Happy Thanksgiving to all and especially to me for this wine. Similar to a prior bottle with cedar and forest floor nose but instead of tobacco there was beef blood and a bit of classic barnyard Bordeaux funk. The latter blew off in half hour after splash decant. The wine is more complex after four years additional aging and by that I mean a little less of the blackberry fruit and more herbal, anise-licorice notes on the palate. The acidity is still good and the finish is subtle but lingers for 30 seconds or more. After two hours the wine really opened up revealing dark fruit on both the nose and palate. Plus the finish became more prominent, almost explosive filling the mouth completely with flavor. I had to make myself stop drinking this wine and save some for tomorrow. But based on the wine's evolution over the last two hours and because the last 4 ounce glass I tasted had minimal splashing I believe the wine is at its peak. Decant and enjoy now.
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Left bank bordeaux 2008 and older (BLVD): 30 minute decant then poured into the bottle and drank about 1.5 hours later. Tons of funk, very rustic nose. Nice red fruit, tobacco, spice and loam. This is quite smooth, but it is rustic.
Pop the cork, wonderfully stinky in all the right ways. Barnyard for days, wet rock, creosote, leather, cigar, cedar. Masculine like the day is long. The beauty of this wine, for us, is the nose. I want to make an incense stick out of the notes of this wine. The palate: earthy, tarish, forest floor, some cedar, zero fruit, tannins still hang on the finish. We were intoxicated by the nose, the palate doesn’t match but an experience nonetheless. We’d buy this again for the nose alone.
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Served with lamb chops (that I overcooked), zucchini fritters and a tomato salad this was popped and poured. Nice nose of cedar and black fruit but not as pronounced as the 1990 Cos of a few days ago. Dark inky color, on the palate, this is profound and complex with excellent depth, yummy fruit with a tinge of greenness and a slight bitterness on the end that I find typical with the estate and that contrasts nicely with the sweetness of the fruit. Long finish. Delicious and patience is finally rewarded as the tannins are now manageable and not overpowering the fruit. Drink now and over the next decade or so.
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Luis is MIA Again (Broder's Pasta Bar, Minneapolis): Very red/purple color. Double decanted for 3 hours. Showing well again, quite earthy, dried leaves, high toned tobacco, cassis, dried wood, violets. The palate is full bodied, carrying nice weight, dried forest floor, a lot more of the high toned tobacco and cigar ash, cassis, spice and round tannins. This has been very consistent. 92+ to 93pts.
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Not convinced that this was the best version of itself which is unfortunate. Recent auction buying has yielded some wines where storage isn’t necessarily the best and you can tell. There was almost a hint of funkiness. Opened and decanted and drank over maybe an hour. It seemed to improve with air but I don’t think ever got to good aged Bordeaux state (some others disagreed).
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24 Vintages of Pichon Lalande: All wines tasted blind. A few general observations: 1) Most wines showed the typical Pichon Lalande elegance. This is certainly one of the more delicate and elegant Paulliacs. 2) The relatively high Merlot content (often 20-30%) showed in many wines with fine, fresh rhubarb, rosehip and floral aromas I wouldn’t necessarily associate with a Medoc - all adding to the sensuous quality of the wines. 3) A few vintages showed the very sexy burnt sugar/coffee notes you associate with the 1982 Lalande or a Mouton or a Cheval Blanc - unfortunately, not to an extent and with an intensity to truly excite. 4) Following the legendary 1982 and until the most recent vintages (starting with 2014 but especially with 2016) there are three decades of pleasant Pichon Lalandes but hardly any vintage has the depth and length of truly great wines. The best wine tonight was the 2009 (rated 95+ points) with many more in the 92-94 point category.
TN: This wine (or bottle) has seen its best days. There was still some fruit (but too ripe fruit), the tannin structure still had some harsher edges and over everything there was a layer of soy and oxidation notes. Not much fun to drink.
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My last tasting notes on this were from 2016 and again in 2018. It was lovely then and despite thinking it was peaking at that time, it has certainly held up. Perhaps even better than I remember. A gorgeous aged Bordeaux of very high quality. Wish I had some more!
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The 1994 Pichon Lalande is drinking beautifully, soaring from the glass with a classic bouquet of briary black fruits, cigar ash, fresh tobacco and loamy soil. Medium-bodied, supple and seamless, with melting tannins and a fleshy core of fruit, it's an immensely charming vintage for this estate and it's in its prime today.
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Still has deep garnet with just a bit of translucence. Leather and cedar on the nose with mix of blackberry and current on the palate with some of the leather maturity showing. Very solid for the vintage which I have found to favor the right bank for the best buys. Quite enjoyable though and I believe it is ready to go now but surely won't fall off for a while.
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Drank blind so couldn't be swayed by the vintage. This was served alongside the Pichon Baron 94 and this was giving far more pleasure. Much more approachable. Very floral. Perfume. And more fruit. Lots of dark fruits and I called bordeaux blend as the variety. Surprisingly old as I thought this was 98-03 vintage, definitely not 26 years old. A decent wine for a tough year. Shared by ST
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The 1994 Pichon Comtesse is a reminder of decades past where failure to completely ripen was much more the norm. This has just as much pencil, herb, leather, and beef blood as it has fruit. Lithe and lean, it does have a certain elegance, but at this point it's too herbal for my taste. In sharp contrast to the supple quality of tannins in wines being made today, this comes off a bit rough on the palate. Vintages like this can really over-deliver at 12-15 years old, but underwhelm by age 25.
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Tasted double blind. The clear highlight here was the wonderful, intense tertiary nose. Certainly worth 95/96 points. A bit less exciting on the palate. Why no higher rating? There is a lack of fruit which makes it less intriguing and balanced. Still a joy to drink!
TN: Great nose with truffles, leather but first and foremost tobacco. The definition of tobacco. All centered around an intense mineral core. Same aromas on the palate with additional animalic notes. The only thing missing here is a stronger fruit component. Hence, it lakes a bit of balance and sexiness. Good structure with fairly good concentration (for an off vintage) and ok length.
Decanting: Decanted for roughly 2.5+ hours which seemed perfect.
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Aroma of forest floor cedar and hint of tobacco. Briary fruit initially and evolved to dark berry indeed there is a nice dense core of dark fruit which lingers on the rear palate for several seconds. Beautifully balanced wine. Pairs well with food especially dark chocolate. Only bought 6 and this was the best of the three I have had so far. This wine just entering maturity but has at least another decade of life.
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Small pour. Brief note. Tom's last bottle (:, this was showing very nicely, earthy, pencil, cassis, soft texture, medium plus body. These have been very consistent and they still have life.
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From a half bottle in great shape. This overdelivered. Starting with a very forest floor greenness, it developed black fruit, pencil lead, cigar, and a distinct Cabernet Franc personality with leafy notes. It was so very elegant and balanced but lacked some density and persistence on the palate that a better vintage would have. Very medium bodies, it feels like rain at harvest was a factor. But really a Cabernet based wine of a style the New World fails to produce. This was so Bordeaux and so not Napa. I agree with Parker this is one of the better 1994s I've encountered and at the top of the pile with La Mission, with Latour and Mouton definitely below. Drink now!
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Garnet color. Extraordinary, almost fierce nose of red currant, potent floral notes, cassis, pine forest, leather, and leaf. Medium-bodied and quite intense on the palate with layers of sleek dark plum, black currant, deep green pepper, tobacco, and fine earth. Resolved tannin and plucky acidity leading to a long, luxurious finish of dark red fruit coursing over green and grip. Brilliant for the vintage and increasingly on an absolute basis. This is continuing to improve at age 25.
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Mature,intense and very complex nose shows plum liqueur,cedar,smoky aromas,some leather and tobacco.Full-bodied,the palate is really impressive,with complex flavors built around a core of concentrated ripe fruit.A big wine,at the same time elegant and with incredible focus and length.Still young,but ready.Should drink well for at least another 10-15 years.A brilliant Pichon Lalande from a lesser vintage.
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A Mixed Bag at St. Genevieve (St. Genevieve, Mpls, MN): Dark red color with 7mm transitional margin. Decanted for 30 minutes. This was showing a lot of pencil on the nose and palate, red berry fruit, spices, medium body, charcoal. Nice and a bit rustic. Drank next to a '96 Ducru and I vasilated back and forth on my preference. 91+pts.
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Wow! Right out of the bottle this was superb. Exactly what you think of when having a classic French wine. The nose was amazing, filled the whole kitchen with aroma goin into the decanter. After 2 hours, it hit its peak.
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Drank this at a wine dinner last night at Wah Lok Restaurant. Theme of the night: 1st wine of 2nd growth, or 2nd wine of 1st growth.
Drank from a magnum bottle. Colour is purple with some hues of brickish-brown. Wine is very well structured with well defined notes of cassis, blueberries, cocoa, mocha, tobacco and minerals. Finish is long and smooth.
After 20 years, the wine is still holding and showing well, a good evidence of the potential of great Bordeaux wines and an exemplify showcase of the aging ability the the great Pauiliac.
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Bill's. Decanted for two hours. Classic Bordeaux nose with cassis, plums, a bit of graphite and the comforting woody notes of an antique dresser drawer. Acidity and tannins are just right. Just loved this.
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Paired with grilled steak. Decanted and drank. No bricking, mature fruit but with good acidity, fine well integrated tannins. Excellent classic Bordeaux. Nose was best within 30 minutes of opening. Peaked in the second 30 minutes and seemed to fade after about an hour.
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Pnp at home. Perfect bottle with in neck fill and only tip of the cork stained. Still a dark garnet in the glass. Superb showing for the first 20 min or so, a deep nose of dark fruit, forest floor and wood spices. Compact but round fruit core with very good concentration. While the wonderful nose and attack held up over 2h or so, with more air, green bell peppers started to show much more prominently on the mid palate which also seemed to shed some of the dark fruit with noticeable tannins now looking through. While I don't mind a bit of green, it seemed a bit too much here as the obviously not entirely ripe fruit carried strongly into the finish. Nose 93, body at same level initially then deteriorating towards 88-89. Drink up
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Complex nose of cassis, black pepper, black tea, bell pepper, plums, balsamic and earthy spices. Full bodied with well balanced acidity. Still fruity with powerfull grippy tannins. With long lasting complex aftertaste of dark berries and spices.
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From a bottle opened for dinner on Thursday night (about 40+ hours ago).
Dark translucent ruby in the glass at the core; black & red fruits (most notably ripe blackberry) on the nose, with a nice tobacco note as well.
Medium-bodied on the palate, somewhat dilute in the middle, with an abbreviated finish. What our friends across the pond might call an "acceptable luncheon claret".
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Required 90 minutes in the wide-bottom decanter and warming to room temperature to show fully (before that somewhat muted). This was one of the fuller-bodied Lalandes I've tasted. I usually prefer the more dirty, earthy notes of the Baron but this was balanced, interesting and delicious. It had the usual cigar box nose and tobacco notes over a very integrated secondary Pauillac body. Seems to be in its prime.
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Beautiful color. Drinking very nice. Classic mature Bordeaux, lots of tobacco, cigar box, black fruit, and little lead/minerality. Wouldn't hold much longer.
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This was beautiful from the start,opened but didn't decant following a previous TN advice,let it sit for a while and it was really good,very complex,sometimes a bit hollow in the middle,but a great experience.The persistence on this baby was absolutely remarkable,I loved it.
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Tight, tart, and tannic. Iron structure with little to no fruit underneath. no nose for about an hour, after which some damp soil and red cedar began to come through. Soy and a bit of spice. Dry. Pretty tough stuff and not a lot of pleasure here.
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Not exactly the best Bordeaux vintage but I was made an offer I could not refuse. Popped and poured for dinner tonight. Quite dark but with pronounced browning on the edge. Pronounced coffee nose with touches of blackberries, currants, floral notes and meat. Medium+ body but very soft. On the palate, sweet spices. The fruit is pretty ripe with a bit of sweetness to it although the wine itself has a lean frame. Some acidity at the back end. Earthy notes and dried herbs. Pretty dry. Medium+ length. Definitely not for decanting and an open bottle should be consumed within 2 hours before starting to fall apart. Still, I found it very good but certainly past peak and should be consumed soon.
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Annual Wine Group Summer Event - BBQ Brisket at Siggy's (Siggy & Jenny's Place, Mpls, MN): Drank glass over 20-30 minutes. This bottle wasn't quite as inviting as the last one we had. A bit more funk and dank earth up front, the perfume is still there but it gets masked a bit by the funk. The palate has cassis, raspberry, charcoal, tobacco, and some pretty firm tannins yet. Very good if a bit more rustic tonight. 91+ to 92pts.
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This is starting to come into its own. Lush but mature flavours of blackberry and blackcurrant, really good length, still tannic on back end. Lovely and still on the up.
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Pichon Lalande Tasting: Pronounced smell of sweet pipe tobacco and balck currants, youthful, a hint of complexity; Sweet mouth, but even so rather rustic, pronounced tannin, zappy, not that long.
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One of first bottles purchased in pursuit of wine education. Decanted for about 30 minutes. Pristine cork, barely stained. Garnet color with some lightening at the edges. Nose of pine forest, cassis, currant, cedar, violets, damp cellar. Initially light-bodied and somewhat astringent, the palate expanded over a 4-hour period to reveal fully-resolved layers of poised red currant and plum fruit laced with smoky graphite, tobacco, and subtle green leaf. Modest acidity and persistent tannins leading to a longer finish of sweet plum, leather, and soft grip. Excellent showing indicating plenty of life left.
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Classic PL sensuousness, with silky smooth flavours of intense fruit. Prominent notes of tobacco and spice, rustic herbs and cassis. Drinking beautifully now.
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During a tasting, served semi blind. Medium garnet, brick rim. Very pronounced horse saddle, cedar and red and dark fruit, earth. A bit light on the palate and acidity compared to the fruit core. Tannins are very good for the vintage though.
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Mod strong fine tannins balanced with present fruit. Pretty classic profile although more elegant paulliac. Leather, clove anise, dark red slight blue fruit. Best showing on Cru 2nd 1994 that I've held & consumed.
