wine in its youth, as after 26 years there was still plenty to go around. Fortunately the fruit elements were present in such a degree as to assure me that the other 5 bottles I'm storing of this one will be truly magnificent in another 8 or 10 years. The fruit/tannin balance was just getting to the point it needed to be to make this an extraordinary experience. The finish just kept lingering--a really fine example of a long-lived claret.
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The nose is classic lead pencil Bordeaux, quite nice. On the palate it seems that this is not right, very heavy almost sodden and obtuse. Fresher examples would probably be more enjoyable.
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Fill just above base of neck. Cork saturated just shy of top of the neck about 1/4 inch however it was well seated. Color was medium with slight rust at the rim reflecting its age. Nose began with leather, tobacco and terroir and has emerged after only 10 minutes into dark fruit, vanilla, mocha dark chocolate, cream. Upon tasting the wine tastes as it smelled with a hint of wood tannins, medium bodied with well integrated tannins and fruit and a hint of spice. I will refrain grading until the wine has time to open in a few hours. Initially a beautiful wine. Nutty 08 reflects some of my experience although I am getting a tad more fruit and balance without excessive tannins. Youthful, yes to a point but more shutdown and waiting. If this wine improves over the next several years it will be absolutely phenomenal and it is possible. There is nothing to say it is past its prime but rather still in a dormant or dumb phase trying to awaken.
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From 375, the cork almost shot. Mature disc. With a little air, this develops a beautifully classic PL nose that reminds me of the '82 - lots of violets, chocolate, blueberry fruit. The nose here is very classy, which is an interesting (and stark) contrast to the relatively austere and grainy palate at first. But thankfully the palate really rounds out with some air - it picks up a little more fruit and chocolate and the mouth feel is a little more plush. Still needs around an hour in the decanter to be at best, but you certainly get the sense that it's not holding anything back.
4+
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Tasted after a 1986 Figeac. Darker in color, with aromas of cassis, cedar, forest floor, leather and earth. Full-bodied, very rich and concentrated; quite big and structured with quite some tannic grip still. Very good length. Gained more complexity through the evening as it started to pick up some spice notes. This probably needs at least five more years, if not more, to resolve.
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Bordeaux Siblings (Moss, Norway): Floral notes, clean, young dark fruit; fine acidity, long and intense, a hint of sweetnes that I often find in is Chateau. Very fine wine.
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Did not take many notes on this wine, as I thought this to be a little boring. Although boring, still an ok wine with a nice mouthfeel. But did not do it for me.
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Decanted and followed over 4-5hrs hours. Quite closed and very youthful. Still has a bright ruby color without any bricking and showed much younger than the '88 LMHB. Hard to get much of a nose, but sometimes could coax out a little leather, tobacco leaf, flint, and that herbal/green character I get from Lalande (rather than PB). Palate was surprisingly still showing primary fruit with a little currant, tannic but not terribly so, fresh and vibrant, but not as expressivle or accessible as I would expect. Lengthy mineral, spice and fruit on the finish. This showed flashes of brilliance but just wasn't expressive enough and it was overshadowed by the '88 LMHB. Less lush and vibrant than a recent '96 and much less expressive and accessible than a recent '79, but with more fruit. Probably still needs 5+ years. 92+
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Still had the $39.99 price tag from the day I bought it in 1988. Mid-high neck level, clean tight cork wtih no leakage at all. Needed time and air. Didn't have enough decanting time, should have waited longer. Faint cedar on the open but very closed. Med red, no bricking. Dusty cherry. Still very tannic and acidic. Even after 2 hours it had a long way to open up. Cedar and cherry after 1.5 hours, but not a silky wine. Too hard to really love, but clearly a very good wine. Give it a lot longer.
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Restaurant bottle, so PnP to decanter and then drank over the next hour. Cork was soaked. Medium red in color. Cedar, tobacco, and pepper in the mouth and just incredibly smooth for such complexity. Not surprisingly, it was big upon opening and then flattened out quickly. Acid was fairly prominent and then it started to open as we were finishing it off - a bit of a shame, but that's the logistical challenge with wine in restaurants. Quite delicious with our aged steaks. I didn't have my geiger counter, but no hint of radioactivity from this Chernobyl year! ;-)
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Dark ruby. Somewhat monolithic. May have suffered from being tasted alongside the 89, which is clearly in a better place right now. Some of the classic petit verdot aromas of pepper and underbrush, but mostly cassis and dark fruits. Still very tannic and structured. Try again in 5 years.
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The fill was into the neck and the cork was sound. Popped, poured and consumed over the course of 3 hours. Some amber on the rim. Straightforward notes of old barrels, some dark fruit, and roasted herbs. Angular and astringent on the palate, and lacking in terms of texture and depth. Too much bottle variability with the '86 Pichon Lalande.
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These 1986's are really tough as old boots at times - this wine is just starting to peek out from behind the acidity and tannins. When it does there is a very impressive palate and feminine fruit - it just takes time to come out. High acidity andf quite a dry palate means this needs food to really bring out the best in it. Good stuff.
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Silky smooth aged dark berry, currant fruit.....dusty old cellar, cedar spice, lead pencil, licorice....this wine was open for biz! Got a wonderful note of dried wintergreen tobacco, as well as fresh steamy earth mulch. Still has plenty of fine tannin in this...to go along with the sweet ample fruit....should continue to age well, but tasty now!
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Saturday Tasting Group (Knightsbridge Wine Shop (Northbrook, IL)): Tasted alongside a 1996 Lalande - thanks Ken! I preferred the younger sibling. Really old soy, leather, raspberries. Lots of must, old iron funk, cheesy. More funk on the palate, a little thinner and more resolved (duh). A refreshing quality like Charleston, SC after rain. Clean finish. I'd say drink soon.
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I must have a love hate relationship with this wine. I felt a little disappointed. Colour was good ruby, no sign of age. Frankly the nose was closed. the wine had fruit, strength and well balanced but unexciting. Nothing wrong with it. It was easy to drink, what my grand father would have called a good wine, it had a reasonable length with dark fruit, but having kept it for a quarter of a century may be I expect too much
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A classic Pichon Lalande. An elegant Paullac that needs no convinving. 1 hour decant The bouquest evokes, smoke, cedar, and liquorice. The initial palate is full-bodied, firm tannin. As th wine evolves over dinner, there are brilliant tastes which evoke, black fruits and liquorices. Great length on the palete. Well worth keeping for drinking a year or so onwards.
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Dinner at home with Mrs L, TH, JL, VK, PH and David (At home): We were quite lucky with our 86 bordeaux tonight, this was the third bottle opened alongside the Leoville Lascases and Gruaud Larose, and they were all singing quite loudly in the choir! (Instead of sulking/brooding in the corner like many 86's used to, refusing even to acknowledge the taster..) After several years of disappointment/frustration in drinking 86's, might these wines be turning a corner? The 86 PL was very classic Pauillac, with slightly more accent on the tar/lead pencil, and compared to the two St Juliens I thought the fruit also came across as darker. While this wine certainly tasted young, it was also quite open-knit with rich, full flavours combined with the youthful freshness that would make you think you're drinking something from the mid 90's. Very good!
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Something not right with this bottle, the second from a case purchased at auction with a good history. It smelt flat and closed and tasted dusty, even musty.
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Well we had 4 bottles last night, I am not boasting I say it because that to me is a mark of the wine is really sublime - you drink it slowly but you can go on. This morning one feels really great and not a hint of having drunk the night before. One bottle was slightly corked - not that bad that one could not drink it but I think one of the cases that I had seemed to have that problem in a number of bottles. Nevertheless the wine was good. The colour was ruby , the bouquet was classic Lalande with what seems to be a rounded fruity overtone. Was the wine good? Well i I thought I might get away with 2 or possibly 3. Its difficult to describe the wine, it is understated, it has a fresh fruit first taste, it has a gentle second taste with fruit, the overtones of raspberry, blackcurrent, chocolate and the tannin, the alcohol almost hidden, the taste reasonably long
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Garnet. Nose reminds of blueberry and black currant, cedar wood, smoke, pencil shavings, mocha, mint, sweet spices. Elegant and still youtful mouth, with balancing acidity and a long finish.
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Holiday Wines at Knightsbridge (Northbrook, IL): Great black fruit on nose and palate, along with some bell pepper and cigar box hints. Still lots of tannic structure but there is so much raw material that this comes across as balanced and much younger than a 25 year old wine. Powerful into long finish.
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A wonderful fresh viberant '86. Rich smooth and silky with amazing complexity and notes. Everybody there enjoyed these two bottles and were asking for more.
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drank 2 bottles at maestro's tonight with seafood platter and steak. decanted for 20 minutes each. I'd have to say they were absolutely sublime. both bottles were perfect, extremely smooth, with a nice long finish. the fruit was mild, sweet and light, much like an 89 haut brion, and flowed over the tongue with the greatest of ease. i took extremely small sips and let the flavor explode in my mouth to make easch glass last. As far as im concerned the great lalandes, and 86 is right up there, are what bordeaux is supposed to be. they set the standard for not being 1st growth. This wine is in its prime right now but will last a long time in the cellar.
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Cork was soaked almost to top, but did not seem to affect the wine. Not sure about the provenance of this bottle. Nose was earthy with cedar. tannic and lacking fruit. typical of '86 vintage? somewhat disappointing.
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Dinner at Larry & Karen's (Vancouver, BC): Tasted blind. Decanted for approx 60min. Medium, almost deep red in colour. I thought this had a VERY slight hint of TCA on the nose but as no one else said anything (perhaps no one else noticed it or maybe my sniffer was playing games on me), I kept it to myself. There was still plenty of dark fruits, cedar and spice notes coming through which made the nose still quite enjoyable. In the mouth its masculine with medium acidity and quite a lot of firm tannins. Fruit seemed to be lacking a little bit on the palate here and perhaps that’s the TCA doing its thing—or maybe this is still much too young, or perhaps this wine just lacks fruits—but either way, I don’t think this bottle was a good example of this wine. Judgement reserved.
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I have to say that although I am a long term fan of Pichon Lalande, I am slightly disappointed by last night's bottles. The colour is still good ruby. No sign of aging. The nose is subdued fruit but nicely balanced. The taste was reasonably long blackcurrent, noticeable acid. We had 2 bottles, one had a slight tinge of cork, but was still enjoyable. The other was fine. It's difficult to put one's finger on why one felt a little disappointed. Perhaps I am spoilt!
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Developed red color. Some wine on the label, indicating warm storage. Typical Pauillac on the nose. A little weak structure. Seems to be somewhat over the hill, probably due to bad storage.
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PnP. Drank with the '95, both 750s. This was earthy, with graphite and some forest floor. This bottle suggests at or slightly past maturity. Delicious.
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Remains red with slight bricking. Slow O six hours, decant two hours. Nose remains slightly reticent, but very nice tobacco, dark cherry. Palate full. mouthfilling and and smoothly hard-nosed. A beautiful complement to lamb. Tar, dark fruit, spice, masculine. Good length, clean finish. Has many years left, is never going to be seductive but is a really good powerhouse.
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Poured from the bottle and drank over 3 hours, started off so so, nose was subdued and rather tannic, with time, nose gets much more complex and balanced with floral notes, almost as good as the 82 a few months earlier. by the 3rd hour, getting really good, had almost half a bottle already!
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We had two bottles of this, with some bottle variation. First bottle had a pristine cork, and the wine was excellent. Decanted for over an hour. The wine still had some tannins, but they were soft enough to make this enjoyable. Lots of tar, cedar, dark berries, a rich but silky wine. Very dark color. The second bottle's cork was not as tight, and the wine was not decanted for more than a couple minutes. This bottle was also good, but the tannins were much more pronounced and the wine more astringent. I suspect that this was more about the lack of time to decant than anything else.
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Smoky cedary nose that opened up with air. Was suprised to see that this was still tannic given its age, even afer a two hour decant. First glass was ok but the second glass was amazing. Coated the mouth with earthy fruits with a long finish.
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25th Anniversary (a few days early) (Charleston Grill, Charleston, SC): Poured at the Charleston Grill, Charleston, SC., notes from memory a few days later. This was the wine around which we ordered our dinner. A 25-year-old bottle of Bordeaux to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary. I had purchased the bottle expressly for this occasion and had commended it to the restaurant cellar a full day ahead to give the wine a chance to settle in. The Maitre d' at the Charleston grill lived up to his reputation and came out with the bottle himself and began the ritual of opening. I could tell we were in trouble just a third of the way into the cork, as I could already see the seepage. The cork was a mess, but Micky is very experienced and managed to pull the entire cork out of the bottle even though it was breaking up. He couldn't save the wine, though. The bricking was obvious as the wine was poured, and both nose and palate were stewed. A complete and undrinkable loss. Fortunately, our marriage is made of more enduring stuff than this wine.
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Took a few hours in the decanter to come round but ended up beautiful. Hard to believe that it could improve from here but equally it doesn't seem in any hurry to go downhill. Tannin was really soft but structured, fuit initially hidden but emerged after three hours in the decanter, warm spice, hint of cedar and some meaty depth to the finish. Hope my last bottle is as good as this.
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Pours a dark brickish red with the slightest orange tinge at the rim. A strong nose of pencil shavings, dark red fruit and cedar come up from the glass. On the palate this is absolutely stunning with a meaty texture, a strong red currant note and beautiful acidity. Tannins are still quite strong with this one and it's drinking like a very capable tweener. Gorgeous.
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Cork pulled 2 hours prior to dinner. Cork all soaked with the signs of sippage, upper shoulder. Nose of a champ, cigar box, left bottle alone on the counter. All is well except definite falling off the cliff in about 4 hours after opening. Gotta be the heat exposure in the past. Other than that, marvelous Bordeaux which is worth paying for.
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Lovely aged black color. Classic but muted PL nose of green olive, cedar and cigar box. Tight at first with a strong green note that was off-putting but it kept improving and the greeness was almost gone after about two hours. Classic Pichon silkiness with lovely aged flavors of cedar, cigar box, blackberries and black spices. Hard to figure but seems like it still needs time.
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Deep and dark red colour. Bramble on nose. Hint of oak and wood. Blackcurrant.
Very well balanced. Fruit more obvious than tannin or acidity. Blackcurrant is most prominent flavour. Smokiness.bit of savouriness comes as second wave underneath the fruit. 40 sec plus finish. I would guess this still has plenty more life in it. Wish I had some more.
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I have been holding on to these since release as all of these 1986s have remained quite dark. This wine is no exception with a red/purple center and just a hint of orange at the rim. The nose displayed black fruits, soil, mocha, and some soy.
While reasonably good right away, this wine improved dramatically with 5 hours of air. It ended up a ripe and attractive wine with a core of rounded tannin and wet stone essence that provided a very serious, and long, finish.
Overall, it seemed rather young in that I would expect more complexity to evolve with time. Thus, this appears to be built for the long-term. Drink if you must, or age an additional 15-25 years. At that time, I would expect my score to move up a couple points.
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We popped and poured this just to try it and it was tight so we gave it some time. After about 1.5-2 hours, it finally opened up. Had some leather, tobacco, currant and spice on the nose. The leather kind of came on strong at first but faded throughout the night. The palate had some dark fruit, dried cherry, earth, and spice. Not a harsh tannin to be found with a silky smooth finish that lasted about 20-30 seconds. Believe it or not, I still think this wine needed more time in the bottle but it is still drinking very well.
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Last of 6 bottles purchased as futures for my cellar. Interesting to track the history of this wine on my palate. First bottle, glorious, and ingrained in my wine tasting memory. A bouquet that filled the room with massive fruit and a finish that went on forever. Bottles 2-4, nice, but not nearly as good as the first. Bottle 5, awful, harsh with all wood and ash. This bottle, somewhere between 1 and 2-4, but closer to the later. Decanted about 1 hour. Mature garnet with some bricking at the edge. Fine non-expansive nose of plum, violet and cigar box. Very balanced palate of cassis, blackberry, earth, tobacco and herbs. Not a drop of tannin. Nice finish. Drunk alongside 3 other 86s, Pape Clement (my WOTN), Cos (#3) and La Lagune (#4), but all very nice. None displaying that 86 harshness, and all ready to go, although the Cos not fully mature yet.
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Medium red-garnet. Aromas quiet on first pour; after one hour airing, there's cigar leaf, cedar, maple syrup and an unusual green minty note. Medium tannin, medium-low acidity. Though still carrying significant tannin, the wine has a suppleness and a plumpness of body. A bit disappointing for a second growth in a great year, but it drinks well with grilled garlic-rubbed strip steaks and succotash.Perhaps damaged in initial transit or purveyor storage (20-20 Wine, L.A.). Bottle #2 of two.
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Last bottle which was brought in by the Wine House in the 80s. Excellent fill, half way into the neck. Poured a small amount; deep red with a slight browning on the edge. Will let sit and then decant before 4th dinner of Rack of Lamb. After 2 hours in the decanter this is beginning to show very well; classic Pauillac though no where near the aromatic volume of the previous bottle. Sandalwood, red fruits and herbaceous, medium weight, with a lovely long finish. A good example of "great bottles not great wines" at this age. This bottle was unlikely to improve further; a bit of a disappointment after the last.
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Yellowing at the rim. Deep reddish garnet color; some bricking. Complex aromas of cherry, blackcurrant, leather, sweet tobacco, violet. Same fruit flavors in the mouth - very nice balance. Good fruit concentration. Long, smooth finish - maybe 20+ seconds. This is the 9th time I've tasted this wine starting in 2003 - my evaluations have been consistent, as far as the score. The wine is in its plateau of maturity. Would think it should last several more years. Pairs well with prime Porterhouse - nice start for the 4th of July weekend.
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Ruby red in colour this wine still shows some primary berry fruit characters and a touch of tobacco on the nose. The palate is still suprisingly fresh - high acids in '86 - with lovely earth, leather, white pepper and even some blueberry. Refreshingly long finish. Very nice indeed.
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Stunning in its condition and typicity, this is claret aged to perfection, drinking at an absolute peak, or perhaps just beyond it, but all the more beautiful because of it, if that makes any sense. 12.5%. Oddly nothing but the finest silt-like sediment at the very bottom. Evolved orange at the rim, nose a kaleidoscope of graphite, cedar, and cassis fruit. Ready to go. Lovely balance across the palate, quite graceful in fact, nothing out of proportion. Tannins are subtle and provide just the right amount of framing. Drink over next five years-oops, I don't have any more. From the Chicago cellar-on sale for $37.99, or so the retail tag says.
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Opened for an hour before served, not decanted. Lots of black fruit, green pepper and wonderful spice. Pepper was a bit dominant for the first few minutes, but then the fruit and spice took over. Very harmonious wine. Great length and finish.
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This is nice wine. Concentrated and displaying the typical Pauillac cassis, leather and tobacco. The wine still has a tannic edge to it which interrupts the flow of the wine on the backside. As the wine airs out, that tannic edge dissipates and ends up with a pretty nice, harmonious finish. So I guess for my taste, this wine needs a few more years for the tannins resolve.
It went well with our dinner of lamb chops and cous cous.
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Pichon Dinner - Lalande vs. Baron (Palena - Washington, DC): One of the more complex wines of the evening. Palate and nose showed dark fruit, tobacco, tilled soil, and violets. Probably the biggest and darkest Lalande of the evening (53,89,95,96,03) with lots of red and black fruit and smooth tannins on the finish. A great bottle of Lalande, but not nearly as feminine as some of the other bottles.
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Pichon Baron vs. Pichon Lalande @ Palena (Washington DC): This is a big scale wine. The expression is deeper and fruit sweeter than the other Lalandes tasted. It took the longest time to open up but even than not as floral. Cassis, ripe jammy dark fruits, a hint of tobacco and black pepper. The palate shows excellent concentration, chewy dark fruit and integrated tannins. Still quite youthful wine that will need another five to ten years to become more expressive with the tertiary elements.
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Tobacco, cassis, cigar box, truffle, 5 Spice, olives and earthy scents introduce this brawny, old school, masculine styled wine. Robust and powerful, this brawny Pauillac will age for decades, but it's never go to become charming or offer the elegance found in other 80's vintages of Pichon Lalande like 82, 83, 85 or 89.
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Nice deep purple color. Creme and black cherry were slight but noticablevon the pallet. Tannins were still strong. May have been past it's prime but was enjoyable.
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1986 Cabernet Retrospective Part 6/6 (Tom's House, Palo Alto): Served blind. Nose of black fruits, earthy, complex but a bit muted; on the palate of all the wines was the most structured, good fruit. Still has a life ahead of it. It's nice, but I didn't peg it as a bordeaux. My #7, group's #8. 91+
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The fill was well into the neck and the cork was in great shape; a pristine bottle that appears to have been quite well stored. A dark ruby-red core, with a touch of bricking at the rim. Aromas of ... damp cardboard. F me, this was heart-breaking, and my second corked bottle of '86 Pichon Lalande in a row.
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Popped, breathed in bottle 24 hours. Beautiful nose, but took awhile to come together on the palate. Then, lovely, elegant Pichon with layers of dark fruit, cedar, tobacco, old copper penny, and eucalyptus.
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KYD #1.0 - Replacement: A lot of black currant bush on the nose with hints of iron, rust and pencil shavings. Very intense on the palate, again with lots of black currant bush, and a long "clean" acidic aftertaste. Lovely flavors of coffee and dirt are mixed nicely with the fruit and have a impressive elegance and finesse to it. Some aged flavors are also coming through with more air, rust, iron, cigar box, mushrooms. A very refined elegance are showing nicely.
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1986 Bordeaux @ EWS: 1986 Pichon Lalande (Pauillac) (96WA, 97WS Slightly restrained aromas here initially with dusty dry character. Dark ripe fruit lies beneath a layer or graphite. Density of fruit flavors created best aspect to this wine for me. Nice sweet delicate fruit and good backend support. Well integrated, smooth, long impressive. I enjoyed the forward flavors of dried fruit, good weight in mouth, and tannins that seem sweeter here. This was one of the best wines of the night. 95
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Young, swet nose. Silky tannins on entry. Mouthfeel was great with earthiness, cherry, cassi, cedar and some pineneedles. Still really young. Gained weight as evening progressed and got fatter.
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I love old bordeaux. The color starting to turn reddish brown, the musty, earthy smell, the well integrated tannins, and the balance that comes with 25 years in the bottle.
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Jacque Selosse V.O & 1986 Pichon Lalande (Les Amis - Shaw Centre): Alcohol :: 12.5% Decanted for 1.5hrs. Deep garnet core with light hue, still kinda shy on both nose and palate but show good class and depth. Toward the dinner, the wine gain better even better depth. Incredibly lovely bouquet soared from the glass with cedar, graphite intermixed with perfume violet, sweet cigar box along with elegance aromas of blackberry and creme de cassis complete with touch of savoury meatiness, very classy. Medium bodied, this is a silent killer, never shout or noisy, almost fully mature, a classic Pauillac with cut and precision, layer of blackcurrant, sweet tobacco and cigar accompany by this elegance cedar and earth that all perfectly balance and support by the blackberry like, mouth watering acidity with super depth and sense of finesse. There was this fresh and ripe tannin kick in at the back which provide the grip and added a even more weight and power to the already impressive mid palate depth. All about harmonious and finesse here and the silky smooth, fresh complex juicy finish just getting better and better with time with dark plum, cedar and mineral nuanced that's linger seamlessly. Terrific. I believe another 3-5yrs we will see a fully mature and integrated wine. Buy - Yes.
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Still ruby red with only moderate bricking. 1/2 hour+ in decanter prior to drinking. Fruit muted, some dark fruit present but silky smoothness was predominant character of the wine. Good, but wish I'd opened it about 3 years ago.
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Pichon is my favourite wine and the 1986 is the first serious wine I drank so I always love trying how this is developing. It was tasted alongside a Cos 1985 and was in far better shape. The Pichon is rich, fruity and has plenty of time ahead of it. This is a lovely wine - rounded, integrated and worth savouring.
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Goedhuis Pichon Lalande Tasting & Dinner (Hibiscus Restaurant, London): Very dumb on the nose, a real struggle to get anything at all. Slightly thin & light on the palate, and still very tannic. Persistent, but currently quite faint, hint of caramel -- ?becoming old winey already. Suggests this may decline without ever really delivering its potential, or shedding its tannins. Maybe the bottle from which our table was served was flawed? [Thomas Do Chi Nam: 1986 was the then winemaker's favourite vintage. Mainly Cab Sauv. "Cherry, violets, and a little mocha."]
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This is coming around nicely. Less tannic and more fruit forward than last bottle I've had a couple of years ago, nice cedary and tobacco notes, benefits from a long decant. Time to start drinking these.
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Last tasted 4 years ago. Deep cassis nose with a little cumin and menthol. Pure cassis flavour - opening up well, mature in the sense that the tannins have softened but not much complexity yet. Impressive and polished wine of mid weight - pure blackcurrant flavours.
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Le Gavroche Welcomes Gildas d’Ollone (Vancouver, BC): Mystery wine #2. I blindly pegged this as younger than it was, as it is still showing very tannic and acidic. Tight on the nose, smelling of tart plums, raisin, cedar and rubber. On the palette, lots of tannins, dominated by sour cherry and black current. I wish there was more fruit coming through
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WOTN. Floral notes of roses on the nose. This wine is still huge, well integrated red fruit of cherry and cassis with some sweet plums. Great mouthfeel. Velvetty.
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(at Charleston – Baltimore) Took a good while to open as it tasted sharp next to the Trotanoy at first pour. That said air brought forth continuous layers of greatness. Classic cassis and wet tobacco aromatics. Ripeness and depth came with every passing sip. Incredible. (97)
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Decanted for 1 hour. Dark ruby to edge. Nose of semi-sweet tobacco, black cherry, leather. Medium/full-bodied, well-defined structure but not at all harsh. Tannins are supportive not intrusive. Polished texture. Cedar, black cherry, note of anise. Persistent, complex finish. It's comforting to see these '86s coming around so beautifully after all of the doubts about the fruit surviving the tannins.
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The fill was base neck, but the cork was soaked through and the top was stained. The color was as expected, with a hint of garnet at the rim, but the bouquet was quite restrained and closed. Not much fruit at all on the palate; clearly a bad bottle.
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Decanted 2 hours prior to tasting. Colour: deep bricky red but not showing true age. Nose: subtle notes of cedar, pencil lead, damp earth, some black fruit, wet wool. Taste: again, subtle notes of blackcurrant, spice and chocolate, medium bodied; long, tannic finish, close-knit with great depth. Improving whilst we are tasting it. Conclusion: Overall very impressive, a subtle yet elegant wine, enigmatic. A fitting wine to celebrate the birth of our daughter.
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Very dark ruby red, almost opaque. A bit monotone on the palate, but smooth and nicely integrated. Would probably benefit from some more years of cellaring.
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On the nose, an aged character with pencil shavings, sweat and a sense of forest floor in the Fall. On the palate, soft with a welcome cassis component that gives this a nice push. Remains a bit tannic on the finish, which is very long and alluring. One of the better finishes I've had in an aged Bordeaux blend (albeit a somewhat limited experience for me). The tannins, combined with decent acidity, suggest this probably has a number of years left.
I opened this from a recent 6 pack auction. I'm not going to be in any rush to open the remaining bottles. Drink/hold. If drinking currently, decant for an hour or more. This bottle improved in the glass for at least an hour after the pop/pour.
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Perfect looking bottle. Not as impressive as expected. Still not much mature Bdx notes on it. Quite tannic and the fruit is not really there to support it. Check again in a year or so and cross my fingers. Last bottle 2 years ago was much better. Did not drink the whole bottle but saved some several days. Staying power is remarkable, not deteriorating at all, maybe even improving. (95p.)
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Pichon: Baron vs. Comtesse: The group liked this more than I. Ruby in color, cassis and leather on the nose. The palate is candied cherries. A bit of black jelly beans on the finish. No sign of age IMO. Not as complex as I would have thought, but seems like it has plenty of time. This seemed to be a love it or hate it wine. It got the most first place votes of any wine but finished #3 for the group.
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Still a very pure, dark ruby colour, with a lighter rim that showed no hint of browning at all. It had a very grand bouquet indeed, with dark fruit, cedar spice, leather, cigar box, earth, pencil shavings, and tons of graphite minerality - a truly splendid nose indeed, which really revealed itself fully after a couple of hours in the decanter (it was still a little closed upon opening). In the mouth there was very prominent blackcurrant and cassis fruit, much more so than I expected from the nose, with the earth, leather, spice and the beautiful graphite again. It had a velvety texture and still great purity of fruit, with all the other flavours falling into place and integrating beautifully. The tannins were soft, the acidity was well-balanced, and the evolving finish was savoury very long indeed. An excellent wine, which I believe is in its peak drinking window, but will definitely keep for a while yet with good storage conditions.
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Powerful bordeaux. Day one had strong earth tones and some stable aromas that gave way to cherry, cedar and leather as it opened up. Day two saw red plum really come in along with some tobacco. A very nice experience.
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At van Baerle AMS. Opened 8hours before. Dark colour (young), especially for this age. Excellent full bodied, male wine. Classic Pauillac, classic Bordeaux. Fruits, dark chocolate, liquorice, vanilla and tannins! Tastes (blind) like a 1996 Pauillac. Nose shows forest/ autumn leaves and chocolate, bit raw, some lemon. This is what makes wine so interesting. Enjoy now or wait another 10 years.
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Served and scored blind: Medium ruby rich and dense with good tannic structure. Some band aid medicinal notes (which in retrospect I attributed to flawed soapy stemware). later on in the night, after switching stems, rich and lovely with some fine herbal notes. 91 pts. I think this is unfairly low as I got minimal wine in the new stems.
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The 1986 Pichon Lalande has to be drinking close to its peak, with airy, high-toned aromas of olive, green aged tobacco, and cassis showing very expressively on the nose. On the palate, the presentation from initial attack to its long finish is horizontal, meaning it seems to spread across the palate, with inner mouth perfumes emerging as the spicy wine reacts vigorously on the palate. This wine manages a weightlessness that is not common among many top notch Bordeaux, and without sacrificing any richness of fruit on the palate.
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Decanted 7 hours before dinner. I haven't rated this wine because even though it was delicious, I'm not convinced it wasn without some flaws. The cork was soft and broke as I was pulling it. It had a high level of discolouration and a tiny ring of mould right at the top of the cork. The wine had a good colour with a slightly brick/dried blood edge. Lots of fine sediment at the bottom of the bottle. I was initially concerned by a faint whiff of cheese-rind (perhaps the presence of mercaptan?) but this faded after an hour or so in the decanter and was completely gone by the time it was drunk. Served with grilled rib-eyes on the bone. Rich red colour. Quiet nose. In the mouth, dark fruits, cedar and maybe some pepper. The wine was beautifully intergrated with everything in balance.
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This wine continues to improve; recent bottles have been nothing short of stunning, and this example was no exception. Incredibly pure aromas of cassis and blackberry, with a hint of truffle and earth. Medium-bodied, with a velvety texture, nice acidity, and incredible depth; a long and classic finish. A classic claret!
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Stylistically, the wine remains brawny displaying an austere personality. Dark in color with aromas of currants, black fruit, wood and damp forests, this wine offers a huge palate presence. This is a very big wine. But, as a matter of style, I prefer vintages like 82, 83, 85 & 89. 86 is a very good wine. However, it will never deliver the elegance I love in most vintages of Pichon Lalande
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A very typical vintage bordeaux. Elegant, gentle, delicate and classic. Good balance. From hour 2 to hour 3 changes not much, very stable. cherry, prune, and clove taste.
The fill was well into the neck and the cork was sound; a well-stored and pristine bottle. Double-decanted about 4 hours prior to consumption. A lovely ruby-purple color, with a hint of garnet at the rim. Aromas of cedary dark fruits, tree bark,and a hint of black truffle. An inviting texture, with wonderful balance of flavor, concentration and structure. Good purity and focus on the mid-palate, with a long and complex finish.
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This wine was double-decanted, allowing one hour in decanter prior to funneling back into the bottle. It was then taken to a restaurant and consumed over two hours with mushroom ravioli and braised short ribs. Deep garnet with brick rim. Elegant bouquet developing over the first two hours to show plum, leather, cardamom and coriander aromas. Medium-to-full-bodied on the palate, with medium acidity, relatively soft tannins and complex flavors mirroring the nose. Long, smooth finish. What a beautiful wine and what an ethereal match with both dishes (especially the mushroom ravioli)! I was apprehensive because my most recent tasting of a bottle from my cellar showed it to be horribly corked. The wine is likely on plateau but should hold well for another 5-10 years. Drink now-12/19.
