Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.1

2021 vintage. Hoppin and boppin for the price. Medium-bodied. Some earth and candy in the nose. Both in the flavor profile with chunky, mostly-ripe dark plum tagging along to bully and taunt your palate. 1.24.24. — 10 months ago

Stephane

9.1

Belle surprise. Dîner à la maison avec Virginie et Philippe. — 6 years ago

Ryan Mullins

9.7

In such a fantastic spot with decades ahead. Taunt and wide. A remarkable wine — 6 years ago

David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

Pichon Lalande is my favorite 2nd growth with a steak. Yup...it's #SteakandClaret night to quote my buddy Gary Westby. Further, it's certainly one of my favorite producers period. I've waited for this wine to be in the bottle for 10 years before finding out definitely how good it was or wasn't. You see, the 05 Bordeaux vintage was exceptional. It's drinking right now better than 00. 00 may turn out to be better, but not for some time. The real issue was the division of scores between RP & NM. Parker had this as low as an 86 and now has it at 89. Neil Martin has been consistently at 95-96. I found it simply inexplicable that Pichon Lalande could have bombed in such a great vintage. Tonight, I know they didn't. This wine is beautiful. Although, I don't believe it will cellar as long as their some of their very best vintages and many others I've enjoyed. On the nose, bramble, ripe blackberries, dark cherries, notes of blueberries, poached strawberries, graphite, baking spices, cedar, lightly perfumed violets and dark, fresh & dry red flowers. The body is medium-medium plus, tannins nicely resolved with 10 years to be completely resolved. Fruits of; ripe blackberries, dark cherries, notes of blueberries, poached strawberries and pomegranate with a whiff of spice. There's notes of dry bramble, soft leather, fresh violets, graphite, cedar, dry stones, dark rich earth, limestone, tobacco, spice-box, vanilla, very light cinnamon & nutmeg. The finish is very long, elegant, ripe, round, smooth, good acidity and beautifully elegant...50-50 earth & fruit. I bought more bottles of this at $85 after it's was first released in futures and I do not regret it. $85 is proving to be a steal for this wine when it normally sells for between $100-$150 a bottle and higher. Might heavy up further after tonight if I find more around the same price. Oh yes...I'm with NM on the scoring. Photos of the Chateau, estate vines, newer tasting room & the Virginie de Pichon-Longueville, Comtesse de Lalande. Forgive my long post, but my passion and love for this producer is profound. Producer history and notes...as I wrote in an earlier post for Pichon Baron, Pichon Baron and Lalande started as one entity. The first mention of what is now called Chateau Pichon Lalande was the creation of Pierre de Mazure de Rauzan. Pierre de Mazure de Rauzan is responsible for forming many of the top Bordeaux estates today. Pichon Lalande was given its name when Therse, the daughter of the founder received the estate as a dowry when she married Jacques de Pichon Longueville. Pichon Lalande was essentially managed by three women, Therese de Rauzan, Germaine de Lajus and Marie Branda de Terrefort. On the eve of his death in 1850, Baron Joseph de Pichon Longueville divided the property between his five children. His three daughters received Pichon Lalande and his sons Pichon Baron. What happened next was Virginie, the wife of the Count of Lalande took over the management of the estate under the name of Comtesse de Lalande. In 1850 she commissioned the popular, architect Duphot to build a residence inspired by the Hotel de Lalande, located in Bordeaux. Without heirs, Pichon Lalande passed down from aunts to nieces. Following World War I, the Miailhe brothers, bought Pichon Lalande in 1925. They were the ones who planted even more Merlot. May-Eliane de Lencquesaing, the daughter of Edouard Miailhe became the new owner and general manager of Chateau Pichon Lalande in 1978. She expand the size of Chateau Pichon Lalande from 40 hectares to it's current 89 hectares. Chateau Pichon Lalande remained in the same family for more than 250 years! In fact, over three centuries, only two families have owned Pichon Lalande. May-Eliane de Lencquesaing sold Pichon Lalande to the owners of Roederer Champagnein in January 2007. This family-run company is managed by Frederic Rouzaud who owned several other wine estates in Bordeaux; Chateau Bernadotte, Chateau de Pez, Haut Beausejour and Chateau Reaut la Graviere. He sold Chateau Bernadotte in December 2012. In February, 2011, Sylvie Cazes was named the director of Chateau Pichon Lalande. She replaced Gildas d’Ollone. Sylvie Cazes was replaced in 2012 by current Director Nicolas Glumineau, who was previously at Chateau Montrose. In 2012, Pichon Lalande renovated the estate with a budget estimated at over 15 Million Euros. The new facilities included; building of a new underground barrel aging cellar and several new buildings...one that houses their new tasting room as shown. This renovation provided numerous improvements in their wine making. Most importantly, in the vinification. They created a new, triple tiered, cellar where everything moves by gravity. They also added numerous new, stainless steel, temperature controlled, double skinned vats. These new vats allow Pichon Lalande to vinify on a parcel by parcel basis as well as get much softer & gentle extractions. The 89 hectare vineyard of Chateau Pichon Lalande is located adjacent to Chateau Latour and and across the road from Pichon Baron. The terroir of Chateau Pichon Lalande is deep gravel with clay and limestone soil and is planted to; 61% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot. — 7 years ago

Stefan Dolhain

8.9

2018 vintage. 100% Merlot from this estate in Lalande de Fronsac, named after Valandraud owner Jean-Luc Thunevin's daughter. Another sexy Bordeaux value. Good concentration, ripe fruit, ripe tannin and good acidity. A little alcohol heat in the finish prevents it from a higher score, but very good value at less than 10 euros. — 3 years ago

Keith Crump

9.2

2010 a little taunt on opening acidity and citrus but managed to loosen — 6 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.1

Pichon Longueville estate goes back to 1688. In 1850, Virginie de Pichon Longueville, Countess de Lalande, and her two sisters inherited three-fifths of the vineyard from their father. In 1978, May-Eliane de Lencquesaing inherited the property. Nice aromas of fruit, herb & spice on this blend of of 53% Cab Sauv & 40% Merlot, adding Cab Franc & Petit Verdot. Black fruit flavors, ripe soft tannins, impressive acidity, good balance drinks well now and will cellar nicely for a few years! — 6 years ago

Jeremy Noye

CEO Morrell & Company

9.3

Bold and taunt. Big rips of acidity that gets meaty and olive in finish. Good balance and length. — 5 years ago

David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.2

I like to thank @Severn Goodwin for his kindness & generosity for sending this beautiful bottle of Champagne.

We shared this with friends and paired this with apple walnut vinaigrette salad last night. Complimented the salad nicely. It was a nice yin and yang balanced tug of war of food & wine.

The body is beautiful in the mouth with nice acidity. Bruised apple & pear, some apple cider, pineapple juice, lime zest & candy, white peach, easy, soft chalkiness, soft, fine, grey volcanic minerals, sea spray, brioche with spring flowers and yellow lilies. Finishes softly, elegant, nicely balanced and persists nicely.

Photos of; the house of Caillez Lemaire, bottles waiting to sold, Current 18th century family Owners - Virginie and Laurent Van Poperinghe and one of their vineyards. — 5 years ago

Katherine Bordelon

Court of Master Sommelier Guild member

9.3

This playful little number showed off all her beauty underscored by a subtle viognier blended in. Balanced, layered, light with a taunt of cherries and spice. — 7 years ago

with Edmond