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Wine was properly stored from purchase upon release until consumed. Initial bouquet was closed, never really developed. Some generic fruit, a touch of spice. Somewhat disappointing. We left a glass with the chef and asked him to keep it for a couple of hours to see if it opened. His report: dramatic fruit emerged after 4 hours. Another wine that, at 21 years old, still needs a lot of time to open.
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Definite funk on the nose upon opening. I don't really agree with he term barnyard, but whatever you call it, it was typical of an aged Bordeaux. It mostly blew off after a couple hours in the decanter. On the palate the wine was still youthful with plenty of fruit. Wonderfully balanced. It evolved over the course of the evening, with the last sip tasting sweet and fruity. We actually bought this at the château in 1999 and brought it home (to California) in our baggage. It was not in a proper cellar the first couple years, until I secured a good locker. It was not clear that the lapse caused any damage. This wine is definitely ready to drink now if you are ready for it. It may last longer, but no need to wait.
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my first '94, high fill, dark colours go into brick, banyard smell, after 1 hour decant the wine seems to develop the PL typical silky texture, still unpleasant in the nose, thin, only slightly better with more air, also on the palate, disappointing bottle
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Cigar, dried herbs, dill, oak and blueberries. The palate picks up some leather and this wine still has somewhat firm tannins. Should age for another 15 plus years. Very good showing. 92 plus.
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30 minutes decant and followed 2 2.5 oz pours over about 2 hours. I could hardly tell the difference between this and the 1994 Leoville Barton that we also had. They tasted different at different moments of time, but overall very similar and the same score. Overall a well-made aged Bordeaux that is drinking well right now. Lots of barnyard funk initially on the nose that faded into the background after about 15 minutes. The fruit showed up sooner on this than the Leoville Barton. Palate was a bit austere initially and softened with time in glass. Great complexity.
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Bordeaux Offline (Rincon 38, Mpls, MN): Dark red color, 2-3 mm bricked meniscus. Decanted for 90 minutes. Drank two 2.5 oz pours over 2.5 hours. Great nose here again. Funky, earth, perfumed, roses. leather, potpourri, sandalwood, dried herbs. The palate is medium-full bodied, slightly more firm though round tannin than the '94 Barton, dark fruits, more overt fruit up front, cassis, black raspberry, earthy, cigar box, dried herbs, long finish. This too was in a great place at 20 years with many years of great drinking left. Tied for my WOTN.
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Some bricking on the edges. Not quite as good as the last bottle but has an incredibly expressive nose of mint, flint, cigar box and mature red fruit. Coarse tannins on the palate along with some darker fruit profile and repeating mint note. Moderate finish. A really great wine in an off year showing typicity, along with the expected polished presentation of Lalande. Doesn't have the power or complexity of the big years.
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Purchased upon release and well stored. Opened at 18:00. A small sip was already nice, with red fruits. Decanted at 23:00. Still red fruits in the palate. No harsh tannins. Very well balanced. Complex. Long. Really drinking well now.
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Very nie opening, very soft and sweet. In the middle of the bouquet almost perfect cabernet characteristics. In the mouth again very soft, sweet and creamy. The texture is almost like milk. Chocolate, mocha, exotic wood. Lasts quite some time.
This rating is after I removed a very light cork tone with some wrapping film (for food!). Try this if you have a wine with a light cork tone. It really works to remove about the half of the cork tone.
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Bien mûr et épanoui, sans être vraiment inouï, mais excellent quand même. Nez classique et bouche idem. Cassis, fruits rouge, tabac, cèdre, bonne mâche, long en bouche. Pauillac classique.
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Yum, this is some solid and proper Bordeaux. Nothing flashy or spectacular. Just spicy, honest, vibrant Bordeaux. Smoke and tobacco on the nose move to a bright cherry palate. This isn't truly generous and plush like great vintages of Lalande, but it is clean, savory and mouthwatering. Yum!
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Tasted alongside a 1996 Baron. Colour deep red. Lovely bouquet of a mature Bordeaux: some blackberry liqueur and cassis. Nose turning secondary and mellow: aromas of cigar box, spice, smoke, forest soil, fig and old leather. On palate, rounded tannins well integrated, resolved. Good structure, depth and concentration, but in balance, with a nice seamless texture. Turning secondary on the palate, tending mushroom and leather. Good length, elegant finish and feminine. Classic old style Claret, with mellowing, savoury flavours. I did not find any of the green notes or hollowness in mid palate that I have read about in some reviews. Improved on the second night - I would decant. At its peak now - drink soon. 93.
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Occasional dinner group; TOP Bordeaux 1994: Beautiful and elegant classical bouquet with smoke, cedar, still some cassis and graphite. Same on the palate. Beautiful and evolved and integrated tannin. Beautiful acidity. A feminine and elegant beauty. Completely ready now.
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Medium bodied, firm and showing some greeness in the fruit, as one would expect, the wine is more interesting on the nose than the palate with its tobacco, cigar boax, cassis, blackberry and earthy aromatics. There is a slight gruffness to the tannins in the spicy cassis and cranberry finish.
Cedar/ veg on the nose, tart cherry on the palate. Hints on the back of what could have been. Unfortunately post peak with a sense of fading and dilution about it.
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Kleur: Oranjerood Aroma / bouquet: Prachtig tertiair, chicque en verfijnd. Donker fruit, mooi verweven hout, pepertje. Smaak / Afdronk: Sublieme balans, verfijnde zuren en tannines. Indrukwekkende lengte. Klassiek glas op een prachtig moment van drinkbaarheid. Algemeen / potentieel: Twee flessen geproefd. Beiden even mooi. Eerste fles wat meer klassiek en ingehouden. Tweede fles bijna Nieuwe-werelds, meer chocola en mokka. 50 + Kleur: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 12 + Smaak / Afdronk: 17 + Algemeen / potentieel: 8 = 92/100
Color: Orange red Aroma / Bouquet: Beautiful tertiary, chicque and refined. Dark fruit, nicely integrated wood, pepper. Taste / Finish: Sublime balance, fine acidity and tannins. Impressive length. Classic glass at a wonderful moment of drinkability. General / potential: Two bottles tasted. Both equally beautiful. First bottle a little more classic and restrained. Second bottle almost new-world-like, more chocolate and mocha. 50 + Colour: 5 + Aroma / Bouquet: 12 + Taste / Finish: 17 + General / potential: 8 = 92/100
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Classic display of leather and earth nose; sweet cedar but also dry at times; tannins a bit dry; earthy; smooth; light blackberry; good structure reflecting terrior so nicely but subdued by the light fruit; lean sweet-cherry-earth finish.
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Cedar and tobacco; austere and elegant; nice texture and mature tannins; sweet blackberry that lingers; beautiful; lots of life left and maturing nicely.
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Standard Bordeaux nose. After a short decant, great creamy blackberry with a hint of leather. The wine drinks very nicely, but that said, it is not what I consider a typical Pichon Lalande. There was virtually no presence of the silky tanins that I expect from these wines.
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From memory the morning after. Crumbly cork and shook up by the sommelier, but came around after about an hour of air.Still youthful crimson color with no bricking. Showed a typical Lalande profile, with mature fruit, elegant "green" streak, and well polished almost integrated tannins. Lengthy finish with leafy tobacco and earth. Only in the mid-palate where there's a little hollowness and simplicity does this show the weak vintage. Certainly in it's drinking plateau and did not disappoint.
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Initially tight nose; after 2.5 hr decant opened up nicely with rubber nose; soft smooth sweet mocha textured sweet blackberry with well integrated tannins. The back end was a bit harsh suggesting that more time to smooth it out is needed.
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Soft and elagant; nose of cedar and blackberry; smooth and opulent with elements of chocolate; soft iniegrated tannins with a long smooth round finish.
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Drank with Matt and Amanda at Campanile's closing. Dark red in color with suprising clarity. Leathery with earthy notes. Led pencil and stone. Not so powerful. Mostly resolved tannin. Some red and dark fruit, particlarly plum. Hitting its stride-prime drinking window is now!
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An outstanding wine from an unheralded vintage. Color was opaque at the center with a mature brick color at the rim. Nose started out with a round, opulent, fruity character but over a bit of time started to show more oily leather, earth and spice. Eventually, the two fused into a balanced and seamless whole. Palate was vivacious and fresh despite this being nearly 18 years old, with sturdy tannins. Good length in the finish, with a woody tobacco character at the back of the mouth. We decanted this for a few hours before drinking and it was still going strong a few hours in. Showing excellently right now but with a few years of prime drinking left on it as well.
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Light red with brown edges. Great claret nose of funk, black currant, tobacco and cedar. Nice soft dark fruit and cedar flavours and a soft resolved elegant finish.
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A disappointing bottle. Pleasant fragrance of cedar wood, graphite and rich red and dark fruited flavours with just a faint touch of greenness, but it's a little dull and one-note on the palate without the depth and layers I normally expect from PLL. Certainly drinkable, but well below expectations for the producer.
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AWSEC French Connection (AWSEC, Hong Kong): Bricked - still solid core. Slight cabbagey / vegetal smell - not unpleasant. Muted fruit notes. Similar to the '96 but in a much lighter style.
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Tar, graphite and blackberry nose; austere and earthy with medicinal semi-sweet tannins; nice cassis, anise and blackberry on the palate; textured and structured with greenish tannic but semi-sweet fruit; Pauillac terrior throughout.
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Garnet with a hint of orange at the rim. Nose of tobacco, seasoned salt, a hint of anise. Taste was similar, with a hint of drying tannins on the end. Reminds me of 1988, perhaps a hair worse. Overall, nice.
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Blackcurrant nose with slight Cab lift, blackpepper, leafy notes, pencil shavings, cedar and leather. Medium to fullbodied palate with balanced acidity and medium grip of ripe tannin. Dry style with some florality, medicinal character, slight stewed vegetality and graphite. Meat and milky oak in the long finish. Pretty concentrated and fruity Pauillac. Good for sure, but I definitely would have liked to see this more aged.
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(Old note) Very classic claret nose - blackcurrant, oak, cedar, a lot of tobacco, ink. Ultraclassic west bank claret. Beautifully balanced with a hint of sweet, succulent plum fruit revealing the high Merlot component. Elegant but also a bit thin, a small hint of greeness reveals the vintage. In perfect drinking window now.
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actually I was quite disappointed by this bottle, bottle decated for 2 hours, it showed smells of blackberry, cedar and alcohol. midium body with balancing sweetness and acidity, quilt flat but long finish.
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After 1 hour it opened up into a fabulous paulliac gushing with fruit, forest floor and cedar. I do not think this one is getting any better but please give it some breathing room.
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After serving the wine immediately after opening, I rated it an 89 and submitted the following note:
"Nice currant and pleasant tannins, a little mossy and my wife got some licorice out of it. We left half the bottle and will see if it's opened up further tomorrow."
The second half of the bottle (having been left corked and in the fridge) was like an entirely different wine: decadent, hedonistic. New rating is a 91 and the takeaway is to decant - or at least let it breathe - before serving.
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AWSEC Great Bordeaux Tasting (AWSEC, Hong Kong): A broader rim than the '96. Some fruit but savoury with smokey notes. On the palate it has little fruit with med+ acid. Some licorice and fine-grained tannins. A little drying and hollow.
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On opening a ton of "barnyard" stink, which fortunately blew off after an hour in the decanter. Very much a 1994, this chubby chappy is a good dinner companion, but lacks acidity, edge and muscular definition. Lovely cedar-plum perfume, very flattering soft (Merlot-dominated?) palate with slightly dry tannins (a good thing, given the general soft-shapeless tendency); silky smooth shortish finish. Good now, will keep (but not improve) for at least 5 years. 89P
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Didnt take an T/Ns but it was an enjoyable wine. A nicely balanced wine with decent fruit and acidity. For an 'off-vintage', the quality of the producer shines through.
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Drunk from magnum with family. This is magnum number 5 of 6. Of the 4 before this one, 3 have been great and 1 was badly corked. This one was also very good. 1994 has a poor reputation but in magnum there is more to it than you might expect. It's very together, a little leather and animal coming in the mid-palate and a good length. I really ought to keep the last one for a few more years and see how it gets on.
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Decanted two hours. Deep, mature garnet-red with very little fading. Cedar, leather, earth, cassis and green tree bark on the nose. The green streak continues on the palate but is not as obtrusive as in the past (or as in other '94s) along with loads of fruit and some drying tannins. The balance and silkiness of PL are present. I believe this wine has reached it peak. Drank along side the 1994 Beringer Marston Vineyard and 1994 Woodward Canyon Dedication Series and prefered those wines to this.
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Some old stuffs on a casual friday: Alcohol :: 12.5% pop for 60mins. Soft aromas of fig, barnyard, pencil leads and blackcurrant fruits that show good underlying sweetness with touch of earth. Med bodied, the soft, gentle tannin has almost fully dissolve and fully integrated into the soft, polished structure that display heavy barnyard flavor that immediately fill up the mouth with roasted herb, sweet dark berry fruits with touch of spices and oak that buried under the fine, silky tannin and flow on to a long spicy finish seamlessly. Not necessary a wine with good complexity and depth but a very well made, feminine Lalande nevertheless. Drinking well now though I'm very much concern of the strong barnyard dominated the aromatic and flavor profile. Buy - No.
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delicious drinking. Opened about 5 hours before decanting. Slightly dusty tobacco and chocolate, with dark berries or currant. color still dark ruby. Opened 2nd bottle and decanted and began drinking right away. it was a little tighter at first but opened nicely. Leaves me to think there are still more years ahead.
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Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande Vertical Dinner (The Marine Room, La Jolla, California): Opaque red robe with garnet rim. Clean, moderately intense nose of black and red currants, dust, anise and garrigue. Full-bodied on the palate, with medium acidity. The tannins are firm and the flavors run parallel to the nose. The middle palate is full but the tannins become more astringent on the back end. Medium, slightly tart and coarse finish. While this wine still has plenty of fruit, the tannins remain chunky on this wine and I suspect that ultimately the fruit will die before the tannins. Drink now-12/20.