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aged Bordeaux night at Cafe Bernard: This was decanted for over 2 hours and then spent another 3 in a open bottle before consumption. It took the nose awhile to get going but when it did-( wow!) A pure deep nose of cedar,tobacco,mushrooms, red cassis, and leather. Perfectly elegant mouthfeel of dark cherries,tobacco,cedar,truffle oil,creamy dark chocolate,and a bit of bell pepper. The finish explodes in the backend and is very silky. Lot's of energy left in this bottle-this will evolve for 20 more years IMHO...
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Very disappointing. The cork was in pretty bad shape and the wine seemed very flat and hollow to me. Probably oxidized. Drinkable from an uncritical perspective, but I have had much better bottles of this and consequently will not score it. This is the first of ten bottles recently acquired at auction, so I am concerned about the rest of the lot.
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Friday night Bordeaux (Cafe Bernard, Chicago IL): nose: very tight at first, but as it unwound what emerged was an absolutely beautiful and silky nose that was purely layered with nuanced tones of perfumes, cassis, red cherries, herbs, bits of purple florals, and hints of bell peppers. Extremely graceful that required my full attention and allowed me to just get lost in the nose and the moment
taste: so plush and velvety on the palate that is almost like satin with a very layered medium/full feel that just flows. Tones of red cherries, mixed berries, cassis, purple florals, herbs, and a touch of bell pepper all intermingle splendidly and makes you close your eyes and relish it
overall: all I could think of was Ravel's bolero while drinking this. This wine was just so beautiful and layered that brought out an intelectual and emotional side of me. This was just pure lalande as it had a very pretty feminine touch. Not delicate at all, but still feminine, this came across as a wine that has a soft side to it, but knows what it wants to do and makes you come to it
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This wine is brilliant. It blows away the '82, in my humble opinion. Big and beastly with thick ripe rich black currant and cassis, this is a big bad Pauillac. I can't say it quite gets to the 100+ that I have previously given the Mouton from that vintage, but it is right up there. A profound wine, it may be one of my top ten favorite wines of all time. Absolutely stunning on the nose, on the palate, with a finish that lasted over a minute. Matched with all the red meat on my plate, I was in heaven.
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Very elegant wine, lovely dark fruits. However the nose was not quite there, even after 3 hours of decanting. Maybe we should have decanted it for more?
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I was interested to try this as the last 2 bottles I had were 5 years' ago and it was horribly closed and tannic then to the point of being undrinkable. Again, really black colour but some softening at the rim at last! Very intense but really young on the palate still. Meaty/Bovril finish. Just beginning to drink but still so young. Give it another 5-10 years.
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1986 Bordeaux Night @ The Hawksmoor: clean med dark color, red fruits on the nose, in the mouth this had a beautiful sensual feel to it, very long wine, showing tart red fruits, velvety soft merlot, very well balanced. easy to drink this now but i think will be even better years down the road. not quite as seductive as the Palmer in this flight but quite the temptress
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Popped and poured at a dinner with the 82 Pichon and 86 Cos. The nose on the 86 Pichon was out of this world; completely overwhelmed the other wines. That being said the 82 was clearly more seamless and absolutely ready to drink whereas the Cos needs another 5 years. The 86 Pichon is still a bit disjointed in the finish but the spectacular aromatics still make it a wonderful drink; whether the finish and mid-palate will further integrate will determine if this will deserve an even higher score. Superb.
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IWFSC 745th Dinner (Avenues): One of the best 86s I've had - this was classic with nice rich (still tight) black fruit and cedar and cassis notes. Would have been WOTN if not for the Chave that followed... 94-95 pts.
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My 2nd time with 1986 and still a blockbuster wine to me. ( first time was tasted in 2007 and WOTN )
Seductive nose of a classic Bordeaux, Pauillac I mean, mineral, tabacco, truffle, earth, leather, good deep and clean. Love at first sight !!!
The lovely full-bodied, tiny little bit low an acidity makes this wine so rounded at first sip. The texture is splendid, I prefer the palate of 1986 than 1982. After 4 hours, Cabernat shows up as a promising. Dense and tight, firm and big....very delicious.
Aftertaste fairly long and powerful enough to get 96-97/100.
My most favorite Pichon Lalande comes along the 1983 ( 93-94/100 )
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At Wijn Antiq Amsterdam, theme Left 80-s (blind tasting). Special wine with lots of fruit, herbs and elegance. Powerful wine. Nose stylish, elegant and hint of sweet. Drink now - 2020.
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Reasonably sublime. Consumed with grilled rib-eyes. Dark red, with elegant nose of lead pencil, cedar, and dark fruits. Integrated and harmonious, still vigorous and perhaps not as soft as I expected it to be. A bit on the full side of medoim palate weight. Still plenty of fruit here. Long, lingering finish. Nice.
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This was disappointing. A great nose and attack but just so so in the mouth with a minor finish. It may have been the bottle, we have mroe form another source, so will try soon
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intense dark red; initially quite locked, some roast; after about one hour an intense pleasure, very well balanced. in the nose somewhat flat but very complex on the pallate
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Drank with a delicious leg of lamb. Tons of sediment in the bottle. Grapey nose with strong smell of alcohol. Delicious and well balanced--lived up to my expectations after initially being concerned about all of the sediment. This wine has plenty of time left on it so no rush if you are still long these.
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1986 Bordeaux in NYC: The Pichon Lalande was disliked by some, but I loved it. It had a bigger nose than the Ducru; its bouquet was fairly funky with some distinct lactic-cherry notes (some said this lactic smell is from the Petit Verdot). It seemed the most ready of this flight, but still think it needs lots of time to really shine. It has great grip with a long finish where hints of green appeared.
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decanted 2 hours before drinking, dark red to rim, great nose, med-full body, hint of veggies at first fades over time, very elegant, slight creamy/lactic sense, excellent balance fruit/acid/tannins - no issue with tannins overwhelming fruit, really open for business. Not as massive or deep as the Leoville Las Cases or Ducru in the same flight, but much more open and enjoyable for drinking now, while the others need 5-10 years (though again, plenty of fruit - closed but not overtly tannic)
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From 375mL. Classic Pauillac. Lead pencil on the nose, but the palate was not yet fully mature. Nice red fruit character, fine tannin, and a long finish.
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Big, beefy, brawny, steely and austere, this lacks Lalande's usual richness and charm The wine is hard in style. That being said, it has ample concentration, the fruit is ripe and the aromatics are there in force. The wine will continue improving, but at close to 23 years of age, this leopard is not changing its spots. 20 more years in the bottle is going to add to the aromatics, but it's always going to be in this style. Lovers of this style will undoubtedly find more to like in it than I did. Still young, it will continue aging for decades. Happily, I only have 2 bottles left. Again, this is not a bad wine. It is just not what I want in my Lalande.
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Mature bouquet and taste. There is still soft cassis. This wine has a lot of finesse and elegance and is a real beauty. Seems to lack a bit in power compared to some other great wines of this vintage.
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Popped and poured from a double magnum. Medium tannins and a rich palate with cedar, pencil and black fruit. It lacked some depth that I think time will help improve but I don't think it will every be spectacular. Open next double mag in 2010.
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Darkish red in colour and a typical Claret nose of leather, faint tobacco, palate was soft and plumish. I had expected a full mouthfill. A bit disappointing.
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I don't know about you, but amidst all the hype and high prices it's not that hard to get off the Bordeaux bandwagon unless you've got hedge fund money and a lot of time to kill before you're ready to pop the cork. So it's always instructive to have the chance to taste an aged beauty like this one. Magnificent right out of the bottle, in a stunningly feminine profile that as my friend observed, seemed to owe as much to Margaux as Pauillac. Beautiful notes of cassis, coffee. cocoa, cedar (that's four c's in a row in case you're counting), lovely soft texture, blanketed with perfectly integrated tannins. I don't know if they still make them like this, or what an '05 will taste like in 2030 if I'm still alive and can afford one. I'm just lucky I had a chance to share one of these tonight with a good friend. Acquired recently from impeccable storage at well below market prices, lest you think I manage a hedge fund.
A few morning after thoughts. The public drinking window runs through 2016. I think that's about right though it may go a bit longer given the balance that remains today (and assuming great storage). This bottle had the original retail price sticker still on it: $33.97, and it had been in one cellar from the time it was first purchased. The difference between last night's wine and a recent '86 Lynch Bages could not have been more pronounced. The Lynch came out of the bottle tough as nails and needed an hour to open before the tannins began to back off. Comparing the Pichon to the same vintage Lynch is a tale of beauty and the beast.
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Mature Bordeauxs @ Mike J's (Wilton, CT): This was another surprise of the evening. Given the reputation of the vintage, I was expecting a tannic beast. Quite the contrary, this particular bottle showed a wonderful attack, velvety mouthfeel and excellent balance. The finish seemed a bit clipped for me, but it did fill in with more decanting.
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4th Annual Italian Offline Pre-Game - Champagne and Bordeaux (Sweets & Savories, Chicago, USA): Medium-dark ruby colour. Aromas of herbs/stems, spice, cigar box. Very reticent on the nose. Medium-full bodied, with herbs/stems, spice, currant, cherry, and mineral notes. Moderate finish, ~30s, with leather and dried fruit notes. This bottle was quite closed and didn't show nearly as well as my previous experience.
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Brought by WIML and Purple to the champagne and bdx dinner at Sweets & Savories. While the color and nose were promising this never opened up. There was something underneath but it never showed itself. The 1985 version of this was the far better wine. I suspect that in a few years this may blossom, but right now it's not showing much at all. Perhaps on its own it would garner a better rating, but next to all the other wonderful wines that night this one was a bit of a dud, especially given it's high pedigree.
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Dark red to rim, slight bricking, currants, oak, minerals and sweet aged Bdx on nose, medium-full body, excellent depth and concentration of fruit, excellent balance, nice finish with well-tamed tannins, should gain additional complexity over next 5 years
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Pichon-Lalande Vertical (Harry's Steak): Soft, airy aroma. Shows a lot of tobacco and rusty character - also a whiff of band-aid, too, unfortunately. And it's still a very tannic wine, smoothing out a little with air but finishing very dry.
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Still an adolescent; only hints of amber at the edge, and a slightly reticent bouquet that needed coaxing and air to emerge. Improved significantly in the glass, although it is still quite structured and more "classic" than many of the forward fruit-bombs that we find today. Shows best with food. Will easily last (and evolve) for another 10+ years
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Still showing surprisingly young. Youthful fruits of cherry and cassis along with tobacco, tea leaves, and medium dusty tannins on the finish. Nicely balanced. Quite a bit of earthiness and truffle on the nose allows for nice complexity. Fresh acidity wraps this one up, wanting more and more.
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Decided to see what the bordeaux in my cellar will be like in 15 years and served this to the family for Thanksgiving. Decanted for 3 hours and everyone was very impressed.
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Bordeaux at Per Gørans house (Stamerbakken, Bergen, Norway): Nice dark red colour. Impressively dark considering its 21 years. Delicious, delicate, subtle nose. Almost etherical complexity. Incredibly good. This is a wine that needs full consentration, but then it is just stunning. Black currant and dark cherries. On the palate the style is a bit warm and fruity. The tannins are polished. The finish is acidic and a bit bitter, and goes over in a long and acidic aftertaste. The warmness on the palate is surprising after the delicate nose. Good, but the nose is best here.
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Decanted for 2 hours, wonderful nose of cedar and tobacco, in the mouth notes of ripe dark fruit and led pencil, still quite a bit of tannins, but this adds to the caracter and complexity of this wine. Very nice!
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Color is medium to dark garnet with a hint of lightening at the rim. Nose shows cassis, leather, and hints of earth. On the palate, juicy currant, leather, and spices make a complex flavor profile. Tannins are still noticeable, but this is a nicely balanced wine.
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South Florida does Pichon-Lalande: My score kept creeping up as I went back to this vintage. Although it had been decanted for 6 hours, it initially showed the famous '86 backward character; all you knew for sure was this was a brawny wine in Lalande terms. Almost as black as the vintage 2000 example. Obvious heavy extraction, but concentrated in the best sense and not bitter or inky. All it needs is time and lots of it.
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Very tight at open with a menthol palate and almost no nose. Not unpleasant, no mustiness. After one hour in decanter had opened to mocha tones, which became fuller over the next hour to a rich and long palate and a refined and complex of black fruit. Very long finish. Fine, and remained that way through the next hour. Bought on release, stored in passive cellar (50 - 70 degrees, gradual transitions) since late 80s, dark red with hardly any bricking. Years left, but very nice right now after sufficient air.
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From half bottle. Rather Merlot-centric on the nose with some soy and chocolate notes giving way to stalk, tobacco and earth. Firm as always on the palate but more lush than I am used to for this wine. Somewhat encouraging to see the showing from half bottle. Maybe this wine will come around someday.
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Dinner at Eleven Madison Park (New York, NY): There was significant debate whether this was corked. Personally, I never found either TCA or an especially stripped palate. What I did find was a brawny, dusty, dry and powerful example of Pichon Lalande. Vitamin pill blows off to a fairly reticent, shy nose. Nice cassis in the mid-palate, but this is overwhelmed by tannins. I don't think this will ever be a great vintage of Pichon Lalande, but it does have a certain brawny charm.
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Claret Coup d'Etat (Eleven Madison Park): Some mustiness here initially caused some TCA fright but the consensus became that it was just a byproduct of the thick grapeskins and austere tannins of the vintage. After the Palmers, this and the '89 Comtesse were notable for the blacker tinge to the fruit character and the usual cedar notes. But it was difficult to tease much enjoyment out of the austerity of this bottle.
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Seattle Tasting Group does Pauillac (Seattle, WA): A bit musty at first and hinting at TCA. Yup, this is slightly corked. Too bad as there are some nice notes of violet, menthol and even rootbeer hiding under the mold. A taste shows this as dense, tannic, brawn and definitely affected with a stripped, clipped finish. Bummer!
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Again a dark color. The nose I remember as having cassis and herbal notes ? bay leaf? that I get in this wine usually. I liked it. Medium full bodied, more bay leaves/ herbal stuff, dark chocolate, and smoke. A long finish and still quite young. 93 pts.
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Dinner with fresh truffles (Sydney, Australia): There is some real power behind this wine. The nose shows blackcurrant, tobacco and cedar as well as swirling notes of potpourri and violets. A very youthful, vibrant palate with deeply seated fruit and excellent structure. Built in intensity of flavour with time in the glass. Very enjoyable to drink now, but will improve.
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DUO, Miami Medoc BYO Wine Dinner (DUO, S Miami Avenue, Miami, FL): Flight 4 #3. Sergio and Maria Gonzalez-Arias' contribution. WOTN, by virtually unanimous acclaim. An excellent mature Pauiillac that is at its absolute peak now. Outshone it's 95 sibling, which may compete with it in time. Superior aromatics, mouthfeel, and persistent lingering finish.
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Tannins opened up enough to reveal a sleek cassis scented and flavoured wine of moderate length. Good but a bit one-dimensional. Give it another 5 years to see if it develops further.
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Dense, black fruit that took time/air to become more approachable. Leather and cigarbox started to emerge, increasing the beauty and charm. Long, powerful, complex.
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Started thinner and more clipped than it should have, but after 4 hours of air blossomed. Full and rich up front, with much of the tannins resolved but still some left. Mature cassis fruit, classic Pauillac. Very good stuff, but not as effusive as earlier bottles.
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1986 Bordeaux Horizontal (The Orchard, NYC): Nice smooth fruit. Dark core, some herbs. Speculation that this was very slightly corked. I think I agree, but thought it was pretty good anyway. B+
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Beautiful nose with leather, chocolate and blackberries. Strong body, well-balanced and fruit hanging on some solid, but soft tannins. Nice elements of earth, coffee and dark berry fruit. Serious stuffing here. Very complete finish with a nice tapering off. A delicious wine right at the mid point between young and aged. Delightful.
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Nose shows mushroom, cassis, plum, and cedar notes. Very red and silky on the palate. Still young but certainly no crime to open this now. Some chocolate notes framed by plenty of tannin. Classy wine. ****-/5
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Cooked!! Despite external signals of a well stored wine, including a spinning capsule, non-bulging cork, no label conditions, this wine was certainly--and disappointingly--cooked. I expected the nose to fill the room on opening, yet there was none. Even with an hour+ in the decanter, and then the glass there was never anything on the nose. Similarly on the palate, I expected massive tannins. Alas, there was only stewed, thin fruit. A shame. NR.
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Wow, this is as brawny, muscular and structured as Pichon Lalande gets, a very different animal from pretty much every other vintage I have ever tasted. Reticent at first, this slowly unfolded over the course of three hours to show considerable intrigue. Clearly Pauillac with some leather, brooding notes of tobacco, hints of leafiness, a bit of barnyard, and distinct minerality. Mmm, the nose gets better and better with time, wow, three feet away the decanter and glass are screaming of Cabernet, wow! The palate though remains fairly hard, closed, requiring a lot of coaxing to yield up inititally tart and lean notes of red fruit. With time this becomes more generous, but at least this bottle seems to be a decade from readiness. Mmm, this is tantalizing, but wow what a tannic beast of a wine! I have a 1/3 of a bottle left that I'm curious to taste tomorrow. DAY 2: This was a bit disappointing on day 2, again showing nice aromatics but with a very tannic, closed palate, far too young to really enjoy fully.
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Lynch Bage vs Pichon Lalande 1986, 1988, 1989, 1995 plus 3 Ringers: Group rating 9th, me 7th All wines served blind. Nose: Subtle aromas of engaging rich cherry elements that were both dense and lush after lots of swirling. Palate: Soft and sweet style with slighlty green character to the finish. Somewhat lighter in mouthfeel. I thought maybe a shutdown 1995 Lalande. Oops.
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Branwny, steely and austere in style. This full bodied, tannic wine will always be on the hard side. This old school wine might appeal to others more than it did to me.
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Last time I had this two years' ago it was painfully tight and not very enjoyable at all. This was double decanted approx 4 hours before serving and whilst still young it was starting to show why it was so highly rated. Very deep, dark coloured with plenty of depth/flesh in the mouth. From here on in I think this wine will start to be very good indeed.
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Group #7, My #6 - Full dark red. Medium aroma of red fruit, acidity, and a hint of anise. Really nice rich redcurrant fruit with structure but nice balance. Oopened up with time and held up nicely. 92 pts. 4/05
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Tasted February 19, 2005 at a DAWGS offline at Lavendou in Dallas, TX. Opened and decanted approximately 4-5 hours before serving and then double decanted back into the bottle for transport to the restaurant. Served in Spiegelau Authentis Magnum glasses. Attractive nose of leather and forest floor. Very well integrated and ready to go now. Flavors of currant and plum. Started showing a little more as the evening pressed on. Can be drank now or over the next 5-6 years. Recommended.
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Cru (New York, NY): Alright, here we go! The nose was sultry and screamed of Pauillac with tobacco and cedar. On the palate, this was initially almost resinous with a woody, espresso-driven quality that quickly unwound to reveal the classic Pichon silk robe. With 90 minutes of air this became increasingly generous, yet it also seemed clear this was still very tight, compact and somewhat closed, a fairly classic expression of the vintage. Still, with perfectly seared lamb chops, it is hard to think of a better accompaniment...
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Last minute choice to open after all of us had way to much wine. This was a mistake as it could have used a few hours of decanting. Nose was closed and fruit never got the chance to appear before it was all gupled down. Note to self on the other bottle I have coming: DO NOT OPEN THIS BOTTLE FOR 10 MORE YEARS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Opened and decanted about an hour prior to drinking the first glass. It would have benefited from being open longer - even up to 3 hours.
Extremely dark, almost black in colour, with a purple rim; appeared quite full on swirling, and exuded a bouquet of deep black currant fruit - a spray of potpourri - hints of fresh pencil shavings - together with an edge of clove; full and expansive on the palate in a rush - then settled back to bring out the ripe sweet currant and blackberry fruit; framed with excellent balance of fine acidity, and the tannins lay beneath the fruit, but clearly will need additional time to resolve; the fruit hangs on the palate for an incredibly long time; finish finally ends with a note of cassis.
Throughout the meal the wine seemed to take on further nuances of bouquet and the flavours rode well above the structure, no doubt influenced by the flavours of the lamb rack. A good match, but think I'll wait a bit longer to open the next bottle.
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Dinner with Staenberg at Lampreia (Seattle, WA, USA): I don't think this was an ideal bottle. The cork was quite wet, although it had not breached. Upon double-decanting this was totally and completely closed as far as aromatics were concerns. Finally, with about 3 hours of air this started to wake up and show a a somewhat minty and high-pitched nose. The palate was clearly Pichon, wonderfully silky and subtle, a textural masterpiece, and it slowly showed more power and intensity with more air. At its best this wine was on par with the 1989 or perhap 1983 Pichon, but it was far from a revelation. This was part of a 6 bottle lot I purchased recently, and it was the bottle that clearly showed the worst fill (base neck). I hope the other bottles are a lot better.
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Decanated ~45 minutes. Deep, dark garnet colour; almost opaque. Aromas of lead pencil, garrigue, glycerin, earth, mushroom, old saddle leather, vanilla, and a bit of barnyard that blew off with time. Full-bodied, unreal wine with glycerin, cassis, mushrooms, earth, and cherry. Long, long finish, ~ 60s with leather and earth notes. Improved with more time in the glass. Still seems a little young. Even better with food. Absolutely outstanding.
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Approaching to the full maturity, but lean on the relative young side, believing there will be at least 12-15 years of life ahead, will blossoming more in the near future, very rounded and balanced wine, with sufficient amount of fruit and frame to support the future development! Grab one to taste, I don't think it will let you down! Bravo!
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Wine tasting. Rustic charm comes through on the nose. Meaty spice, lots of power, black cherry and cherry liqueur. Fresh and big flavors come through on the palate with a real explosion of black cherry, black currant and big spice. Really long, linear finish focusing on the great fruit today. I'm sure this will get more interesting as more secondary character emerges, but I'd question whether it will get better.
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Bottle brought from my personal cellar to Decos Restaurant (San Diego) for Ken Johnson's 55th birthday dinner. Unfortunately, the wine was badly corked.
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Deep dark ruby red. My first impression upon dropping my nose into the Spieglau was YES! A glorious nose of prunes, figs, raisins, leather, roasted chestnuts, and smoke. Ever evolving cascades of nuances emerge from the glass, and suggest a wine with a high merlot content - signified by the scents of raisins and prunes. Not sure whether it does have a high merlot content. In the mouth the wine flows easily from one sweetspot to the next and displays heaps of dimensions and layers. Built into a large structure, the fruit is incredibly dense and powerful. This is in no way a smooth feminine Comtesse, but rather a brute at this point in its evolution (as are many 86's). I haven't the slightest doubt about the potential of this wine, however, as the defintion, focus, structure and density give promise of incredible things to come - 10 to 15 years down the line. One little minus is a slightly bitter note just towards the end of the long finish.
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Bright disc. Medium garnet with orange rim. The initial nose is extremely closed and musty, but the mustiness blows off after approximately 30 minutes and the nose then opens (over another 30 minutes) to a moderately intense cedar, mint, cigar and a core of red fruit. The tannins are ample but are supple for an '86. The palate is medium-bodied, with similar flavors as the nose. The finish is medium and relatively smooth. The wine is pleasant now, but not as impressive as the last time that I tasted it (which was approximately three years ago, at which time I forgot to make a tasting note). I really can't tell if this wine is in a somewhat "dumb" stage at this point or if it is at plateau. Accordingly, it would be best to open another bottle in one to two years.
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Medium ruby, orange rim. Still some tannin to resolve but very drinkable now. Monolithic though, cedar and spice. Slightly austere, especially for Pichon Lalande. Excellent for sure, but I don’t think it will ever surpass the more flamboyant eighty-two.
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Corky nose with rich chocolate nose and a hint of stems, rich chocolate taste, touch of cork here, medium/big body, light/medium finish and nice, soft aftertaste. My #5 of 5.
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Pre Auction Wine Tasting w/ 1994 Harlan (NYC): What I expect from great Bordeaux. Cedar, lead pencil, and cassis on the nose. Earth, leather and berries on the palate. Great, complex wine with a wonderful finish. Seems to be drinking extraordinarily well right now.
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Hollywood Wine Seminar. Medium color. Very classic cassis scent of Cabernet Sauvignon. Beautiful classy dark red fruits character. The most concentrated Pichon Lalande of the series today and for me, the best. Well integrated tannins. Will not take forever to come around. Clive Coates: “needs time, will be magnificent, classic, adolescent”
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Very dark. Very classy complex fruit. Seriously good already. Shows off the success of the northern Médoc in 1986. Splendid future and will not need decades to come around. Real flair and depth. The second best of the Pichon Lalandes in the 1990-1959 vertical
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Chateau Pichon Lalande and Duckkhorn Cabernet Sauvignon-Bordeaux vs. Napa. Was found by me to be an intensely, fruity, spicy wine on the nose that was rich and elegant tasting in the mouth with a bold combination of cabernet fruit with layers of French sophistication, perfect finish and aftertaste. My #1 tied, group #6.
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With MPL and BLR at Singer & Foy survey of '86 Bordeaux. Very dark ruby-purple. More red than purple. Nose shows very delicate, pretty fruit, but needs time to open. On the palate, it is very fine, very complex. Best wine so far. 5-12-18-9: 94/100.
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The Second 1986 Vintage Tasting of 6 Bordeaux This Month. Good nose with hints of earth, taste of slightly sweet cherries and fruit, medium tannins, long finish, pleasant aftertaste. My #2 of 6.
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1986 Vintage Tasting of 6 Bordeaux. very earthy with a hint of fruit on the nose, great fruit and wood in the mouth, soft medium tannins on finish. My #5 of 6, Group #3 tied.
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In the Beaumont temp office. Very darkly colored. Ruby rim. Nose has become quit shy and closed, but promises to open nicely in time. With one day's airing, the wine has smoothed bout nicely and exhibits lots of firm fruit. Still tannic--but so very long. Nice mouthfeel. 5-10-16-7: 88/100.
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In Beaumont, TX temporary office for the ETSY trial. Extremely dark-almost opaque. Nose is packed with fruit. Very dry in the mouth. Raw and tannic, with lots of still-hard fruit underneath. Incredibly concentrated; complex and long. Lots of polish and elegance for such a youngster. Needs a lot of time. 5-10-17-9: 91/100.
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4/22/2024 - europat55 wrote: 92 Points
This kept getting better hours after opening.
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4/21/2024 - beatles wrote: 96 Points
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
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4/16/2024 - ShakenNotStirred Likes this wine: 95 Points
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
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4/14/2024 - AFM87 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Phenomenal
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4/14/2024 - ONEFIVE Likes this wine:
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.
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3/30/2024 - RobinTeo wrote: 91 Points
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)
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3/22/2024 - bordeaux_bro Likes this wine: 94 Points
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.
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3/14/2024 - scott@asrestaurant.com wrote: 89 Points
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
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2/18/2024 - Tad GW wrote: 90 Points
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).
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1/19/2024 - Alessandro DC Likes this wine: 95 Points
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!
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1/1/2024 - Francophile1 Likes this wine:
2024 New Year's Day Double Blind Tasting: Double-blind. Knock-out left bank nose. This wine wins on nose alone. I could smell it all night long. I called it '96 Pichon Lalande so I was only off by a full decade. A great wine! So fresh at 37 years old.
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12/20/2023 - paulst Likes this wine: 97 Points
Perfect balance of blackberry and earth; elegant and balanced; long finish.
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12/11/2023 - galewskj wrote: 94 Points
ROCKNROLLERs bottle, so see his note for treatment. I have only been fortunate enough to have this once before in 2014, and it is at the same level, qualitatively. This has the tertiary Bordeaux flavors and yet it is so smooth, suave, there is no rustic quality to it. Dang, hats off to Pichon Lalande, and I wish I'd bought more 5+ years ago.
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12/10/2023 - rocknroller wrote: 94 Points
Annual Tasting Group Holiday Party (St. Genevieve, Mpls, MN): Very dark red color. Double decanted for an hour plus. Lovely pencil notes, damp forest floor, dark fruits, cassis, blackberry, still poised and long. 93+ to 94pts.
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11/14/2023 - Dionysos55 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Robe à peine évoluée on ne voit pas à travers....Le bouquet est sûrement le plus complexe évalué cette année c'est affolant la succession d'arômes qui virevoltent:menthol,réglisse,tabac,cassis,prune,cerise,terre mouillée,sauge,marjolaine,café,chocolat et j'en oublie certainement c'est réellement magique.Le hic c'est que la bouche affiche une puissance phénoménale,une structure gigantesque,agrémentée d'une acidité bien présente.En gros pour la bouche ce vin a 10 ans d'âge alors qu'il affiche 37 au compteur.Cette cuvée a encore 50 ans devant elle !!!! Bref,on est loin d'un velouté magique,d'un vin complètement épanoui.C'est un bloc monolithique qui demande un affinage conséquent.Bref 100 pour le bouquet 90 pour la bouche d'où cotation finale 95.Le seul tracas et il est de taille c'est le bouchon:il est nécessaire de le remplacer pour une autre durée très longue.Sans cette assurance,je crains le pire pour les bouteilles restantes....
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10/27/2023 - grub94 Likes this wine: 95 Points
From mag. Extremely youthful color, bright. Great classic Bord nose of blackberry, currant, graphite, cedar, tobacco, with hints of sage and marjoram. Very balanced with soft tannin and firm mild acidity. Perfect match for the racks of lamb ala Keller. Long soft finish. Happy to have more!
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10/21/2023 - Wine MOB Likes this wine: 92 Points
The score is not fair because the bottle was slightly court. I ran it through saran wrap and pulled much of the taint out of the wine.
This is classic Pichon. Very feminine and sexy and still has many years ahead. Rich, current fruit. Exotic spice, Cedar and lead pencil are all there.
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10/19/2023 - Eric wrote: flawed
M&PD Tasting: Argentinian Grill (Mount Baker, Seattle, WA): I am pretty certain this was lightly corked, as I kept getting moldy notes on the nose and a somewhat stripped palate. That said, this was tough to pinpoint due to the austere 1986 personality of this wine (which is a very atypically masculine Pichon Lalande). Regardless, it was very austere and very 1986. Powerful and dark with tobacco and mint.
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10/19/2023 - ElAzul Likes this wine: 94 Points
I had an option to say the bottle was flawed since the cork fell into it while using an ah-so puller and the fill was only to slightly below the neck line. But the aromas were classic cedar, forest floor and just a slight Bordeaux barnyard funk that disappeared in a couple of minutes. Eventually a dark fruit and currant nose emerged with a decant and several back and forth splashes between two glasses. The palate has the same blackberry fruit as before though not as flamboyant as the previous bottle. The prior comments are after four hours open.
Comments after open 24 hours: the finish is much more present with vibrant acidity and the tannin is very earthy, but not rustic. Thus the complex minerality of the wine has started to dominate the flavor profile, though the dark fruit is still present but has diminished a bit. I still like the wine despite the somewhat flawed bottle but I have to admit the wonderful experience with the prior bottle has most likely influenced me.
After 28 hours open: So four hours later I was surprised that the wine had evolved some more. Gone were the earthy tannins and they were replaced by sweeter, dryer yet sturdy tannin and acidity that now allows the blackberry fruit to re-emerge and with a finish lasting a full 30 seconds.
Now after 30 hours open the wine finally reaches its peak. The tannin is now fully integrated , the aromas are pure dark fruit and the palate is full of dark, brooding blackberry fruit that ends in a satisfying complex finish of dark fruit, cassis and anise.
So this suggests plenty of decant a d splash ing is required for this wine to show its true essence. I couldn't give it a 96 as before but the fact that the cork fell into the bottle may have influenced me to grade it a bit lower. Still, this is fine wine and I am happy to have fulfilled my duty to see it to its tasty end!
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9/17/2023 - djhammond Likes this wine: 96 Points
Not quite up there with previous bottles, but at this age you expect some bottle variance. ( please refer to my post note at the end,). That said, this was excellent with the wine managing to combine a masculne Paulliac profile with a hidden silky seductive side. Black cherry, plum, and leather are prominent with floral notes becoming more apparent. It has great balance and depth, but the finish was a little skewed this time out. As mentioned earlier this is just bottle variance and could rate this another couple of points higher on another occasion. A post note three hours in the decanter and an hour in the glass solved all issues, and I had to up the score.
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9/13/2023 - OnCloudWine97 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Was a little skeptical before opening it. The wine had a perfect neck and had a nice smooth silky taste to it. I hope to get my hands on another one.
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9/11/2023 - dlcolester wrote: 99 Points
Perfect neck, color with a fabulous smooth silky robust taste with a great linguiring after taste. Nothing to be improved on this great wine. If you can get it you will not be disappointed
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5/3/2023 - englishman's claret wrote: 96 Points
At its peak, the 1986 Pichon Comtesse shows a paradoxical nose - muscular yet somehow simultaneously lush, packed with cassis, ink, licorice and a subtle floral accent, even more profound on the palate than on the nose. Best with about 1.5-2 hours in the decanter, tailing off a bit by 3.
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4/15/2023 - Saint B Likes this wine:
Second bottle after 3 years. Nose of pencil lead, some may interpret it as incense wood, blue fruits and forest floor in the background. On the palate, a melange of red and blueberries. Tannins are beautifully resolved. The aroma is slightly less intense from my previous encounter, but no less enjoyable. I am surprised by how well it is still able to deliver, hoping it continues to do so in the coming decades is my only wish.
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4/15/2023 - M.Y. Chong Likes this wine:
Revisited after approximately 3 years.
Good cork.
Bricking at the edges but still looks vigorous considering age.
Cassis, cedar incense, and pencil lead. Quite profound pencil lead aroma. Background barnyard.
Good density of fruit.
Long finish with notes of cigar box.
I think this is drinking at peak. Less fruit than 3 years ago suggesting it is starting its long downward trajectory.
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3/26/2023 - dnicewicz Likes this wine: 94 Points
Great stuff - exactly what you’d expect from Pichon Lalande - plenty of soft sous bois notes, tobacco, cassis and great medium body finish. I prefer this over the 1996 at current status (the 96 is a bit too pyrazine-heavy for me). Really nothing wrong here - even had some magical element at the beginning that faded a bit over time. These bottles are why we drink wine.
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3/1/2023 - oldwines Likes this wine: 96 Points
Double decanted for an hour before taking to Philly to have with out Philly wine group. First time since the Pandemic. This is miraculously youthful. No bricking. Very earthy and graphite oriented. Sous bois and barnyard as well. Fruit is secondary but there is some cassis and some tart red berry. Very light somewhat ethereal in texture. Lovely and elegant long finish.
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3/1/2023 - skurtz Likes this wine: 93 Points
Brought by Dave to dinner at Melogranos. Huge fragrant nose, classic barnyard, tobacco, leather. On the palate, lots of complex secondary flavors, chewy, cedar, tobacco, fruit is in there somewhere but not a top player. Excellent, thought provoking.
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2/21/2023 - paulst Likes this wine: 97 Points
Silky; cedar; light berry; balanced and long.
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1/27/2023 - N.Bonaparte wrote: 94 Points
6 years since my last bottle. A bottle that has finally reached its prime and a wine that should drink well for another 2 plus decades. This was a very eloquent wine with less pronounced high pitched fruits found in the 2000 Pichon Baron. This is in a great spot to enjoy now with a 90 min decant. Revisit 2027
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1/24/2023 - paulst Likes this wine: 95 Points
Cedar and tobacco; silky and balanced; long lightly sweet raspberry-blackberry.
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1/11/2023 - paulst Likes this wine: 91 Points
Cedar; lean blackberry; elegant finish.
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12/26/2022 - LW31 wrote: flawed
A great looking bottle but every so slightly corked. That annoying corked where you can tell it would have been a lovely wine…
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12/25/2022 - niknoT Likes this wine: 94 Points
Wine up full cork, but not corked (surprisingly). 30 minute decant. Very light nose, opened up over time to must, and dark fruit. Notes of blackberry, dried currant, cedar. Finishes soft and medium length. May not be the perfect representation, but thoroughly enjoyed.
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12/24/2022 - paulst Likes this wine: 92 Points
Cedar and earth; resolved; soft and lean; light blackberry; soft finish.
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11/18/2022 - paulst Likes this wine: 94 Points
Earth; balanced; smooth blackberry; elegant finish.
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10/22/2022 - sdr Likes this wine: 92 Points
The tannins have melted and the Pichon Lalande character of sweet lush dark berry fruit is prominent. Sound acidity. Moderately fragrant, modest length. Seems more like Merlot than Cabernet Sauvignon. While it’s surely a tasty drink it lacks distinctiveness. I could not tell it was Pauillac; it could even have originated outside the Gironde. Enjoyable but not memorable.
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10/14/2022 - magnusguy Likes this wine:
My experiences with ‘86 Bordeaux have never borne out the generally accepted consensus re harshness and tannins outliving fruit. Lucky I guess . Yes, they were fiercely tannic out of the box, but I’ve had some glorious examples. Friday night with Mark and Arlys the’86 PLL was classic in every regard. Slow to emerge from a 1 hour decant, it blossomed into everything one could hope for by evenings end. Delicate yet riveting blue fruit aromas and flavors leading to a gorgeously generous mid palate followed by a seamlessly long finish. In a perfect spot just now.
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10/12/2022 - Smoky86 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Cork was intact, only 1/3 soaked. Right away, classic mature Bordeaux scent upon opening the bottle. Decanted and followed over 2 hours. A bit of funk blows off quickly. Tertiary notes including leather and tobacco dominate initially. Then, amazingly, blueberry notes appear. On the palate, tannins are a bit coarse but never unpleasant, and soften over time. Really speaks to the longevity of this vintage -- this particular bottle was probably not yet at peak.
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10/10/2022 - jviz wrote: 95 Points
Decanted and followed over about an hour and a half, the 1986 PLL is showing marvelously today. The nose is intense, perhaps a bit compact with blue fruits and Bay leaf. I really liked the weight on the palate as well. Some of my table mates are a bit biased generally against the sometimes rough, angular tannins of 1986. This bottle, however, while still holding its structure (i.e. not nearly as resolved as the 82 or 83) has enough polish to avoid feeling hollow or astringent. I suppose this could hold a little while longer but certainly no crime to open now.
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9/30/2022 - Hanover Likes this wine: 95 Points
beautiful nose on opening difficult cork. decanted 4 hours, big body, tobacco hints, long finish.
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7/12/2022 - ElAzul Likes this wine: 96 Points
This wine keeps on giving. The cork was removed by ah-so puller, wet to almost the top. But the wine body was fabulous. Cedar and forest floor nose initially after just a miniscule touch of Bordeaux funk. Over time black currant and blackberry fruit nose. The palate was initially very restrained even after decant. But after two hours the tannin was smooth and BlackBerry fruit peaked through. it was even more impressive 24 hours after open with the almost sweet tannin providing a wonderful backbone to the fruit. I saved about 6 ounces for a taste after 48 hours open and the wines multilayered complexity really showed with blackberry, black current and cedar blending harmoniously and a 5-10 second finish lingering on the tongue. This is first class wine. It will be good 10 years from now if kept well but it is already in a wonderful drinking window as this as good or better than the last bottle I opened in 2018.
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7/3/2022 - bgriffi1 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Not as good as previous bottle - but did not give appropriate time to open up. A lot of sweet fruit up front which faded as the wine got more air. Last few sips were the best.
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6/30/2022 - iainlo@gmail.com Likes this wine: 90 Points
Brought this bottle to a michelin starred restaurant in London, they broke the cork and half dropped back in the bottle, causing them to decant and filter (urgh!!) the wine. Dinner was protracted and the wine was served three hours later, warmer than ideal!
Nose was promising, red fruits, pencil shaving and hints of coffee/chocolate but the palate was underwhelming. It lack intensity and vibrancy. Not sure if it was because of the filter and decanting combination, or just a poor bottle (given cork condition). Luckily (or not) there are 11 bottles remaining from this parcel i bought at Christies
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6/24/2022 - bgriffi1 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Just amazing. 36 years young. Nice balance of fruit and tannin and color surprisingly deep still.
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6/19/2022 - Ex-Ray Likes this wine: 92 Points
At home with grilled steaks. Ruby, with brown edges, slightly translucent. Pronounced aroma from the start, with typical cassis, cedar, toasted French oak, unmistakably Bordeaux. Flavors are soft and round but have started to lose some fruit. Mostly dark fruits, like cassis, plums, but started to dry out after several hours. Time to drink up. I bought this on release in 1989 and have cellared it since. Last tasted 2016 and rated 98 but it has lost some fruit since then.
Ric
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5/29/2022 - Snowryeder Likes this wine: 95 Points
Beautiful! Berries & earth, smooth tannins, long finish. Drinking much better than 4 years ago.
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5/27/2022 - Burghunt Likes this wine: 94 Points
Wine of the night in a blind small scale 86 Bordeaux tasting (unanimous vote by all tasters, beating one of the 1st growth)
surprisingly young and expressive, feminine, complex
Tannin soft and smooth
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5/25/2022 - brich Likes this wine: 97 Points
Perhaps the finest Bordeaux I have had. Perfect drinking window. Balanced with ruby notes. Decanted and needed maybe half hour to show its full potential. Fabulous!
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2/4/2022 - Grinner wrote: 94 Points
"Old Bordeaux" = '86! (Old Home of Woodward): Amazing when the worst wine of the night (WWOTN?) is this good! Seemed substantially younger than the GL before it. More garnet at the rim. A sweeter floral nose, more plum, creme de cassis, cedar and spice. Lovely texture, fairly sexy, so I guessed a '95 from the Margaux appellation. Whoops!
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2/4/2022 - jkwoodward Likes this wine: 93 Points
Boldest nose of the tasting for me with more earth and cedar, but palate didn't quite match. A bit muted, but still all there. A good wine, but not as good as the rest this night.
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2/3/2022 - Paul D wrote: 93 Points
Jason's 1980s Bordeaux Dinner (La Trompette, Chiswick): Red and black berry fruited nose, touch of mint, smoke and earth. Medium bodied, cedary with some gravelly mineral, fresh/vibrant acidity, nicely balanced, quite long.
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2/3/2022 - SimonG wrote: 93 Points
Jason’s 80’s Bordeaux @La T: Dense ruby. Floral with a blackcurrant pastille element to the nose. Dense. Becomes a touch lactic with air although this seems to resolve again. Good line. ****
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2/3/2022 - NickA Likes this wine: 94 Points
Greatest Hits of the 80s! (La Trompette): A slightly better bottle than the one drunk in December. Fresh on the nose, full of black fruit and green herbs, with an undertone of oak moss and other lovely foresty things. Well-balanced on the palate, brighter and creamier than the nose (strawberry jam notes?) but overall savoury rather than sweet. Still some tannic grip, but in a really good spot - my #2 tonight..
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1/22/2022 - Tad GW wrote: flawed
Cork was moldy. Wine bouquet was faint but attractive. Taste was slightly vegetal. I suspect the mold got in the wine to some degree.
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12/31/2021 - DanielN wrote: 94 Points
Spectacular deep cassis, leather, tobacvo.
Perrect balance of fruit, acidity, tankins ans savory minerality. Awesome bottle
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12/25/2021 - cordier88 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Needed 1.5 hours to really open up, and peaked at >2 hours. Once resolved, showed graphite, leather, cedar, pencil shavings and elegant dark fruit. Still remarkably fresh and young, though feels like it's in it's window right now. Lovely wine, as always.
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12/20/2021 - CellarBord Likes this wine: 94 Points
A big, old school style typical of 1986. Opened nicely over time and developed a wonderful nose. A lot of time ahead. Drink now to 2030.
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12/10/2021 - lozatron Likes this wine:
Most Splendid Game Dinner: The third flight of reds so the palate may have been starting to fade. This shone through however. Savoury - fully mature Pauillac. Seemed to be more on the palate than the nose, and taste more on the way out than the way in.
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12/9/2021 - NickA Likes this wine: 93 Points
Gareth's glorious game dinner (Canary Wharf): Just a little disjointed compared to the 1995 drunk alongside it. Darkish fruit, graphite, solidly-built and with good freshness.
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11/25/2021 - dbkitc wrote: 94 Points
Gorgeous, pure, archetype Pauillac. Cassis, tobacco and crushed stones. Lovely feel with a very nice finish. Excellent bottle. (94)
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11/16/2021 - paulst Likes this wine: 95 Points
Leather; rich blackberry with tannic balance; robust and coarse; long robust sweet blackberry-cassis finish.
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11/7/2021 - djhammond Likes this wine: 96 Points
Tasted a couple of times a year, this has entered its peak drinking window and is a relatively early developer for the vintage. It is not at the same level as the 1982 but is the best of rest fully mature. It is old school left bank Bordeaux at its best showing secondary and early tertiary notes. The nose is all about musty old leather, plum, blackcurrant with background violet hints. The palate is resolved but the tannin has retained a masculine bite with perfect balance and no residual harshness. The finish is excellent and fully integrated with a fantastic depth and pushing 60 seconds. As mentioned in previous notes this does need an hour or two in the decanter to blow off any barnyard funk. 96+
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11/3/2021 - paulst Likes this wine: 95 Points
Cedar and blackberry; balanced and depth; elegant and layered; balanced smooth sweet finish.
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9/8/2021 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
Epic Bordeaux for an Epic Birthday!; 9/1/2021-9/12/2021 (Paris & Bordeaux): I feel a bit for this wine as I know that it's a good one and yet it got completely overshadowed in a line-up of 80's that included one of the best versions of my birth year and then 82 and 89. There's perhaps a bit less lift here than with those others, but still very tasty and a wine I'd be happy to drink any day.
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9/4/2021 - Rani Likes this wine: 93 Points
Tasted blind next to an 86 Talbot (which was off). This was fresh, tasting younger than it’s age. Lovely red fruit, sous bois and cigar box. Velvety with medium length and probably at its peak.
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8/27/2021 - glou.sf Likes this wine: 94 Points
Classic aged Bordeaux nose of leather, red fruit, and tobacco. Well balanced palate with integrated, yet still quite drying tannins. Notes of red currants and darker fruit tones towards the back of the palate. Long finish. Really lovely wine, although I preferred the 2000 next to it by a small margin.
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8/14/2021 - atomjc Likes this wine: 94 Points
Classic aged Pauillac. Decanted and started drinking right away. Lovely tertiary notes with ripe fruits. I couldn't stop myself from going for more. Notice declining at 1.5 ~ 2 hour mark. Overall, it was more lively than I expected. Liked it so much and had to get another bottle from an auction site.
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8/10/2021 - jgh123 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Birthday dinner for Beth. Steak tartare and frites. The wine was perfectly mature and spot on. Should last another 5-10 years but no particular reason to wait.
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7/28/2021 - Vineyard Boy Likes this wine: 99 Points
Definitely peaking beautifully
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7/14/2021 - texaswinelover wrote:
Finally banging. 35 years old.
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7/10/2021 - Nutty08 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Best bottle of this I've had and the WOTN. Served bright, though this may be laland as it had an elegant herbal tobacco leaf character with mature fruit. Pretty mild tannin at this point but there's some austerity on the finish. Thought it was a '89 bdx, probably Lalande. Seems like the '86 is finally turning the corner towards maturity.
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6/23/2021 - Cailles wrote: 90 Points
24 Vintages of Pichon Lalande: All wines tasted blind. A few general observations: 1) Most wines showed the typical Pichon Lalande elegance. This is certainly one of the more delicate and elegant Paulliacs. 2) The relatively high Merlot content (often 20-30%) showed in many wines with fine, fresh rhubarb, rosehip and floral aromas I wouldn’t necessarily associate with a Medoc - all adding to the sensuous quality of the wines. 3) A few vintages showed the very sexy burnt sugar/coffee notes you associate with the 1982 Lalande or a Mouton or a Cheval Blanc - unfortunately, in most wines this night not to an extent and with an intensity to truly excite. 4) Following the legendary 1982 and until the most recent vintages (starting with 2014 but especially with 2016) there are three decades of pleasant Pichon Lalandes but hardly any vintage has the depth and length of truly great wines. The best wine tonight was the 2009 (rated 95+ points) with many more in the 92-94 point category.
TN: This was the weakest 80s Lalande tonight. Maybe just another 86 which needs a bit more time to unfurl (in the context of this large tasting the bottle has not been decanted beforehand). On the nose and palate very dark fruit and some slight tobacco, barnyard and minerality aromas but overall not very complex, precise and not expressive. The structure was fairly good with smooth tannins, a good acidity and tension. Good wine but nothing too interesting here.
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5/21/2021 - Jd6725 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Started out great and interesting. In a vertical of the 85/86/89/01. This may have been my favorite to start. Complex, structured, classic bordeaux. Went well with food. Sadly it started to show just a touch of TCA later in the evening while the others got better. I hesitate to call this flawed since it showed so well early. 94 early, 90 after the small amount of cork taint reared its ugly head.
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5/15/2021 - GNBB wrote: 94 Points
Decanted 1hr30. Still incredibly deep in colour, with just gentle paling to rim - looks so young. Remarkably intense nose with masses of ripe brambles, cedar, tobacco and some faint fennel - perhaps a little age showing in the background. Palate shows plenty of freshness, very gentle background fine tannins; light primary fruits of deep bramble with secondary notes of light truffle, forest floor. A really amazing wine - still drinking beautifully with everything in balance and such a light & subtle touch. Delightful. Absolutely drinking now.
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4/23/2021 - Elpaninaro Likes this wine:
aging red color with some brick at the rim, mature cassis and plum notes on the nose, earth notes, on the palate forest floor with a beaming ripe cassis fruit, light notes of green pepper, tannins resolved, clove notes, fine long fragrant finish, a fine 86 showing beautifully, aging at a glacial pace and with time in hand.
*****, now to 2030++
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4/15/2021 - paulst Likes this wine: 88 Points
Some good moments but disappointing for an 86 Pichon Lalande; cedar light berry; a bit corked at times; lost it after 2 hrs; flat finish.
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3/16/2021 - paulst Likes this wine: 95 Points
Elegant nose with leather and light licorice; balanced; but still some unresolved tannin with a tart element on the front; layered and elegant semi-sweet blackberry finish.
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3/11/2021 - paulst Likes this wine: 93 Points
Light manura and leather; cedar; lean and elegant; soft tannin; mature finish.
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3/6/2021 - oldwines Likes this wine: 96 Points
Stellar wine, unfortunately tasted along side 1992 Ridge Monte Bello, which out-Bordeaux-ed the Bordeaux. Almost impossible to distinguish the 2 by region in a blind tasting. Decanted at 5pm and tasted over 4 hours or so with some left to try tomorrow. Surprisingly little sediment. The wine is a medium to dark translucent garnet with little to no sign of bricking, so youthful for a 35 year old bottle. 12,5% ABV. Nose is smokey and earthy with a hint of game meat, then cassis, vanilla and chocolate. Palate is still fairly tannic to my surprise. Balanced and elegant with red, bordering on black fruit including plum, cassis, pomegranate and graphite on the finish which is long but not as long as the Monte Bello. Also by comparison it has less depth and complexity than the Ridge. Nonetheless this is a wonderful bottle of wine, that I actually think can still improve with some additional bottle age in a good cellar. Of note...I paid $35 for this wine on release.
p.s. More than 24 hours later this wine is still glorious. It has changed a little, more soft, slightly less fruity but it has a gorgeous nose and finish of blackberry bramble. Reminds me of when I used to pick wild blackberries at a country house we had in Pennsylvania. This will easily last another decade IMO
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2/26/2021 - Kim Gerner wrote: 85 Points
1986 vertical Bordeaux Grand cru Classé etc (19 wines) - Wine tasting dinner semi blind (Nordsjaelland): A little corked still green pepper
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2/7/2021 - englishman's claret wrote: flawed
The 86 Pichon Comtesse can really be super. However, a whole OWC of this showed slightly stewed, Amarone-like fruit. Other OWCs from the same source showed no signs of heat damage and the corks by and large were pristine without any evidence of prior seepage. I'm not sure is this is just barrel-to-barrel variation with some 1986 problems (many bottles of the Cos in particular show a similar Amarone-like character) or whether this case was at some point heat affected.
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2/6/2021 - MPC61 wrote: 90 Points
Tasted in a tight vertical of Comtesse - 83, 85, 86 and 89. Unfortunately, this bottle was a bit 'green.' Unsure if I want to classify it as 'damaged' or 'flawed' after a similar experience with a 86 Comtesse for Christmas dinner a few weeks back.
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1/30/2021 - liber Likes this wine: 95 Points
8th of 12, opened 2 hours, decanted one, fully travelled cork, perfect level, more fragrant and better balanced than last bottle noted more fully in 2014, attractive black plum notes and quite silky with enough weight of fruit to cover now largely integrated tannic base, fine persistence (didn't note any sourness on exit), colour and fruit intensity suggest further development possible, probable upside for 10 and further 10 years of life. VF (18.5).....always one of the more attractive 86s vieing with the sublime 82.
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1/29/2021 - paulst Likes this wine: 96 Points
Manura and leather; blackberry; smooth and integrated; earthy; layered and complex; long coarse finish.
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1/17/2021 - djhammond Likes this wine: 96 Points
I drink this a couple a times a year, and the last 12 months has seen it really come into its optimum drinking window. However, I must stress this is not the same wine if not decanted to blow off some of barnyard. It is a wonderful mature Bordeaux with a mature nose and palate showing secondary and tertiary notes. It is complex and the tannin is softened, with my only criticism being with the finish, which is lengthy but unbalanced and sour towards the end. I am quite happy to continue to drink this over the next decade at least without worrying about decline.
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12/24/2020 - MPC61 wrote: 94 Points
Enjoyable but tasting a bit past peak. Still nice for Christmas dinner!
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12/24/2020 - paulst Likes this wine: 94 Points
Mature; brickish brown; sweet blackberry; cedar and some must; coarse with smoothly absorbed tannin and elegant finish.
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12/15/2020 - paulst Likes this wine: 94 Points
Initially a bit sour but still with sweet coarse blackberry with manura and leather nose; after an hour smoothed out and had layers of earth and mocha and coffee and cassis; soft tannin in the finish with length.
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12/9/2020 - Marc C Likes this wine: 92 Points
Nez très jeune sur le cassis frais, un peu de menthol et de tabac en cherchant bien. C'est net, pur mais vraiment pas complexe pour un sou et ce que ce soit le midi ou le soir. Si on veut être plus positif, il avait gardé toute sa netteté le soir malgré l'après-midi en vidange.
Bouche comprimée à l'ouverture avec des tannins un poil féroces. Les 2h d'aération auront permis de civiliser tout cela pour donner un ensemble d'un équilibre parfait avec une matière plus fondue mais d'une droiture certaine. Le volume, le toucher, la précision, tout est très beau mais on est plus dans la contemplation que dans l'adhésion pleine du fait de ce manque de complexité aromatique.
Finale d'une très bonne persistance, sans concession à l'image du reste !
Superbe pour la bouche mais gros regret sur l'aromatique que j'aurais aimée plus complexe pour évité cette austèrité++ même à table. Si 86 donne ça en ce moment, je vais mettre de côté les 96 pour fêter les 10 ans de maison de retraite...
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10/13/2020 - Saint B Likes this wine:
Opened bottle with high expectations, and matched it. There was a slight hiss when the bottle was uncorked which emanated aromas of red fruits, blue berries and violets. It must be one of the most aromatic wines that I have had so far. The nose evolved to forest floor, then sweet wood, creme de cassis and ink. On the palate, the tannins have all but resolved, there is surprisingly freshness to this wine, what I describe as acidity when having strawberries, however this does disappear the longer I drank. Palate was notable for red fruits, blue berries, vanilla and hints of dark chocolate. A truly memorable wine!
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10/13/2020 - M.Y. Chong Likes this wine:
Special wine at 34 years old.
Nose was exquisite. Very floral from initially uncorking.
Time in the decanter made the nose more cedar, pencil lead.
Cassis on the palate.
Fine long finish.
Something special.
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10/3/2020 - dnnk88 wrote:
CC Bday Wine Dinner 2020!: Brought this bottle tonight and was quite looking forward to try it due to the recent strong CT reviews. Red fruits, raisins, liquorice, slight leather, sandalwood, spices. The age brought out some earthiness and bramble. However, some of us noted a slight tinge of heat damage which I agree. Till the next bottle. 91
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9/19/2020 - D_RICH wrote: 96 Points
Note upon opening: Burnt ruby. Exotic fruit nose. Astringent red fruits in mouth; with airing the stringency softens and the wine displays jammy dark fruits. Double decanted; one hour in decanter and then back in bottle; drank about 5 hours after opening at friend's birthday dinner with rare tenderloin, right before the 1986 Lafite Rothschild (97 points, outstanding now) and the 1986 Mouton Rothschild (98 points, could actually use more time). Those wines were better, but the Pichon was excellent.
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9/19/2020 - Aravind Asok wrote:
Pop amd pour. Quintessential aged BDX. On the nose: cedar, smoke, dried blueberry. On the palate, good acidity, very savory with loads of cedar, sweet soft mesquite, dried blue and blackberry. Attenuated tannin. Perfectly mature.
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9/2/2020 - LWI wrote: 94 Points
Most structured, tight and impressive, a fist of dark fruit, complex finish. With air: menthol and flowers.
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7/31/2020 - drboehm Likes this wine: 93 Points
Bottle seems ok , decanted for two hours .
Colour dark deep red , with some water and orange hints . Nose clearly left bank BDX , with some freshness like mint and menthol and earthy tones . Black currant at the start of tasting , later on some really pecil lead and graphit -> Paulliac !
Very balanced Bordeaux , with lots of sweet fruit and some integrated acid . Tannics , for this year , very integrated , the merlot makes a nice drinking wine ( "feminin" touch ) .
I don´t think , that the wine gets better , so enjoy it now , or during the next years .
93 / 18 Points .
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7/16/2020 - paulst Likes this wine: 94 Points
Leather, blackberry, earth, licorice, coffee; complex; silky and elegant; long sweet finish.
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6/27/2020 - Burgundy Al wrote: 94 Points
Opened and decanted a couple of hours in advance. Black cherry, cassis and cigarbox with very big structure that is seamlessly and perfectly integrated. Big and powerful with a long, graceful life going forward.
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6/19/2020 - rcg62 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Drinking great. Past the peak maybe, but only just heading to other side. Color still terrific with very limited sign of age. Nose brings the berries, but there’s also earthy notes, coffee (?) and some very subtle pine. Interesting that I only decanted a half hour before, but it kept improving over the next hour plus. Lots of tangy dark fruit. Elegant, medium bodied at best. Long finish. Very classy.
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6/14/2020 - djhammond Likes this wine: 96 Points
This is at its peak, but should stay here for at least the next decade, albeit with occasional bottle variance. It is classic old school Bordeaux. Blackcurrant, plum, old leather and cigar box dominate the nose and palate. It possesses great depth and a lengthy finish, and although robust the tannin is seamless with no residual rough edges. A hour or two in the decanter helps blow off the initial barnyard. I am a great fan of this wine, but I think the subsequent great years starting in 1995 began to show more elegance, and for myself makes the 1986 Pichon Lalande even more unique.
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6/11/2020 - beatles wrote: 95 Points
Seems a point. Sous bois, spice, good, dark fruit, cigar box. Seemlessly balanced, this is hard to resist. Will keep, but open for business.
#Ib
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5/26/2020 - A.Hansen Likes this wine: 95 Points
Classic Bordeaux nose of forest floor and dark fruit. The palate is savory and complex with notes of black currants, earth and cigar box. Well balanced. A wonderful mature claret.
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4/19/2020 - hsacks Likes this wine: 93 Points
Somewhat hazy red color. Aromas of cassis, tobacco and mint. Ripe, fully integrated fruit in the mouth with excellent depth and length. Nicely complex and lithe on the palate. Although at very end of its peak drinking period, the wine actually improved over the course of an hour. Delicious but drink up!
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3/15/2020 - Michael Mackenzie wrote: 91 Points
Decanted for 2 hours before writing these notes. THat said, the wine continues to evolve nicely.
Tough and closed at first, almost notes of cork but this fades (same on two bottles). Opens up nicely to good Pauillac nose, CS dominant, complex, coffee notes.
Good colour and depth too.
On palate medium body, well rounded, still tannic, very CS dominant, good fruit to counteract tannins. Medium finish with some astringency.
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3/6/2020 - Richard P Howden Likes this wine:
Beautiful floral nose was the highlight of this bottle. Still so youthful and balanced.
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2/20/2020 - peternelson wrote: 92 Points
Classic, straight forward left bank, earthy, good tannins still, a bit austere, excellent shape, thought it was much younger than it was. Lawry's Dirty Dozen Blind.
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1/28/2020 - mdefreitas wrote: flawed
Bordeaux from the 80s (Peppercorn's (Hartford, CT)): Light-bodied and simple. A bit of mustiness showed up which makes me think this is not a representative bottle.
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12/31/2019 - RockinCabs wrote: 93 Points
Nose: Cassis, tobacco, graphite. Tight and deep with layers of black fuit and still strong tannin. Palate: Cassis, black cherry, coconut oak and graphite. Finish: more dark fruit and graphite.
Long way to develop on this. A great PLL.
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12/30/2019 - WbstrSt Likes this wine:
Wow! From auction. No bricking. Casis, leather, tobacco. Nice tanins but not too drying. Acidity and nice delicate fruit. Showed incredibly well. Good bottle.
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12/25/2019 - kevin h wrote: 90 Points
Hardly changed since I last had it in 2012. Classic four square cassis claret that even a 4 hour decant could coax little out of. Leave till 2050 - I’m not kidding. My last bottle from a case drunk over 20 years.
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12/13/2019 - europat55 wrote: 90 Points
Pichon Lalande & Pichon Baron from 1982-1990 Vertical (Andre and Sabine's House, Mountain View, CA): Nose: B++ Palate: B++
My #8, Group's #6 (67 pts). Tasted Blind.
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12/6/2019 - hprphf wrote:
Zachy's BYO 2019: Balance is a bit off. Woods dominate. NR
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11/22/2019 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 91 Points
Chateau Pichon Lalande-1986, 1988, 1989, and1990 (Yan's China Bistro, Walnut Creek, Ca.): Cork was saturated and loose as a closure, nose of mushroom, black berry pie, and plum, same on the palate, medium/big body, nose and taste improved but tired due to cork issue or would have scored much higher, tasty, rich, mouth filling fruit, long finish.
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10/23/2019 - rc@ughey wrote: 93 Points
Beautifully put together but very shy for the first three (!) hours in the decanter. This is clean and pure but still fairly structured. When this finally opened up, it was classic Pauillac with dark currants, graphite, and subtle tertiary notes. Very well balanced. Despite the tannins, I'm not sure this will get much better with time, In any event, it's quite lovely now and very representative of both the producer and vintage. Just give it time in the decanter -- for good bottles (this was pristine), I don't think six hours would be excessive.
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10/6/2019 - djhammond Likes this wine: 95 Points
This was not quite up there with some my previous bottles, but that goes with the territory with wine 30+ years. However, it is unmistakably a 1986 Paulliac, with all the characteristics of an old school big Bordeaux. It is firmly in its drinking window, but definitely needs a few hours in the decanter to fully enjoy it. The nose is deep and musty with blackcurrant, plum, and old leather. The palate is robust with tannin and multi layered with complexity. However, with this bottle the finish was a little sour and out of balance. As stated, this ranges from excellent to absolutely superb, but this was at the lower end of the scale. As mentioned this goes with the territory, and this and the Talbot, are still the best left bankers 1986 apart from the first growths and the Las Cases.
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9/27/2019 - misterstarre wrote: flawed
What are the odds of hitting two corked bottles in one night? First the Ogier and now this! This was totally corked. Bummer.
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9/18/2019 - Richard P Howden Likes this wine: 93 Points
Wide open and delicious. Rich nose of leather, earth, minerals and red fruit. Still some cherry fruit on the earthy silky dry palate. Very silky smooth, great balance and very long. In a great place.
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9/17/2019 - Nels+ Likes this wine: 92 Points
Grosses Aromaspektrum mit viel Sekundär- und Tertiäraromen aber noch immer etwas Frucht nach 33 Jahren. Intensiv, langanhaltend und keinesfalls müde.