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This was my last magnum and also the best experience I've had so far with this wine. Decanted for 2 hours, and I served it slightly on the chilled side. Once again, a delightful perfumed nose of cherries and flowers, with hints of graphite. There were also some faint vegetal notes but it wasn't a problem at all. On the palate, it didn't disappoint. Medium bodied with crisp, vibrant fruit, the first thought that came to my mind was burgundy! The tannins have been nicely rounded with age, and there is just enough acidity to keep it fresh and light on the feet. While this is not one of the richer wines made by this estate in the 1990's, it is certainly an enjoyable wine from what I think is an under-estimated vintage that often throws up some nice surprises.
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The flavors marry beautifully with cedar, pencil, tobo, tart cherry and cocoa. The softening tannins that still have a long way to go. Still a very primary wine. A finish of vanilla kicks in when the wine follows a bite of steak with walnut butter. The finish is magnificently long. The olive tapenade is a good foil to the wine. This is so deep in color (blood red) and flavor. 12.5% alc. With mushroom tapenade, seared rib-eyes (beef) and ahi tuna with olive tapenade. Highly Recommended.
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Ex-chat magnum. Healthy dark red colour and charming complex nose of spring flowers and cherries hinted of a fabulous wine. Sadly, it was not to be. Charmless and curt on the palate, the fruit came across as lacking vibrancy. Finish lasted no more than 10 seconds. No improvement since early 2008 when I opened my previous bottle, it's holding well at this level but not getting any better
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Colour : dark ruby. Nose : tobacco, bacon, blackcurrent and graphite. In the mouth, the wine shows massive concentration, but perfect balance due to ripe powerfull tannins, which is far from always the case in this difficult vintage Aromas are complex and precisey defined : confit blackcurrent, liquorice, tobacco, coffee with hints of forest soil and graphite. Long complex and pleasing finale.The wine seems still young with further aging potential.
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Decanted 3 hours ahead. Deep ruby red opaque colour with only a hint of translucency. Nose is wet bracken woodland undergrowth on a wet October countryside walk in the UK together with very pure pencil lead. Palate is rich pure blackcurrant but lacking a certain warmth........and some unyeilding black liquorice. Tannic and haughty........refused to surrender any charm and was seriously outgunned on the night.
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Reserving final rating until second tasting - good but not great. Allowed for probably 1 hour decant at best; paired with an italian 'osso buco' style stew over parmesan rissoto. Classic paulliac nose and flavor profile. Opened up significantly with time; fruit was clearly evident and the wine still feels young but a dry finish. Leather, cedar, bright plum and tar.
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This wine is showing very well at present, and greatly exceeded my expectations. Aromas of ripe dark fruits, tree bark and fennel. Medium-bodied, with a round and velvety mouthfeel; great balance and depth of flavors, with impressive precision on the finish.
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The wine has good concentration of plum, spices, blackcurrant and cedar flavours. Still got a lot of tannins and should be able to continue to develop in bottle. Long but slightly dry finish. Very Pauillac in style!
More details at http://hk.myblog.yahoo.com/hkwine-blog/article?mid=394
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Jolin brought this to dinner at Ancora. Very nice for the vintage. Beautiful nose, rich cassis, light plummy notes, plenty of tobacco leaf, some damp earth, warm meat, a little spice, some umami inflections. Lovely. Palate lacked the concentration and weight of great Pichon-Lalande vintages, butwas very good nonetheless, with a marked clarity and purity of flavours. I got clean, fresh tones of cigar, cedar, tobacco smoke, sweet cassis and warm spices. Great balance all round. Nice length too, with the wine ending in a lovely, fresh, open finish as well, with cigar smoke wafting around the mouth. Not a blockbuster, but a very nice drinking near its very best.
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This was pretty good but it had tough company tonight after the 82 and 86 Mouton. It shows well the lighter side from the '94 vintage. Some barnyard in the nose, with a good core of blackberry fruit left. I like the relatively higher acidity, very good food wine. Structurally this is still fairly young.
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decanted for 2 hours...medium plum color with some brown around the edges..a wonderful nose, pencil,cigar box, dark fruit, some banyard, in a good way..on the palate more cigar box, and some herbaceousness, a medium finish with well integrated tanin and fruit..a delicious paulliac..but at least from this bottle, I plan to drink my remaining in 4-5 years
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This is one of two wines which I brought to our group's "bring good stuff" tasting. I double-decanted the wine, allowing approximatey one hour in decanter before funneling back into the cleaned bottle. The wine was then tasted serially over a three-hour period. My tasting was unblinded. Opaque red/garnet, this wine shows a moderately intense nose of smoke, black and red currants and roasted herbs. Full-bodied on the palate, with medium acidity and big tannins which are softening but still remain a bit dry. The middle is full and the flavors are similar to the nose. Long, albeit dry finish. I suspect that the wine will get better, but a drinking window of now to 12/20 is certainly reasonable.
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Birthday tasting @ Roel's (Netherlands): (Bottle opened on 2-5-2009) Unbelievable presentation: concentrated, yet sleek. I was only picking up black stuff: ink, soy-sauce, "appelstroop", black cherries, cassis, earth, dark chocolate, incense, sundried tomatoes and leather. Very suave, broad and completely ripe and mature. Fabulous juice from an underappreciated vintage. 18.5/20
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A day in the country: barnyard and animalfur. But also stuffed with black fruit, freshly ground coffee, bitter chocolate, forest vegetation and iodine. A fantastic, classically build, Bordeaux, which can be cellared with confidence for another 10 years. 18,5/20 I put the remaining half of the bottle in the fridge and brought that to a tasting 5 (!) days later...: see TN 7-5-2009
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We opened and decanted a good 3 hours before drinking. Really is a must. I took a sip right after opening, and it was so barnyard/brambly, that it really was hard to get anything else. After it opened up (and with food) it ended up being just fantastic. Was drinking just right. Even though this is not really a "great vintage", it presented very well. Very brambly, even after 3 hours. Leathery. A little tobacco, and very dark, tart fruit. Nice and light with the 12.5% ABV. Well balanced, with good acid. Not a super long finish, but respectable. It really sang when complimenting braised meats. Really was a great wine experience.
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This wine exceeded my expectations. It has a brambly nose of dark fruits and tobacco. The wine initially was linear with good fruit and brisk tannins on the finish. It really improved after being opened for a few hours with the middle of the wine getting softer and the fruit coming out. I did not detect any greeness. This wine definitely has strong tannins but they are ripe enough to carry the wine from start to finish and don't stand out to me. This was great with roasted lamb and I supect that it will improve for several years.
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Drinking very well tonight. A classic Pauillac nose of woodsmoke, graphite, and cigar box. The woodsy elements mingle with ripe blackberry fruit, and overall the wine seems still young. It has medium body and still plenty of tannin left, but it is not drying, just a pleasant structure supporting the finish. Very nice with a standing rib roast. From this bottle there is no rush to this, but it is very enjoyable now.
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Was slightly green and dumb for at least 2hrs in the decanter...recorked and tried again two days later, no improvement, in fact it seemed more weedy than the initial glass.
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Opened this bottle at home and drank over a period of four hours. Good structure, very smooth, black currant and nicely smokey with a very nice and long finish. Already very drinkable with only hints of tannins . This is a well structured wine which evolves nicely in the decanter/glass. It just continues to please. Easily the best '94 medoc I've had.
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Comtesse is always a pleaser. A "delicious" wine with typical Comtesse drinkability. This bottle was reticent to let go, having been opened and decanted just prior to drinking and, unfortunately, was just a few degrees too cool. I wish I could have given it an hour or two in the decanter. Not incredibly complex but interesting cherry/berry with some very mild and pleasant cigar undertone. My first bottle of this, I believe it will improve over maybe next 3 - 5 yrs. This is a wine both the afficianados and neophytes enjoyed...which is always the case with Pichon Lalande.
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Had to try another bottle...this one stylistically similar but brighter all the way around. Still dark and a bit gamey on the nose, but sweeter, with a bit of menthol/eucalyptus sneaking through. Palate has a bit more character than previous bottle, with dark cherry on a bed of oak. Long finish with some remaining tannins. Should have plenty of life. Improves significantly in the glass....
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Arrived today, possibly shocked, but had to try one. Odd nose....wet towels initially that blows off into more desirable notes of dark fruit and cedar. Likewise, the palate starts out a bit muddy/meaty, with a hint of the green pepper mentioned by some, though this appears to be rounding itself out as it will often do as it matures. Generally has a nice sense of balance, albeit a bit dark. More potential than the '96 Bordeaux samplings recently, though similar stylistically. Not as bright as similarly aged California cabs, but G. likes this better. Looking forward to letting the remaining bottles rest, and watching the evolution over the next decade.
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This wine is still so alive with 10-15 years of life ahead of it. amazing and intense aromatics of blackberry cherry and fresh green tobacco leaf enter the nose with force. There is a gorgeous purity to the nose. On the palate the wine is mouth watering and strong, but beginning to show what aged bordeaux is all about. You can tell the tannins are stepping down and the wine is entering a great balance. I would say the tannins are still firrm but coupled with a great acid and an even better core of fruit. Lots of dark black fruits , black cherry that finish on tobacco and broccoli notes. socal described this as very savory and I agreed.
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From magnum - dark red violet color; mushroom, leather and cedar nose; tasty, well structured, rounded cassis and red fruit palate; medium-plus finish (45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc, 8% Petit Verdot)
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Consumed at home with Avelino Cortina and grilled prime New York strip steak (the debut of my new Turbo STS). Showing a deep garnet robe and garnet rim, this wine has evolved quite a bit since my last tasting. After decanting and aerating for two hours, the nose is moderately intense and shows assorted red fruits, dust, mint and coffee. Medium-bodied on the palate, with medium acidity and light yet relatively coarse tannins. The flavors mirror the nose, and the finish (albeit medium-to-long) is somewhat coarse. The wine was served alongside the '01 Opus, and the Opus was the better of the two (at least with this meal).
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Burgs and Bordeaux at Brad's: I loved this. The nose was classic Pichon Lalande with lead pencil, tobacco, and that endearing green note that is a combination of green pepper and ground coffee. In the mouth this has concentrated dark fruit with good weight, great balance, and a very long finish. While this is still very youthful, it is reminiscent of the better vintages from this domain and a buy for me at the current price.
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Tasting Group Dinner - Burgs & Bords (Brad's House, Minneapolis): Black fruits, pepper, and coffee on the nose. The palate picks up the characteristic Pichon-Lalande green bell pepper flavor. Nice structure and minerality to frame the moderately intense fruit. Fine-grained tannins on the finish. Very nice.
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Well paired with beef stew. The wine was all about structure--the tannins had softened so the taste of tobacco, dark fruits and earth melded well, with a soft finish.
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popped and poured. 12.5% alc.- this was classic middled aged Bordeaux- cedar, blackberries, cigar and stink on the nose, full bodied and well balanced on the palate. very good bottle.
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Classic pichon lalande nose of cigar box, black fruits, an earth.. Unfortuanetly, not so great in the mouth. Too much acid and not ehough fruit. Parker missed the boat on this one. A off wine in an off year. Decanting does not help. I would not reccomend purchasing this wine, even if the price is tempting. I believe one would prefer any of the second labels of 2000 bordeaux's. i.e. admiral de beychevelle, etc.
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This showed well right out of the bottle and improved for the first hour or so. Classic nose of cedar, tobacco, a hint of leather and plum. Blackberry fruit in the mouth with medium body. Good length and a some tannin remaining. I didn't notice any green notes. Not a blockbuster but highly enjoyable.
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Kavana Wine Tasting: Varietals around the world (Seattle, WA): This had a horrendous smelling cork with clear TCA on the outside. Fortunately, this had not made its way into the bottle, and the wine was seemingly intact although, perhaps, very lightly corked. Textbook Pauillac with overt tobacco, crackling minerality and a hint of leather. Very round on the entry with a gorgeously silky mid-palate. The finish shows dusty tannins and somewhat aggressive acidity and maybe, just maybe, a slightly stripped personality. Still, this is what I like to drink, and this is a charming albeit not overwhelmingly good example of Pichon Lalande.
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Decanted about 2 hours prior to dinner. Color was a deep red-garnet with a hint of brick. The nose was what I think of as classic Pichon - cedar, earth, tobacco and cassis - I can't describe it better: it's classic Pichon Lalande to me only somewhat less exhuberant and complex than in a great vintage. The palate was a disappointment. Somewhat green (as others have mentioned) and hard, perhaps unripe. The wine was much better with food. The finish was amazingly long - at least 45 seconds - considering the palate impression. All in all, a good but hardly great Bordeaux.
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Complex and refined nose of blackcurrant, spice and earthy notes. Medium body but elegant and with lots of finesse. It feels soft in the palate with a great balance. Nice combination of fruit, acidity and complexity. Very easy to drink and enjoyable. However, it is not a muscle wine and it will only please those with refine and subtle palates. Drink now-2011.
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Bordeaux 94/95 @ Peter V. (Netherlands): Cassis, forestfruit, roasted coffee beans, wonderful dosage of toasted oak. Lascivious and intense. Entering it's early drinking window. Great wine. 17.5-18/20
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Occasional tasting group: Top Bordeaux 1994 & 1995 plus a few extra's. (@ PVa): Garnet-blood-red.. Bouquet still not completely opened up. Nice oak and black fruits. The wine starts with a hint of sweetness, a lot of soft juice and tannins, well integrated oak. This is an outstanding wine which will even be better in a few more years.
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Really not bad. Extremely young looking with deep ruby color. Smoky nose with a bit a cassis and cherry. Good structure and decent impact but somewhat monolithic in the mid-palette and not much of a finish. Tannic still and very Paulliac. It did shut down at about 3 hours. I think the wine will improve.
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Opened based on Parker vintage recommendation, and comments here. Upon opening and a few minutes of occasional swirl, enjoyed lovely strawberry/cherry/blacberry fruit combination -- quite lovely and very ripe; along with typical cigar box and smoke. Color is a medium rusty burgundy with no obvious bricking. Almost no seepage in to the cork. Very well bottled - could have sat another decade. Taste was mild and dry with sweet tannis. Not much fruit showing initially, tobacco was primary flavor through mid-palate. Finish lasts a good 40 seconds or more. Mouthfeel is good, but not as much glycerin as in better vintages. Will put away for a day and try again. Tasted again on 8/25 and 8/27. On 2nd day, nose was gone, but fruit that was apparent in nose had transferred somewhat to the palate, making it more interesting. My third tasting showed the most balance of all with fruit flavors mingling with the tobacco -- but only while the wine was a bit cooler than room temperature. Once the wine reached room temperature tobacco was the overwhelming flavor. This wine tasted best when accompanying a meal -- it is not a "drink-alone" wine.
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April 2006 Bordeaux Tasting at K&L (K&L Wines in Redwood City): Color is just beginning to brown along the edges. Very open, complex green nose. The nose was all herbs. Very smooth and mellow with lots of interesting flavors -- but to me all of this wine was medicinal, herby, and green with just a little fruit. (-)
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Showed not as well at two years ago, but perhaps over-decanted? Was out 3-4 hours before drinking. Modest claret nose with some dark fruit, cedar, pencil, and cab franc herbal qualities in the mouth. Modest finish clipped by acidity not adequately balanced by fruit. Nice, but not especially memorable. Given the other note posted, might have waited too long to drink. Try the next one right after opening.
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My trip to Napa, Part 4: Montelena, Phelps, Darioush, lunch at Tra Vigne, Dinner at Bouchon and a nightcap (Napa Valley, California, USA): Wow, this was lovely! A nose of tobacco and barnyard, very black with dust, mineral and roasted earth. Classic claret! The palate shows such stunning silk, roasted fruit, and mineral. This still has plenty of structure on the back end and nice acid, finishing with a long mouthful of tobacco. This wine was at its best right when we popped and poured, and it provided glorious drinking for an hour before starting to shut down a bit. This is really lovely claret.
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Tasted at the LJ Beach and Tennis Club with Jim Irwin. Barbecued filet mignon was the main course. This wine shows incredibly youthful color (dark ruby with red rim). The nose is intense but young, with predominant currants, vanilla, and cherry. The palate is full-bodied, with loads of tannins which are quite supple. The overall texture is accordingly supple. The flavors are intense berry, vanilla, anise and currents. The finish is medium and moderately tannic. This wine is a true blockbuster. It is pleasant now but will surely evolve into something very special over the next decade.
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Great Wine Seminar. Medium color. Exceptionally fresh and tasty. Forward. Lovely fragrance. Nice integration of oak. Sound acidity. Just about ready. Great success for the vintage. But not a “serious” Pichon-Lalande.
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A very elegant bouquet. Very refined wine. Much more than the powerful Baron. In this vintage the difference between a Baron and a Comtesse becomes clear. Both can be beautiful, but completely different.
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5/12/2024 - paulst Likes this wine: 91 Points
Light and elegant; some blackberry and light cherry; finese.
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3/15/2024 - Burgnick wrote: 92 Points
Very good for the vintage. Good weight. Fully integrated. Drinking so well from just pnp.
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12/4/2023 - Chrysostomus wrote: flawed
Slight cork that got worse during tasting...
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11/23/2023 - ElAzul Likes this wine: 95 Points
Happy Thanksgiving to all and especially to me for this wine. Similar to a prior bottle with cedar and forest floor nose but instead of tobacco there was beef blood and a bit of classic barnyard Bordeaux funk. The latter blew off in half hour after splash decant. The wine is more complex after four years additional aging and by that I mean a little less of the blackberry fruit and more herbal, anise-licorice notes on the palate. The acidity is still good and the finish is subtle but lingers for 30 seconds or more. After two hours the wine really opened up revealing dark fruit on both the nose and palate. Plus the finish became more prominent, almost explosive filling the mouth completely with flavor. I had to make myself stop drinking this wine and save some for tomorrow. But based on the wine's evolution over the last two hours and because the last 4 ounce glass I tasted had minimal splashing I believe the wine is at its peak. Decant and enjoy now.
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10/16/2023 - galewskj wrote: 93 Points
Left bank bordeaux 2008 and older (BLVD): 30 minute decant then poured into the bottle and drank about 1.5 hours later. Tons of funk, very rustic nose. Nice red fruit, tobacco, spice and loam. This is quite smooth, but it is rustic.
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10/15/2023 - rocknroller wrote: 91 Points
Monthly Tasting Group: Bordeaux 2008 and Older (BLVD Kitchen & Bar, Wayzata, MN): Small taste. 30 minute double decant. Nice cassis, blackberry liqueur, coarse tannins, anise, full bodied, has something of a hole from the mid palate on. 91+pts.
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12/25/2022 - paulst Likes this wine: 95 Points
Sleeper; tar and manura; cedar; dark coarse blackberry; long , deep and complex; long finish.
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10/22/2022 - paulst Likes this wine: 94 Points
Light and tight; austere; earth; still developing; nice finish.
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10/14/2022 - The Wine Monkeys Likes this wine: 91 Points
Pop the cork, wonderfully stinky in all the right ways. Barnyard for days, wet rock, creosote, leather, cigar, cedar. Masculine like the day is long. The beauty of this wine, for us, is the nose. I want to make an incense stick out of the notes of this wine. The palate: earthy, tarish, forest floor, some cedar, zero fruit, tannins still hang on the finish. We were intoxicated by the nose, the palate doesn’t match but an experience nonetheless. We’d buy this again for the nose alone.
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9/23/2022 - Big Bad Voodoo Daddy Likes this wine: 93 Points
Popped and poured, and drank over 1.5 hours. Great wine, and drinking well!
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8/21/2022 - jal wrote: 94 Points
Served with lamb chops (that I overcooked), zucchini fritters and a tomato salad this was popped and poured.
Nice nose of cedar and black fruit but not as pronounced as the 1990 Cos of a few days ago. Dark inky color, on the palate, this is profound and complex with excellent depth, yummy fruit with a tinge of greenness and a slight bitterness on the end that I find typical with the estate and that contrasts nicely with the sweetness of the fruit. Long finish.
Delicious and patience is finally rewarded as the tannins are now manageable and not overpowering the fruit. Drink now and over the next decade or so.
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7/21/2022 - galewskj wrote: 93 Points
Luis doesn't show up for his own tasting... for the 3rd time in a row (Broders): Splash decant. This wine has been consistent. A lovely aged bordeaux, but a bit high-toned.
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7/21/2022 - rocknroller wrote: 92 Points
Luis is MIA Again (Broder's Pasta Bar, Minneapolis): Very red/purple color. Double decanted for 3 hours. Showing well again, quite earthy, dried leaves, high toned tobacco, cassis, dried wood, violets. The palate is full bodied, carrying nice weight, dried forest floor, a lot more of the high toned tobacco and cigar ash, cassis, spice and round tannins. This has been very consistent. 92+ to 93pts.
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5/9/2022 - vanpe003 wrote: 94 Points
Another bottle lost in the back of the cellar that turned out to be a treasure.
Sort notes - drinking at peak for my tastes. Perfectly resolved, no rough edges.
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2/12/2022 - renoprof wrote: 94 Points
Outstanding - a perfect bottle of aged pichon
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12/3/2021 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Smells like its old enough to drink itself. Leather and everything
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8/5/2021 - MC2 Wines wrote:
Not convinced that this was the best version of itself which is unfortunate. Recent auction buying has yielded some wines where storage isn’t necessarily the best and you can tell. There was almost a hint of funkiness. Opened and decanted and drank over maybe an hour. It seemed to improve with air but I don’t think ever got to good aged Bordeaux state (some others disagreed).
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7/11/2021 - SonnyChiba wrote: 94 Points
Still holding up very well and WOTN. Better than the 96' St. Emilion GC classe and the 97' Pichon Baron we drank with it.
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6/23/2021 - Cailles wrote: 84 Points
24 Vintages of Pichon Lalande: All wines tasted blind. A few general observations: 1) Most wines showed the typical Pichon Lalande elegance. This is certainly one of the more delicate and elegant Paulliacs. 2) The relatively high Merlot content (often 20-30%) showed in many wines with fine, fresh rhubarb, rosehip and floral aromas I wouldn’t necessarily associate with a Medoc - all adding to the sensuous quality of the wines. 3) A few vintages showed the very sexy burnt sugar/coffee notes you associate with the 1982 Lalande or a Mouton or a Cheval Blanc - unfortunately, not to an extent and with an intensity to truly excite. 4) Following the legendary 1982 and until the most recent vintages (starting with 2014 but especially with 2016) there are three decades of pleasant Pichon Lalandes but hardly any vintage has the depth and length of truly great wines. The best wine tonight was the 2009 (rated 95+ points) with many more in the 92-94 point category.
TN: This wine (or bottle) has seen its best days. There was still some fruit (but too ripe fruit), the tannin structure still had some harsher edges and over everything there was a layer of soy and oxidation notes. Not much fun to drink.
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2/15/2021 - beckiii wrote:
Special bottle with winemaker's signature on the label! Keep for posterity!
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1/23/2021 - SonnyChiba wrote: 94 Points
My last tasting notes on this were from 2016 and again in 2018. It was lovely then and despite thinking it was peaking at that time, it has certainly held up. Perhaps even better than I remember. A gorgeous aged Bordeaux of very high quality. Wish I had some more!
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1/21/2021 - William Kelley Likes this wine: 91 Points
The 1994 Pichon Lalande is drinking beautifully, soaring from the glass with a classic bouquet of briary black fruits, cigar ash, fresh tobacco and loamy soil. Medium-bodied, supple and seamless, with melting tannins and a fleshy core of fruit, it's an immensely charming vintage for this estate and it's in its prime today.
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10/19/2020 - paulst Likes this wine: 94 Points
Cedar and earth; balanced; integrated tannin; light blackberry; linear; smooth silky sweet elegant finish.
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10/9/2020 - sgamiz wrote: 96 Points
From a 6 liter.
Wow a great tasting Bordeaux- it has everything I like from the barn smell to the great taste.
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9/23/2020 - portman63 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Still has deep garnet with just a bit of translucence. Leather and cedar on the nose with mix of blackberry and current on the palate with some of the leather maturity showing. Very solid for the vintage which I have found to favor the right bank for the best buys. Quite enjoyable though and I believe it is ready to go now but surely won't fall off for a while.
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9/20/2020 - paulst Likes this wine: 92 Points
Cedar and leather; elegant; soft tannins; light blackberry; complex; lean elegant finish.
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7/19/2020 - lifebreath wrote: 93 Points
Fantastic. Excellent pairing with garlic rosemary lamb chops.
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6/27/2020 - Big Bad Voodoo Daddy Likes this wine: 91 Points
Popped and poured, and quaffed in less than an hour. On the wane, and will not hold up much longer. Drink up!
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6/18/2020 - _water.into.wine_ Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drank blind so couldn't be swayed by the vintage. This was served alongside the Pichon Baron 94 and this was giving far more pleasure. Much more approachable. Very floral. Perfume. And more fruit. Lots of dark fruits and I called bordeaux blend as the variety. Surprisingly old as I thought this was 98-03 vintage, definitely not 26 years old. A decent wine for a tough year. Shared by ST
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5/31/2020 - Ralf Jung wrote: 92 Points
War nicht schlechter als der 95er, nicht so tief aber auch nicht so holzig
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2/22/2020 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Oh wow. Tabacco leaf and earth really gorgeous nose. And so silly on the palate. Amazing.
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1/17/2020 - levinml wrote: 91 Points
Still nice, but concur it's on the way down.
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12/31/2019 - englishman's claret wrote: 89 Points
The 1994 Pichon Comtesse is a reminder of decades past where failure to completely ripen was much more the norm. This has just as much pencil, herb, leather, and beef blood as it has fruit. Lithe and lean, it does have a certain elegance, but at this point it's too herbal for my taste. In sharp contrast to the supple quality of tannins in wines being made today, this comes off a bit rough on the palate. Vintages like this can really over-deliver at 12-15 years old, but underwhelm by age 25.
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12/6/2019 - Cailles wrote: 93 Points
Tasted double blind. The clear highlight here was the wonderful, intense tertiary nose. Certainly worth 95/96 points. A bit less exciting on the palate. Why no higher rating? There is a lack of fruit which makes it less intriguing and balanced. Still a joy to drink!
TN: Great nose with truffles, leather but first and foremost tobacco. The definition of tobacco. All centered around an intense mineral core. Same aromas on the palate with additional animalic notes. The only thing missing here is a stronger fruit component. Hence, it lakes a bit of balance and sexiness. Good structure with fairly good concentration (for an off vintage) and ok length.
Decanting: Decanted for roughly 2.5+ hours which seemed perfect.
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9/28/2019 - ElAzul Likes this wine: 94 Points
Aroma of forest floor cedar and hint of tobacco. Briary fruit initially and evolved to dark berry indeed there is a nice dense core of dark fruit which lingers on the rear palate for several seconds. Beautifully balanced wine. Pairs well with food especially dark chocolate. Only bought 6 and this was the best of the three I have had so far. This wine just entering maturity but has at least another decade of life.
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8/10/2019 - rocknroller wrote: 92 Points
Small pour. Brief note. Tom's last bottle (:, this was showing very nicely, earthy, pencil, cassis, soft texture, medium plus body. These have been very consistent and they still have life.
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6/28/2019 - Big Bad Voodoo Daddy Likes this wine: 93 Points
Popped and poured, and guzzled over the next hour. Beautiful, mature Bordeaux in its sweet spot. Silken.
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5/19/2019 - Bordeaux_Jon Likes this wine: 93 Points
From a half bottle in great shape. This overdelivered. Starting with a very forest floor greenness, it developed black fruit, pencil lead, cigar, and a distinct Cabernet Franc personality with leafy notes. It was so very elegant and balanced but lacked some density and persistence on the palate that a better vintage would have. Very medium bodies, it feels like rain at harvest was a factor. But really a Cabernet based wine of a style the New World fails to produce. This was so Bordeaux and so not Napa. I agree with Parker this is one of the better 1994s I've encountered and at the top of the pile with La Mission, with Latour and Mouton definitely below. Drink now!