BoW 18.5/20
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9/15/2019 - dream wrote: 89 Points
The sixth wine of 14 vintages of PL back to ‘61 courtesy of Mark Golodetz. I continue to be disappointed by this wine and it showed rather awkward and strict compared to most other vintages with firm tannins not much complexity. There is depth underneath so perhaps it just needs more time but to me it was an ugly duckling in the line-up tonight. A perfect bottle as they all were tonight but it was easily trumped by the ‘88 alongside. 89?
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9/5/2019 - hprphf Does not like this wine:
Acker 2019/09; 9/5/2019-9/7/2019 (Le Bernardin Prive, Marea): Smells like old newspaper… NR
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8/25/2019 - rmodak wrote: 94 Points
Drinking at mid peak currently. Nose delivers cassis, plums, pencil lead and a hint of green herbs. Mouthfeel is velvety, medium bodied with lovely mature fruit, resolved tannins and long finish. Very regal and elegant classic Bordeaux without a hint of rusticity. Double decanted 4 hours prior to drinking.
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8/24/2019 - cct wrote: 95 Points
Pencil lead, cassis, some leafiness, violets, bitter chocolate, and wet bricks on the nose. On the palate, this is fully mature. It's structured, yet so finely knit that it comes across elegant. Power and grace. This has a sense of effortless beauty that is hard to describe. It impresses with it's harmony, not with any particular aspect. Terrific depth and breadth. The wine has a richness coupled with focus and restraint to it that it all comes out perfectly balanced. A classically proportioned archetypal Pauillac. Wonderful and drinking at peak. Thanks RM!
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8/2/2019 - Pknut wrote:
The first of four bottles from a mixed lot, and boy is this good. Dark fruits, pencil lead and a silky smooth texture. The palate is cohesive and seamless, very supple, and quite long. Drinking very well now and should be on a long plateau. Perfect with grilled steaks on a beautiful summer night. Brought to the Wallicks in Bridgehampton.
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7/29/2019 - Oddbod wrote: 93 Points
Delicate nose, coffee grinds, blackberry, cedar. Soft, sexy and sensual, but starting to lose some grip, needs drinking up, but still delicious.
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6/14/2019 - gcarl wrote: 95 Points
Same impressions as my 11/20/18 notes. Cork saturated but wine was special.
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5/13/2019 - The Vines That Bind wrote: 92 Points
Punchy bouquet with some classic Pauillac forest floor and lead pencil about the still dense and purple fruit. Palate resolving nicely too, no hard edges. More pleasant than I remember. Doesn't hit the same flashy highs that Mouton can achieve, but has some showy and exotic projections. 92-93.
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3/31/2019 - Ara Kafafian Does not like this wine: 85 Points
Attended a head to head blind tasting of Pichon-Baron VS. Pichon-Lalande. Vintages were as follows for the Pichon-Baron : 1988, 1989, 1990 & 1998, Pichon-Lalande offerings were 1985, 1986, 1988 & 1996. The first blind wine happened to be the 1986 Pichon-Lalande which had a damaged cork. What a shame since the wine had tremendous complexity however, the wet earth, humus and mushroomy notes were overwhelming. Under this state it scored 85, however, I would love to try another bottle.
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3/5/2019 - djhammond Likes this wine: 96 Points
This is fast approaching its peak, moving forward significantly in the last 12 months, and is fully ready to drink now. Classic old school Bordeaux it is full of blackcurrant, plum, and old leather. Showing full secondary and tertiary characteristics, there is excellent depth and balance on the palate, and a 30+ seconds finish. Do decant for 4 or 5 hours. 96+
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2/21/2019 - mattiasjansson wrote: 91 Points
2nd Growth Bordeaux (Boston): Medium-dark red. Tannic. Medium body, medium fruit.
Some people at the table hypothesized that this is simply still not ready, but if it's not giving more after 33 years I'm wondering if it ever will be "ready."
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2/15/2019 - Kwlharvey wrote:
After decanting 1 hour can taste the classic pauillac taste.
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1/19/2019 - LWI wrote: 95 Points
1986 Left Bank Bordeaux: Licorice candy eucalyptus (strange), dark fruit; surprisingly big bodied, and a lot of fruit, glorious finish.
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1/17/2019 - GuWin wrote: 94 Points
Bordeaux 1986 Stock, Oslo: Forførende duft med solbær, skogsbær, kryddertoner og støvete kjeller. Veldig rik og strukturert. Delikat, konsentrert og med stor fruktfølelse. Veldig "mørk" frukt, god tanninstruktur. En massiv vin
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12/31/2018 - Somm David T Likes this wine: 96 Points
There are few simple life pleasures that are as good as my Ribeye and a well cellared, very good vintage of Pichon Lalande.
One of my favorite New Years Eve traditions is to have an old Pichon Lalande and my Ribeye. This one was close to Heaven.
I come from a mother who raised seven kids on her own as my father passed away five months before I was born. An amazing feat on her part. I say this only to say, if you didn’t eat at rapid pace, you didn’t get your fair share. So, I learned to eat quickly as we all did.
However, this steak and a Pichon Lalande takes over an hour and has lasted two hours on several occasions. One small bite of steak and a small sip of the right Pichon Lalande and my eyes roll as my head dips in complete appreciation and study. This 86 was no exception! Pichon Lalande is simply my favorite steak wine.
The nose on the front end reveals some barnyard but, dissipates as it opens in the glass. Saddle-wood & cedar, forest floor & dark cassis. Ripe & slightly baked; blackberries, dark cherries, mixed dark berry liqueur notes, blueberries, black raspberries, black plum, plum, cherry notes on the glass edges and high nose. Black licorice, limestone minerals, dry stones, dry brush, steeped tea, light herbaceous notes, burnt caramel, vanillin, dark spice with bright red & blue flowers and dark withering florals.
The body is medium full and flat out gorgeous as it tantalites the palate. It’s a slow sipper. The tannins are slightly tarry & well resolved with years ahead. The structure, tension, length and balance have hit full harmony. Dark cassis, ripe & slightly baked; blackberries, dark cherries, mixed dark berry liqueur notes, blueberries, black raspberries, black plum, raspberries, plum and cherry notes on the glass edges and high nose. Black licorice, sweet tarry notes, limestone minerals, dry stones, dry brush, saddle-wood & cedar, forest floor, dark expresso roast, pipe tobacco, soft leather, dry crush rocks, steeped tea, light herbaceous notes, burnt caramel, vanillin, dark spice with bright red & blue flowers and dark withering florals. The acidity is like a waterfall over the palate. The long finish can only be described as ripe, ruby, well balanced Heaven and it is persistent for minutes. Puts on weight with an hour & half plus in the decanter. Tannins also...round, slightly gritty and dusty.
Happy New 2019!!!
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12/31/2018 - Paui wrote: 90 Points
Out of eight my last bottle. Almost flawed however decided to drink. Was better the second day but ways beyond from what it should have been.
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12/20/2018 - Burgundy Al wrote: 95 Points
Open 6 hours before serving with a quick double decant. Black cherry and plum with cassis and cigarbox. Impressive concentration and depth to start but still seemingly backward. An hour in glass made this come across as richer and more generous. So enjoyable now, with upside from here.
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12/11/2018 - blanquito wrote:
Spectacular nose from the get-go, very fresh, a touch funky but quite rich to go with some rusticity. Cinnamon, dark chocolate, showing some earth and leather, but exotic as well with an amazing floral scent of hotel lobby lilies. The palate is so cabernet, fully mature but still kicking with great fruit, glycerin, tannin and intensity. My WOTN easily. 96 pts.
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12/1/2018 - Peter Z. wrote: flawed
corked
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11/30/2018 - Zweder wrote: flawed
A good wine friend's 50th birthday. (@ PCr): This bottle was corked (again). I just saw that the bottle I tasted in 2012 was corked as well. Tonight’s bottle was from a different retailer.
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11/21/2018 - salil wrote: 85 Points
Welp, another disappointment. I've had hit and miss experiences with this particular wine, and this was very much on the miss side. There's a core of black fruit, some light graphite and tobacco notes, and a sharp/stinky unripe vegetal note - not the standard herbal greenness I expect from PLL, but something more sour and unripe (Andy says cat litter-like) on the nose. The palate's quite nice - more polished and less tannic than I expect '86s to be, but this is a letdown, a decent wine but totally underwhelming given what I expect from PLL with some age.
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11/20/2018 - gcarl wrote: 95 Points
I opened this because of the CT notes and because I have 3 from an impeccable private cellar where they have rested since release. Fill levels in my bottles if "low neck". Cork extracted well with The Durand opener, but was 3/4 wet. Decanted part of a 750ml and topped the remainder with Argon and re-corked with solid cork for next day. Waited 30+ minutes to sample from decanter, but the nose of old leather, tobacco, pencil shavings, dark berry, faint chocolate, overcame me and I poured some to taste. Wow, this is what all Bordeaux should aspire to be! The nose continued to improve and become more fruity over the next hour while I watched Monday night football while eating some leftover rare Prime filet in a sandwich. Fruit became more prominent with time and this came across as a much younger, but very enjoyable Bordeaux. I hope I remember to leave notes on the remainder of this memorable bottle tomorrow.
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11/11/2018 - cos65 Likes this wine:
Clear ruby garnet.
Rich aromatics, nice mouthfeel initially, but then finishes rather tannic.
When will these ‘86s be ready to drink?
Impressive, but hold
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11/11/2018 - Nutty08 Likes this wine:
Yves's Memorial; 11/10/2018-11/11/2018 (MO): Amazing how young this is, as the crimson color you'd expect of a 10yo bdx. Showing more aromatics than my last bottle, but the palate is still stately and foursquare. Big and powerful, and could still use some time.
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11/10/2018 - texaswinelover wrote:
Much more open and ready than my last bottle. In a good place now.
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10/27/2018 - pilot360 wrote:
Had this aside 3 other 86 BDX, - talbot, rauzan and cos, this was a stunning example of why I started drinking aged wine.
Reignited the spark in a big way.
Classic.
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9/28/2018 - Samseah wrote:
Had at praelum with gabe and huiyi
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9/22/2018 - Kwlharvey wrote:
Medium body. Decant for 1 hour.
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9/15/2018 - Kwlharvey wrote:
Matured. Resolved tannic. Long finish. Taste very fruity. Structured. I liked.
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9/13/2018 - Ianthemac Likes this wine: 95 Points
Taken to The Butchershop Glasgow. Not the most auspicious start. The young waitress make a pig’s
ear of things and stuffed the cork straight into the bottle. Anyways, slightly Bretty off the bat, but after 90 mins decant this was singing. Very little ochre on the rim. Very clean and youthful looking. Beautiful cedar, cigar and leather nose. The tannns were velvety and the dark fruit was so so good. This has ages to go. A superstar wine.
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9/12/2018 - Burgundy Al wrote:
Pichon Lalande Dinner (Racquet Club - Chicago IL): Musty and slightly dirty but with very good concentration and slightly backward structure. An odd bottle vs previous experiences.
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9/8/2018 - Mascarello59 Likes this wine: 94 Points
From an Enomatic sample. A vigourous bottle showing almost a young impression or very little sign of old age. The nose reveals more of fruit character than the usual dominating tobacco and leather aromas from a 30y old wine but of course they are there as well. More of the same theme but the fruit is more shy on the palate, coupled with a hint of orange zest. Silky fine tannin and a very fine fine long lingering finish. In very good shape for a wine of 30 years of age. 94p
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8/19/2018 - djhammond Likes this wine: 96 Points
I try this on an annual basis, and it gets better each time. It is very typical of the left bank in this vintage, very muscular and masculine, and classic old school Bordeaux. The nose and palate are all about blackcurrent, plum, and cedar with barnyard always there in the background. The tannin is almost fully resolved but it will always be steely as with the vintage as a whole. The depth and balance are impeccable, and with a good finish, if a little on the short side. Decanting for a few hours is still essential.
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8/16/2018 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 95 Points
Opened a half bottle for Alex to enjoy, the cork was completed saturated and smelled musty, nose of black cherry and a touch of bret from the get go, over the next thirty minutes the nose improved dramatically and also showed, roasted coffee, black berry, cassis and baker's chocolate, same on the palate, opened consistently throughout the hour as I enjoyed it, the bret blew off, showed richer and richer black cherry and even hinted at red cherry during this time, elegant, almost mouth filling fruit, surprisingly subtle for a Pauillac, and a medium/long but flavorful finish. Uploaded photo of bottle/label/sediment as shown by sunny background.
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7/21/2018 - tutticalvi wrote: 95 Points
Have had several of these. Some were corked, others disappointing. Double decanted and then drank from bottle at Le CouCou ($95 corkage!) This wine was delicious and exactly how an aged Bordeaux should be. Finesse and depth. Ready now but could go longer.
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7/19/2018 - Thoughtful Likes this wine: 92 Points
Stored in cold cellar since release. Similar to previous bottles but slightly less impressive. Lovely bouquet. Mouth filing black fruits but seemed to lack complexity. Drink soon?
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7/18/2018 - Bordeaux_Jon Likes this wine: 96 Points
From a half bottle, cork wet almost all the way but not quite, base neck fill.
7th time’s a charm? I’ve had about six bottles, mostly 750mLs that were are disappointments. Like prior noted mostly austere, faded, muted, and/or corked. This current bottle may have had a little cork taint too, however, it was fabulous.
Very much a characteristic 1986, a grower, gaining complexity and finesse on the nose and palate over 3 hours, this was the 86 Lalande I’ve been waiting for to match Parker’s lofty score. Such a complex nose of black fruit of various types, dark cherry, plum, cassis, and blackberry, with earth, forest floor, oak, cigar, stemmy greenness, and some exotic notes I can’t describe, this really showed Pauillac and Bordeaux. The palate was initially tannic with lots a fruit but mellowed out, gained umami and complexity and really because a treat. I do see similarities to the 1996 but haven’t had one of those this good. Maybe in time? Pristine bottles of the 1986 in 750mL should easily have a decade left.
I’m sad there is so much Lalande bottle variation. I had trouble with the 1996, 1989, 1986, and God forbid the 1982. All are stellar when they are on.
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5/16/2018 - Purple Grillz Likes this wine: 91 Points
These 86s are all over the map, seemingly identical bottles as far as storage go, can be extremely good or very disappointing, but well worth the gamble. The good bottles are similar to the 96 but a little faded.
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5/11/2018 - retired_and_roving wrote: flawed
Decanted for about 2-3 hours prior to service. Think this bottle was corked. Sensitive TCA tasters picked this up on the nose. I could not smell anything off or musty - but the palate was pretty non-expressive, which seems to confirm the diagnosis. A shame - was looking forward to tasting
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5/11/2018 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
My Super Secret Surprise Birthday Celebration Extravaganza (Friends apt): Some thought this might have been corked and certainly it started off less expressive than one would have thought, but it just kept coming together throughout the night. Not as many detailed notes as by the time this was really opening up the notebook was not as readily available. Still, an interesting wine.
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5/10/2018 - sdr wrote: 90 Points
Mature color. Faint aroma clean and correct. Better on the palate, medium concentration, solid berry fruit and cassis, moderate complexity, slightly high acidity. Not bad just nothing inspiring or memorable. Barry thought it was still young, I did not. Apparently this vintage of Pichon-Lalande has a lot of bottle variation.
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5/9/2018 - Lype Likes this wine:
No formal notes
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5/6/2018 - dharrison93 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Essentially identical to my previous note on '86 Pichon Lalande. This is holding at a very high, almost ideal level.
There is a slight rust-color tinge to the deep garnet ruby.
Easily 10-15 years of terrific drinking left but why wait?
This sexy MILF was in very fine form tonight.
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4/20/2018 - limpy wrote: 87 Points
Second bottle in 2018 with exact same notes.
Purchased on release and stored in professional storage since release.
Time to drink this; fruit is starting to fade leaving "structure" behind (tannins, acid). Not bad, but not as great as it once was. Does not compare to the 1986 Lafite or Margaux any more. All agreed it was only going to become less-balanced as the fruit continues to slip away.
A mature Bordeaux that is just past its peak; drink NOW.
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4/9/2018 - phol wrote: flawed
Corked
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3/23/2018 - salil wrote: 93 Points
Revisited this after a disappointing bottle a few weeks ago, and this was much better. Takes some time to open out aromatically, but it's worth the wait with lots of tobacco, graphite, cedar, and gentler green pepper and leafy notes accenting a core of ripe black fruit. A really classic PLL flavour profile with the fruit still quite fresh, but showing lots of development. It's drinking very nicely with a lot of the '86 tannin integrated - this is one of the less tannic wines I've had from the vintage, and among the more accessible '86s I've had lately.
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2/17/2018 - Mjladha Likes this wine: 91 Points
A bit austere and unexpressive? I expected more complexity from this one but it was still good. Earthy. The fruit is receding.
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2/11/2018 - salil wrote: 90 Points
See Prof B's note. This was good, but underwhelming for the producer.
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2/11/2018 - prof b wrote: 90 Points
Sunday at Salil's: Salil's bottle. This one opened up after an hour plus in the decanter to yield some dark fruit along with pencil lead and dry tobacco. A very good wine but I would expect more from this wine than this bottle showed.
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1/27/2018 - Topper wrote: 95 Points
In a sweet spot now. #1 in a flight of the 82, 86, and 00.
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1/19/2018 - SimonG wrote: flawed
A day in Noizé (Noizé restaurant, London): Bother, another corked bottle of this (2/2), though not as badly so as the previous one. Cool, dark fruit, but with a green element not unlike a 78, but becoming woodier with air alongside a metallic feel to the mid palate. Finishes a little woody too. Shame because there's a 4* wine underneath it.
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12/22/2017 - djhammond Likes this wine: 95 Points
Famous for its cameo in the Sopranos, it is a very classic old style Bordeaux; it varies between good and excellent depending on the bottle. The nose is very generous with mature aromas of blackcurrent, plum and barnyard. I feel that the palate does have room for development but the tannin and fruit have good depth and a decent finish. It is very typically left bank 1986 and up there with the elite of the vintage, with some obvious exceptions. Ignoring the first growths and the Las Cases, it is the best of the vintage. It has years of evolvement ahead but already it is everything a old style Bordeaux should be. Do decant for a couple of hours. 95+.
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12/17/2017 - aquacongas wrote: flawed
Leider Kork
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12/10/2017 - Nanda wrote: flawed
Wine Flock Intro Retro - Cabs (Jordan's): Served double blind in what turned out to be a 86 BDX flight. Much debate about whether or not this was corked. I was initially convinced it was corked, then coaxed into believing it was sound, and changed my mind once again upon reveal when we determined a non-corked version of this wine would show much, much better. The nose here has an earth/funk/cork note that detracts from fresh plum, cedar and cigar. The palate is still showing good fruit (which is why i conceded this may not be corked) but it's a bit dull and fades on the back end. Probably an 86-87 point showing, and most likely a corked bottle.
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12/10/2017 - Burgundy Al wrote: flawed
Chicago Wine Flock..."Bordeaux and Cali Cab from Jordan" (Chez Whitehead - Northbrook IL): Tasted double blind in what turned out to be a 1986 Left Bank Bordeaux flight (all open 2 hours with a quick double decant). Everybody wondered at first if this was corked or just musty. Some even enjoyed it. I thought it was an 80-point wine, so was then certain it was corked when unveiled, given my experience with other great bottles of this wine.
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12/10/2017 - Bourgognefreak Likes this wine: 93 Points
Very fresh and youthful. Still developing. A bit to the dry side but enjoyable nonetheless.
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12/4/2017 - UTPK wrote:
Young and fresh due to the high acidity from 1986. Since this has finally shed some of the worst tannins, it is drinking very well. Not a heavy wine by any means, rather more lean and elegant. The nose is more restrained than many other vintages, i.e. 1989, 1990 and 1996 but is also less interesting, Shows that 1986 is worth waiting for, but that it really is not up there with the best vintages on the left bank.
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11/19/2017 - ONEFIVE Likes this wine:
Showing some age in the glass. Core is starting to fade.
In the zone in the palate. Great tannic structure along with full fruit and fresh acidity.
A slightly rustic edge but this is just gorgeous.
Still has at least 7-10 years before it starts to decline.
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11/19/2017 - MaxSiegel Likes this wine: 93 Points
Earthy nose but with some flowers, showing Lalande's finesse. Relatively pronounced fruit with some tertiary development. Elegant on the palate with a slightly soft texture. Needs at least 2 and up to 3 hours in the decanter to open up. Tannins are not fully resolved, so this has some life ahead of it.
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11/4/2017 - Ary wrote:
VEO London, Bordeaux 80-s in Magnum (Restaurant La Trompette, Chiswick): This bottle had a hard time after the 1985 from magnum. Possibly not in perfect condition? Less powerful, higher acidity and stringent in the finish. Score withheld.
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10/19/2017 - pjad Likes this wine:
Tried 2 bottles one month apart. Very good wines. Decanted for one hour.Like it.
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9/8/2017 - d'Artagnan wrote: 93 Points
Vin équilibré et très classique, avec des notes de tabac et de cerises. C'est vin et magnifiquement équilibré, l'accord est une merveille avec le succulent bœuf braisé. Long et fin, sérieux voire un brin austère, mais d'une plénitude admirable, avec une belle complexité. 93 pts
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9/8/2017 - Ianthemac Likes this wine: 95 Points
Spectacular. I think a lot more to come. Slow ox for a couple of hours and then decanted. A very youthful bottle. Had the 1988 last week and it felt way more mature. The nose on the '88 was more impressive. This felt younger. It still tastes fresh. A stunning wine with gorgeous tannins and black fruit and cedar on the palate. Amazing balance. Sensational.
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9/3/2017 - jkline Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very good but I thought it was a little musty and tired. Not quite as vibrant as I would like. But still fun to drink
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9/1/2017 - Oddbod Likes this wine: 94 Points
Cassis, leather and tapenade. Superb colour, very little fade. Supremely elegant, fruit still in evidence, but acidity starting to rise a little. Just about perfect condition now; old leather books, tobacco, such elegance and refinement. Really what great Claret is all about.
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8/29/2017 - tcarter wrote: flawed
Gitter's 50th Bday Dinner (Marino Ristorante): Flawed.
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8/4/2017 - Chainthroer wrote: 93 Points
Cork soaked to the end, but ullage was good. A very reddish garnet color; some browning at the rim. Still drinking quite well for a 31 year old wine; and still drinking in its maturity plateau, but a little more towards the end. Cherry, blackberry, some blackcurrant, earth, cedar, cigar box, French oak (seems a little more prominent this time). Still has rich and intense fruit, but seems very slightly less so than when last tasted almost five years ago. Good balance. This time, a nice pairing with prime rib-eye. Score 93+.
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7/31/2017 - Levantine wrote: flawed
Corked
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7/26/2017 - martin_e Likes this wine: 95 Points
Loved this wine. In general, my appreciation of the 1986 vintage increased quite a bit in the past 5-7 years of tasting.
This wine still has vibrant rubby color with no indications of old age. Fantastic strong aromas and balanced complex taste evolve in the glass starting from a mix of spices with black cherry to aromatic tobacco, plum, prune and dark chocolate. It's still very fresh with high acidity, which perhaps is responsible for its longevity. To me, it is still close to the peak of maturity and probably has another 4-5 years before it moves into the "late maturity" phase.
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7/20/2017 - Amerique wrote: 95 Points
Rich, delicious, loads of leather, black cherry fruit, ample tannin, still relatively young, long life left
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7/20/2017 - Ericsson wrote: 91 Points
Dernière bouteille de ce vin acheté en primeurs. Même note qu'il y a 3 mois, encore très bon, arômes tertiaires présents, perd de sa substance avec l'air.
A terminer.
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7/17/2017 - Krlinv Likes this wine: 94 Points
Outstanding. Excellent fruit, soft tannins. Needs 1-2 hours after decanting to open. Drink now, won't last much longer.
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7/8/2017 - MWiking wrote: 94 Points
väldigt trevlig bordeaux, mogen fin med härliga mognadstoner, tobak ceder, mull och en härlig cassisfrukt. lång fin eftersmak, tog ett tag att öppna upp sig men en väldigt härlig flaska vin.
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6/26/2017 - dkentaustin Likes this wine: 94 Points
Red fruit, barnyard, anise on the nose with some dried fruit. Light and bright on palate, vibrant red fruit, soft tannins, young with a chalky finish. Herbs notes mid-palate with quintessential old world Bordeaux favors. Light in color with amber edges, easy, soft drinking. very enjoyable.
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6/24/2017 - fclarity wrote: 94 Points
Tasted blind, this wine had a red/purple center with orange rims. The medium+ intensity nose showed coco powder, black cherries, brown spices, anise, and soil.
In the mouth, this wine was ripe and light with rounded tannin. It had great balance and length and developed a fine grained texture that was quite impressive. This was much more approachable than most 1986s. However, there was still a firm/mineral element that soil worshippers will enjoy. However, tasters focused on jammy fruit may never find satisfaction here.
This was a lovely wine that was in the zone and close to 95 points. Give it 5+ hours of air and enjoy the subtle fireworks!
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6/6/2017 - flah00 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Cork was a bit molded. Fill down to the shoulder.
Decanted for 2-3 hours. Still quite vibrant. Quite a lot of green pepper on the nose, fine tannins.
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5/19/2017 - wlcoleman Likes this wine: 96 Points
Capsule was intact. Mid neck fill. Cork almost fully soaked but nice "pop" when pulled out. Decanted for 2hrs and tasted then 90 mins more.
Tannins completely integrated and fruit is still very prominent. Was probably best at about 2.5-3hrs in the decanter. Started to fade just a bit after that but remained tasty until bottle was finished 5 hrs after opening.
Have one more that I'm excited to open sooner than later.
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5/18/2017 - Bigtuna wrote: flawed
Wet cork all the way. Flawed
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5/15/2017 - steinersing wrote: 95 Points
Great fruit, just hints of evolution, great wine
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5/14/2017 - Bigtuna Likes this wine: 95 Points
Still young, but with two hours of air drinking beautifully. Cannot over emphasize the transformation of this wine after a two hour decant. Well balanced, however noticeable tannins. IMO this wine may just be entering its drinking window. This bottle at least could easily have gone another 10 years. Cedar, pencil lead. Despite tannins, approching elegant. 95
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4/28/2017 - SimonG wrote: flawed
Bordeaux Wimps, Benoît Chamoux table (La Trompette, London): Interesting nose, quite floral and nuanced. Cool. Cool fruit. Corky finish, at the very least astringently woody. Shame. No getting worse with air. Corked.
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4/22/2017 - djhammond Likes this wine: 96 Points
This is a wine which is starting to nudge towards full maturity. It has a full nose of blackcurrent, cedar, and tobacco which continues on the palate. The tannin is typically 1986 and it grips the mouth but is in total balance with the fruit. The finish is wonderfully long and once again, although tannic, perfectly balanced. This does settle in the glass after 20 minutes or so, and I would recommend that it still needs a couple of hours in the decanter before consumption. This is a very classic Bordeaux with big bold tannins; whether it will develop further with the tannins sweetening is to be seen.
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4/19/2017 - Ericsson wrote: 91 Points
Bouteille achetée en primeur.
Bouchon totalement imbibé mais sorti d'une pièce. Non carafé.
Grenat tuilé, moyennement brillante.
Moins multi facettes qu'il y a 5 ans, plus évolué, arômes tertiaires avec quelque rémanence de cassis.
La bouche est plus linéaire, moins complexe. Longueur moyenne.
À boire.
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4/14/2017 - Border Boss Likes this wine: 95 Points
Bought on release and stored in excellent conditions. Decanted about 6 hours before service.
Wow, this wine is amazing right now! This vintage of Pichon Lalande has its reputation for a reason. Dark ruby with little edge deterioration. It's a monster Bordeaux, but with a finesse that is associated with the "feminine" style of Lalande (compared to the brawn of Pichon Baron). Leather, cassis, raspberries on the palate. Still not at full maturity, so probably 20 years of great drinking left.
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3/26/2017 - InVinjeVeritas wrote: 89 Points
Frukten er i fin form etter 31 år. God fylde i munnen. God syre og perfekt tanninsnerp. Men vinen er nesten taus i nesen. Og det hjelper lite med en time i glasset. Skuffende ut fra pris, og hva man forventer av produsenten.
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3/2/2017 - Bigtuna Likes this wine: 93 Points
Bottle had corroded capsule, possible seepage and a little mold on top of cork. Tasted after opening and thought the wine was over the hill. Decent color, but nose and taste way off. Tasted 30 min after opening - worse, same opinion. Left it in decanter - tasted after 2 hours. Wow, what a change! Wine had totally transformed and was now fresh and vibrant. Nice fruit, elegant, beautiful nose. Very enjoyable.
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2/19/2017 - Tad GW Likes this wine: 95 Points
Drinking superbly right now. A real beauty with a bit of backbone to the hedonistic dark berry flavoured juice and crushed blackberry and blueberry scents.
50+5+13+18+9=95
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2/5/2017 - Nutty08 Likes this wine: 94 Points
With news of a new job and it being superbowl Sunday, as good a reason as any to open a good wine. This was high shoulder fill and had some signs of past seepage. The cork was soked to the top but there was a nice 'pop' when pulling out the cork. Brilliant youthful appearing crimson color that seemed to darken in the glass. More youthful and powerful than recent '81,'88, and '89. Nice aromatic nose of saddle leather and tobacco leaf. Palate was softer than expected, though some tough tannins peaked out on transition to the finish, they were much less prominent than many '86's. Primary fruit is gone, but there's plenty of black currants mixed with the expected leafy herbal character of Lalande. Lengthy tobacco leaf finish. I don't know the blend here but comes across as having a high percentage of cabernet. Very much enjoyed as it had more elegance than many '86's.
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1/28/2017 - N.Bonaparte wrote: 92 Points
Needs 30 min to open up. Very smooth. Likely past prime. Could be the bottle. Not a great cork. Wine still opened up nicely. Drink up.
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1/27/2017 - Diane (LI) wrote:
I have been hearing that there is a high percentage of corked bottles of this wine. Well, this is not one of them. It is elegant with bright fruit,tobacco, still some tannins, and a deliciously long finish. I am not sorry I opened this bottle, but if I wasn't concerned I would have held onto it a little longer, although quite a nice pairing with my steak au poivre.
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1/15/2017 - dharrison93 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Sweet spot age 30. Served BYOB at a local restaurant, there was a collective gasp from the table when poured. Exhilarating nose of licorice, black cherry and raspberry followed by silky palate coating taste and long, long finish.
If a date, this was a 38 year old lingerie model with an IQ to match her exquisite beauty.
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12/25/2016 - GP12345 wrote: 85 Points
From a magnum with a 3 hour decant. Faint smell of oxidation when first opened but this blew off after time. Still very youthful looking dark ruby colour with no hint of bricking at the edge of the glass. The nose is disappointing, one-dimensional and lacking any of the complexity of other vintages of this wine. On the palate there is again a lack of complexity and depth with notes of lead and wood dominating any fruit lurking underneath. There are no obvious tannins that need to be aged out here and I doubt any prolonged bottle age will bring out secondary and tertiary flavours. Disappointing.
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12/25/2016 - Bobhelge wrote: 89 Points
1 juledagsfylla med Bdx: The Pichon Lalande 1986 and 1989 where tasted up against each other. Two great vintages from the 80´s where the 1986 is suppose to be best one. From our tasting the 1986 had quite youthful colour, deep and ruby. Tertery aromas on the nose of light swamp, wet EUR pallet and liquorice. Tart concentration on the palate with more red fruit and elegance. The wine falls a bit short to expectations. And the wine looses even more touch after 1 - 1.5 hours in the decanter.
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12/22/2016 - fcxj wrote: 86 Points
Not particularly exciting, but nothing wrong either.
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12/3/2016 - jsmorris707 Likes this wine: 95 Points
SO'd for a few hrs, then decanted, medium ruby with slight brick rim, dark fruit with leather & a touch of tobacco, soft tannins, long finish; delicious & ready to drink
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12/2/2016 - tinybubbles wrote:
Undifferentiated and heavy. Poor preparation and decanting may have been a factor but this wine did not show well.
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12/2/2016 - The Vines That Bind wrote: 91 Points
Enjoyable but monolithic and massively structured. This would be aptly paired with a steak in December after two-plus hours in the decanter. Cleary very well built but tough to get a lot of pleasure out of just yet.
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12/2/2016 - steinersing wrote: 95 Points
wonderful wine - excellent balance
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12/1/2016 - fcxj wrote: 88 Points
Leather and savory, both aroma and palate. Not my favorite style. With Nicolas Glumineau.
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11/17/2016 - Fftjr Likes this wine: 95 Points
Drank with, Scott Haft, Mark Kukkamaa, Joe Carron, Bob Farrell.
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11/12/2016 - Bigtuna Likes this wine: 95 Points
Delicious bottle of Pichon; much better than last bottle consumed earlier this year. Good cork, improved over 3 hours. Suggest 30 mins of decanting. Nice color, no bricking, elegant, beautiful nose, wonderful fruit. Classic
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10/23/2016 - Txa wrote:
It is at its peak I believe
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10/22/2016 - CellarBord Likes this wine: 94 Points
From Imperial. What an amazing difference from the 750 ml bottles I have had over the years. Less earthiness, deep, full bodied, very complex, a long life ahead. My rating was 2 pts higher than the 750 ml. Nice pairing to Lamb Loin with Lobster Risotto and Pearl Onions.
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10/14/2016 - PEKB Likes this wine: 95 Points
Bordeaux 1986 single blind tasting at Grappe, Stockholm. With Mr Carl-Jan Granqvist and Mr Johan Edström.
Soft and elegant but with a a firm backbone. Very good.
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10/12/2016 - FamilyLarsson wrote: 95 Points
En väldigt bra flaska som känns som att den är som bäst just nu.
En underbar mognad med elegant frukt, ceder, skogsmark och söt tobak. Väldigt elegant med fin textur och längd
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9/24/2016 - jfpwine Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanting for a little bit (30 minutes) made a big difference. Delicate bouquet of red and dark fruit, leather, earth and white pepper. Medium+ body, elegant and complex with a lingering finish. Not as good as the 82 but this is a great wine.
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9/24/2016 - paulst Likes this wine: 95 Points
Complex; leather, tar and blackberry; generous texture with harmony and sweet integrated and long finish.
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8/26/2016 - Mlermontov wrote: 93 Points
Oregon Notes.; 8/5/2016-8/26/2016: sweet, young fruit. bright and amazingly refreshing. back palate still has some big tannins. true claret - elegant and making the food shine along with the wine.
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8/19/2016 - pevanski wrote: 94 Points
Drank next to a 61 Lafite and 97 Lalande. Definitely the best of the three!
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7/14/2016 - rsbeck wrote: 94 Points
Popped, poured, consumed over three hours. Seems to have developed since last tasting. This bottle really performed well. Classic.
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7/12/2016 - DaleW wrote:
A little tight at first, showing that ‘86 Medoc masculine side , opens nicely towards end, cassis with pencil shavings, tobacco, and earth. A-/B+
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7/11/2016 - salil wrote: 93 Points
Really impressive, though still years away from maturity. A core of rich red and dark fruited flavours framed by cedar, graphite, and that signature PLL green herbal accent on the nose, but it's still a bit tannic and austere on the palate. With time (this was double decanted well before dinner) it opens out and becomes more accessible, with the tannin easing up and the fruit and developed earthy notes deepening.
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7/11/2016 - indiscriminate palate wrote: 91 Points
An atypical Monday (Dale's): Sour cherry and currant on the palate, with graphite and a bit of earth & smoke. Very silky. Some drying wood tannin in the background. Much silkier and less rich than the 1981. Very good.
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7/9/2016 - jcgarcia Likes this wine: 94 Points
Drunk over two days (first day with coravin). Black fruits. Casey. Graphite. Leather. Medium length.
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7/1/2016 - nywine68 wrote: 89 Points
This wine lacks vibrancy. It still has deep saturated fruit without the typical tertiary flavors you would expect from a 30 year old wine but it just falls a bit flat. I liked previous bottling a of this same wine a lot better. The bottom of the cork was in bad shape, although there were no signs of seepage.
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6/20/2016 - Billigan wrote: 91 Points
Classic claret nose, with dusty fruit, pencil lead, and whiff of bell pepper. Medium-bodied on the palate but a bit faded and lean. Not sure if this is representative, as it seemed far more mature than one would expect from this chateau and vintage.
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6/18/2016 - Donjcorleone Likes this wine: 97 Points
Opened up and poured into a smaller sized decanter and in about an hour it was in the zone. This gave off an undeniably fragrant nose of blackberry currant, cedar, tobacco, unlit matchstick and earth that lead way to an elegant medium bodied red fruited palate that lingers ever so nicely on the finish.
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6/17/2016 - JEP007 wrote: 89 Points
Still alive but unmoving. Purchased from my local wine shop who assured me it was acquired from a quality cellar. Decanted half the bottle for an hour, and coravin'd the rest to compare. Nose is textbook Bordeaux, old church, dried roses, cedar. The palate had light tobacco, pale fruit and no mid palate, backend just fell off a cliff. Flat. Cork was perfect, neck was full. Disappointed.
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6/12/2016 - djhammond Likes this wine: 94 Points
Subtle hints of cherry and blackberry but this is a full bodied old fashioned Bordeaux arrested by steely tannins. A great wine but perhaps still to reach its drinking plateau. This does benefit from a long decant.
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5/16/2016 - Burgundy Al wrote: 93 Points
Knightsbridge 30th Anniversary Party (The Bristol - Chicago IL): Gobs of black fruit with lots of structure and cigarbox hints. A wine I've liked a great deal over time, and liked again tonight. Good now, better in the future and certainly it would have been better with more air.
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4/19/2016 - LWI wrote: 96 Points
Pichon Lalande Tasting: Bottle #2. Deep, exotic, some minerals; surprisingly soft mouthfeel, more youthful than bottle #1, a bit more opulent – although the term does not apply well, a complex and wonderful wine. 96+
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4/19/2016 - LWI wrote: 96 Points
Pichon Lalande Tasting: Bottle 1. Brought as ‘without vintage’ – unreadable. Turned out to be the -86. Black currants og minerals, comlex smell; very structured and very -86, moderate fruit, but what is there is very clear, long and intense. An elegant wine.
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4/19/2016 - Drankard Likes this wine: 93 Points
An elegant wine with good concentration and balance, fully integrated tannins and a seamless finish. For my taste, a wine that is in a perfect place. I really dig this!
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4/12/2016 - asteff wrote: flawed
Corked
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3/25/2016 - Bigtuna Likes this wine: 92 Points
Best two hours after opening; fruit diminished from last bottle, however still very enjoyable with nice lamb chops.
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3/20/2016 - Big Bad Voodoo Daddy Likes this wine: 94 Points
Popped and poured at W in Omotesando. Excellent-looking bottle and high neck fill. The sommelier was able to pull the cork out in one piece despite the bottom third being completely soaked. No bricking at all, and the wine was dark and youthful. Would have guessed it to be 10-15 years younger than its actual age. Great experience.
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3/20/2016 - SonnyChiba wrote: 94 Points
Deep dark Ruby in color. No signs of aging really. Beautiful nose and great classic flavors of cedar, leather, but still packing some fruit. Overall lovely wine in perfect harmony. Would have guessed it half the age it was.
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3/20/2016 - asteff Likes this wine: 91 Points
leather, soft dark fruits, mild spice. Fruit more present on the nose than on the mouth.
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3/12/2016 - Bob H Likes this wine:
A medium translucent ruby in the glass; blackberry & raspberry fruit on the nose, with a note of iron as well.
It has taken forever for '86 wines to come around, but near 30 years this wines seems comfortably in it's drinking zone. Nice finish - popped & poured in preparation for dinner later today - I think this will drink well today.
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3/9/2016 - Ex-Ray Likes this wine: 98 Points
Still garnet and opaque, with some brick at the edges. Pronounced aromas of cedar, cassis, French oak, earthy, did not diminish over four hours. Quite viscous. On the palate, still plenty of fresh dark fruits...cassis and black cherries, perfectly balanced with acidity and tannin. Rich lingering aftertaste, just a touch hot on the finish. I bought this on release in 1989 and have cellared it since. Amazing that a thirty year-old wine should still be this youthful. Time to drink, though.
Ric
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2/10/2016 - nzinkgraf wrote:
Showing a glacial path of aging. Black licorice aromas. Candied grape and med/- tannin. An ethereal drink with water-weight to the palate. As this opens up, the palate fattens out and shows a nice level of density to the palate. Still holding on to substantial fresh blackberry fruit. 'Maple syrup' is called out. Full, rich and concentrated.
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1/25/2016 - Rogershkg wrote: 92 Points
Colour still good, no sign of bricking. Nose cedar/cigar box. Still dark fruit endlong taste. May keep for some time but This was my last bottle.
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1/8/2016 - hsacks wrote: flawed
Corked!
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1/6/2016 - hargy Likes this wine: 95 Points
What few 1986's drunk have not been particularly memorable but this was sensational! Unmistakably Pichon Lalande, open and absolutely delicious. Should easily last another five years.
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12/31/2015 - bestdamncab wrote: 85 Points
New Year's Eve Celebration of Four Second Growth Bordeaux. Happy New Year to all CT members.
Lovely nose of cedar, blackberry, barnyard, more of the same on the palate, the barnyard grew into TCA and detracted from its rating, medium/big body, long finish. My #4 of 4.
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11/28/2015 - drwine2001 wrote:
Even ruby throughout without a hint of maturity. Classic black olive and cassis. Beautiful, poised medium weight, silky, balanced, long, and gentle. The fruit is still crisp and this has buckets of time in hand, but marvelous now. A highly successful '86 showing none of the brutal structure for which the vintage was known during its first 20 years.
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11/19/2015 - Bigtuna Likes this wine: 94 Points
Wine really opened up after an hour and was outstanding with Lamb Chops. Elegant, nice nose, soft tannins, but definitely think this wine might go another 5 years
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11/9/2015 - Markus IWC wrote: 83 Points
Vertikal provning Pichon Lalande 12 årgångar 66-90. 1986: potentialen klädd med stor kropp och kraft. Tyvärr kork defekt och helt uttorkad. Hade troligen varit top 3 annars.
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9/29/2015 - The Vines That Bind wrote:
Like other great Left-Bank estates, this '86 just isn't ready at the moment. Closed and oaky. Dense cabernet fruit not giving up much complexity yet. Hopefully these will start to ease up in a few more years.
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9/9/2015 - curtr wrote:
Slightly off bottle.
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7/2/2015 - bnord81 wrote: 94 Points
With Tariq and Sylvain. Nice bottle of juice, needed about an hour to open up
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5/12/2015 - ConnIntChicago Likes this wine:
Nice garnet, no breaking in meniscus, holding together beautifully. Resolved soft tannins in balance with medium alcohol and extract a feminine soft style - long finish. Very good bordeaux
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5/10/2015 - curtr Likes this wine: 92 Points
Great bottle! Earthy, great depth, perfume, complex.
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4/25/2015 - Ary wrote: 95 Points
Bordeaux Left Bank (semi blind) (Amsterdam Wijn Antiquariaat): Beautiful complex nose full of ripe fruits, cream, herbs, some iron, tar and earth. Luscious and smooth on the well-balanced and delineated palate. Seems a lot younger than you would expect.
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4/15/2015 - Peter Gerlach-Hansen wrote:
The age is schowwing and its very feminine
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3/22/2015 - johnh1001 wrote: 91 Points
Consistent with prior notes. There seems to be a dirty quality to the bottles I have tried that just doesn't match Pichon.
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3/14/2015 - philweird Likes this wine: 90 Points
Shared with friend after decanting for at least three hours. Worried that the wine would be flawed based on reviews here but it wasn't. It evolved all night coming in and out of focus at times and began to decline over the 5 hours it was put through decant and consumption. But on balance was really good....just not as good as I remember in 1999 and 2003 when it was my favorites. My last bottle and it was enjoyed with an old friend who first gave it to me so long ago. I love wine!
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2/27/2015 - BillyT wrote: 92 Points
Previous notes apply. Tannins still indicate aging possible. Elegant and great with filet, et al. Sorry there are not more copius notes. Sometimes when at dinner with special friends you just, eat, drink and enjoy and not spend all night evaluating wine. Everyone loved it up against an 83 Mouton. Both wines were excellent.
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2/21/2015 - jlgnml Likes this wine: 95 Points
Great color, great weight, a real treat to celebrate an anniversary!
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2/14/2015 - R. Hung Likes this wine: 87 Points
Opened along side with 81 Vega Silica Unicon, 82 Lych Bages, 83 Las Mission Haut Brion, 85 Ducru-Beaucaillou and 88 Mouton Rothschild. The best was LB, then VS, Mouton and this one, then La Mission, and DB. The ones in better vintage showed better structure and complexity.This Pichon Lalande was very floral on the nose after an hour in decanter. Violet and leather on the nose. Dark cherries, spices, blue berries, liquorice with smooth structure. Medium long finish. This is surprisingly young and very enjoyable. It should be good for another 5 years.
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1/4/2015 - tinybubbles Likes this wine: 94 Points
This wine is really coming into its own. Tar, damp earth, and wonderful white pepper. Notes of eucalyptus, light licorice, sour cherry, tart pomegranate and smoke. Initially it provided a somewhat astringent backend but with time the abundance of remaining sweetness and acid was quite evident. Served after a 1.5 hour decant and then consumed over the subsequent 2 hours. This wine has plenty of time left but is fantastic now.
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12/30/2014 - astroman wrote:
Very enjoyable now. Nose is very good.
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12/30/2014 - etyc Likes this wine:
Goodbye 2014, Hello 2015 (Jade Palace): Served in a flight of a mini-vertical of Bishan Lalangs - '83, '86 and '95. After the previous flight of '60s wines, the comment that everyone echoed was "too young!"; And indeed this was... way too young, with almost no sign of secondary flavours at all. Nose of graphite, some earth. Palate was dark-fruited, very fresh with fine tannins. Based on tonight's showing, won't be surprised if it would last another 1-2 decades.
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12/25/2014 - empire80 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Consistent with my previous note.
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12/13/2014 - svdheijden wrote: 96 Points
Utterly charming and seductive, especially for a 1986. This well stored bottle was just entering its drinking platform. Full range of red and black fruits, with secondary earthy notes beginning to emerge. Hints of laurel, licorice, menthol and medicine cabinet, together with thick fleshy substance. Excellent wine! Will continue to drink well for 20+ years.
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12/7/2014 - rh53w wrote: flawed
corked.
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11/26/2014 - RayOB wrote: 96 Points
Drank at Davy's
Still going strong with lot's of leather, cedar and spice. Rich complex smooth palate. This will last a lot longer.
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11/26/2014 - Collector1855 wrote: 90 Points
Chateau Pichon Lalande Dinner with Nicolas Glumineau (Commanderie de Bordeaux, Singapore): From Magnum. Medium-dark garnet. Nose of dark fruit with earthy tones, masculine Medoc. On the palate this is still quite closed like so many 1986 (and will probably never turn around) where they just overdid it withe the tannins. It is not bad now if you are used to Bordeaux but it would be exaggerated to say that they struck the right balance here between fruit and structure. Make sure you drink this with a steak.
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11/20/2014 - jmoon Likes this wine: 93 Points
fantastic. Fresh dark and delicious. Dry finish. Added depth after 1 hr decant and really singing after 2
Classic papillae old school but still has fresh energy ... Drink now or 10 years but I doubt will improve only change as in a really good place now
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11/18/2014 - curtr Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decanted 2 hrs. Balanced, full bodied. More Cabernet like. Not velvety like many vintages.
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11/17/2014 - sbbulldog wrote: 94 Points
Exceeded my expectations. Live fruit, mellowed tannins. Finally!!!!
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11/15/2014 - bramwessel wrote:
Mesmerizing at 28 years old. Still a powerful core of dark cassis fruit on both the nose and palate, with bluish fruit developing later. Mint, cedar and graphite foundation, but rich, sumptuous multi-note nose. Smells like an exotic spice market. Meaty and confected, like candied bacon. My first experience with a high-end Bordeaux this old with great provenance and excellent storage. Magnificent.
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11/9/2014 - europat55 wrote: 91 Points
Outstanding, soft nose (B++/A-). Soft, sweet palate (B++).
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10/3/2014 - nortonnose wrote: 94 Points
Very similar to my previous TNs. From 750ml, VTS fill, stood bottle for days. Cork was in beautiful shape (for a change)! PnP with rack of lamb and roast tenderloin. Gorgeous, deep garnet color. Leather and cassis on the nose, if a touch lacking. Sweet, dense red fruit on the palate. Perfect tannins. Medium-plus length finish tonight. Beautiful fully mature Pauillac, showing fabulously tonight. Ah, bottle variation: this time for the win, yay! Seems plenty of life remaining on these, yet zero reason to wait. Enjoy!
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9/22/2014 - Alexjr1 wrote: 90 Points
Last bottle of this year. Still hanging on but beginning to fade out. Was served in a line up of a vertical next to 88, 89, 90, and 95 and had a hard time standing up the 88 which was served next.
I don't think I have to describe a Pichon, we all know, or should know what they are.
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9/14/2014 - mbwineguy Likes this wine: 95 Points
No formal notes - Bottle was in great shape, great fill, cork was soaked halfway through, no signs of seepage. I have had multiple bottles of this wine over the last 10 years and while great I have always felt it was still a little closed and left me wanting more....not this bottle! Does this mean the '86's are coming around? Maybe? The Comtesse was on fire this night!
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9/12/2014 - coremill wrote: flawed
Corked. A shame because this was absolutely gorgeous underneath the TCA.
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9/12/2014 - cooberp wrote: flawed
Corked from the very first whiff. :(
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9/8/2014 - wynnewood500 Does not like this wine:
Popped and poured. Dark color. Nose seemed a little off. Wine astringent with no fruit. Would suggest it was flawed except that there have been a lot of flawed bottle posts. Drank over a 3 hour period.
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9/6/2014 - dchain wrote: 90 Points
Zachys bottle. Colour was correct but had this furniture polish nose that overwhelmed the fruit. I feel the bottle was affected in some way. It was not a cork issue but perhaps a heat or storage issue. Sadly a disappointment but other bottles I have had have been fresh and delicious.
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9/4/2014 - KenK wrote: flawed
Corked
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9/4/2014 - Burgundy Al wrote: flawed
Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande / Pichon-Longueville Baron Dinner (RPM Steak - Chicago IL): Corked. I was told there is a big, current controversy about this wine being frequently corked. That hasn't mostly been my experience despite tonight's bottle (2nd time in 12+ bottles tried).
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9/3/2014 - Jamie Manley wrote: flawed
Corked! Should have heeded all the warnings from earlier posts. A shame, because it seems like there were some pretty good ingredients below the taint. No more 86 for me, will focus on 96 now when it comes to Lalande.
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8/22/2014 - liber Likes this wine: 94 Points
7 th of 12, perfect fill, decanted an hour - mid garnet, orange rimmed, lighter than last note, elegant, complex bouquet, black fruit, some cedar and graphite, medium rich, quite high toned giving fruit attractive freshness, long and complex, perfect with rare sirloin, super wine at or towards its peak now, if without that extra richness and dimension of the 82. Fine plus (18/20).
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8/22/2014 - Burgundy Al wrote: 94 Points
All black fruit with cigarbox everywhere, moderate ripeness but lots of complexity. Great structure that is just perfectly integrated, balanced, with great length. I have liked this wine for a decade+ and it continues to both perform tremendously and continues to show upside.
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8/22/2014 - Simply Wine Likes this wine: 95 Points
Great drinking window. Excellent development of secondary characteristics and layered complexity but yet still good core of fruit and richness through the palate. Well balanced now but no rush.
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7/15/2014 - cfk49 wrote: 93 Points
Second bottle of a case bought on futures in 1987 ($240?). This was a year where the Merlot crop mostly failed, making this a strongly Cabernet wine -- which I like. The wine is velvety in texture yet still firm with dark berry and plum fruit and just a touch of lead pencil. Would that most clarets were still made like this and were as inexpensive as this was. No hurry to drink the remaining bottles.
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7/12/2014 - PDavisMarble wrote: 94 Points
Decanted for 4 hours. Deep crimson. Nose of graphite, chocolate, earth, herbs. Sweet chocolate, lead pencil, game meat, plums and cardamom. A lovely wine. 3rd best of the mini-vertical.
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6/24/2014 - dcwino wrote: 95 Points
BYOB dinner with Jamie Pollack (Bourbon Steak): This bottle is showing incredibly well. Classic Pauillac like the 90 LB but more uplifting and expressive nose, and more precise palate. Expressive sweet red fruit driven nose, plum, cedar, light caramel, a hint of lead pencil and sweet spices. Excellent concentration and exceptional balance, intense sweet red fruit driven palate impression, fully integrated tannins and seamless finish. I find the wine sensual and hedonistic. I can drink this all day.
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6/13/2014 - grapist wrote:
Bright with no sign of bricking. Tasting quite fresh, but mature for sure. Still fruit and life left. Very soft and supple.
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5/29/2014 - peternelson wrote: 90 Points
Pichon-Lalande Vertical Tasting (Mark Allen): Dark cherry, black currant, a bit spicy with light vanilla nuances still there; medium bodied, fine tannins, forest floor and darker berries single this one out of the 8 vintage vertical. Smooth, good balance, darker and bigger than the others; not as elegant as the '79. (RP 94)
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5/5/2014 - Thoughtful Likes this wine: 94 Points
Stored in a cold cellar since release. Fill lower neck. Cork excellent. Perfect condition. Classic Pauillac. Lovely bouquet.Full bodied, dense, black fruits. Just lacks complexity to be truly great. Will keep many years in a good cellar.
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5/4/2014 - Whodeyinsea Likes this wine:
2 hr decant: Cedarwood most present with pencil lead, almost tastes oxidized. 3 hr decant: Blackberry liquor beginning to show. 4 hr decant Shutting down, MUCH more tannic. Nose consistent throughout.
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4/27/2014 - Harry Cantrell Likes this wine: 94 Points
Garnet, deep. Rich full Pauillac nose with a little age. Starting to drink now but no real hurry. Delish and it's 94 with a plus.
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4/21/2014 - LWI wrote: 95 Points
Open, on the feminine side, layered smell and finish. Lovely.
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4/19/2014 - curtr wrote: flawed
oxidized bottle.
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4/13/2014 - galewskj wrote: 94 Points
Big Bordeaux VII (Kevin's house): 2 hour decant and drank a small pour over about an hour. Savory, rich and interesting nose. Rich mouthfeel. Nice round fruit. Graphite. I'm happy to say this Bordeaux's palate was as good or better than the nose. Blackberry liquer comes out after about 45 minutes and seemed to be gaining with time.
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4/12/2014 - rocknroller wrote: 94 Points
Big Bordeaux VII: Featuring 1986 & 1989 Super Seconds (Rocknroller's (Kevin & Vicki's Place)): Very dark red-purple color with 2-3mm clear meniscus. 2hr double decant, drank a 2.5oz pour over 3 hours. Nose is more fruity, with blue and black fruit, blueberry, blackberry liqueur, red licorice, briary, dry earth, subtle mushroom, mint, ripe fruits, crème de cassis and graphite. The palate is full bodied, good depth here, crème de cassis, anise, lead pencil, blue and black fruits, blackberry, blueberry, with a medium plus finish.
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3/13/2014 - d'Artagnan wrote:
Dégustation Bordeaux 1986 Chez Christophe: Je croyais cette bouteille légèrement bouchonnée à l'ouverture.
L'aération dissipe ce que je croyais être du liège, mais elle ne réhabilite pas cette bouteille pour autant.
Un nez mine de crayon, un peu de caramel, de viande séchée. La bouche est austère, très pauillac, avec une finesse mais dans un style bien austère et des notes un peu végétales. Les qualités de texture sont toujours là, mais l'aromatique ne suit pas. Je la reconnais à l'aveugle et suis certain qu'il s'agissait d'une bouteille imparfaite, car ce millésime du domaine est fort réputé. 88 pts
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3/7/2014 - richard650 wrote: flawed
Flawed bottle: Corked. I noticed, all too late unfortunately, that there are A LOT of flawed bottles of this wine on this forum. That is not a good sign to me, especially since the percentage of corked wines is supposed to be between three and seven percent. If I get another corked bottle, I will definitely sell the remaining bottles. Too bad, as I was really looking forward to this bottle. Maybe Latour and Margaux are onto something by experimenting with screw caps on some of their First Growths.
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2/28/2014 - Rogershkg wrote: 92 Points
Still very good. Corks in excellent condition, colour garnet no bricking, lovely soft fruit aroma and long black fruit taste. What more can you ask of 28 year old?
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2/16/2014 - jcasey555 wrote: 88 Points
The cork disintegrated while inserting a waiter corkscrew. Should have used my Coravin or a two prong cork removal tool. The wine was not corked and actually very red and opened nicely in about an hour. The nose was pleasant vegetal and flowers with eucalyptus. The palate dried fruit and the finish tart. Bottom line: not worth the money. Go Napa.
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2/15/2014 - Carmen400 Likes this wine: 83 Points
This was the second bottle we opened; first bottle was corked. The cork in this bottle was about half saturated; wine was deep purple with lead pencil, vegetal aroma and taste. It opened up after being out for a while, some fruit and tannin. Not too bad. Certainly better than the first bottle of PLL we opened on the same night.
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2/15/2014 - Carmen400 wrote: flawed
Cork was saturated and crumbled; spoiled.
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2/15/2014 - pigdaddy wrote: flawed
double-decanted & slow-ox one hour; no noticeable evidence of taint. clipped, pinched & attenuated; TCA not really detectable on nose but all the telltale characteristics are here. purchased on futures, cellared perfectly since release, second bottle from this case flawed. BUMMER!
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2/14/2014 - M DU VIN Likes this wine: 94 Points
Soft tannins and beautiful nose of lead pencil.
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2/10/2014 - dchain Likes this wine: 95 Points
Drank with JB and Gary. Special year of the horse treat over roast chicken lunch! Odd bottle lot from Acker so wanted to check it out and reassess where this most backward of wine is right now. Well, it is in a sweet spot at last. Still deep ruby and looking like a wine from the 90s, it was oozing dark bramble and custard fruit. Surprisingly spicy on the nose but very pure with undertones of both jasmine and darker undergrowth, leather and kink. A lush and long mouthful that is in perfect balance right now and I think bottles can be safely opened and enjoyed. Far superior to the 89 and more substance than the very pleasurable 85 and 83, I think it is on par with 82 but is more "classical" as compared with the exotic nature of the 82. The owner always preferred her 86 over her 82 and I think I know why!
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2/9/2014 - Paui wrote: flawed
my first ever flawed PL. levels into neck, cork 1/3 soaked, brick colour. oxidized and corked
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2/8/2014 - nortonnose wrote: 93 Points
Similar to my previous TNs. From 750ml, VTS fill, stood bottle for many days. Cork literally disintegrated, so I sawed most of the dust out and pushed the remainder into the bottle and strain/decanted (multiple times, thus introducing much more air sooner/faster than I would have intended). Far less browning, almost none in fact: much deeper garnet color than prior bottles. Sadly, the nose on this continues to be subdued. Sweetness of some dense red fruit on the palate. The tannins are still present, and do dry this out a touch. Medium-plus length finish tonight. Beautiful fully mature Pauillac. Seems plenty of life remaining on these, yet not enough evidence to suggest significant more patience.
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2/6/2014 - dbkitc wrote: flawed
Ever so slightly corked which is too bad as there is a lot of good going on here
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1/30/2014 - Baltazar wrote: flawed
muted nose with hints of cedar wood and dark berries. Well rounded middle weight flavours with good length and smooth finish. I was expecting something much more expressive and elegant, and suspect that the bottle was defective due to storage in its earlier life. (I bought it from a very dependable source two years ago). The other tasters liked it though.
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1/29/2014 - Rogershkg Likes this wine: 92 Points
Still drinking beautifully. Reasonably long taste with aromas. Beautifully balanced wine
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12/26/2013 - hrazdiiv Likes this wine: 94 Points
Bottle had a nice fill and colour was nice and dark, definitely didn't look like a 27 year old wine. Beautifuly typical Bordeaux notes of earth, forest, tobacco and pencil on the nose with very little hint of acidity even as the wine sat in the glass for a long time. However if you own this wine, I personally would not decant this and, much like some of the othe posts on the page, would suggest you drink this pretty soon (<5yrs). But still an excellent expression of Pauillac here. Full disclosure: I drank this with two other experienced tasters who were not as enthused.
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12/24/2013 - mariow Likes this wine: 92 Points
initially dominant acids; develops very well one hour after decanting; little tannins but still well structured. great pleasure now
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12/14/2013 - TONY61 Likes this wine: 89 Points
Drank Dec 14th 2013, This bottel seemed a bit tired now, compared to the bottle I drank in 2009. The tannins have faded and it is very delicate, still a nice nose and some soft fruit and cedar notes . Still enjoyable but watch what you drink it with , I don't suggest having it with food other than very mild flavored. Drink up!!
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12/6/2013 - lepetitchateau wrote: flawed
Musty... Corked
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11/22/2013 - Snowryeder Likes this wine: 93 Points
Delicious fruit, plum and black currants. Medium body. Aged beautifully.
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11/20/2013 - petitblanc wrote: flawed
This half bottle was only mildly corky, but it was enough to mask this wine's rather delicate profile.
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11/10/2013 - RockinCabs wrote: 94 Points
Boston CT Offline (Concord, MA): Nose: Tropical Red Fruit, Coconut, Vanilla, Spice and Cedar. Very elegant and perfumed. Really evolved as it opened. Palate: Very soft and resolved with a nice polish to the mouthfeel. Silky and filled with Cherry, Plum, allspice and some sweet cherry/vanilla notes. Finish: Lingers with drying tannin and nice fruit notes.
Just a gorgeous wine.
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11/10/2013 - englishman's claret wrote: 93 Points
Wine club does 86/90 Bordeaux (and others): Still so young. Aristocratic, polished, crystalline. Plums, chocolate on the attack. Grainy tannin for Pichon, but not for 86. Long finish. I think this would have benefited from more air.
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10/25/2013 - brianakrin wrote: 93 Points
one hour decant,excellent nose, well balanced, didn't get much pencil lead but an excellent bordeaux, ready.
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10/22/2013 - curtr Likes this wine: 91 Points
Decanted 2 hours. Deep, balanced, rough.
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9/27/2013 - Rezy13 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Keith's 50th Birthday Celebration (Bin 75): Cloudy dark core with orange rim; tobacco, compost, Bordeaux funk is blowing; beautiful fruit, dense, black currant, lots of pencil lead, mineral, so balanced and lots of life left; absolutely delicious; called Leoville Las Cases because of the balance and lead.
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9/21/2013 - nickorum Likes this wine: 94 Points
Lovely nose and perfume. Tight initially then opened up after sitting in glass. Recommend decanting 2-3 hours in advance as showed much better with air. This wine feels like it could keep going for some time - 10+ more years?
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9/14/2013 - DAN BAILEY Likes this wine:
Still nearly black colour. Plenty of lead pencil on the nose with palate dominated by black fruits. The usual 86 structure still there but now slowly starting to release the previous vice-like grip on the wine. Impressive showing.
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8/29/2013 - Rogershkg wrote: 94 Points
This is a great wine. Just beautiful now,, well balanced still plenty of fruit, the nose wafts out from the bottle, I was afraid that it would not last, but after the guests have gone it seems even better. Long taste. No sign of age in the colour.
Apologies that I have put it down in the wrongorder
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8/7/2013 - William Kelley Likes this wine: 95 Points
A mature ruby-garnet colour, this wine possesses a beautifully expressive and sweet bouquet of cedar wood, dried red berries, blackcurrant, tobacco, and notions of loamy soil. The tannins are fully resolved, and this wine shows beautiful intensity and persistence. Though seemingly fully mature, this wine surely still has a long life ahead of it.
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8/3/2013 - DougLee wrote: 94 Points
Library wine, popped and enjoyed over a 3 hour period. Soaked cork. Surprisingly dark purple color with some light edges. Nose woke up after 30 minutes to reveal intense smells of cassis, dark currant, tobacco, and a streak of green pepper which was intriguing rather than objectionable. Still quite fresh on the palate with buoyant, ripe red currant fruit loaded with grippy sweet flavor. Tannins got a bit dusty at first but then integrated later in the evening, with just enough accompanying structure to add gravitas. Acidity was moderate and lent freshness. Long finish with sweet red plum notes and a hint of tobacco and leather. Wonderful wine, very much alive at age 27.