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5/7/2019 - Collector1855 wrote: 91 Points
Surprisingly soft and mellow, not very thick, true to 1994. Good tertiary aroma profile, balanced but not grand.
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1/13/2019 - DougLee wrote: 93 Points
Garnet color. Extraordinary, almost fierce nose of red currant, potent floral notes, cassis, pine forest, leather, and leaf. Medium-bodied and quite intense on the palate with layers of sleek dark plum, black currant, deep green pepper, tobacco, and fine earth. Resolved tannin and plucky acidity leading to a long, luxurious finish of dark red fruit coursing over green and grip. Brilliant for the vintage and increasingly on an absolute basis. This is continuing to improve at age 25.
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12/2/2018 - valedeniro wrote: 94 Points
Mature,intense and very complex nose shows plum liqueur,cedar,smoky aromas,some leather and tobacco.Full-bodied,the palate is really impressive,with complex flavors built around a core of concentrated ripe fruit.A big wine,at the same time elegant and with incredible focus and length.Still young,but ready.Should drink well for at least another 10-15 years.A brilliant Pichon Lalande from a lesser vintage.
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10/2/2018 - jumbo744 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Didn’t decant, it’s a gorgeous wine and has reached its peak already. Deep colour, good nose, very silky and long lasting. Drink now.
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6/30/2018 - Tad GW wrote: 94 Points
Perfect drinking right now.
50+5+13+17+9=94
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3/4/2018 - galewskj wrote: 93 Points
Luis' "Bring a very good bottle" event (St. Genevieve): 30 minute decant. I absolutely loved this. Tons of funk, very rustic nose. Nice red fruit, tobacco, spice and loam. This is quite smooth, but it is rustic.
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3/1/2018 - rocknroller wrote: 91 Points
A Mixed Bag at St. Genevieve (St. Genevieve, Mpls, MN): Dark red color with 7mm transitional margin. Decanted for 30 minutes. This was showing a lot of pencil on the nose and palate, red berry fruit, spices, medium body, charcoal. Nice and a bit rustic. Drank next to a '96 Ducru and I vasilated back and forth on my preference. 91+pts.
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1/21/2018 - SonnyChiba wrote:
Consistent with previous tasting note. Lovely aged Bordeaux, best enjoyed right out of the gate.
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11/5/2017 - HowardsinSanDiego wrote: 94 Points
Wow! Right out of the bottle this was superb. Exactly what you think of when having a classic French wine. The nose was amazing, filled the whole kitchen with aroma goin into the decanter. After 2 hours, it hit its peak.
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10/31/2017 - stayhappy21 wrote: 90 Points
Drank this at a wine dinner last night at Wah Lok Restaurant. Theme of the night: 1st wine of 2nd growth, or 2nd wine of 1st growth.
Drank from a magnum bottle. Colour is purple with some hues of brickish-brown. Wine is very well structured with well defined notes of cassis, blueberries, cocoa, mocha, tobacco and minerals. Finish is long and smooth.
After 20 years, the wine is still holding and showing well, a good evidence of the potential of great Bordeaux wines and an exemplify showcase of the aging ability the the great Pauiliac.
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10/23/2017 - Neecies Likes this wine:
Bill's. Decanted for two hours. Classic Bordeaux nose with cassis, plums, a bit of graphite and the comforting woody notes of an antique dresser drawer. Acidity and tannins are just right. Just loved this.
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6/17/2017 - Space Nine Likes this wine: 93 Points
Paired with grilled steak. Decanted and drank. No bricking, mature fruit but with good acidity, fine well integrated tannins. Excellent classic Bordeaux. Nose was best within 30 minutes of opening. Peaked in the second 30 minutes and seemed to fade after about an hour.
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5/25/2017 - pavel_p Likes this wine: 90 Points
Pnp at home. Perfect bottle with in neck fill and only tip of the cork stained. Still a dark garnet in the glass. Superb showing for the first 20 min or so, a deep nose of dark fruit, forest floor and wood spices. Compact but round fruit core with very good concentration. While the wonderful nose and attack held up over 2h or so, with more air, green bell peppers started to show much more prominently on the mid palate which also seemed to shed some of the dark fruit with noticeable tannins now looking through. While I don't mind a bit of green, it seemed a bit too much here as the obviously not entirely ripe fruit carried strongly into the finish.
Nose 93, body at same level initially then deteriorating towards 88-89. Drink up
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5/13/2017 - peternelson wrote: 89 Points
Not bad with a touch of spices, herbs, but rather thin body and finish that stopped short of what it should. Day after dregs from BB at MP
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4/8/2017 - PetrasJarasunas Likes this wine: 93 Points
Complex nose of cassis, black pepper, black tea, bell pepper, plums, balsamic and earthy spices. Full bodied with well balanced acidity. Still fruity with powerfull grippy tannins. With long lasting complex aftertaste of dark berries and spices.
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3/12/2017 - broadband013 wrote: 92 Points
Brunch avec ngenjy et fanny.
Très cuir, très similaire au 1990 en plus court.
Cuir cuir cuir
Vraiment bon.
Ouvert et bu. Resté très stable pendant 2h
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3/11/2017 - Bob H Likes this wine:
From a bottle opened for dinner on Thursday night (about 40+ hours ago).
Dark translucent ruby in the glass at the core; black & red fruits (most notably ripe blackberry) on the nose, with a nice tobacco note as well.
Medium-bodied on the palate, somewhat dilute in the middle, with an abbreviated finish. What our friends across the pond might call an "acceptable luncheon claret".
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1/15/2017 - Quiet Lion Likes this wine: 94 Points
Required 90 minutes in the wide-bottom decanter and warming to room temperature to show fully (before that somewhat muted). This was one of the fuller-bodied Lalandes I've tasted. I usually prefer the more dirty, earthy notes of the Baron but this was balanced, interesting and delicious. It had the usual cigar box nose and tobacco notes over a very integrated secondary Pauillac body. Seems to be in its prime.
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12/25/2016 - wa2ofd wrote:
The 94 still has a nice nose of lead pencil, fruit is there on attack, but I find finish dry and short...
Likely better with food than as a stand alone at this point.
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11/12/2016 - SonnyChiba wrote: 92 Points
Beautiful color. Drinking very nice. Classic mature Bordeaux, lots of tobacco, cigar box, black fruit, and little lead/minerality. Wouldn't hold much longer.
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9/26/2016 - bons vinhos Likes this wine: 96 Points
This was beautiful from the start,opened but didn't decant following a previous TN advice,let it sit for a while and it was really good,very complex,sometimes a bit hollow in the middle,but a great experience.The persistence on this baby was absolutely remarkable,I loved it.
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9/24/2016 - The Vines That Bind wrote: 87 Points
Tight, tart, and tannic. Iron structure with little to no fruit underneath. no nose for about an hour, after which some damp soil and red cedar began to come through. Soy and a bit of spice. Dry. Pretty tough stuff and not a lot of pleasure here.
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8/13/2016 - winesteward Likes this wine: 87 Points
Not exactly the best Bordeaux vintage but I was made an offer I could not refuse. Popped and poured for dinner tonight. Quite dark but with pronounced browning on the edge. Pronounced coffee nose with touches of blackberries, currants, floral notes and meat. Medium+ body but very soft. On the palate, sweet spices. The fruit is pretty ripe with a bit of sweetness to it although the wine itself has a lean frame. Some acidity at the back end. Earthy notes and dried herbs. Pretty dry. Medium+ length. Definitely not for decanting and an open bottle should be consumed within 2 hours before starting to fall apart. Still, I found it very good but certainly past peak and should be consumed soon.
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7/30/2016 - rocknroller wrote: 92 Points
Annual Wine Group Summer Event - BBQ Brisket at Siggy's (Siggy & Jenny's Place, Mpls, MN): Drank glass over 20-30 minutes. This bottle wasn't quite as inviting as the last one we had. A bit more funk and dank earth up front, the perfume is still there but it gets masked a bit by the funk. The palate has cassis, raspberry, charcoal, tobacco, and some pretty firm tannins yet. Very good if a bit more rustic tonight. 91+ to 92pts.
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6/20/2016 - SimonS wrote: 93 Points
This is starting to come into its own. Lush but mature flavours of blackberry and blackcurrant, really good length, still tannic on back end. Lovely and still on the up.
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4/25/2016 - DaleW wrote:
More 1994 than Pichon Lalande. Still some rather hard/raspy tannins. Black currant, tobacco leaf, stern. B-
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4/19/2016 - LWI wrote: 91 Points
Pichon Lalande Tasting: Pronounced smell of sweet pipe tobacco and balck currants, youthful, a hint of complexity; Sweet mouth, but even so rather rustic, pronounced tannin, zappy, not that long.
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3/26/2016 - DougLee wrote: 91 Points
One of first bottles purchased in pursuit of wine education. Decanted for about 30 minutes. Pristine cork, barely stained. Garnet color with some lightening at the edges. Nose of pine forest, cassis, currant, cedar, violets, damp cellar. Initially light-bodied and somewhat astringent, the palate expanded over a 4-hour period to reveal fully-resolved layers of poised red currant and plum fruit laced with smoky graphite, tobacco, and subtle green leaf. Modest acidity and persistent tannins leading to a longer finish of sweet plum, leather, and soft grip. Excellent showing indicating plenty of life left.
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3/6/2016 - bengti wrote: 93 Points
Classic PL sensuousness, with silky smooth flavours of intense fruit. Prominent notes of tobacco and spice, rustic herbs and cassis. Drinking beautifully now.
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10/8/2015 - Collector1855 wrote: 91 Points
During a tasting, served semi blind. Medium garnet, brick rim. Very pronounced horse saddle, cedar and red and dark fruit, earth. A bit light on the palate and acidity compared to the fruit core. Tannins are very good for the vintage though.
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9/28/2015 - bmr67 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Mod strong fine tannins balanced with present fruit. Pretty classic profile although more elegant paulliac. Leather, clove anise, dark red slight blue fruit. Best showing on Cru 2nd 1994 that I've held & consumed.
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8/27/2015 - Wine_Bear Likes this wine:
Wine was properly stored from purchase upon release until consumed. Initial bouquet was closed, never really developed. Some generic fruit, a touch of spice. Somewhat disappointing. We left a glass with the chef and asked him to keep it for a couple of hours to see if it opened. His report: dramatic fruit emerged after 4 hours. Another wine that, at 21 years old, still needs a lot of time to open.
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11/9/2014 - Deryl Likes this wine: 93 Points
Definite funk on the nose upon opening. I don't really agree with he term barnyard, but whatever you call it, it was typical of an aged Bordeaux. It mostly blew off after a couple hours in the decanter. On the palate the wine was still youthful with plenty of fruit. Wonderfully balanced. It evolved over the course of the evening, with the last sip tasting sweet and fruity.
We actually bought this at the château in 1999 and brought it home (to California) in our baggage. It was not in a proper cellar the first couple years, until I secured a good locker. It was not clear that the lapse caused any damage.
This wine is definitely ready to drink now if you are ready for it. It may last longer, but no need to wait.
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7/16/2014 - Paui wrote: 85 Points
my first '94, high fill, dark colours go into brick, banyard smell, after 1 hour decant the wine seems to develop the PL typical silky texture, still unpleasant in the nose, thin, only slightly better with more air, also on the palate, disappointing bottle
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7/13/2014 - MRichman wrote:
Very nice. Great herbal notes. Really enjoyed this.
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7/5/2014 - 3daywinereview.com wrote: 92 Points
Cigar, dried herbs, dill, oak and blueberries. The palate picks up some leather and this wine still has somewhat firm tannins. Should age for another 15 plus years. Very good showing. 92 plus.
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5/19/2014 - galewskj wrote: 93 Points
30 minutes decant and followed 2 2.5 oz pours over about 2 hours. I could hardly tell the difference between this and the 1994 Leoville Barton that we also had. They tasted different at different moments of time, but overall very similar and the same score. Overall a well-made aged Bordeaux that is drinking well right now. Lots of barnyard funk initially on the nose that faded into the background after about 15 minutes. The fruit showed up sooner on this than the Leoville Barton. Palate was a bit austere initially and softened with time in glass. Great complexity.
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5/15/2014 - rocknroller wrote: 93 Points
Bordeaux Offline (Rincon 38, Mpls, MN): Dark red color, 2-3 mm bricked meniscus. Decanted for 90 minutes. Drank two 2.5 oz pours over 2.5 hours. Great nose here again. Funky, earth, perfumed, roses. leather, potpourri, sandalwood, dried herbs. The palate is medium-full bodied, slightly more firm though round tannin than the '94 Barton, dark fruits, more overt fruit up front, cassis, black raspberry, earthy, cigar box, dried herbs, long finish. This too was in a great place at 20 years with many years of great drinking left. Tied for my WOTN.
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4/21/2014 - spillwine wrote: flawed
Très légérement bouchonnée... Dommage
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4/18/2014 - mary k wrote:
- Ruby color - Seems our last bottle. Enjoyed with food - hearty winter leftovers. Nice Bordeaux texture - clear, not like California cabs.
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3/19/2014 - Nutty08 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Some bricking on the edges. Not quite as good as the last bottle but has an incredibly expressive nose of mint, flint, cigar box and mature red fruit. Coarse tannins on the palate along with some darker fruit profile and repeating mint note. Moderate finish. A really great wine in an off year showing typicity, along with the expected polished presentation of Lalande. Doesn't have the power or complexity of the big years.
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3/15/2014 - Grand Amateur Likes this wine: 94 Points
Purchased upon release and well stored. Opened at 18:00. A small sip was already nice, with red fruits. Decanted at 23:00. Still red fruits in the palate. No harsh tannins. Very well balanced. Complex. Long. Really drinking well now.