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7/24/2013 - curtr wrote: flawed
corked!
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7/22/2013 - LIE-user wrote: 95 Points
A wine for gamblers as one bottle may be great and the next is flawed. Luckily this one was a winner.
Sweet nose and very present cabernet. In the mouth quite juicy or creamy. Lasts very long in the mouth.
For me this game is over: only had two bottles, the first from hell and this one from heaven.
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7/14/2013 - AllRed wrote: 94 Points
Sunday Brown Bag Tasting: 2003 Bordeaux (Mike & Judi's): Opens with Pichon Lalande's telltale green/herbal streak, followed by tobacco, black fruit and spice box notes. Integrated and balanced, with flavors of black fruit, tobacco, spice box and red currants. Forest floor, roasted herbs and red fruit linger on the finish. Absolutely terrific.
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7/14/2013 - Paui wrote: 95 Points
Levels into neck. Mature cabernet flavor. Still opaque in the bottle, slightly goes into brick in the glass, but no signs of orange or brown. To the major part Tannins are integrated but wine is well "al dente" with core and still "furry". Third bottle, not decanted this time. Gets better after one hour. Typical lovely "silky" taste I like from Pichon Lalande. Pleasant to drink. Nice bottle, two left. Suggest this will keep for the next 5 years.
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7/2/2013 - -E- wrote: 94 Points
Klar, mørk dyp rød. Dyp, forførende nese med solbær og mørke, røde bær, mild blyantspiss, skogbunn og hint av vanilje. Konsentrert, tett og dyp frukt med fremdels innslag av primær råhet i strukturen. Delikat med saftig og frisk syre. Tørr utgang med lett bitt i tanninene. Flott lengde. Kan fremdeles trenge litt tid.
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6/9/2013 - catalux Likes this wine: 94 Points
Nose was stunning both on opening and after 2 hours decanting. Cork in good condition and well sealed but some stains reaching top of cork. Color tending towards brick. Tannins soft and completely integrated, great aromatics but overall a little austere on drinking alone. Finish was medium. Perfect with food (fillet mignon).
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6/1/2013 - Fishboy wrote: 90 Points
Good but not as great as previous bottles. Seemed muted compared to the last bottle we had in December.
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5/12/2013 - Kbrumback wrote: 87 Points
Cork broke, but seal seemed good
Color still good, deep with only a little lightness at the edge
Alas, slightly oxidized and not at all what the last bottle was. Very little fruit, peppery, bit of cassis, a little angular. Oh well, 27 yo, you takes your chances....
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4/20/2013 - nortonnose Likes this wine: 92 Points
From 750ml, VTS fill. Not overly consistent with my previous tasting notes. Biggest change was not having planned to open this. Pressed into action, I only stood bottle up for 15-20 min, and slow oxed for 45 min, then decanted and served on its own over the next couple hours. Browning, deep garnet color. Nose was much more shut on this one than previous bottles. More sweetness on the palate tonight. Only a medium length finish tonight. Still plenty enjoyable, but not exceptional.
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4/13/2013 - Rogershkg Likes this wine: 92 Points
We had a vertical of 6 vintages of this wine. This was the oldest. The colour is still good no sign of browning, the nose better on immediate opening but tended to fade: cigar box. The taste like Raisin, and Black Pepper. The body is Medium/Full. The wine has Smooth texture. The wine finishes Medium length.
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4/6/2013 - curtr Likes this wine: 90 Points
Decanted 3 hours. Was a bit leaner than past bottles. Still a very nice wine.
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3/23/2013 - canan wrote: 94 Points
Misc Bordeaux (Frederiksberg): A little restrained nose but with a little black currant fruit and coffee.
Intense young black currant flavors with a young sharp acidity. Some green herbs are also showing.
It does seem a little to dry and rustic but otherwise a nice wine.
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3/7/2013 - Wine Trader Likes this wine: 91 Points
Bottle was in excellent condition. Opened by a sommelier and decanted for about 30 minutes...I had high expectations for this bottle but found it to be slightly lean and high in acid. The acid put the wine slightly out of balance for me masking its dynamic flavors. Nevertheless engaging and enjoyable.
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3/4/2013 - nortonnose Likes this wine: 93 Points
This continues to perform nicely. From 750ml, VTS fill. Stood bottle up for an hour, slow oxed for an hour, then PnP and enjoyed on its own over the next couple hours. Slight bricking, deep garnet otherwise. Nose is simply lovely Pauillac. Power and finesse on the palate. I like Paul S' 1/22 note below, captures the essence of the whole package nicely. Only a medium length finish on this tonight. I can't imagine this improves with further aging.
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2/24/2013 - Fatty Cat wrote: 91 Points
Rheingau Gourmet Festival "Weinraritätenlunch Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande" (12 PLC vintages), late Feb 2013: classic Bordeaux red with brown reflexes; cassis, bread and earth aromas and flavors; plenty of tannin, took about 30 minutes to soften up a little bit.
1-2 h decanting time would have beneficial.
Tannins are still kind of overwehlming. If you go through the literature this seems to be the fate of a lot 1986 left bank clarets (most prominent the Mouton). Will they ever mature and fully open up?
1st flight: 1986 - 1988 - 1989 - 1990
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2/19/2013 - Rogershkg Likes this wine: 92 Points
Double decanted because taking it to a dinner. Worth doing as there is enough sediment to mess up the wine if being transported. This wine is still good. No sign of age in the colour. Nose good good but not complex and the taste lingers,
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2/17/2013 - WDSteers Likes this wine: 94 Points
was fantastic until we brought out the '90 Montrose. still youthful tannin and currant flavor slight smoke. will go another decade.
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2/9/2013 - tbabes wrote: 90 Points
The fill was base neck and the cork was sound; opened an hour before service, but not decanted. It seems as though most bottles of the '86 Pichon Lalande have a slightly angular and austere character, and this bottle was no exception. Good and complex aromatics, but lacking in terms of depth and texture. I greatly prefer the '88 Pichon Lalande!
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2/9/2013 - sdr Likes this wine: 90 Points
The family resemblance to the famous '82 is there. Fruit, fruit, fruit, maybe 50% blackberry and 50% blueberry. The tannins have dissolved . But surprisingly one dimentional at full maturity.
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2/9/2013 - LWI wrote: flawed
Not maderized, no brett, no cork, some something was not right. Perhaps heat damaged.
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1/22/2013 - Paul S wrote: 93 Points
Martin's Birthday Bash (Gallery Hotel, Singapore): Decanted for an hour or so before I got to it, I thought this was another very strong wine. However, while clearly from a stronger vintage, probably even being the stronger wine than the 1994 Haut Brion that preceded it, I found this just a touch less enjoyable on the night than its more Southerly neighbour. Nevertheless, this was very impressive. The nose was very Pauillac, very Pichon-Lalande in fact, with toasty tobacco notes and stewed tea leaves, an edge of green peppers, then nice, high-toned cassis aromas bedded into a layer of mushroomy earth. Nice stuff. The palate was slowly approaching its zenith I thought. Mature, elegant, it pleased on all levels, with silky tannins wrapped and juicy, almost citrussy orange acidity wrapped around attractive cassis fruit flavours with just the right amount of ripeness on them. A nice touch of spice and herb at the end added a good bit of complexity as the wine pulled away in a nicely long finish, all underscored by a pretty serious backbone. While this is not one of the truly great Pichon-Lalandes (say, like the 1982 or the 1996), it is certainly a very good one indeed. However, I somehow got the nagging feel that this was technically correct, without quite moving the soul. All in all, a very impressive wine, but just lacking a little je ne sais quois. Like many 1986's, this has the bones to age beautifully, and a few more years in the cellar may just cure that.
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1/14/2013 - BBG London Likes this wine: 94 Points
Fantastic effort. Decanted two double magnums after lying in reserve since the vintage was released. Not a great deal of sediment and easy to decant after standing the bottles for 5 days. Ruby but showing its age with some garnet beginning to come through on the edge. Good fruit, tobacco, leather and a long finish.
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1/2/2013 - BillyT wrote: 92 Points
Strong mint/menthol aroma at the start, very smooth palate but almost restrained within the first hour after immediate decant. Strong black and red fruit with vanilla cream notes. Some spice on the mid palate. Solid fruit finish. More to come in a couple of hours.
2 hours in and the wine is singing. Structured fruit with impeccable balance, silkiness on the palate with a nice dark fruit and spice finish. Tannins almost completely resolved. More to come.
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1/1/2013 - Winevestor wrote: 93 Points
I was playing host, so it was hard to spend a lot of time really assessing the wine - hate it when that happen! However wine was in its prime and could go longer. I double decanted and then it was open for a couple of hours - no problem and seemed about right. Very little sediment. Good plum and leather with only a hint of the classic graphite / bell pepper; however clearly identifiable as a quality left bank. Fine tannins, beautifully integrated with a long finish
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12/31/2012 - mxpbuy Likes this wine: 95 Points
Very top shoulder fill and once the top of the capsule was removed you could see the cork was soaked and feel how soft it was. I was worried the wine might have gotten too much air and was maturing faster than hoped, so we waited a while to open. Too long it turns out. Cork came out in one piece. Decanted for 30 minutes then run through a vinturi into another decanter and then decanted for 30 minutes. The wine looked ever so young and it was largely closed for the next couple hours. Still the nose started to emerge and was classic. Flowers, cassis, pencil lead, cedar on the nose. On the palate the tannins were still dense but the wine was smooth. Because the wine was so closed only hints of its potential greatness came through. Will need to revisit this wine either with 4+ hours of decanting or another 5 years in the cellar.
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12/28/2012 - Fishboy Likes this wine: 94 Points
Another great bottle with black fruit, tobacco and cedar notes. Held up well against 86 Ducru, 82 Las Cases, and 86 Haut Brion.
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12/21/2012 - nortonnose Likes this wine:
So sad when the superstars are corked. That said, they're still not bad . . .
Same batch as the one I had a week ago that was splendid. C'est la vie!
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12/21/2012 - ricknat1 wrote:
very nice but not exceptional, but only had 2 hours decanted. smooth and integrated but not powerful
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12/16/2012 - vanpe003 wrote: 94 Points
Opening bottles tonight in anticipation of going to a tasting where a '74 Mondavi Reserve of impeccable provence will be on the table. So, needed something that will hold up. This will fit the bill.
After 10 minutes in the glass, the nose is outrageous. Dark red fruit, a hint of resin, a touch of leather and secondary character. On the palate, much younger than the nose suggests. Medium to medium heavy in body, with some remaining acidity and a bit of pencil lead on the finish. Soft on the finish, if not super plush. Some remaining tannins. Perhaps better with another few years, but this has started to open up and seems to be within its prime drinking window, particularly with a brief decant.
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12/14/2012 - Peter Z. wrote: flawed
corked
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12/14/2012 - Zweder wrote: flawed
Battle between Pichon Baron, Pichon Comtesse and Lynch Bages. 11 TOP Vintages from 1982 - 2009 (@ Bottles; Sas van Gent, Netherlands): Corked unfortunately
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12/12/2012 - nortonnose Likes this wine: 94 Points
From 750ml. Stood bottle up overnight. Opened an hour before serving, no decant. Enjoyed sipping for an hour before dinner, then during main course of daube & roasted veggies. I really like Chainthroer's note below - love this guy! - so I'm once again giving him an "ibid + ditto" here! His note is very representative of my experience tonight. Wonderful richness, med-long finish. No hurry to open these, though they are indeed performing beautifully right now
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12/9/2012 - AlanM68 wrote: 93 Points
In good form tonight, decanted for an hour or so, eaten with duck made with orange zest. Unexpectedly, the wine paired extraordinarily well with the orange. Happy to have many more '86 left and hoping for more.
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11/25/2012 - Philip Yang wrote: 92 Points
For a change, the ladies supplied the wine, while I provided the glasses. Beautiful nose, dissolved tannins. At its peak now, so drink up.
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11/22/2012 - Chainthroer wrote: 94 Points
This wine seems to get better as it ages, but still consistent with my evaluations over the years . A dark ruby color, with reddish bricking characteristics; yellowing at the rim. Highly complex aromas and flavors of cherry, blackberry, black currant, earthiness, cedar, cigar box, leather, violets. Just a slight touch of graphite in the mouth. Great structure and balance, A very long and soothing finish. A great pairing with the turkey, dressing and gravy. It still has some years to be appreciated. Wish I had more than two bottles left! Score 94+.
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11/11/2012 - schaden43 wrote: 95 Points
An excellent bottle with an outstanding finish. Its time is now; the wine line was almost to the end of the cork.
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11/10/2012 - BillyT wrote: 92 Points
Great color to the rim. Needs a GOOD 3 hours open. Chocolate, mocha, leather, blood, meat on the nose with medium body. Well balanced with great dark black fruit, terroir, resolved tannins and good acidity. A solid classic worth every penny. Love this wine.
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10/22/2012 - johnh1001 wrote: 91 Points
Tasted multiple times with consistent results from many different bottle formats. Dense dark nose of leather, earth, tobacco, some smoke and a bit of green pepper. The palate matches and is somewhat tight and angular even after hours of air. The texture of this wine is rougher than other Pichon Lalandes I have had and while this is consistent with other 86s I am worried it will not round out in the future. Time will tell. Medium finish. A good wine, but I prefer other vintages like 85, 89 and of course 82 right now.
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10/21/2012 - kevin h wrote: 91 Points
Still youthful, lots of cassis. Good but a little unexciting at the moment. Foursquare.
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9/17/2012 - thomaskeil wrote: 91 Points
Opened for several hours, but not decanted. This was fairly open right after pulling the cork. Softened quickly in the glass. Medium weight fruit, short length, nicely complex on nose and palate. Tannins present, firm but with a light touch. Finesseful. Of place.
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9/14/2012 - Rogershkg wrote: 93 Points
My love hate relationship with this wine continues. This time I think I have fathomed how to serve it. I's open, decant and serve straight away. One probably needs to decant because there is sediment, perhaps not that much, but enough. The wine is still remarkably young looking - no hint of brown. Nose was very good to begin with but after 4 hours it was gone. Taste was rounded, merlot, soft, complex, reasonably long. I think the wine is at its peak, not to say it won't last, but it won't improve either.
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9/13/2012 - Ericsson wrote: 94 Points
Magnifique état de conservation pour cette bouteille achetée en primeur! Belle couleur grenat brillant. Premier nez d'encre et de sous-bois, ensuite (après 1 heure) cassis et autres baies. Attaque vive en bouche et similitudes avec le nez, s'est améliorée sur les 2 à 3 heures qu'on a bu le vin. Longue finale avec des tanins bien présents mais parfaitement intégrés. Le décantage s'impose selon moi. Bel avenir.
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9/12/2012 - dcwino wrote: flawed
Faryan’s Grand Sendoff – Blue Duck Tavern - Mostly matured Bordeauxs (Blue Duck Tavern - Washington D.C.): I mentioned that this was corked but some doubted. Towards to the end, some retried from the bottle and TCA was more noticeable as usual. Almost drinkable initially.
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9/9/2012 - mxpbuy wrote: 95 Points
Sampled 9/8/12. Base neck fill. Cork was mostly soaked with a little having seeped up to the capsule. When first opened, the wine seemed oxidized but this was just in the neck and it evaporated out. After about 15 minutes the wine really started to come alive. Tobacco, black currant, cassis, pencil lead, leather - all on the nose. On the palate this wine is huge with all the same notes. The finish was almost disappointing at about 30 seconds.
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9/1/2012 - BillyT wrote: 93 Points
Double decant. Notes to come at dinner. WOW. Krug Champagne, Louis Latour Corton-Charlamagne, Pichon Comtesse. What a great night and meal at Bistro Vitael in San Antonio. Foie Gras and Escargot follwed by Veal Liver and Qual. The Pichon was incredible. Opened about 6 hours prior, decanted 3-4 prior and returned to bottle 1 hour prior. Worked insanely well. Previous notes apply. The wine had deep rich color to the rim belying its age and great body on the glass. The fruit was still impressive with dark black fruit, balanced aromas and flavors with completely integrated tannins. This was what I expected from this wine. However, as others suggest, it still remains youthful and has much life ahead.
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8/26/2012 - fdub wrote: 89 Points
Tasted at the Vintner's Club in SF. Strong burst of fruit and leather when first poured but quickly falls off and the palate is overwhelmed by the acidity. Looking at the cork this bottle was not properly stored and the wine shows.
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8/23/2012 - yossarian.livez wrote: 96 Points
Glorious wine. Beautiful nose with mint and pencil shaving. Dense with cedar, tobacco, herbal without being green. Great mouth feel. Good length. Opened, sat for 45 min, no decanting, fading by hr 4.
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7/30/2012 - Gurto wrote: 93 Points
Smell: A little cassis left, dried fruits, lots of oak, pencil shavings, tobacco, spicy, herbal, a bit animalic
Taste: Intense dried fruits, still quite a lot of tannins left, long aftertaste of dried fruits and oaky spice
A very good bordeaux! There is a lot of oak but it's very nicely integrated. Think it will continue to get better - guessing it might peak in about 4-5 years or so.
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7/29/2012 - Trickyone wrote:
Le (limite') Tour de France (Home): After having read some of the previous notes on CellarTracker, I decided to give this wine a good deal of time in its decanter. The tasting was at 1 p.m. and it was going to be the 4th wine poured. Opening it at 11 a.m. would give it at least 4 hours to stretch its legs. The cork extracted perfectly and my first impression as I emptied the bottle was that the color could be mistaken for a very youthful wine. It appeared to be at the stage just after the last hints of purple have subsided. Similar youth was present in the aroma. Even though the blend that year was recorded as 45% Cabernet to 35% Merlot, the mintiness of the Cab was leaping out of the vessel. By the time we got around to this wine, the only real change that had taken place was that a little of the alcohol had blown off. This still could have passed for a 4- or 5 year-old wine. The first taste was marked by tannins that were in the process of stepping from center stage. This must have been a massively tannic wine in its youth, as after 26 years there was still plenty to go around. Fortunately the fruit elements were present in such a degree as to assure me that the other 5 bottles I'm storing of this one will be truly magnificent in another 8 or 10 years. The fruit/tannin balance was just getting to the point it needed to be to make this an extraordinary experience. The finish just kept lingering--a really fine example of a long-lived claret.
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7/25/2012 - lepetitchateau wrote: 88 Points
The nose is classic lead pencil Bordeaux, quite nice. On the palate it seems that this is not right, very heavy almost sodden and obtuse. Fresher examples would probably be more enjoyable.
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7/2/2012 - BillyT wrote: 92 Points
Fill just above base of neck. Cork saturated just shy of top of the neck about 1/4 inch however it was well seated. Color was medium with slight rust at the rim reflecting its age. Nose began with leather, tobacco and terroir and has emerged after only 10 minutes into dark fruit, vanilla, mocha dark chocolate, cream. Upon tasting the wine tastes as it smelled with a hint of wood tannins, medium bodied with well integrated tannins and fruit and a hint of spice. I will refrain grading until the wine has time to open in a few hours. Initially a beautiful wine. Nutty 08 reflects some of my experience although I am getting a tad more fruit and balance without excessive tannins. Youthful, yes to a point but more shutdown and waiting. If this wine improves over the next several years it will be absolutely phenomenal and it is possible. There is nothing to say it is past its prime but rather still in a dormant or dumb phase trying to awaken.
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6/28/2012 - englishman's claret wrote: 95 Points
From 375, the cork almost shot. Mature disc. With a little air, this develops a beautifully classic PL nose that reminds me of the '82 - lots of violets, chocolate, blueberry fruit. The nose here is very classy, which is an interesting (and stark) contrast to the relatively austere and grainy palate at first. But thankfully the palate really rounds out with some air - it picks up a little more fruit and chocolate and the mouth feel is a little more plush. Still needs around an hour in the decanter to be at best, but you certainly get the sense that it's not holding anything back.
4+
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6/22/2012 - vespasian wrote: flawed
Suspected poor storage here - earthy and flat with completely dead fruit on the palate despite good level in the neck.
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6/11/2012 - wickedwax wrote:
Tasted after a 1986 Figeac. Darker in color, with aromas of cassis, cedar, forest floor, leather and earth. Full-bodied, very rich and concentrated; quite big and structured with quite some tannic grip still. Very good length. Gained more complexity through the evening as it started to pick up some spice notes. This probably needs at least five more years, if not more, to resolve.
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6/1/2012 - -E- wrote: 94 Points
Bordeaux Søskenparsmaking (Moss, Norway): Rødbrun med purpur kjerne. Nydelig, søtlig, floral, elegant, mørk rød frukt på nese. Mørk inngang med preg av kirsebær og solbær; kraftig, intens frukt med masse kraft. Tett. Sitter godt.
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6/1/2012 - LWI wrote: 94 Points
Bordeaux Siblings (Moss, Norway): Floral notes, clean, young dark fruit; fine acidity, long and intense, a hint of sweetnes that I often find in is Chateau. Very fine wine.
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6/1/2012 - Apotheca wrote: 87 Points
Did not take many notes on this wine, as I thought this to be a little boring. Although boring, still an ok wine with a nice mouthfeel. But did not do it for me.
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5/27/2012 - Nutty08 wrote: 92 Points
Decanted and followed over 4-5hrs hours. Quite closed and very youthful. Still has a bright ruby color without any bricking and showed much younger than the '88 LMHB. Hard to get much of a nose, but sometimes could coax out a little leather, tobacco leaf, flint, and that herbal/green character I get from Lalande (rather than PB). Palate was surprisingly still showing primary fruit with a little currant, tannic but not terribly so, fresh and vibrant, but not as expressivle or accessible as I would expect. Lengthy mineral, spice and fruit on the finish. This showed flashes of brilliance but just wasn't expressive enough and it was overshadowed by the '88 LMHB. Less lush and vibrant than a recent '96 and much less expressive and accessible than a recent '79, but with more fruit. Probably still needs 5+ years. 92+
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5/17/2012 - acidqueen wrote: 90 Points
Still had the $39.99 price tag from the day I bought it in 1988. Mid-high neck level, clean tight cork wtih no leakage at all. Needed time and air. Didn't have enough decanting time, should have waited longer. Faint cedar on the open but very closed. Med red, no bricking. Dusty cherry. Still very tannic and acidic. Even after 2 hours it had a long way to open up. Cedar and cherry after 1.5 hours, but not a silky wine. Too hard to really love, but clearly a very good wine. Give it a lot longer.
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5/2/2012 - MusignyBlanc wrote: 92 Points
Restaurant bottle, so PnP to decanter and then drank over the next hour. Cork was soaked. Medium red in color. Cedar, tobacco, and pepper in the mouth and just incredibly smooth for such complexity. Not surprisingly, it was big upon opening and then flattened out quickly. Acid was fairly prominent and then it started to open as we were finishing it off - a bit of a shame, but that's the logistical challenge with wine in restaurants. Quite delicious with our aged steaks. I didn't have my geiger counter, but no hint of radioactivity from this Chernobyl year! ;-)
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4/30/2012 - jlemerond wrote: 91 Points
Dark ruby. Somewhat monolithic. May have suffered from being tasted alongside the 89, which is clearly in a better place right now. Some of the classic petit verdot aromas of pepper and underbrush, but mostly cassis and dark fruits. Still very tannic and structured. Try again in 5 years.
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4/30/2012 - tbabes wrote: 86 Points
The fill was into the neck and the cork was sound. Popped, poured and consumed over the course of 3 hours. Some amber on the rim. Straightforward notes of old barrels, some dark fruit, and roasted herbs. Angular and astringent on the palate, and lacking in terms of texture and depth. Too much bottle variability with the '86 Pichon Lalande.
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4/28/2012 - pjaines wrote:
These 1986's are really tough as old boots at times - this wine is just starting to peek out from behind the acidity and tannins. When it does there is a very impressive palate and feminine fruit - it just takes time to come out. High acidity andf quite a dry palate means this needs food to really bring out the best in it. Good stuff.
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4/19/2012 - Mrbuzz Likes this wine: 93 Points
Silky smooth aged dark berry, currant fruit.....dusty old cellar, cedar spice, lead pencil, licorice....this wine was open for biz! Got a wonderful note of dried wintergreen tobacco, as well as fresh steamy earth mulch. Still has plenty of fine tannin in this...to go along with the sweet ample fruit....should continue to age well, but tasty now!
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4/14/2012 - psmith wrote: 91 Points
Clean, plummy fruit with red undertones. Without the forefront tannin found in so many '86s. Well balanced. Mature. Nice.
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4/14/2012 - beezer6 wrote: 89 Points
Saturday Tasting Group (Knightsbridge Wine Shop (Northbrook, IL)): Tasted alongside a 1996 Lalande - thanks Ken!
I preferred the younger sibling. Really old soy, leather, raspberries. Lots of must, old iron funk, cheesy.
More funk on the palate, a little thinner and more resolved (duh). A refreshing quality like Charleston, SC after rain.
Clean finish. I'd say drink soon.
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4/13/2012 - Rogershkg wrote: 89 Points
I must have a love hate relationship with this wine. I felt a little disappointed. Colour was good ruby, no sign of age. Frankly the nose was closed. the wine had fruit, strength and well balanced but unexciting. Nothing wrong with it. It was easy to drink, what my grand father would have called a good wine, it had a reasonable length with dark fruit, but having kept it for a quarter of a century may be I expect too much
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3/29/2012 - dicehk wrote: 94 Points
A classic Pichon Lalande. An elegant Paullac that needs no convinving. 1 hour decant The bouquest evokes, smoke, cedar, and liquorice. The initial palate is full-bodied, firm tannin. As th wine evolves over dinner, there are brilliant tastes which evoke, black fruits and liquorices. Great length on the palete. Well worth keeping for drinking a year or so onwards.
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3/27/2012 - ilee wrote: 94 Points
Dinner at home with Mrs L, TH, JL, VK, PH and David (At home): We were quite lucky with our 86 bordeaux tonight, this was the third bottle opened alongside the Leoville Lascases and Gruaud Larose, and they were all singing quite loudly in the choir! (Instead of sulking/brooding in the corner like many 86's used to, refusing even to acknowledge the taster..) After several years of disappointment/frustration in drinking 86's, might these wines be turning a corner? The 86 PL was very classic Pauillac, with slightly more accent on the tar/lead pencil, and compared to the two St Juliens I thought the fruit also came across as darker. While this wine certainly tasted young, it was also quite open-knit with rich, full flavours combined with the youthful freshness that would make you think you're drinking something from the mid 90's. Very good!
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2/4/2012 - AlanM68 wrote: 92 Points
Something not right with this bottle, the second from a case purchased at auction with a good history. It smelt flat and closed and tasted dusty, even musty.
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2/3/2012 - Rogershkg wrote: 94 Points
Well we had 4 bottles last night, I am not boasting I say it because that to me is a mark of the wine is really sublime - you drink it slowly but you can go on. This morning one feels really great and not a hint of having drunk the night before. One bottle was slightly corked - not that bad that one could not drink it but I think one of the cases that I had seemed to have that problem in a number of bottles. Nevertheless the wine was good. The colour was ruby , the bouquet was classic Lalande with what seems to be a rounded fruity overtone. Was the wine good? Well i I thought I might get away with 2 or possibly 3. Its difficult to describe the wine, it is understated, it has a fresh fruit first taste, it has a gentle second taste with fruit, the overtones of raspberry, blackcurrent, chocolate and the tannin, the alcohol almost hidden, the taste reasonably long
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1/23/2012 - Ludi Likes this wine: 96 Points
Garnet. Nose reminds of blueberry and black currant, cedar wood, smoke, pencil shavings, mocha, mint, sweet spices. Elegant and still youtful mouth, with balancing acidity and a long finish.
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1/21/2012 - BMcD77 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Thursday, March 30, 2006 - Drank on our anniversary in a gondola on the Brisbane river , pure velvet and memorable
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1/10/2012 - Lord Rayas wrote: 90 Points
Harvey/Esther dinner with Eric, Lucas/Joyce (Fa Zu Jie): softer tannins than previous bottle. powerful structure but not a huge amount of charm. little excitement here.
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12/29/2011 - Fishboy wrote: 94 Points
Great bottle with black fruit, tobacco and cedar notes. Wish we had more bottles.
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12/23/2011 - psmith wrote: 94 Points
Delicious, as always. Graceful and classy, with plummy tobacco noted shared with ample, yet background structure. Patrician, pure wine. Delicious.
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12/23/2011 - Burgundy Al wrote: 94 Points
Holiday Wines at Knightsbridge (Northbrook, IL): Great black fruit on nose and palate, along with some bell pepper and cigar box hints. Still lots of tannic structure but there is so much raw material that this comes across as balanced and much younger than a 25 year old wine. Powerful into long finish.
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12/15/2011 - RayOB wrote: 96 Points
Drank at Davies
A wonderful fresh viberant '86. Rich smooth and silky with amazing complexity and notes. Everybody there enjoyed these two bottles and were asking for more.
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12/13/2011 - DJFwine wrote: 98 Points
drank 2 bottles at maestro's tonight with seafood platter and steak. decanted for 20 minutes each. I'd have to say they were absolutely sublime. both bottles were perfect, extremely smooth, with a nice long finish. the fruit was mild, sweet and light, much like an 89 haut brion, and flowed over the tongue with the greatest of ease. i took extremely small sips and let the flavor explode in my mouth to make easch glass last. As far as im concerned the great lalandes, and 86 is right up there, are what bordeaux is supposed to be. they set the standard for not being 1st growth. This wine is in its prime right now but will last a long time in the cellar.
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12/9/2011 - cabber wrote: 89 Points
Cork was soaked almost to top, but did not seem to affect the wine. Not sure about the provenance of this bottle. Nose was earthy with cedar. tannic and lacking fruit. typical of '86 vintage? somewhat disappointing.
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12/8/2011 - wineholder wrote: 91 Points
soaked cork but decanted anyway and after 40 min very nice indeed
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12/6/2011 - godx wrote:
Dinner at Larry & Karen's (Vancouver, BC): Tasted blind. Decanted for approx 60min. Medium, almost deep red in colour. I thought this had a VERY slight hint of TCA on the nose but as no one else said anything (perhaps no one else noticed it or maybe my sniffer was playing games on me), I kept it to myself. There was still plenty of dark fruits, cedar and spice notes coming through which made the nose still quite enjoyable. In the mouth its masculine with medium acidity and quite a lot of firm tannins. Fruit seemed to be lacking a little bit on the palate here and perhaps that’s the TCA doing its thing—or maybe this is still much too young, or perhaps this wine just lacks fruits—but either way, I don’t think this bottle was a good example of this wine. Judgement reserved.
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12/3/2011 - Rani Likes this wine: 92 Points
Cedar, cigar box, blackcurrant - textbook Pauillac. Silky texture, really "a point" now, but can easily age a few more years.
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12/3/2011 - Rogershkg wrote: 91 Points
I have to say that although I am a long term fan of Pichon Lalande, I am slightly disappointed by last night's bottles. The colour is still good ruby. No sign of aging. The nose is subdued fruit but nicely balanced. The taste was reasonably long blackcurrent, noticeable acid. We had 2 bottles, one had a slight tinge of cork, but was still enjoyable. The other was fine. It's difficult to put one's finger on why one felt a little disappointed. Perhaps I am spoilt!
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12/1/2011 - Serge Birbrair wrote:
soaked cork indicated heat exposure in the past and it didn't do wine any good. Still WOTN, fully mature and reasy Bordeaux, popped and poured.
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11/29/2011 - AudunG wrote: 90 Points
Developed red color. Some wine on the label, indicating warm storage. Typical Pauillac on the nose. A little weak structure. Seems to be somewhat over the hill, probably due to bad storage.
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11/22/2011 - RayOB wrote: 97 Points
Davy's Wine Tasting (London): Amazing wine
Full structure still there and still vibrant and fresh.
Plumb, chocolate and red berries with a cigar box and wood taste.
This is an amazing Pichon from a classic vintage that just keeps going.
THIS WAS THE WINE OF THE NIGHT
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11/19/2011 - plitton wrote: 93 Points
PnP. Drank with the '95, both 750s. This was earthy, with graphite and some forest floor. This bottle suggests at or slightly past maturity. Delicious.