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3/4/2014 - bengti wrote: 93 Points
showing well now, but compared to the Baron, I find this a much more straightforward drink.
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1/19/2014 - Nutty08 wrote: flawed
corked
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1/18/2014 - LIE-user wrote: 93 Points
Very nie opening, very soft and sweet. In the middle of the bouquet almost perfect cabernet characteristics.
In the mouth again very soft, sweet and creamy. The texture is almost like milk. Chocolate, mocha, exotic wood. Lasts quite some time.
This rating is after I removed a very light cork tone with some wrapping film (for food!). Try this if you have a wine with a light cork tone. It really works to remove about the half of the cork tone.
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12/24/2013 - meqoubal36 wrote: 91 Points
Bien mûr et épanoui, sans être vraiment inouï, mais excellent quand même. Nez classique et bouche idem. Cassis, fruits rouge, tabac, cèdre, bonne mâche, long en bouche. Pauillac classique.
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12/23/2013 - Eric Likes this wine: 89 Points
Yum, this is some solid and proper Bordeaux. Nothing flashy or spectacular. Just spicy, honest, vibrant Bordeaux. Smoke and tobacco on the nose move to a bright cherry palate. This isn't truly generous and plush like great vintages of Lalande, but it is clean, savory and mouthwatering. Yum!
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12/15/2013 - spillwine wrote:
Bu il y a une année... Je ne m'en souviens plus...
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12/5/2013 - HowardNZ Likes this wine: 93 Points
Tasted alongside a 1996 Baron. Colour deep red. Lovely bouquet of a mature Bordeaux: some blackberry liqueur and cassis. Nose turning secondary and mellow: aromas of cigar box, spice, smoke, forest soil, fig and old leather. On palate, rounded tannins well integrated, resolved. Good structure, depth and concentration, but in balance, with a nice seamless texture. Turning secondary on the palate, tending mushroom and leather. Good length, elegant finish and feminine. Classic old style Claret, with mellowing, savoury flavours. I did not find any of the green notes or hollowness in mid palate that I have read about in some reviews. Improved on the second night - I would decant. At its peak now - drink soon. 93.
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11/29/2013 - Zweder wrote: 94 Points
Occasional dinner group; TOP Bordeaux 1994: Beautiful and elegant classical bouquet with smoke, cedar, still some cassis and graphite. Same on the palate. Beautiful and evolved and integrated tannin. Beautiful acidity. A feminine and elegant beauty. Completely ready now.
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11/21/2013 - christ80 wrote:
smoothed tannins and opened up
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11/11/2013 - paulst Likes this wine: 92 Points
Light nose with some cedar; well integrated and smooth with good texture and blackberry; long finish.
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10/24/2013 - paulst Likes this wine: 94 Points
Drinking like it is 15 years younger; opulent blackberry with aggressive tannins; long structured finish.
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7/19/2013 - Jeff Leve wrote: 89 Points
Medium bodied, firm and showing some greeness in the fruit, as one would expect, the wine is more interesting on the nose than the palate with its tobacco, cigar boax, cassis, blackberry and earthy aromatics. There is a slight gruffness to the tannins in the spicy cassis and cranberry finish.
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6/14/2013 - oncocyte wrote: 88 Points
Cedar/ veg on the nose, tart cherry on the palate. Hints on the back of
what could have been. Unfortunately post peak with a sense of fading and dilution about it.
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5/25/2013 - alhun wrote: 90 Points
need to breath at least 5 hours before drink.
full of black fruits. hints of wood box
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4/18/2013 - paulst Likes this wine: 92 Points
Classic Pauilliac; austere blackberry; integrated but not overly sweet tannins; long finish.
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4/16/2013 - WildeMeeuw Likes this wine: 92 Points
Kleur: Oranjerood Aroma / bouquet: Prachtig tertiair, chicque en verfijnd. Donker fruit, mooi verweven hout, pepertje. Smaak / Afdronk: Sublieme balans, verfijnde zuren en tannines. Indrukwekkende lengte. Klassiek glas op een prachtig moment van drinkbaarheid. Algemeen / potentieel: Twee flessen geproefd. Beiden even mooi. Eerste fles wat meer klassiek en ingehouden. Tweede fles bijna Nieuwe-werelds, meer chocola en mokka. 50 + Kleur: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 12 + Smaak / Afdronk: 17 + Algemeen / potentieel: 8 = 92/100
Color: Orange red Aroma / Bouquet: Beautiful tertiary, chicque and refined. Dark fruit, nicely integrated wood, pepper. Taste / Finish: Sublime balance, fine acidity and tannins. Impressive length. Classic glass at a wonderful moment of drinkability. General / potential: Two bottles tasted. Both equally beautiful. First bottle a little more classic and restrained. Second bottle almost new-world-like, more chocolate and mocha. 50 + Colour: 5 + Aroma / Bouquet: 12 + Taste / Finish: 17 + General / potential: 8 = 92/100
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3/21/2013 - paulst Likes this wine: 93 Points
Classic display of leather and earth nose; sweet cedar but also dry at times; tannins a bit dry; earthy; smooth; light blackberry; good structure reflecting terrior so nicely but subdued by the light fruit; lean sweet-cherry-earth finish.
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3/13/2013 - paulst Likes this wine: 94 Points
Cedar and tobacco; austere and elegant; nice texture and mature tannins; sweet blackberry that lingers; beautiful; lots of life left and maturing nicely.
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3/4/2013 - B Paul wrote: 93 Points
Opened and followed over three hours. For me, this is in a great drinking spot.
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2/15/2013 - paulst Likes this wine: 93 Points
Austere with light nose and smooth light blackberry; integrated tannins with smooth texture and great length.
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1/19/2013 - Two Winos wrote: 91 Points
Standard Bordeaux nose. After a short decant, great creamy blackberry with a hint of leather. The wine drinks very nicely, but that said, it is not what I consider a typical Pichon Lalande. There was virtually no presence of the silky tanins that I expect from these wines.
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1/18/2013 - paulst Likes this wine: 92 Points
Some leather on nose; smooth light sweet blackberry; nice texture and good balance; smooth elegant finish.
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1/11/2013 - paulst Likes this wine: 92 Points
Elegant and austere; hey it's a 94; soft and lightly testured; tannins a bit sour.
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1/3/2013 - paulst Likes this wine: 92 Points
Light rubber nose; tannic; earthy and light on the palate; nicely textured; soft but the tannins are sour at times; nice moderate finish.
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12/24/2012 - Nutty08 Likes this wine: 92 Points
From memory the morning after. Crumbly cork and shook up by the sommelier, but came around after about an hour of air.Still youthful crimson color with no bricking. Showed a typical Lalande profile, with mature fruit, elegant "green" streak, and well polished almost integrated tannins. Lengthy finish with leafy tobacco and earth. Only in the mid-palate where there's a little hollowness and simplicity does this show the weak vintage. Certainly in it's drinking plateau and did not disappoint.
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12/2/2012 - paulst Likes this wine: 92 Points
Initially tight nose; after 2.5 hr decant opened up nicely with rubber nose; soft smooth sweet mocha textured sweet blackberry with well integrated tannins. The back end was a bit harsh suggesting that more time to smooth it out is needed.
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11/1/2012 - Ericsson wrote: 89 Points
Bordal à Bernex (Cabernets majoritaires) (Chez moi): Bouteille en parfaite condition. Into the neck. Pas décantée. Débouchée, servie et bue, sans être très concentrés. Note de mémoire.
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10/30/2012 - paulst wrote: 93 Points
Soft and elagant; nose of cedar and blackberry; smooth and opulent with elements of chocolate; soft iniegrated tannins with a long smooth round finish.
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10/19/2012 - misterstarre wrote: 91 Points
Drank with Matt and Amanda at Campanile's closing. Dark red in color with suprising clarity. Leathery with earthy notes. Led pencil and stone. Not so powerful. Mostly resolved tannin. Some red and dark fruit, particlarly plum. Hitting its stride-prime drinking window is now!
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8/27/2012 - NineteenEightyTwo wrote: 94 Points
An outstanding wine from an unheralded vintage. Color was opaque at the center with a mature brick color at the rim. Nose started out with a round, opulent, fruity character but over a bit of time started to show more oily leather, earth and spice. Eventually, the two fused into a balanced and seamless whole. Palate was vivacious and fresh despite this being nearly 18 years old, with sturdy tannins. Good length in the finish, with a woody tobacco character at the back of the mouth. We decanted this for a few hours before drinking and it was still going strong a few hours in. Showing excellently right now but with a few years of prime drinking left on it as well.
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8/2/2012 - Burgundy Al wrote: 87 Points
Birthday Celebration (Perennial Virant - Chicago IL): Good but overall very simple.
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7/25/2012 - spaniel wrote: 92 Points
Austere, yet elegant. A little green. Very slow to open - could take another decade easily. Tomato, tobacco, cocoa.
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5/30/2012 - David J Cooper wrote: 92 Points
Light red with brown edges. Great claret nose of funk, black currant, tobacco and cedar. Nice soft dark fruit and cedar flavours and a soft resolved elegant finish.
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3/24/2012 - salil wrote: 87 Points
A disappointing bottle. Pleasant fragrance of cedar wood, graphite and rich red and dark fruited flavours with just a faint touch of greenness, but it's a little dull and one-note on the palate without the depth and layers I normally expect from PLL. Certainly drinkable, but well below expectations for the producer.
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1/31/2012 - paulst wrote: 93 Points
Austere with leather on nose and smooth soft well balanced blackberry and long elegant finish.
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1/14/2012 - DonalOB wrote: 92 Points
AWSEC French Connection (AWSEC, Hong Kong): Bricked - still solid core.
Slight cabbagey / vegetal smell - not unpleasant.
Muted fruit notes. Similar to the '96 but in a much lighter style.
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1/9/2012 - paulst wrote: 91 Points
Tar, graphite and blackberry nose; austere and earthy with medicinal semi-sweet tannins; nice cassis, anise and blackberry on the palate; textured and structured with greenish tannic but semi-sweet fruit; Pauillac terrior throughout.
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12/18/2011 - Harry Cantrell wrote: 92 Points
Garnet with a hint of orange at the rim. Nose of tobacco, seasoned salt, a hint of anise. Taste was similar, with a hint of drying tannins on the end. Reminds me of 1988, perhaps a hair worse. Overall, nice.
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12/11/2011 - avp wrote:
Blackcurrant nose with slight Cab lift, blackpepper, leafy notes, pencil shavings, cedar and leather.
Medium to fullbodied palate with balanced acidity and medium grip of ripe tannin. Dry style with some florality, medicinal character, slight stewed vegetality and graphite. Meat and milky oak in the long finish.
Pretty concentrated and fruity Pauillac. Good for sure, but I definitely would have liked to see this more aged.
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11/19/2011 - anonymoose12345 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Still very young. A bit green on the nose. Lively fruit, red ripe cherry on the palate. Still very tannic.
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10/28/2011 - Argrath wrote: 92 Points
(Old note)
Very classic claret nose - blackcurrant, oak, cedar, a lot of tobacco, ink.
Ultraclassic west bank claret. Beautifully balanced with a hint of sweet, succulent plum fruit revealing the high Merlot component. Elegant but also a bit thin, a small hint of greeness reveals the vintage. In perfect drinking window now.
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10/8/2011 - Sunny10 wrote: 84 Points
actually I was quite disappointed by this bottle, bottle decated for 2 hours, it showed smells of blackberry, cedar and alcohol. midium body with balancing sweetness and acidity, quilt flat but long finish.
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7/11/2011 - matro wrote: 93 Points
After 1 hour it opened up into a fabulous paulliac gushing with fruit, forest floor and cedar. I do not think this one is getting any better but please give it some breathing room.
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7/11/2011 - guido23 Likes this wine: 91 Points
After serving the wine immediately after opening, I rated it an 89 and submitted the following note:
"Nice currant and pleasant tannins, a little mossy and my wife got some licorice out of it. We left half the bottle and will see if it's opened up further tomorrow."
The second half of the bottle (having been left corked and in the fridge) was like an entirely different wine: decadent, hedonistic. New rating is a 91 and the takeaway is to decant - or at least let it breathe - before serving.
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6/18/2011 - DonalOB wrote: 90 Points
AWSEC Great Bordeaux Tasting (AWSEC, Hong Kong): A broader rim than the '96. Some fruit but savoury with smokey notes. On the palate it has little fruit with med+ acid. Some licorice and fine-grained tannins. A little drying and hollow.
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4/30/2011 - AllRed wrote: 91 Points
4th Saturday Group brown bagger (Our house): Aroams of red fruit, underbrush and red currants. Balanced, wth earthy red fruit flavors. Guessed Bordeaux.
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4/24/2011 - honest bob wrote: 89 Points
On opening a ton of "barnyard" stink, which fortunately blew off after an hour in the decanter. Very much a 1994, this chubby chappy is a good dinner companion, but lacks acidity, edge and muscular definition. Lovely cedar-plum perfume, very flattering soft (Merlot-dominated?) palate with slightly dry tannins (a good thing, given the general soft-shapeless tendency); silky smooth shortish finish. Good now, will keep (but not improve) for at least 5 years. 89P
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4/23/2011 - JeremyQ wrote: 91 Points
Didnt take an T/Ns but it was an enjoyable wine. A nicely balanced wine with decent fruit and acidity. For an 'off-vintage', the quality of the producer shines through.
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3/5/2011 - Chaz Bham wrote: 88 Points
Shy on both the nose and palate. Restrained yet elegant elements of tobacco and leather. Revisited about an hour later, only slightly opening up.
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2/26/2011 - AlanM68 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drunk from magnum with family. This is magnum number 5 of 6. Of the 4 before this one, 3 have been great and 1 was badly corked. This one was also very good. 1994 has a poor reputation but in magnum there is more to it than you might expect. It's very together, a little leather and animal coming in the mid-palate and a good length. I really ought to keep the last one for a few more years and see how it gets on.
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1/22/2011 - tomandlu wrote: 88 Points
Decanted two hours. Deep, mature garnet-red with very little fading. Cedar, leather, earth, cassis and green tree bark on the nose. The green streak continues on the palate but is not as obtrusive as in the past (or as in other '94s) along with loads of fruit and some drying tannins. The balance and silkiness of PL are present. I believe this wine has reached it peak. Drank along side the 1994 Beringer Marston Vineyard and 1994 Woodward Canyon Dedication Series and prefered those wines to this.
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12/25/2010 - alhun wrote: 97 Points
Ruby in color. aroma 1 fir forest & black currant, 2 fresh water, 3 mint tabacco
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12/17/2010 - europat55 wrote: 91 Points
18-bottle Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande Vertical (1976-2007) (Jeff & Chuck's, Mountain View, California): This is in a good spot right now. Classic Lalande. Blackcurrents, cassis, leather. Medium+ finish.
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12/10/2010 - Sleepy Dave wrote:
Some old stuffs on a casual friday: Alcohol :: 12.5%
pop for 60mins. Soft aromas of fig, barnyard, pencil leads and blackcurrant fruits that show good underlying sweetness with touch of earth. Med bodied, the soft, gentle tannin has almost fully dissolve and fully integrated into the soft, polished structure that display heavy barnyard flavor that immediately fill up the mouth with roasted herb, sweet dark berry fruits with touch of spices and oak that buried under the fine, silky tannin and flow on to a long spicy finish seamlessly. Not necessary a wine with good complexity and depth but a very well made, feminine Lalande nevertheless. Drinking well now though I'm very much concern of the strong barnyard dominated the aromatic and flavor profile. Buy - No.
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11/26/2010 - patrickrains wrote: 93 Points
delicious drinking. Opened about 5 hours before decanting. Slightly dusty tobacco and chocolate, with dark berries or currant. color still dark ruby. Opened 2nd bottle and decanted and began drinking right away. it was a little tighter at first but opened nicely. Leaves me to think there are still more years ahead.
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10/22/2010 - Jhcwine Likes this wine: 94 Points
Toronto Wine Cru - WineSpectator Off-Line Event (Crush Wine Bar, Toronto): October-22-2010 - Toronto Wine Cru - Wine Spectator Off-line tasting event
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10/12/2010 - La Cave d'Argent wrote: 89 Points
Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande Vertical Dinner (The Marine Room, La Jolla, California): Opaque red robe with garnet rim. Clean, moderately intense nose of black and red currants, dust, anise and garrigue. Full-bodied on the palate, with medium acidity. The tannins are firm and the flavors run parallel to the nose. The middle palate is full but the tannins become more astringent on the back end. Medium, slightly tart and coarse finish. While this wine still has plenty of fruit, the tannins remain chunky on this wine and I suspect that ultimately the fruit will die before the tannins. Drink now-12/20.
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10/9/2010 - ilee wrote: 92 Points
This was my last magnum and also the best experience I've had so far with this wine. Decanted for 2 hours, and I served it slightly on the chilled side. Once again, a delightful perfumed nose of cherries and flowers, with hints of graphite. There were also some faint vegetal notes but it wasn't a problem at all. On the palate, it didn't disappoint. Medium bodied with crisp, vibrant fruit, the first thought that came to my mind was burgundy! The tannins have been nicely rounded with age, and there is just enough acidity to keep it fresh and light on the feet. While this is not one of the richer wines made by this estate in the 1990's, it is certainly an enjoyable wine from what I think is an under-estimated vintage that often throws up some nice surprises.
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9/25/2010 - timewithwine wrote:
Very tight. Faded fruit. Not a pleasant vintage. With the Morans
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8/25/2010 - jkoenen wrote:
Wonderful again, but slightly more developped than my previous bottle. From a different source, though.
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8/14/2010 - WildeMeeuw wrote:
1994 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande (Frankrijk, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac) Kleur: Diep robijnrood Aroma / bouquet: Subtiel aroma, kersen-compote, beetje bosgrond / gronderigheid, mokka en bittere chocola. Prachtige gerijptheid. Smaak / Afdronk: In tegenstelling tot twee jaar geleden boterzacht en rond, aangenaam zachte rijpheid met nog voldoende kracht, zacht fris zuur, ronde tannines, bovengemiddelde lengte. Algemeen / potentieel: Mooie rijpe Pauillac, niet superverfijnd maar zeer aangenaam. 50 + Kleur: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 11 + Smaak / Afdronk: 14 + Algemeen / potentieel: 8 = 88/100
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6/12/2010 - timewithwine wrote:
The flavors marry beautifully with cedar, pencil, tobo, tart cherry and cocoa. The softening tannins that still have a long way to go. Still a very primary wine. A finish of vanilla kicks in when the wine follows a bite of steak with walnut butter. The finish is magnificently long. The olive tapenade is a good foil to the wine. This is so deep in color (blood red) and flavor. 12.5% alc. With mushroom tapenade, seared rib-eyes (beef) and ahi tuna with olive tapenade. Highly Recommended.
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5/8/2010 - ilee wrote: 89 Points
Ex-chat magnum. Healthy dark red colour and charming complex nose of spring flowers and cherries hinted of a fabulous wine. Sadly, it was not to be. Charmless and curt on the palate, the fruit came across as lacking vibrancy. Finish lasted no more than 10 seconds. No improvement since early 2008 when I opened my previous bottle, it's holding well at this level but not getting any better
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4/18/2010 - TT2000 wrote: 92 Points
Excellent!
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4/11/2010 - jpijg wrote: 90 Points
Colour : dark ruby. Nose : tobacco, bacon, blackcurrent and graphite. In the mouth, the wine shows massive concentration, but perfect balance due to ripe powerfull tannins, which is far from always the case in this difficult vintage Aromas are complex and precisey defined : confit blackcurrent, liquorice, tobacco, coffee with hints of forest soil and graphite. Long complex and pleasing finale.The wine seems still young with further aging potential.
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4/2/2010 - prakashkrishnan wrote: 91 Points
My advice is to put it away and forget it for atleast 5-8 years. It is so young. This is a great wine needs more much more time.
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4/1/2010 - Goldstone wrote: 88 Points
Decanted 3 hours ahead. Deep ruby red opaque colour with only a hint of translucency. Nose is wet bracken woodland undergrowth on a wet October countryside walk in the UK together with very pure pencil lead. Palate is rich pure blackcurrant but lacking a certain warmth........and some unyeilding black liquorice. Tannic and haughty........refused to surrender any charm and was seriously outgunned on the night.
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3/9/2010 - PatrikO wrote: 90 Points
Mag straight from the Chateau, very youthful still, not as concentrated and complex as the 95 and 96 still, nevertheless a very nice drink.
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2/27/2010 - bmr67 wrote:
Reserving final rating until second tasting - good but not great. Allowed for probably 1 hour decant at best; paired with an italian 'osso buco' style stew over parmesan rissoto. Classic paulliac nose and flavor profile. Opened up significantly with time; fruit was clearly evident and the wine still feels young but a dry finish. Leather, cedar, bright plum and tar.
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2/14/2010 - tbabes wrote: 94 Points
This wine is showing very well at present, and greatly exceeded my expectations. Aromas of ripe dark fruits, tree bark and fennel. Medium-bodied, with a round and velvety mouthfeel; great balance and depth of flavors, with impressive precision on the finish.
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2/13/2010 - t-slow wrote: 88 Points
The bouquet was captivating. Layers of fruits, mocha and hints of grilled meat. On the palate it was disappointing. Very short.
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1/30/2010 - Manus wrote: 89 Points
The wine has good concentration of plum, spices, blackcurrant and cedar flavours. Still got a lot of tannins and should be able to continue to develop in bottle. Long but slightly dry finish. Very Pauillac in style!
More details at
http://hk.myblog.yahoo.com/hkwine-blog/article?mid=394
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11/14/2009 - Paul S wrote: 92 Points
Jolin brought this to dinner at Ancora. Very nice for the vintage. Beautiful nose, rich cassis, light plummy notes, plenty of tobacco leaf, some damp earth, warm meat, a little spice, some umami inflections. Lovely. Palate lacked the concentration and weight of great Pichon-Lalande vintages, butwas very good nonetheless, with a marked clarity and purity of flavours. I got clean, fresh tones of cigar, cedar, tobacco smoke, sweet cassis and warm spices. Great balance all round. Nice length too, with the wine ending in a lovely, fresh, open finish as well, with cigar smoke wafting around the mouth. Not a blockbuster, but a very nice drinking near its very best.
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11/11/2009 - marc d wrote:
This was pretty good but it had tough company tonight after the 82 and 86 Mouton. It shows well the lighter side from the '94 vintage. Some barnyard in the nose, with a good core of blackberry fruit left. I like the relatively higher acidity, very good food wine. Structurally this is still fairly young.
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9/13/2009 - michaelgor wrote: 94 Points
decanted for 2 hours...medium plum color with some brown around the edges..a wonderful nose, pencil,cigar box, dark fruit, some banyard, in a good way..on the palate more cigar box,
and some herbaceousness, a medium finish with well integrated tanin and fruit..a delicious paulliac..but at least from this bottle, I plan to drink my remaining in 4-5 years
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6/26/2009 - La Cave d'Argent wrote: 92 Points
This is one of two wines which I brought to our group's "bring good stuff" tasting. I double-decanted the wine, allowing approximatey one hour in decanter before funneling back into the cleaned bottle. The wine was then tasted serially over a three-hour period. My tasting was unblinded. Opaque red/garnet, this wine shows a moderately intense nose of smoke, black and red currants and roasted herbs. Full-bodied on the palate, with medium acidity and big tannins which are softening but still remain a bit dry. The middle is full and the flavors are similar to the nose. Long, albeit dry finish. I suspect that the wine will get better, but a drinking window of now to 12/20 is certainly reasonable.
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5/7/2009 - jkoenen wrote: 94 Points
Birthday tasting @ Roel's (Netherlands): (Bottle opened on 2-5-2009) Unbelievable presentation: concentrated, yet sleek. I was only picking up black stuff: ink, soy-sauce, "appelstroop", black cherries, cassis, earth, dark chocolate, incense, sundried tomatoes and leather. Very suave, broad and completely ripe and mature. Fabulous juice from an underappreciated vintage. 18.5/20
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5/2/2009 - jkoenen wrote: 94 Points
A day in the country: barnyard and animalfur. But also stuffed with black fruit, freshly ground coffee, bitter chocolate, forest vegetation and iodine. A fantastic, classically build, Bordeaux, which can be cellared with confidence for another 10 years. 18,5/20
I put the remaining half of the bottle in the fridge and brought that to a tasting 5 (!) days later...: see TN 7-5-2009
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5/1/2009 - lrperkins wrote: 95 Points
We opened and decanted a good 3 hours before drinking. Really is a must. I took a sip right after opening, and it was so barnyard/brambly, that it really was hard to get anything else. After it opened up (and with food) it ended up being just fantastic. Was drinking just right. Even though this is not really a "great vintage", it presented very well. Very brambly, even after 3 hours. Leathery. A little tobacco, and very dark, tart fruit. Nice and light with the 12.5% ABV. Well balanced, with good acid. Not a super long finish, but respectable. It really sang when complimenting braised meats. Really was a great wine experience.
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4/6/2009 - shaferguy91 wrote: 91 Points
Decanted 1 hour.
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3/30/2009 - Roberto_1 wrote: 92 Points
This wine exceeded my expectations. It has a brambly nose of dark fruits and tobacco. The wine initially was linear with good fruit and brisk tannins on the finish. It really improved after being opened for a few hours with the middle of the wine getting softer and the fruit coming out. I did not detect any greeness. This wine definitely has strong tannins but they are ripe enough to carry the wine from start to finish and don't stand out to me. This was great with roasted lamb and I supect that it will improve for several years.
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3/9/2009 - Ricky99 wrote: 90 Points
wish i had opened early and decanted... very tannic at outset and each pour got better
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12/25/2008 - marc d wrote:
Drinking very well tonight. A classic Pauillac nose of woodsmoke, graphite, and cigar box. The woodsy elements mingle with ripe blackberry fruit, and overall the wine seems still young. It has medium body and still plenty of tannin left, but it is not drying, just a pleasant structure supporting the finish. Very nice with a standing rib roast. From this bottle there is no rush to this, but it is very enjoyable now.
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10/12/2008 - WildeMeeuw wrote: 89 Points
1994 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande (WA 91) (Frankrijk, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac) Kleur:) Diep robijnrood Aroma / bouquet: Zwart fruit, bessen, ook wel rood fruit (aardbei, kers), gronderig en aards, mokka en chocola, aroma heeft nog niets tertiairs. Smaak / Afdronk: Stevig, veel zuur en behoorlijk stevige tannine, Algemeen / potentieel: Prachtig en krachtig glas, kan nog vele jaren mee. 50 + Kleur: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 12 + Smaak / Afdronk: 15 + Algemeen / potentieel: 7 = 89
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10/6/2008 - il_diavolo wrote: 92 Points
a surprise, particularly its youthfulness. not yet fully evolved i think but distinctly bordelais and a find for the vintage
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9/18/2008 - hargy wrote: 87 Points
Not a deep red and already with a hint of amber - lovely pichon lalande nose and flavour, but no great depth or length - delicious drinking now
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8/13/2008 - shaferguy91 wrote: 90 Points
Decanted 1.5 hours. Nice nose, good fruit, mediocre finish.
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7/3/2008 - wa2ofd wrote:
Was slightly green and dumb for at least 2hrs in the decanter...recorked and tried again two days later, no improvement, in fact it seemed more weedy than the initial glass.
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6/29/2008 - HIT wrote: 91 Points
Opened this bottle at home and drank over a period of four hours. Good structure, very smooth, black currant and nicely smokey with a very nice and long finish. Already very drinkable with only hints of tannins . This is a well structured wine which evolves nicely in the decanter/glass. It just continues to please. Easily the best '94 medoc I've had.
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3/15/2008 - Matt T wrote: 88 Points
Ready to drink now. A smooth, well-concentrated wine. Not spectacular, but respectable.