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10/29/2011 - Rechrom wrote: 93 Points
Remains red with slight bricking. Slow O six hours, decant two hours. Nose remains slightly reticent, but very nice tobacco, dark cherry. Palate full. mouthfilling and and smoothly hard-nosed. A beautiful complement to lamb. Tar, dark fruit, spice, masculine. Good length, clean finish. Has many years left, is never going to be seductive but is a really good powerhouse.
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10/21/2011 - Wine_lvr wrote: flawed
Intensive red, showing some signs of its age. Unfortunately this bottle was tainted so no score. Potential for 94pts is definitely here
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10/21/2011 - danielk168 wrote: 92 Points
Poured from the bottle and drank over 3 hours, started off so so, nose was subdued and rather tannic, with time, nose gets much more complex and balanced with floral notes, almost as good as the 82 a few months earlier. by the 3rd hour, getting really good, had almost half a bottle already!
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10/16/2011 - Lord Rayas wrote: 84 Points
Roof BBQ with Ivan/Angie, Hendrick/Sylvia, Michael/Lynn, Martin/Yvonne, Jason/Jar (Roof): not really singing. i found the lead pencil and graphite notes somewhat overpowering. didn't enjoy the grippy tannic finish either.
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9/25/2011 - acidqueen wrote: 92 Points
We had two bottles of this, with some bottle variation. First bottle had a pristine cork, and the wine was excellent. Decanted for over an hour. The wine still had some tannins, but they were soft enough to make this enjoyable. Lots of tar, cedar, dark berries, a rich but silky wine. Very dark color.
The second bottle's cork was not as tight, and the wine was not decanted for more than a couple minutes. This bottle was also good, but the tannins were much more pronounced and the wine more astringent. I suspect that this was more about the lack of time to decant than anything else.
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9/19/2011 - Jack252 wrote: 94 Points
Smoky cedary nose that opened up with air. Was suprised to see that this was still tannic given its age, even afer a two hour decant. First glass was ok but the second glass was amazing. Coated the mouth with earthy fruits with a long finish.
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9/4/2011 - Phredd wrote: flawed
25th Anniversary (a few days early) (Charleston Grill, Charleston, SC): Poured at the Charleston Grill, Charleston, SC., notes from memory a few days later. This was the wine around which we ordered our dinner. A 25-year-old bottle of Bordeaux to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary. I had purchased the bottle expressly for this occasion and had commended it to the restaurant cellar a full day ahead to give the wine a chance to settle in. The Maitre d' at the Charleston grill lived up to his reputation and came out with the bottle himself and began the ritual of opening. I could tell we were in trouble just a third of the way into the cork, as I could already see the seepage. The cork was a mess, but Micky is very experienced and managed to pull the entire cork out of the bottle even though it was breaking up. He couldn't save the wine, though. The bricking was obvious as the wine was poured, and both nose and palate were stewed. A complete and undrinkable loss. Fortunately, our marriage is made of more enduring stuff than this wine.
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9/4/2011 - empire80 wrote: 94 Points
Took a few hours in the decanter to come round but ended up beautiful. Hard to believe that it could improve from here but equally it doesn't seem in any hurry to go downhill. Tannin was really soft but structured, fuit initially hidden but emerged after three hours in the decanter, warm spice, hint of cedar and some meaty depth to the finish. Hope my last bottle is as good as this.
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8/31/2011 - JorgeH wrote: 94 Points
Pours a dark brickish red with the slightest orange tinge at the rim. A strong nose of pencil shavings, dark red fruit and cedar come up from the glass. On the palate this is absolutely stunning with a meaty texture, a strong red currant note and beautiful acidity. Tannins are still quite strong with this one and it's drinking like a very capable tweener. Gorgeous.
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8/25/2011 - Serge Birbrair wrote:
Cork pulled 2 hours prior to dinner. Cork all soaked with the signs of sippage, upper shoulder. Nose of a champ, cigar box, left bottle alone on the counter.
All is well except definite falling off the cliff in about 4 hours after opening. Gotta be the heat exposure in the past. Other than that, marvelous Bordeaux which is worth paying for.
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8/17/2011 - dream wrote: 91 Points
Lovely aged black color. Classic but muted PL nose of green olive, cedar and cigar box. Tight at first with a strong green note that was off-putting but it kept improving and the greeness was almost gone after about two hours. Classic Pichon silkiness with lovely aged flavors of cedar, cigar box, blackberries and black spices. Hard to figure but seems like it still needs time.
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8/9/2011 - PC73 wrote: 91 Points
Deep and dark red colour.
Bramble on nose. Hint of oak and wood. Blackcurrant.
Very well balanced. Fruit more obvious than tannin or acidity. Blackcurrant is most prominent flavour. Smokiness.bit of savouriness comes as second wave underneath the fruit. 40 sec plus finish. I would guess this still has plenty more life in it.
Wish I had some more.
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8/7/2011 - AlanM68 wrote: 93 Points
Another lovely bottle of the 86. Fruit and farm in equal measure. Drinking very consistently with the last one.
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8/6/2011 - fclarity wrote: 92 Points
I have been holding on to these since release as all of these 1986s have remained quite dark. This wine is no exception with a red/purple center and just a hint of orange at the rim. The nose displayed black fruits, soil, mocha, and some soy.
While reasonably good right away, this wine improved dramatically with 5 hours of air. It ended up a ripe and attractive wine with a core of rounded tannin and wet stone essence that provided a very serious, and long, finish.
Overall, it seemed rather young in that I would expect more complexity to evolve with time. Thus, this appears to be built for the long-term. Drink if you must, or age an additional 15-25 years. At that time, I would expect my score to move up a couple points.
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7/24/2011 - slywka7 Likes this wine: 94 Points
We popped and poured this just to try it and it was tight so we gave it some time. After about 1.5-2 hours, it finally opened up. Had some leather, tobacco, currant and spice on the nose. The leather kind of came on strong at first but faded throughout the night. The palate had some dark fruit, dried cherry, earth, and spice. Not a harsh tannin to be found with a silky smooth finish that lasted about 20-30 seconds. Believe it or not, I still think this wine needed more time in the bottle but it is still drinking very well.
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7/24/2011 - rwgray wrote: 91 Points
Classic Bordeau. Bright red colour. Subtle complex nose. Consume in the next 2 years.
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7/16/2011 - cos82 wrote: 92 Points
Last of 6 bottles purchased as futures for my cellar. Interesting to track the history of this wine on my palate. First bottle, glorious, and ingrained in my wine tasting memory. A bouquet that filled the room with massive fruit and a finish that went on forever. Bottles 2-4, nice, but not nearly as good as the first. Bottle 5, awful, harsh with all wood and ash. This bottle, somewhere between 1 and 2-4, but closer to the later. Decanted about 1 hour. Mature garnet with some bricking at the edge. Fine non-expansive nose of plum, violet and cigar box. Very balanced palate of cassis, blackberry, earth, tobacco and herbs. Not a drop of tannin. Nice finish. Drunk alongside 3 other 86s, Pape Clement (my WOTN), Cos (#3) and La Lagune (#4), but all very nice. None displaying that 86 harshness, and all ready to go, although the Cos not fully mature yet.
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7/12/2011 - Hodby wrote: 90 Points
Medium red-garnet. Aromas quiet on first pour; after one hour airing, there's cigar leaf, cedar, maple syrup and an unusual green minty note. Medium tannin, medium-low acidity. Though still carrying significant tannin, the wine has a suppleness and a plumpness of body. A bit disappointing for a second growth in a great year, but it drinks well with grilled garlic-rubbed strip steaks and succotash.Perhaps damaged in initial transit or purveyor storage (20-20 Wine, L.A.). Bottle #2 of two.
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7/4/2011 - rosenst1 wrote: 90 Points
Last bottle which was brought in by the Wine House in the 80s. Excellent fill, half way into the neck.
Poured a small amount; deep red with a slight browning on the edge. Will let sit and then decant before 4th dinner of Rack of Lamb. After 2 hours in the decanter this is beginning to show very well; classic Pauillac though no where near the aromatic volume of the previous bottle. Sandalwood, red fruits and herbaceous, medium weight, with a lovely long finish. A good example of "great bottles not great wines" at this age.
This bottle was unlikely to improve further; a bit of a disappointment after the last.
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7/1/2011 - Chainthroer wrote: 94 Points
Yellowing at the rim. Deep reddish garnet color; some bricking. Complex aromas of cherry, blackcurrant, leather, sweet tobacco, violet. Same fruit flavors in the mouth - very nice balance. Good fruit concentration. Long, smooth finish - maybe 20+ seconds. This is the 9th time I've tasted this wine starting in 2003 - my evaluations have been consistent, as far as the score. The wine is in its plateau of maturity. Would think it should last several more years. Pairs well with prime Porterhouse - nice start for the 4th of July weekend.
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6/16/2011 - jamieirving wrote: 92 Points
Ruby red in colour this wine still shows some primary berry fruit characters and a touch of tobacco on the nose. The palate is still suprisingly fresh - high acids in '86 - with lovely earth, leather, white pepper and even some blueberry. Refreshingly long finish. Very nice indeed.
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6/14/2011 - bevetroppo Likes this wine: 94 Points
Stunning in its condition and typicity, this is claret aged to perfection, drinking at an absolute peak, or perhaps just beyond it, but all the more beautiful because of it, if that makes any sense. 12.5%. Oddly nothing but the finest silt-like sediment at the very bottom. Evolved orange at the rim, nose a kaleidoscope of graphite, cedar, and cassis fruit. Ready to go. Lovely balance across the palate, quite graceful in fact, nothing out of proportion. Tannins are subtle and provide just the right amount of framing. Drink over next five years-oops, I don't have any more. From the Chicago cellar-on sale for $37.99, or so the retail tag says.
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6/11/2011 - Burgundy Al wrote: 93 Points
Opened for an hour before served, not decanted. Lots of black fruit, green pepper and wonderful spice. Pepper was a bit dominant for the first few minutes, but then the fruit and spice took over. Very harmonious wine. Great length and finish.
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6/9/2011 - markellen.foodies@gmail.com wrote: 88 Points
Brown Bag Wine Dinner at Two Chefs (Two Chefs): Al's wine.
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5/24/2011 - Jay A wrote: 93 Points
This is nice wine. Concentrated and displaying the typical Pauillac cassis, leather and tobacco. The wine still has a tannic edge to it which interrupts the flow of the wine on the backside. As the wine airs out, that tannic edge dissipates and ends up with a pretty nice, harmonious finish. So I guess for my taste, this wine needs a few more years for the tannins resolve.
It went well with our dinner of lamb chops and cous cous.
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5/17/2011 - tooch wrote: 94 Points
Pichon Dinner - Lalande vs. Baron (Palena - Washington, DC): One of the more complex wines of the evening. Palate and nose showed dark fruit, tobacco, tilled soil, and violets. Probably the biggest and darkest Lalande of the evening (53,89,95,96,03) with lots of red and black fruit and smooth tannins on the finish. A great bottle of Lalande, but not nearly as feminine as some of the other bottles.
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5/17/2011 - dcwino wrote: 93 Points
Pichon Baron vs. Pichon Lalande @ Palena (Washington DC): This is a big scale wine. The expression is deeper and fruit sweeter than the other Lalandes tasted. It took the longest time to open up but even than not as floral. Cassis, ripe jammy dark fruits, a hint of tobacco and black pepper. The palate shows excellent concentration, chewy dark fruit and integrated tannins. Still quite youthful wine that will need another five to ten years to become more expressive with the tertiary elements.
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5/15/2011 - Jeff Leve wrote: 93 Points
Tobacco, cassis, cigar box, truffle, 5 Spice, olives and earthy scents introduce this brawny, old school, masculine styled wine. Robust and powerful, this brawny Pauillac will age for decades, but it's never go to become charming or offer the elegance found in other 80's vintages of Pichon Lalande like 82, 83, 85 or 89.
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5/14/2011 - powrsurg wrote: 85 Points
Nice deep purple color. Creme and black cherry were slight but noticablevon the pallet. Tannins were still strong. May have been past it's prime but was enjoyable.
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5/12/2011 - aagrawal wrote: 91 Points
1986 Cabernet Retrospective Part 6/6 (Tom's House, Palo Alto): Served blind. Nose of black fruits, earthy, complex but a bit muted; on the palate of all the wines was the most structured, good fruit. Still has a life ahead of it. It's nice, but I didn't peg it as a bordeaux. My #7, group's #8. 91+
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5/6/2011 - tbabes wrote: flawed
The fill was well into the neck and the cork was in great shape; a pristine bottle that appears to have been quite well stored. A dark ruby-red core, with a touch of bricking at the rim. Aromas of ... damp cardboard. F me, this was heart-breaking, and my second corked bottle of '86 Pichon Lalande in a row.
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5/4/2011 - rsbeck wrote: 91 Points
Popped, breathed in bottle 24 hours. Beautiful nose, but took awhile to come together on the palate. Then, lovely, elegant Pichon with layers of dark fruit, cedar, tobacco, old copper penny, and eucalyptus.
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4/29/2011 - Grenik wrote: 94 Points
Martin Weiner's Magnificent Ch. Latours (1934-2002) Plus the Best of ths Grand Cru Neighbors (Martin Weiner): Great color - bright red, slight pink rim with very little orange on the very edge. Nose was a little sour at first, but it blew off. Fresh floral and red berries. Palate was sweet, lithe, and perhaps a little on the lighter side of my preference.
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4/24/2011 - canan wrote: 95 Points
KYD #1.0 - Replacement: A lot of black currant bush on the nose with hints of iron, rust and pencil shavings.
Very intense on the palate, again with lots of black currant bush, and a long "clean" acidic aftertaste.
Lovely flavors of coffee and dirt are mixed nicely with the fruit and have a impressive elegance and finesse to it.
Some aged flavors are also coming through with more air, rust, iron, cigar box, mushrooms.
A very refined elegance are showing nicely.
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4/21/2011 - eivindgj wrote: 92 Points
Elegant, round, and gentle wine. Drinks perfect now!
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4/11/2011 - KenK wrote: 95 Points
1986 Bordeaux @ EWS: 1986 Pichon Lalande (Pauillac) (96WA, 97WS
Slightly restrained aromas here initially with dusty dry character. Dark ripe fruit lies beneath a layer or graphite. Density of fruit flavors created best aspect to this wine for
me. Nice sweet delicate fruit and good backend support. Well integrated, smooth, long impressive. I enjoyed the forward flavors of dried fruit, good weight in mouth, and
tannins that seem sweeter here. This was one of the best wines of the night. 95
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4/8/2011 - rdsboca wrote: 96 Points
Young, swet nose. Silky tannins on entry. Mouthfeel was great with earthiness, cherry, cassi, cedar and some pineneedles. Still really young. Gained weight as evening progressed and got fatter.
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4/1/2011 - Invinoverytas wrote: 94 Points
I love old bordeaux. The color starting to turn reddish brown, the musty, earthy smell, the well integrated tannins, and the balance that comes with 25 years in the bottle.
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4/1/2011 - Sleepy Dave wrote:
Jacque Selosse V.O & 1986 Pichon Lalande (Les Amis - Shaw Centre): Alcohol :: 12.5%
Decanted for 1.5hrs. Deep garnet core with light hue, still kinda shy on both nose and palate but show good class and depth. Toward the dinner, the wine gain better even better depth. Incredibly lovely bouquet soared from the glass with cedar, graphite intermixed with perfume violet, sweet cigar box along with elegance aromas of blackberry and creme de cassis complete with touch of savoury meatiness, very classy. Medium bodied, this is a silent killer, never shout or noisy, almost fully mature, a classic Pauillac with cut and precision, layer of blackcurrant, sweet tobacco and cigar accompany by this elegance cedar and earth that all perfectly balance and support by the blackberry like, mouth watering acidity with super depth and sense of finesse. There was this fresh and ripe tannin kick in at the back which provide the grip and added a even more weight and power to the already impressive mid palate depth. All about harmonious and finesse here and the silky smooth, fresh complex juicy finish just getting better and better with time with dark plum, cedar and mineral nuanced that's linger seamlessly. Terrific. I believe another 3-5yrs we will see a fully mature and integrated wine. Buy - Yes.
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3/14/2011 - Dearborn1977 wrote: 90 Points
Still ruby red with only moderate bricking. 1/2 hour+ in decanter prior to drinking. Fruit muted, some dark fruit present but silky smoothness was predominant character of the wine. Good, but wish I'd opened it about 3 years ago.
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3/3/2011 - Rogershkg wrote: 93 Points
Colour still ruby, nose fruit well balanced, plenty of acid, taste is strong blackcurrent, beautiful wine
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2/26/2011 - charleshetzel wrote: 94 Points
This is a lovely, round, still lots of fruit left Pichon. Lots of cedar, tobacco and a hint of mint
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2/23/2011 - AlanM68 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Pichon is my favourite wine and the 1986 is the first serious wine I drank so I always love trying how this is developing. It was tasted alongside a Cos 1985 and was in far better shape. The Pichon is rich, fruity and has plenty of time ahead of it. This is a lovely wine - rounded, integrated and worth savouring.
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2/14/2011 - sergiozy wrote: 100 Points
fab wine i had it since release its outstanding
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1/26/2011 - Remony wrote: 89 Points
Goedhuis Pichon Lalande Tasting & Dinner (Hibiscus Restaurant, London): Very dumb on the nose, a real struggle to get anything at all. Slightly thin & light on the palate, and still very tannic. Persistent, but currently quite faint, hint of caramel -- ?becoming old winey already. Suggests this may decline without ever really delivering its potential, or shedding its tannins. Maybe the bottle from which our table was served was flawed? [Thomas Do Chi Nam: 1986 was the then winemaker's favourite vintage. Mainly Cab Sauv. "Cherry, violets, and a little mocha."]
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1/4/2011 - PatrikO wrote: 93 Points
This is coming around nicely. Less tannic and more fruit forward than last bottle I've had a couple of years ago, nice cedary and tobacco notes, benefits from a long decant. Time to start drinking these.
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11/1/2010 - kevin h wrote: 92 Points
Last tasted 4 years ago. Deep cassis nose with a little cumin and menthol. Pure cassis flavour - opening up well, mature in the sense that the tannins have softened but not much complexity yet. Impressive and polished wine of mid weight - pure blackcurrant flavours.
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10/29/2010 - MattTM wrote:
Le Gavroche Welcomes Gildas d’Ollone (Vancouver, BC): Mystery wine #2. I blindly pegged this as younger than it was, as it is still showing very tannic and acidic. Tight on the nose, smelling of tart plums, raisin, cedar and rubber. On the palette, lots of tannins, dominated by sour cherry and black current. I wish there was more fruit coming through
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9/12/2010 - rdsboca wrote: 97 Points
WOTN. Floral notes of roses on the nose. This wine is still huge, well integrated red fruit of cherry and cassis with some sweet plums. Great mouthfeel. Velvetty.
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8/12/2010 - dbkitc wrote: 97 Points
(at Charleston – Baltimore) Took a good while to open as it tasted sharp next to the Trotanoy at first pour. That said air brought forth continuous layers of greatness. Classic cassis and wet tobacco aromatics. Ripeness and depth came with every passing sip. Incredible. (97)
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8/6/2010 - cdunn wrote: 94 Points
Decanted for 1 hour. Dark ruby to edge. Nose of semi-sweet tobacco, black cherry, leather. Medium/full-bodied, well-defined structure but not at all harsh. Tannins are supportive not intrusive. Polished texture. Cedar, black cherry, note of anise. Persistent, complex finish. It's comforting to see these '86s coming around so beautifully after all of the doubts about the fruit surviving the tannins.
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7/19/2010 - CamWheeler wrote: 94 Points
Very youthful colour and character. Blackcurrant, cherry, smoke and cedar. Palate is fresh and long. Great structure and still potential to improve.
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7/17/2010 - tbabes wrote: flawed
The fill was base neck, but the cork was soaked through and the top was stained. The color was as expected, with a hint of garnet at the rim, but the bouquet was quite restrained and closed. Not much fruit at all on the palate; clearly a bad bottle.
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6/12/2010 - jglineker wrote: 94 Points
Decanted 2 hours prior to tasting. Colour: deep bricky red but not showing true age. Nose: subtle notes of cedar, pencil lead, damp earth, some black fruit, wet wool. Taste: again, subtle notes of blackcurrant, spice and chocolate, medium bodied; long, tannic finish, close-knit with great depth. Improving whilst we are tasting it. Conclusion: Overall very impressive, a subtle yet elegant wine, enigmatic. A fitting wine to celebrate the birth of our daughter.
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6/3/2010 - chrisa23 wrote: 91 Points
Very dark ruby red, almost opaque. A bit monotone on the palate, but smooth and nicely integrated. Would probably benefit from some more years of cellaring.
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5/30/2010 - vanpe003 wrote: 95 Points
On the nose, an aged character with pencil shavings, sweat and a sense of forest floor in the Fall. On the palate, soft with a welcome cassis component that gives this a nice push. Remains a bit tannic on the finish, which is very long and alluring. One of the better finishes I've had in an aged Bordeaux blend (albeit a somewhat limited experience for me). The tannins, combined with decent acidity, suggest this probably has a number of years left.
I opened this from a recent 6 pack auction. I'm not going to be in any rush to open the remaining bottles. Drink/hold. If drinking currently, decant for an hour or more. This bottle improved in the glass for at least an hour after the pop/pour.
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5/15/2010 - phenricsson wrote: 90 Points
Perfect looking bottle. Not as impressive as expected. Still not much mature Bdx notes on it. Quite tannic and the fruit is not really there to support it. Check again in a year or so and cross my fingers. Last bottle 2 years ago was much better. Did not drink the whole bottle but saved some several days. Staying power is remarkable, not deteriorating at all, maybe even improving. (95p.)
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5/7/2010 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 91 Points
Pichon: Baron vs. Comtesse: The group liked this more than I. Ruby in color, cassis and leather on the nose. The palate is candied cherries. A bit of black jelly beans on the finish. No sign of age IMO. Not as complex as I would have thought, but seems like it has plenty of time. This seemed to be a love it or hate it wine. It got the most first place votes of any wine but finished #3 for the group.
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4/23/2010 - airbull76 wrote: 96 Points
Still a very pure, dark ruby colour, with a lighter rim that showed no hint of browning at all. It had a very grand bouquet indeed, with dark fruit, cedar spice, leather, cigar box, earth, pencil shavings, and tons of graphite minerality - a truly splendid nose indeed, which really revealed itself fully after a couple of hours in the decanter (it was still a little closed upon opening). In the mouth there was very prominent blackcurrant and cassis fruit, much more so than I expected from the nose, with the earth, leather, spice and the beautiful graphite again. It had a velvety texture and still great purity of fruit, with all the other flavours falling into place and integrating beautifully. The tannins were soft, the acidity was well-balanced, and the evolving finish was savoury very long indeed. An excellent wine, which I believe is in its peak drinking window, but will definitely keep for a while yet with good storage conditions.
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4/10/2010 - atl20 wrote: 93 Points
Powerful bordeaux. Day one had strong earth tones and some stable aromas that gave way to cherry, cedar and leather as it opened up. Day two saw red plum really come in along with some tobacco. A very nice experience.
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3/30/2010 - Ary Likes this wine: 94 Points
At van Baerle AMS. Opened 8hours before. Dark colour (young), especially for this age. Excellent full bodied, male wine. Classic Pauillac, classic Bordeaux. Fruits, dark chocolate, liquorice, vanilla and tannins! Tastes (blind) like a 1996 Pauillac. Nose shows forest/ autumn leaves and chocolate, bit raw, some lemon. This is what makes wine so interesting. Enjoy now or wait another 10 years.
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2/27/2010 - fourdan wrote: 90 Points
Pretty good but laks fruit taste too much like pencil
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2/4/2010 - cct wrote: 91 Points
Served and scored blind:
Medium ruby rich and dense with good tannic structure. Some band aid medicinal notes (which in retrospect I attributed to flawed soapy stemware). later on in the night, after switching stems, rich and lovely with some fine herbal notes. 91 pts. I think this is unfairly low as I got minimal wine in the new stems.
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1/17/2010 - CSteefel wrote:
The 1986 Pichon Lalande has to be drinking close to its peak, with airy, high-toned aromas of olive, green aged tobacco, and cassis showing very expressively on the nose. On the palate, the presentation from initial attack to its long finish is horizontal, meaning it seems to spread across the palate, with inner mouth perfumes emerging as the spicy wine reacts vigorously on the palate. This wine manages a weightlessness that is not common among many top notch Bordeaux, and without sacrificing any richness of fruit on the palate.
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12/31/2009 - cibreo wrote:
Decanted 7 hours before dinner. I haven't rated this wine because even though it was delicious, I'm not convinced it wasn without some flaws. The cork was soft and broke as I was pulling it. It had a high level of discolouration and a tiny ring of mould right at the top of the cork. The wine had a good colour with a slightly brick/dried blood edge. Lots of fine sediment at the bottom of the bottle. I was initially concerned by a faint whiff of cheese-rind (perhaps the presence of mercaptan?) but this faded after an hour or so in the decanter and was completely gone by the time it was drunk. Served with grilled rib-eyes on the bone. Rich red colour. Quiet nose. In the mouth, dark fruits, cedar and maybe some pepper. The wine was beautifully intergrated with everything in balance.
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12/27/2009 - tbabes wrote: 96 Points
This wine continues to improve; recent bottles have been nothing short of stunning, and this example was no exception. Incredibly pure aromas of cassis and blackberry, with a hint of truffle and earth. Medium-bodied, with a velvety texture, nice acidity, and incredible depth; a long and classic finish. A classic claret!
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12/18/2009 - Jeff Leve wrote: 93 Points
Stylistically, the wine remains brawny displaying an austere personality. Dark in color with aromas of currants, black fruit, wood and damp forests, this wine offers a huge palate presence. This is a very big wine. But, as a matter of style, I prefer vintages like 82, 83, 85 & 89. 86 is a very good wine. However, it will never deliver the elegance I love in most vintages of Pichon Lalande
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10/15/2009 - winenuts wrote: 91 Points
A very typical vintage bordeaux. Elegant, gentle, delicate and classic. Good balance. From hour 2 to hour 3 changes not much, very stable.
cherry, prune, and clove taste.
clarity 5/5, colour 5/5, Aroma Intensity 8/10, aroma nose 18/20, aroma nose complexity 8/10, taste balance 15/15, taste complexity 18/20, taste finishing 9/10 , smoothly 5/5.
Peak for drink 2-1/2 to 3 hours in decanter.
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10/2/2009 - tbabes wrote: 95 Points
The fill was well into the neck and the cork was sound; a well-stored and pristine bottle. Double-decanted about 4 hours prior to consumption. A lovely ruby-purple color, with a hint of garnet at the rim. Aromas of cedary dark fruits, tree bark,and a hint of black truffle. An inviting texture, with wonderful balance of flavor, concentration and structure. Good purity and focus on the mid-palate, with a long and complex finish.
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9/29/2009 - BradE wrote:
Last of the 375's. Great with PIZZA! Good wine, needs some air.
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9/28/2009 - BradE wrote:
From 375. Very nice wine, classic pauillac, with some air, quite ready to go.
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9/16/2009 - La Cave d'Argent wrote: 96 Points
This wine was double-decanted, allowing one hour in decanter prior to funneling back into the bottle. It was then taken to a restaurant and consumed over two hours with mushroom ravioli and braised short ribs. Deep garnet with brick rim. Elegant bouquet developing over the first two hours to show plum, leather, cardamom and coriander aromas. Medium-to-full-bodied on the palate, with medium acidity, relatively soft tannins and complex flavors mirroring the nose. Long, smooth finish. What a beautiful wine and what an ethereal match with both dishes (especially the mushroom ravioli)! I was apprehensive because my most recent tasting of a bottle from my cellar showed it to be horribly corked. The wine is likely on plateau but should hold well for another 5-10 years. Drink now-12/19.
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9/13/2009 - winelovr2001 wrote: 95 Points
A very feminine wine, balanced and harmonious. Could go even longer...
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9/11/2009 - jlgnml wrote:
HDH BYOB at Dave's Primehouse (Dave's Primehouse, Chicago Il): good nose and color, tight on the depth of the fruit
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7/27/2009 - LeatherPalate wrote: 96 Points
aged Bordeaux night at Cafe Bernard: This was decanted for over 2 hours and then spent another 3 in a open bottle before consumption.
It took the nose awhile to get going but when it did-( wow!) A pure deep nose of cedar,tobacco,mushrooms,
red cassis, and leather.
Perfectly elegant mouthfeel of dark cherries,tobacco,cedar,truffle oil,creamy dark chocolate,and a bit of bell pepper.
The finish explodes in the backend and is very silky. Lot's of energy left in this bottle-this will evolve for 20 more years IMHO...
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7/25/2009 - TheBusiness724 wrote: flawed
Very disappointing. The cork was in pretty bad shape and the wine seemed very flat and hollow to me. Probably oxidized. Drinkable from an uncritical perspective, but I have had much better bottles of this and consequently will not score it. This is the first of ten bottles recently acquired at auction, so I am concerned about the rest of the lot.
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7/24/2009 - KeithAkers wrote: 96 Points
Friday night Bordeaux (Cafe Bernard, Chicago IL): nose: very tight at first, but as it unwound what emerged was an absolutely beautiful and silky nose that was purely layered with nuanced tones of perfumes, cassis, red cherries, herbs, bits of purple florals, and hints of bell peppers. Extremely graceful that required my full attention and allowed me to just get lost in the nose and the moment
taste: so plush and velvety on the palate that is almost like satin with a very layered medium/full feel that just flows. Tones of red cherries, mixed berries, cassis, purple florals, herbs, and a touch of bell pepper all intermingle splendidly and makes you close your eyes and relish it
overall: all I could think of was Ravel's bolero while drinking this. This wine was just so beautiful and layered that brought out an intelectual and emotional side of me. This was just pure lalande as it had a very pretty feminine touch. Not delicate at all, but still feminine, this came across as a wine that has a soft side to it, but knows what it wants to do and makes you come to it
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6/22/2009 - JimHow wrote: 99 Points
This wine is brilliant. It blows away the '82, in my humble opinion. Big and beastly with thick ripe rich black currant and cassis, this is a big bad Pauillac. I can't say it quite gets to the 100+ that I have previously given the Mouton from that vintage, but it is right up there. A profound wine, it may be one of my top ten favorite wines of all time. Absolutely stunning on the nose, on the palate, with a finish that lasted over a minute. Matched with all the red meat on my plate, I was in heaven.
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6/22/2009 - Papies wrote: 92 Points
Very elegant wine, lovely dark fruits. However the nose was not quite there, even after 3 hours of decanting. Maybe we should have decanted it for more?
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5/27/2009 - DAN BAILEY wrote:
I was interested to try this as the last 2 bottles I had were 5 years' ago and it was horribly closed and tannic then to the point of being undrinkable. Again, really black colour but some softening at the rim at last! Very intense but really young on the palate still. Meaty/Bovril finish. Just beginning to drink but still so young. Give it another 5-10 years.
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5/26/2009 - reichken wrote: 92 Points
1986 Bordeaux Night @ The Hawksmoor: clean med dark color, red fruits on the nose, in the mouth this had a beautiful sensual feel to it, very long wine, showing tart red fruits, velvety soft merlot, very well balanced. easy to drink this now but i think will be even better years down the road. not quite as seductive as the Palmer in this flight but quite the temptress
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5/24/2009 - rosenst1 wrote: 95 Points
Popped and poured at a dinner with the 82 Pichon and 86 Cos. The nose on the 86 Pichon
was out of this world; completely overwhelmed the other wines. That being said the 82
was clearly more seamless and absolutely ready to drink whereas the Cos needs another
5 years. The 86 Pichon is still a bit disjointed in the finish but the spectacular aromatics
still make it a wonderful drink; whether the finish and mid-palate will further integrate will
determine if this will deserve an even higher score. Superb.
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5/12/2009 - winefool wrote: 94 Points
IWFSC 745th Dinner (Avenues): One of the best 86s I've had - this was classic with nice rich (still tight) black fruit and cedar and cassis notes. Would have been WOTN if not for the Chave that followed... 94-95 pts.