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1/30/2008 - noppakit s. wrote: 90 Points
This bottle I better called it Tasting instead of testing. Pichon-Lalande should not be opened for 10 people because of its triple layers.
1st hour, 2nd hour and 3rd hour is different. It seems like every element does not come from the same bottle...( same wine I mean )
Leoville Las Cases as well. That's why they can not be 1st Growth !!!
First when opened it, soft, smooth and acid. Second hour, when Merlot is working, beautiful friut gets along with mineral, sweet and lovely.
3rd hour, when Merlot and Cabernet collided...That is PERFECT !!!
Every vintage is the same too and I do prefer Las Cases because, after 4 hours, it's not too aggressive or too strong.
Dear Wine-lovers, it should be drunk between a few good friends...follow its way...keep on its rule...enjoy how it gonna be...
Anyway, Pichon-Lalande 1994 has one great thing after 2 hours...when cassis and licorice come together as one scent...so wonderful...
I never get this kind of scent in any wine. The body, taste and its finished declared TOO YOUNG at this moment.
Drink it 2010 - 2025 ( 90-92/100 ) ........... 1982, 1983, 1985 and 1986 are very ready to drink asap .............
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12/25/2007 - Pichon66 wrote: 90 Points
Comtesse is always a pleaser. A "delicious" wine with typical Comtesse drinkability. This bottle was reticent to let go, having been opened and decanted just prior to drinking and, unfortunately, was just a few degrees too cool. I wish I could have given it an hour or two in the decanter. Not incredibly complex but interesting cherry/berry with some very mild and pleasant cigar undertone. My first bottle of this, I believe it will improve over maybe next 3 - 5 yrs. This is a wine both the afficianados and neophytes enjoyed...which is always the case with Pichon Lalande.
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10/18/2007 - vanpe003 wrote: 92 Points
Had to try another bottle...this one stylistically similar but brighter all the way around. Still dark and a bit gamey on the nose, but sweeter, with a bit of menthol/eucalyptus sneaking through. Palate has a bit more character than previous bottle, with dark cherry on a bed of oak. Long finish with some remaining tannins. Should have plenty of life. Improves significantly in the glass....
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10/17/2007 - vanpe003 wrote:
Arrived today, possibly shocked, but had to try one. Odd nose....wet towels initially that blows off into more desirable notes of dark fruit and cedar. Likewise, the palate starts out a bit muddy/meaty, with a hint of the green pepper mentioned by some, though this appears to be rounding itself out as it will often do as it matures. Generally has a nice sense of balance, albeit a bit dark. More potential than the '96 Bordeaux samplings recently, though similar stylistically. Not as bright as similarly aged California cabs, but G. likes this better. Looking forward to letting the remaining bottles rest, and watching the evolution over the next decade.
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9/19/2007 - LPskeleton wrote: 95 Points
This wine is still so alive with 10-15 years of life ahead of it. amazing and intense aromatics of blackberry cherry and fresh green tobacco leaf enter the nose with force. There is a gorgeous purity to the nose. On the palate the wine is mouth watering and strong, but beginning to show what aged bordeaux is all about. You can tell the tannins are stepping down and the wine is entering a great balance. I would say the tannins are still firrm but coupled with a great acid and an even better core of fruit. Lots of dark black fruits , black cherry that finish on tobacco and broccoli notes. socal described this as very savory and I agreed.
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8/18/2007 - rjonwine@gmail.com wrote: 92 Points
From magnum - dark red violet color; mushroom, leather and cedar nose; tasty, well structured, rounded cassis and red fruit palate; medium-plus finish (45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc, 8% Petit Verdot)
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6/9/2007 - La Cave d'Argent wrote: 89 Points
Consumed at home with Avelino Cortina and grilled prime New York strip steak (the debut of my new Turbo STS). Showing a deep garnet robe and garnet rim, this wine has evolved quite a bit since my last tasting. After decanting and aerating for two hours, the nose is moderately intense and shows assorted red fruits, dust, mint and coffee. Medium-bodied on the palate, with medium acidity and light yet relatively coarse tannins. The flavors mirror the nose, and the finish (albeit medium-to-long) is somewhat coarse. The wine was served alongside the '01 Opus, and the Opus was the better of the two (at least with this meal).
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3/21/2007 - Dave Dalluge wrote: 93 Points
Burgs and Bordeaux at Brad's: I loved this. The nose was classic Pichon Lalande with lead pencil, tobacco, and that endearing green note that is a combination of green pepper and ground coffee. In the mouth this has concentrated dark fruit with good weight, great balance, and a very long finish. While this is still very youthful, it is reminiscent of the better vintages from this domain and a buy for me at the current price.
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3/21/2007 - Siggy wrote: 91 Points
Tasting Group Dinner - Burgs & Bords (Brad's House, Minneapolis): Black fruits, pepper, and coffee on the nose. The palate picks up the characteristic Pichon-Lalande green bell pepper flavor. Nice structure and minerality to frame the moderately intense fruit. Fine-grained tannins on the finish. Very nice.
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3/17/2007 - MD2020 wrote: 91 Points
Well paired with beef stew. The wine was all about structure--the tannins had softened so the taste of tobacco, dark fruits and earth melded well, with a soft finish.
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3/17/2007 - Mr T wrote: 90 Points
wine dinner............pretty nice
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1/24/2007 - PhDP wrote: 92 Points
Bordeaux 1994 (groupe du mercredi, Bruxelles, Belgium, chez MC): Note moyenne du groupe: 16,9/20
Nez complexe: encre, tabac, fruit
Bouche assez évoluée, puissante, racée, longue: un archétype de Pauillac !
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1/15/2007 - winenutnyc wrote:
popped and poured. 12.5% alc.- this was classic middled aged Bordeaux- cedar, blackberries, cigar and stink on the nose, full bodied and well balanced on the palate. very good bottle.
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12/25/2006 - bluevespa wrote: 85 Points
Classic pichon lalande nose of cigar box, black fruits, an earth.. Unfortuanetly, not so great in the mouth. Too much acid and not ehough fruit. Parker missed the boat on this one. A off wine in an off year. Decanting does not help. I would not reccomend purchasing this wine, even if the price is tempting. I believe one would prefer any of the second labels of 2000 bordeaux's. i.e. admiral de beychevelle, etc.
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11/23/2006 - marc d wrote:
This showed well right out of the bottle and improved for the first hour or so. Classic nose of cedar, tobacco, a hint of leather and plum. Blackberry fruit in the mouth with medium body. Good length and a some tannin remaining. I didn't notice any green notes. Not a blockbuster but highly enjoyable.
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11/21/2006 - Eric wrote:
Kavana Wine Tasting: Varietals around the world (Seattle, WA): This had a horrendous smelling cork with clear TCA on the outside. Fortunately, this had not made its way into the bottle, and the wine was seemingly intact although, perhaps, very lightly corked. Textbook Pauillac with overt tobacco, crackling minerality and a hint of leather. Very round on the entry with a gorgeously silky mid-palate. The finish shows dusty tannins and somewhat aggressive acidity and maybe, just maybe, a slightly stripped personality. Still, this is what I like to drink, and this is a charming albeit not overwhelmingly good example of Pichon Lalande.
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10/22/2006 - tomandlu wrote: 85 Points
Decanted about 2 hours prior to dinner. Color was a deep red-garnet with a hint of brick. The nose was what I think of as classic Pichon - cedar, earth, tobacco and cassis - I can't describe it better: it's classic Pichon Lalande to me only somewhat less exhuberant and complex than in a great vintage. The palate was a disappointment. Somewhat green (as others have mentioned) and hard, perhaps unripe. The wine was much better with food. The finish was amazingly long - at least 45 seconds - considering the palate impression. All in all, a good but hardly great Bordeaux.
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10/8/2006 - jakob.krummenacher@gmail.com wrote: 91 Points
Complex and refined nose of blackcurrant, spice and earthy notes. Medium body but elegant and with lots of finesse. It feels soft in the palate with a great balance. Nice combination of fruit, acidity and complexity. Very easy to drink and enjoyable. However, it is not a muscle wine and it will only please those with refine and subtle palates. Drink now-2011.
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9/2/2006 - jkoenen wrote: 91 Points
Bordeaux 94/95 @ Peter V. (Netherlands): Cassis, forestfruit, roasted coffee beans, wonderful dosage of toasted oak. Lascivious and intense. Entering it's early drinking window. Great wine. 17.5-18/20
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9/2/2006 - Zweder wrote: 91 Points
Occasional tasting group: Top Bordeaux 1994 & 1995 plus a few extra's. (@ PVa): Garnet-blood-red.. Bouquet still not completely opened up. Nice oak and black fruits. The wine starts with a hint of sweetness, a lot of soft juice and tannins, well integrated oak. This is an outstanding wine which will even be better in a few more years.
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8/26/2006 - cortoncharlie wrote: 89 Points
Really not bad. Extremely young looking with deep ruby color. Smoky nose with a bit a cassis and cherry. Good structure and decent impact but somewhat monolithic in the mid-palette and not much of a finish. Tannic still and very Paulliac. It did shut down at about 3 hours. I think the wine will improve.
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8/24/2006 - jjoyce wrote: 88 Points
Opened based on Parker vintage recommendation, and comments here. Upon opening and a few minutes of occasional swirl, enjoyed lovely strawberry/cherry/blacberry fruit combination -- quite lovely and very ripe; along with typical cigar box and smoke. Color is a medium rusty burgundy with no obvious bricking. Almost no seepage in to the cork. Very well bottled - could have sat another decade. Taste was mild and dry with sweet tannis. Not much fruit showing initially, tobacco was primary flavor through mid-palate. Finish lasts a good 40 seconds or more. Mouthfeel is good, but not as much glycerin as in better vintages. Will put away for a day and try again.
Tasted again on 8/25 and 8/27. On 2nd day, nose was gone, but fruit that was apparent in nose had transferred somewhat to the palate, making it more interesting. My third tasting showed the most balance of all with fruit flavors mingling with the tobacco -- but only while the wine was a bit cooler than room temperature. Once the wine reached room temperature tobacco was the overwhelming flavor. This wine tasted best when accompanying a meal -- it is not a "drink-alone" wine.
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7/20/2006 - dave67 wrote: 90 Points
Starting the show a tinge of brown. Nice nose lead penil fruit wth a long finish.
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4/29/2006 - Paul from the Oblong Table wrote: 92 Points
After 15 minutes of decanting this bottle was SUPERB!!!
Deep color, full of fruit, lasting taste and plenty of nose...did I leave anything out? (92)
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4/22/2006 - rjonwine@gmail.com wrote: 91 Points
Mushroom, earthy nose; mushroom, tobacco, cassis palate with grip, good acidity; medium-plus finish
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4/22/2006 - rourkem wrote:
April 2006 Bordeaux Tasting at K&L (K&L Wines in Redwood City): Color is just beginning to brown along the edges. Very open, complex green nose. The nose was all herbs. Very smooth and mellow with lots of interesting flavors -- but to me all of this wine was medicinal, herby, and green with just a little fruit. (-)
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12/6/2005 - jamiekutch wrote: 91 Points
Dinner and tasting at Traci's; 12/1/2005-12/6/2005 (San Francisco): Lots of pencil lead with some sweeter fruit than the Barton. A small step up in quality. With its mix of dark fruit and medium body, integrated tannin and round mouthfeel, it was enjoyable.
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6/22/2005 - Tad GW wrote: 92 Points
Fantastic Paulillac for this vintage. The bouquet outshines the palate but the palate is damn good. 50+5+13+16+8=92
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3/1/2005 - winefool wrote: 92 Points
Purple red. Nice aroma. Nice, not bad. 3/05
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12/24/2004 - Doug House wrote:
Showed not as well at two years ago, but perhaps over-decanted? Was out 3-4 hours before drinking. Modest claret nose with some dark fruit, cedar, pencil, and cab franc herbal qualities in the mouth. Modest finish clipped by acidity not adequately balanced by fruit. Nice, but not especially memorable. Given the other note posted, might have waited too long to drink. Try the next one right after opening.
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12/10/2004 - Paul from the Oblong Table wrote:
Tasted this wine--very large number expected!
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7/31/2004 - Eric wrote: 92 Points
My trip to Napa, Part 4: Montelena, Phelps, Darioush, lunch at Tra Vigne, Dinner at Bouchon and a nightcap (Napa Valley, California, USA): Wow, this was lovely! A nose of tobacco and barnyard, very black with dust, mineral and roasted earth. Classic claret! The palate shows such stunning silk, roasted fruit, and mineral. This still has plenty of structure on the back end and nice acid, finishing with a long mouthful of tobacco. This wine was at its best right when we popped and poured, and it provided glorious drinking for an hour before starting to shut down a bit. This is really lovely claret.
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6/6/2002 - sdylewski wrote:
Awesome but not necessarily worth the price. Drank with Mom and Grandpa when they visited.
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5/26/2001 - La Cave d'Argent wrote: 93 Points
Tasted at the LJ Beach and Tennis Club with Jim Irwin. Barbecued filet mignon was the main course. This wine shows incredibly youthful color (dark ruby with red rim). The nose is intense but young, with predominant currants, vanilla, and cherry. The palate is full-bodied, with loads of tannins which are quite supple. The overall texture is accordingly supple. The flavors are intense berry, vanilla, anise and currents. The finish is medium and moderately tannic. This wine is a true blockbuster. It is pleasant now but will surely evolve into something very special over the next decade.
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12/13/1998 - Zweder wrote: 92 Points
Creamy, elegant, soft black currants, lead pencil and beautiful oak.
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3/1/1997 - sdr Likes this wine: 88 Points
Great Wine Seminar. Medium color. Exceptionally fresh and tasty. Forward. Lovely fragrance. Nice integration of oak. Sound acidity. Just about ready. Great success for the vintage. But not a “serious” Pichon-Lalande.
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12/8/1996 - Zweder wrote: 92 Points
A very elegant bouquet. Very refined wine. Much more than the powerful Baron. In this vintage the difference between a Baron and a Comtesse becomes clear. Both can be beautiful, but completely different.
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