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5/12/2009 - jlgnml wrote: 96 Points
IWFSC 745th Dinner Ladies Night (Avenues Chicago, IL): Explosive fruit, intense color and body. Awesome and full body. Soft tannins. Currant flavor. Lots of life ahead.
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5/10/2009 - t-slow wrote: 93 Points
A great bordeaux. Dark garnet in colour with no sign of age. Lovely black fruits with hints of tobacco and leather.Nice balance and good length.
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5/8/2009 - noppakit s. wrote: 96 Points
My 2nd time with 1986 and still a blockbuster wine to me. ( first time was tasted in 2007 and WOTN )
Seductive nose of a classic Bordeaux, Pauillac I mean, mineral, tabacco, truffle, earth, leather, good deep and clean. Love at first sight !!!
The lovely full-bodied, tiny little bit low an acidity makes this wine so rounded at first sip. The texture is splendid, I prefer the palate of 1986 than 1982. After 4 hours, Cabernat shows up as a promising. Dense and tight, firm and big....very delicious.
Aftertaste fairly long and powerful enough to get 96-97/100.
My most favorite Pichon Lalande comes along the 1983 ( 93-94/100 )
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4/10/2009 - Ary wrote: 94 Points
At Wijn Antiq Amsterdam, theme Left 80-s (blind tasting). Special wine with lots of fruit, herbs and elegance. Powerful wine. Nose stylish, elegant and hint of sweet. Drink now - 2020.
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2/15/2009 - ricknat1 wrote: 92 Points
Much better than the previous full bottle. This is a very nice Pichon that is ready to drink now.
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1/17/2009 - cfe wrote:
Reasonably sublime. Consumed with grilled rib-eyes. Dark red, with elegant nose of lead pencil, cedar, and dark fruits. Integrated and harmonious, still vigorous and perhaps not as soft as I expected it to be. A bit on the full side of medoim palate weight. Still plenty of fruit here. Long, lingering finish. Nice.
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1/11/2009 - ricknat1 wrote: 88 Points
This was disappointing. A great nose and attack but just so so in the mouth with a minor finish. It may have been the bottle, we have mroe form another source, so will try soon
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1/11/2009 - Clemonster wrote: 87 Points
A bit of brett and some harsh tannens. Mostly black fruit, but not well integrated.
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1/4/2009 - mariow wrote: 91 Points
intense dark red; initially quite locked, some roast; after about one hour an intense pleasure, very well balanced. in the nose somewhat flat but very complex on the pallate
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12/27/2008 - pikemasterflash wrote: 92 Points
Drank with a delicious leg of lamb. Tons of sediment in the bottle. Grapey nose with strong smell of alcohol. Delicious and well balanced--lived up to my expectations after initially being concerned about all of the sediment. This wine has plenty of time left on it so no rush if you are still long these.
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12/17/2008 - Rupert wrote: 92 Points
31 Vintages of Pichon Lalande 1928-2005; 12/16/2008-12/17/2008 (IOD, London): Sweet nose, dense, tannic, powerful, authoritative and rather grand
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12/2/2008 - carnyc wrote: 94 Points
BYO Dinner at Tribeca Grill (Organized by Acker Merrall): Gorgeous mouthfeel and balance were what stood out when I tried this. Expected more tannin to be on display, but that wasn't the case. This drank beautifully!
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11/30/2008 - BradE wrote:
Beautiful, showing quite well.
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10/27/2008 - dbkitc wrote: 93 Points
Lovely maturing Bordeaux with good vibrancy, flesh and complexity. A good bit of tannin remains. Super. (93)
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10/21/2008 - blanquito wrote:
1986 Bordeaux in NYC: The Pichon Lalande was disliked by some, but I loved it. It had a bigger nose than the Ducru; its bouquet was fairly funky with some distinct lactic-cherry notes (some said this lactic smell is from the Petit Verdot). It seemed the most ready of this flight, but still think it needs lots of time to really shine. It has great grip with a long finish where hints of green appeared.
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10/19/2008 - dbg wrote:
decanted 2 hours before drinking, dark red to rim, great nose, med-full body, hint of veggies at first fades over time, very elegant, slight creamy/lactic sense, excellent balance fruit/acid/tannins - no issue with tannins overwhelming fruit, really open for business. Not as massive or deep as the Leoville Las Cases or Ducru in the same flight, but much more open and enjoyable for drinking now, while the others need 5-10 years (though again, plenty of fruit - closed but not overtly tannic)
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10/9/2008 - bpj87 wrote: 92 Points
From 375mL. Classic Pauillac. Lead pencil on the nose, but the palate was not yet fully mature. Nice red fruit character, fine tannin, and a long finish.
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10/6/2008 - Alex G. wrote:
Drinking well right out of the bottle -- smooth tannins, balanced, lengthy finish. B+
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10/3/2008 - quigley13 wrote: 91 Points
Lovely nose of truffles, leather, spice and earth. Feels fully mature with deep secondary flavors. Medium bodied and drinking quite nicely.
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10/1/2008 - Jeff Leve wrote: 91 Points
Big, beefy, brawny, steely and austere, this lacks Lalande's usual richness and charm The wine is hard in style. That being said, it has ample concentration, the fruit is ripe and the aromatics are there in force. The wine will continue improving, but at close to 23 years of age, this leopard is not changing its spots. 20 more years in the bottle is going to add to the aromatics, but it's always going to be in this style. Lovers of this style will undoubtedly find more to like in it than I did. Still young, it will continue aging for decades. Happily, I only have 2 bottles left. Again, this is not a bad wine. It is just not what I want in my Lalande.
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9/30/2008 - Zweder wrote: 94 Points
Mature bouquet and taste. There is still soft cassis. This wine has a lot of finesse and elegance and is a real beauty. Seems to lack a bit in power compared to some other great wines of this vintage.
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9/17/2008 - plitton wrote: 91 Points
Popped and poured from a double magnum. Medium tannins and a rich palate with cedar, pencil and black fruit. It lacked some depth that I think time will help improve but I don't think it will every be spectacular. Open next double mag in 2010.
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7/8/2008 - t-slow wrote: 91 Points
Darkish red in colour and a typical Claret nose of leather, faint tobacco, palate was soft and plumish. I had expected a full mouthfill. A bit disappointing.
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5/29/2008 - bevetroppo wrote: 94 Points
I don't know about you, but amidst all the hype and high prices it's not that hard to get off the Bordeaux bandwagon unless you've got hedge fund money and a lot of time to kill before you're ready to pop the cork. So it's always instructive to have the chance to taste an aged beauty like this one. Magnificent right out of the bottle, in a stunningly feminine profile that as my friend observed, seemed to owe as much to Margaux as Pauillac. Beautiful notes of cassis, coffee. cocoa, cedar (that's four c's in a row in case you're counting), lovely soft texture, blanketed with perfectly integrated tannins. I don't know if they still make them like this, or what an '05 will taste like in 2030 if I'm still alive and can afford one. I'm just lucky I had a chance to share one of these tonight with a good friend. Acquired recently from impeccable storage at well below market prices, lest you think I manage a hedge fund.
A few morning after thoughts. The public drinking window runs through 2016. I think that's about right though it may go a bit longer given the balance that remains today (and assuming great storage). This bottle had the original retail price sticker still on it: $33.97, and it had been in one cellar from the time it was first purchased. The difference between last night's wine and a recent '86 Lynch Bages could not have been more pronounced. The Lynch came out of the bottle tough as nails and needed an hour to open before the tannins began to back off. Comparing the Pichon to the same vintage Lynch is a tale of beauty and the beast.
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5/10/2008 - mdefreitas wrote: 91 Points
Mature Bordeauxs @ Mike J's (Wilton, CT): This was another surprise of the evening. Given the reputation of the vintage, I was expecting a tannic beast. Quite the contrary, this particular bottle showed a wonderful attack, velvety mouthfeel and excellent balance. The finish seemed a bit clipped for me, but it did fill in with more decanting.
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4/25/2008 - futronic wrote: 91 Points
4th Annual Italian Offline Pre-Game - Champagne and Bordeaux (Sweets & Savories, Chicago, USA): Medium-dark ruby colour. Aromas of herbs/stems, spice, cigar box. Very reticent on the nose. Medium-full bodied, with herbs/stems, spice, currant, cherry, and mineral notes. Moderate finish, ~30s, with leather and dried fruit notes. This bottle was quite closed and didn't show nearly as well as my previous experience.
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4/25/2008 - wineismylife wrote: 91 Points
WIML91-92?
Tasted April 25, 2008 at an offline. No formal notes.
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4/25/2008 - grossie wrote: 89 Points
Brought by WIML and Purple to the champagne and bdx dinner at Sweets & Savories. While the color and nose were promising this never opened up. There was something underneath but it never showed itself. The 1985 version of this was the far better wine. I suspect that in a few years this may blossom, but right now it's not showing much at all. Perhaps on its own it would garner a better rating, but next to all the other wonderful wines that night this one was a bit of a dud, especially given it's high pedigree.
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3/14/2008 - jivey wrote: 91 Points
Cedar, pencil lead, dried blue fruits someone mention the worg Pretty, discibes this perfectly.
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2/20/2008 - dbg wrote:
Dark red to rim, slight bricking, currants, oak, minerals and sweet
aged Bdx on nose, medium-full body, excellent depth and concentration
of fruit, excellent balance, nice finish with well-tamed tannins,
should gain additional complexity over next 5 years
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2/20/2008 - Keith Levenberg wrote: 85 Points
Pichon-Lalande Vertical (Harry's Steak): Soft, airy aroma. Shows a lot of tobacco and rusty character - also a whiff of band-aid, too, unfortunately. And it's still a very tannic wine, smoothing out a little with air but finishing very dry.
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1/17/2008 - tbabes wrote: 95 Points
Still an adolescent; only hints of amber at the edge, and a slightly reticent bouquet that needed coaxing and air to emerge. Improved significantly in the glass, although it is still quite structured and more "classic" than many of the forward fruit-bombs that we find today. Shows best with food. Will easily last (and evolve) for another 10+ years
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12/1/2007 - Burgundy Al wrote: flawed
Third Annual White Truffle Dinner (David Burke's Primehouse - Chicago IL): Corked.
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12/1/2007 - winefool wrote: flawed
Lieu-dit-Cru White Truffle Dinner (Primehouse): Corked! :-(
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11/27/2007 - jjclips2 wrote: 94 Points
Still showing surprisingly young. Youthful fruits of cherry and cassis along with tobacco, tea leaves, and medium dusty tannins on the finish. Nicely balanced. Quite a bit of earthiness and truffle on the nose allows for nice complexity. Fresh acidity wraps this one up, wanting more and more.
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11/22/2007 - johndklopfenstein wrote:
Decided to see what the bordeaux in my cellar will be like in 15 years and served this to the family for Thanksgiving. Decanted for 3 hours and everyone was very impressed.
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10/9/2007 - abbulf wrote:
Bordeaux at Per Gørans house (Stamerbakken, Bergen, Norway): Nice dark red colour. Impressively dark considering its 21 years. Delicious, delicate, subtle nose. Almost etherical complexity. Incredibly good. This is a wine that needs full consentration, but then it is just stunning. Black currant and dark cherries. On the palate the style is a bit warm and fruity. The tannins are polished. The finish is acidic and a bit bitter, and goes over in a long and acidic aftertaste. The warmness on the palate is surprising after the delicate nose. Good, but the nose is best here.
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9/24/2007 - PatrikO wrote: 94 Points
Decanted for 2 hours, wonderful nose of cedar and tobacco, in the mouth notes of ripe dark fruit and led pencil, still quite a bit of tannins, but this adds to the caracter and complexity of this wine. Very nice!
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9/23/2007 - Thilo wrote: 94 Points
Color is medium to dark garnet with a hint of lightening at the rim. Nose shows cassis, leather, and hints of earth. On the palate, juicy currant, leather, and spices make a complex flavor profile. Tannins are still noticeable, but this is a nicely balanced wine.
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7/20/2007 - sdr wrote: 90 Points
South Florida does Pichon-Lalande: My score kept creeping up as I went back to this vintage. Although it had been decanted for 6 hours, it initially showed the famous '86 backward character; all you knew for sure was this was a brawny wine in Lalande terms. Almost as black as the vintage 2000 example. Obvious heavy extraction, but concentrated in the best sense and not bitter or inky. All it needs is time and lots of it.
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6/18/2007 - Rechrom wrote: 94 Points
Very tight at open with a menthol palate and almost no nose. Not unpleasant, no mustiness. After one hour in decanter had opened to mocha tones, which became fuller over the next hour to a rich and long palate and a refined and complex of black fruit. Very long finish. Fine, and remained that way through the next hour. Bought on release, stored in passive cellar (50 - 70 degrees, gradual transitions) since late 80s, dark red with hardly any bricking. Years left, but very nice right now after sufficient air.
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6/18/2007 - tommydiesel wrote: 96 Points
Father's Day 07, at home with the kids,drank two.First was light,fruity. Second seemed much more dense,less fruit but bigger finish. Excellent!
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5/7/2007 - Eric wrote:
From half bottle. Rather Merlot-centric on the nose with some soy and chocolate notes giving way to stalk, tobacco and earth. Firm as always on the palate but more lush than I am used to for this wine. Somewhat encouraging to see the showing from half bottle. Maybe this wine will come around someday.
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4/23/2007 - Eric wrote: 90 Points
Dinner at Eleven Madison Park (New York, NY): There was significant debate whether this was corked. Personally, I never found either TCA or an especially stripped palate. What I did find was a brawny, dusty, dry and powerful example of Pichon Lalande. Vitamin pill blows off to a fairly reticent, shy nose. Nice cassis in the mid-palate, but this is overwhelmed by tannins. I don't think this will ever be a great vintage of Pichon Lalande, but it does have a certain brawny charm.
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4/23/2007 - Keith Levenberg wrote:
Claret Coup d'Etat (Eleven Madison Park): Some mustiness here initially caused some TCA fright but the consensus became that it was just a byproduct of the thick grapeskins and austere tannins of the vintage. After the Palmers, this and the '89 Comtesse were notable for the blacker tinge to the fruit character and the usual cedar notes. But it was difficult to tease much enjoyment out of the austerity of this bottle.
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3/31/2007 - Mendo707 wrote: 92 Points
quite nice. still time ahead for it.
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2/23/2007 - Eric wrote: flawed
Seattle Tasting Group does Pauillac (Seattle, WA): A bit musty at first and hinting at TCA. Yup, this is slightly corked. Too bad as there are some nice notes of violet, menthol and even rootbeer hiding under the mold. A taste shows this as dense, tannic, brawn and definitely affected with a stripped, clipped finish. Bummer!
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2/10/2007 - cct wrote: 93 Points
Again a dark color. The nose I remember as having cassis and herbal notes ? bay leaf? that I get in this wine usually. I liked it. Medium full bodied, more bay leaves/ herbal stuff, dark chocolate, and smoke. A long finish and still quite young. 93 pts.
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1/30/2007 - CamWheeler wrote: 94 Points
Dinner with fresh truffles (Sydney, Australia): There is some real power behind this wine. The nose shows blackcurrant, tobacco and cedar as well as swirling notes of potpourri and violets. A very youthful, vibrant palate with deeply seated fruit and excellent structure. Built in intensity of flavour with time in the glass. Very enjoyable to drink now, but will improve.
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1/16/2007 - markellen.foodies@gmail.com wrote: 94 Points
DUO, Miami Medoc BYO Wine Dinner (DUO, S Miami Avenue, Miami, FL): Flight 4 #3. Sergio and Maria Gonzalez-Arias' contribution. WOTN, by virtually unanimous acclaim. An excellent mature Pauiillac that is at its absolute peak now. Outshone it's 95 sibling, which may compete with it in time. Superior aromatics, mouthfeel, and persistent lingering finish.
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10/27/2006 - kevin h wrote: 91 Points
Tannins opened up enough to reveal a sleek cassis scented and flavoured wine of moderate length. Good but a bit one-dimensional. Give it another 5 years to see if it develops further.
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10/3/2006 - Burgundy Al wrote:
Dense, black fruit that took time/air to become more approachable. Leather and cigarbox started to emerge, increasing the beauty and charm. Long, powerful, complex.
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8/28/2006 - KenK wrote: 90 Points
Nice and concentrated dry black fruits. A bit monolithic with a great chwy finish. Not alot of depth or complexity, but fun to drink.
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5/21/2006 - Tree512 wrote: 94 Points
Started thinner and more clipped than it should have, but after 4 hours of air blossomed. Full and rich up front, with much of the tannins resolved but still some left. Mature cassis fruit, classic Pauillac. Very good stuff, but not as effusive as earlier bottles.
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5/18/2006 - psmith wrote: flawed
Youthful, plummy dark fruits with plenty of charm but unfortunately a trace of cork taint too.
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4/20/2006 - JScott wrote: 91 Points
In keeping with the vintage, more about earth, structure and tannin. I like the style more than my wife.
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3/20/2006 - MRichman wrote:
1986 Bordeaux Horizontal (The Orchard, NYC): Nice smooth fruit. Dark core, some herbs. Speculation that this was very slightly corked. I think I agree, but thought it was pretty good anyway.
B+
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1/1/2006 - winefool wrote: 92 Points
Very tight nose. Slightly candied but very tight bold palate. Will improve. 92+ pts. 1/06
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12/2/2005 - rhansen wrote: 94 Points
86 Bordeaux should always taste this good. Simply a very good example of Pauillac from nose to finish.
The addition of blue cheese made this wine excellent.
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11/11/2005 - AndrewSGHall wrote:
Beautiful nose with leather, chocolate and blackberries. Strong body, well-balanced and fruit hanging on some solid, but soft tannins. Nice elements of earth, coffee and dark berry fruit. Serious stuffing here. Very complete finish with a nice tapering off. A delicious wine right at the mid point between young and aged. Delightful.
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11/11/2005 - psmith wrote:
Nose shows mushroom, cassis, plum, and cedar notes. Very red and silky on the palate. Still young but certainly no crime to open this now. Some chocolate notes framed by plenty of tannin. Classy wine. ****-/5
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10/13/2005 - ATBridge wrote: flawed
Cooked!! Despite external signals of a well stored wine, including a spinning capsule, non-bulging cork, no label conditions, this wine was certainly--and disappointingly--cooked. I expected the nose to fill the room on opening, yet there was none. Even with an hour+ in the decanter, and then the glass there was never anything on the nose. Similarly on the palate, I expected massive tannins. Alas, there was only stewed, thin fruit. A shame. NR.
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9/26/2005 - PaulH wrote: 91 Points
This showed the best of the Bdx in this tasting. Good cigar box nose, medium body, good complexity, not hiding behind normal 1986 tannic steel bars.
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7/23/2005 - Eric wrote: 92 Points
Wow, this is as brawny, muscular and structured as Pichon Lalande gets, a very different animal from pretty much every other vintage I have ever tasted. Reticent at first, this slowly unfolded over the course of three hours to show considerable intrigue. Clearly Pauillac with some leather, brooding notes of tobacco, hints of leafiness, a bit of barnyard, and distinct minerality. Mmm, the nose gets better and better with time, wow, three feet away the decanter and glass are screaming of Cabernet, wow! The palate though remains fairly hard, closed, requiring a lot of coaxing to yield up inititally tart and lean notes of red fruit. With time this becomes more generous, but at least this bottle seems to be a decade from readiness. Mmm, this is tantalizing, but wow what a tannic beast of a wine! I have a 1/3 of a bottle left that I'm curious to taste tomorrow.
DAY 2: This was a bit disappointing on day 2, again showing nice aromatics but with a very tannic, closed palate, far too young to really enjoy fully.
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4/28/2005 - KenK wrote: 89 Points
Lynch Bage vs Pichon Lalande 1986, 1988, 1989, 1995 plus 3 Ringers: Group rating 9th, me 7th All wines served blind.
Nose: Subtle aromas of engaging rich cherry elements that were both dense and lush after lots of swirling.
Palate: Soft and sweet style with slighlty green character to the finish. Somewhat lighter in mouthfeel. I thought maybe a shutdown 1995 Lalande. Oops.
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4/21/2005 - MRichman wrote:
Pichon Baron vs Pichon Lalande (Triomphe Restaurant in NYC): Tannic bite. Tar, dark fruit. Austere, spicy, edgy. Needs time.
B
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4/21/2005 - jamiekutch wrote: 90 Points
TN: OFFline: Pichon Baron VS. Pichon Lalande 1982, 1986, 1989, 1990, 1995, 1996, 2000 (NYC): Softer than the Baron with much more balance. Slightly hazy in color. Dense and dark purple. Concentrated black berries and light toast. Rich full big in weigh. The nose was succulent and the fruit finished with creamy long concentrated notes.
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4/18/2005 - Jeff Leve wrote: 92 Points
Branwny, steely and austere in style. This full bodied, tannic wine will always be on the hard side. This old school wine might appeal to others more than it did to me.
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4/14/2005 - DAN BAILEY wrote: 95 Points
Last time I had this two years' ago it was painfully tight and not very enjoyable at all. This was double decanted approx 4 hours before serving and whilst still young it was starting to show why it was so highly rated. Very deep, dark coloured with plenty of depth/flesh in the mouth. From here on in I think this wine will start to be very good indeed.
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4/1/2005 - winefool wrote: 92 Points
Group #7, My #6 - Full dark red. Medium aroma of red fruit, acidity, and a hint of anise. Really nice rich redcurrant fruit with structure but nice balance. Oopened up with time and held up nicely. 92 pts. 4/05
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3/28/2005 - mariow wrote: 88 Points
dark red; intensive nose, almonds and plums; forcefull on the pallate, not yet round; very good wine with probably further potential
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2/19/2005 - wineismylife wrote:
Tasted February 19, 2005 at a DAWGS offline at Lavendou in Dallas, TX. Opened and decanted approximately 4-5 hours before serving and then double decanted back into the bottle for transport to the restaurant. Served in Spiegelau Authentis Magnum glasses. Attractive nose of leather and forest floor. Very well integrated and ready to go now. Flavors of currant and plum. Started showing a little more as the evening pressed on. Can be drank now or over the next 5-6 years. Recommended.
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2/10/2005 - Eric wrote: 96 Points
Cru (New York, NY): Alright, here we go! The nose was sultry and screamed of Pauillac with tobacco and cedar. On the palate, this was initially almost resinous with a woody, espresso-driven quality that quickly unwound to reveal the classic Pichon silk robe. With 90 minutes of air this became increasingly generous, yet it also seemed clear this was still very tight, compact and somewhat closed, a fairly classic expression of the vintage. Still, with perfectly seared lamb chops, it is hard to think of a better accompaniment...
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1/13/2005 - JohnB wrote: flawed
corked
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12/19/2004 - G SQUARED wrote: 90 Points
Last minute choice to open after all of us had way to much wine. This was a mistake as it could have used a few hours of decanting. Nose was closed and fruit never got the chance to appear before it was all gupled down. Note to self on the other bottle I have coming: DO NOT OPEN THIS BOTTLE FOR 10 MORE YEARS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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10/28/2004 - Hank Gillespie wrote:
Opened and decanted about an hour prior to drinking the first glass. It would have benefited from being open longer - even up to 3 hours.
Extremely dark, almost black in colour, with a purple rim; appeared quite full on swirling, and exuded a bouquet of deep black currant fruit - a spray of potpourri - hints of fresh pencil shavings - together with an edge of clove; full and expansive on the palate in a rush - then settled back to bring out the ripe sweet currant and blackberry fruit; framed with excellent balance of fine acidity, and the tannins lay beneath the fruit, but clearly will need additional time to resolve; the fruit hangs on the palate for an incredibly long time; finish finally ends with a note of cassis.
Throughout the meal the wine seemed to take on further nuances of bouquet and the flavours rode well above the structure, no doubt influenced by the flavours of the lamb rack. A good match, but think I'll wait a bit longer to open the next bottle.
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5/28/2004 - Eric wrote: 90 Points
Dinner with Staenberg at Lampreia (Seattle, WA, USA): I don't think this was an ideal bottle. The cork was quite wet, although it had not breached. Upon double-decanting this was totally and completely closed as far as aromatics were concerns. Finally, with about 3 hours of air this started to wake up and show a a somewhat minty and high-pitched nose. The palate was clearly Pichon, wonderfully silky and subtle, a textural masterpiece, and it slowly showed more power and intensity with more air. At its best this wine was on par with the 1989 or perhap 1983 Pichon, but it was far from a revelation. This was part of a 6 bottle lot I purchased recently, and it was the bottle that clearly showed the worst fill (base neck). I hope the other bottles are a lot better.
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5/8/2004 - futronic wrote: 96 Points
Decanated ~45 minutes. Deep, dark garnet colour; almost opaque. Aromas of lead pencil, garrigue, glycerin, earth, mushroom, old saddle leather, vanilla, and a bit of barnyard that blew off with time. Full-bodied, unreal wine with glycerin, cassis, mushrooms, earth, and cherry. Long, long finish, ~ 60s with leather and earth notes. Improved with more time in the glass. Still seems a little young. Even better with food. Absolutely outstanding.
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4/2/2004 - Tao wrote: 98 Points
Approaching to the full maturity, but lean on the relative young side, believing there will be at least 12-15 years of life ahead, will blossoming more in the near future, very rounded and balanced wine, with sufficient amount of fruit and frame to support the future development! Grab one to taste, I don't think it will let you down! Bravo!
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5/31/2003 - Joe Belmaati wrote:
Alas, another corked bottle..
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5/3/2003 - Burgundy Al wrote: 95 Points
Wine tasting. Rustic charm comes through on the nose. Meaty spice, lots of power, black cherry and cherry liqueur. Fresh and big flavors come through on the palate with a real explosion of black cherry, black currant and big spice. Really long, linear finish focusing on the great fruit today. I'm sure this will get more interesting as more secondary character emerges, but I'd question whether it will get better.
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1/14/2003 - La Cave d'Argent wrote:
Bottle brought from my personal cellar to Decos Restaurant (San Diego) for Ken Johnson's 55th birthday dinner. Unfortunately, the wine was badly corked.
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12/15/2002 - Henman wrote:
N: light nose,cassis,ripe fruit,a little barnyard.
P: light bodied,nicely balanced,a little thin or flat.
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9/19/2002 - Joe Belmaati wrote: 94 Points
Deep dark ruby red. My first impression upon dropping my nose into the Spieglau was YES! A glorious nose of prunes, figs, raisins, leather, roasted chestnuts, and smoke. Ever evolving cascades of nuances emerge from the glass, and suggest a wine with a high merlot content - signified by the scents of raisins and prunes. Not sure whether it does have a high merlot content. In the mouth the wine flows easily from one sweetspot to the next and displays heaps of dimensions and layers. Built into a large structure, the fruit is incredibly dense and powerful. This is in no way a smooth feminine Comtesse, but rather a brute at this point in its evolution (as are many 86's). I haven't the slightest doubt about the potential of this wine, however, as the defintion, focus, structure and density give promise of incredible things to come - 10 to 15 years down the line. One little minus is a slightly bitter note just towards the end of the long finish.
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6/26/2002 - La Cave d'Argent wrote: 90 Points
Bright disc. Medium garnet with orange rim. The initial nose is extremely closed and musty, but the mustiness blows off after approximately 30 minutes and the nose then opens (over another 30 minutes) to a moderately intense cedar, mint, cigar and a core of red fruit. The tannins are ample but are supple for an '86. The palate is medium-bodied, with similar flavors as the nose. The finish is medium and relatively smooth. The wine is pleasant now, but not as impressive as the last time that I tasted it (which was approximately three years ago, at which time I forgot to make a tasting note). I really can't tell if this wine is in a somewhat "dumb" stage at this point or if it is at plateau. Accordingly, it would be best to open another bottle in one to two years.
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6/8/2002 - mariow wrote: 90 Points
dark purpur; discreet nose with almonds; on the pallate intense and round, berries, cassis and some citrus; very pleasurable wine
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2/2/2002 - mariow wrote: 89 Points
fruity and intense nose; rather edged on the pallate, acerbic; after decanting more pleasing, nice but not outstanding wine
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12/1/2001 - sdr Likes this wine: 89 Points
Medium ruby, orange rim. Still some tannin to resolve but very drinkable now. Monolithic though, cedar and spice. Slightly austere, especially for Pichon Lalande. Excellent for sure, but I don’t think it will ever surpass the more flamboyant eighty-two.
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11/1/2001 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 88 Points
Corky nose with rich chocolate nose and a hint of stems, rich chocolate taste, touch of cork here, medium/big body, light/medium finish and nice, soft aftertaste. My #5 of 5.
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10/21/2001 - Henman wrote:
N: aromatic,coffee,barnyard,chocolate,very pleasant.
P: very smooth and balanced,barnyard,horse sweat,tobacco,liquorice,fruit a little fading.
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1/1/2001 - mariow wrote: 90 Points
nice color; fruity nose; initially hard and locked, but opening up later; pleasurable but not yet fully rounded
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9/17/1999 - dbg wrote:
outstanding, my # 4, after Lafite, Margaux, Leoville Las Cases, close
with Talbot but beat it out by a bit
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10/1/1998 - mdefreitas wrote: 93 Points
Pre-Auction Wine Tasting w/ ZHs and Colgins (NYC): Lovely wine. Still young, but showing the typical Paulliac scents of lead pencil and tabbaco. Fine finish.
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9/18/1998 - mdefreitas wrote: 98 Points
Pre Auction Wine Tasting w/ 1994 Harlan (NYC): What I expect from great Bordeaux. Cedar, lead pencil, and cassis on the nose. Earth, leather and berries on the palate. Great, complex wine with a wonderful finish. Seems to be drinking extraordinarily well right now.
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6/22/1998 - dbg wrote:
excellent, a bit short on the finish
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3/1/1997 - sdr Likes this wine: 94 Points
Hollywood Wine Seminar. Medium color. Very classic cassis scent of Cabernet Sauvignon. Beautiful classy dark red fruits character. The most concentrated Pichon Lalande of the series today and for me, the best. Well integrated tannins. Will not take forever to come around.
Clive Coates: “needs time, will be magnificent, classic, adolescent”
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6/1/1996 - mnh wrote:
Aspen: Young tannic, esp for this house. Will be great
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2/1/1996 - sdr Likes this wine: 94 Points
Very dark. Very classy complex fruit. Seriously good already. Shows off the success of the northern Médoc in 1986. Splendid future and will not need decades to come around. Real flair and depth. The second best of the Pichon Lalandes in the 1990-1959 vertical
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2/28/1990 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 94 Points
Chateau Pichon Lalande and Duckkhorn Cabernet Sauvignon-Bordeaux vs. Napa. Was found by me to be an intensely, fruity, spicy wine on the nose that was rich and elegant tasting in the mouth with a bold combination of cabernet fruit with layers of French sophistication, perfect finish and aftertaste. My #1 tied, group #6.
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1/19/1990 - MicklethePickle Likes this wine: 94 Points
With MPL and BLR at Singer & Foy survey of '86 Bordeaux. Very dark ruby-purple. More red than purple. Nose shows very delicate, pretty fruit, but needs time to open. On the palate, it is very fine, very complex. Best wine so far. 5-12-18-9: 94/100.
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6/22/1989 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 93 Points
The Second 1986 Vintage Tasting of 6 Bordeaux This Month.
Good nose with hints of earth, taste of slightly sweet cherries and fruit, medium tannins, long finish, pleasant aftertaste.
My #2 of 6.
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6/7/1989 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 87 Points
1986 Vintage Tasting of 6 Bordeaux.
very earthy with a hint of fruit on the nose, great fruit and wood in the mouth, soft medium tannins on finish.
My #5 of 6, Group #3 tied.
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1/26/1989 - MicklethePickle Likes this wine: 88 Points
In the Beaumont temp office. Very darkly colored. Ruby rim. Nose has become quit shy and closed, but promises to open nicely in time. With one day's airing, the wine has smoothed bout nicely and exhibits lots of firm fruit. Still tannic--but so very long. Nice mouthfeel. 5-10-16-7: 88/100.
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1/24/1989 - MicklethePickle Likes this wine: 91 Points
In Beaumont, TX temporary office for the ETSY trial. Extremely dark-almost opaque. Nose is packed with fruit. Very dry in the mouth. Raw and tannic, with lots of still-hard fruit underneath. Incredibly concentrated; complex and long. Lots of polish and elegance for such a youngster. Needs a lot of time. 5-10-17-9: 91/100.
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