Dr. Owen Bargreen

9.3

The 2012 Grand-Puy-Lacoste is comprised of of 76% Cabernet Sauvignon and 24% Merlot made by François-Xavier Borie, oenologist Christel Spinner and consulting oenologist Eric Boissenot. The vines at Grand-Puy-Lacoste are 38 years old and are set on gravel soils. The wine needs more than a two hour decant to unveil ripe creme de cassis, anise and graphite flavors with lighter earthy tones. Bright and focused, this is just an infant now. Drink 2022-2040- 93 — 7 years ago

Chris England

9.2

Great value Larose @ £60 that’s ok now but time will definitely help to soften the dry tannins into a 😈 - leave 5+ years 😉

🍇 66% Cab S, 28% Mer & 6% Pet V

🍷 Opaque ruby

👃 Lead pencil, gravel & minerals through charred cedar & light oak in shy dark spiced black berry/currant fruit w/ herbs, smoke, earth & fresh roses

👄 Med+ body of mineral infused ripe blackcurrant & berry in mocha w/ a soft liquorice touch in fine dry tannins

🎯 Med+ dry blackcurrant & mocha finale — 8 years ago

Greg Ballington

Co-Founder of Millennial Drinkers Wine Blog

9.0

Medium purplish red. Dark spices on the nose, bitter cocoa, oak barrel, some animal nuances, light cherries, a touch smoky and crushed gravel. Tight on the tannins (6.5/10) not yet rounded. Complex palate yet tight as well with notes of raw twigs, bramble berries, anise, spices, dried cherries, a touch of alcohol and pepper. Long finish with definite potential to improve once the palate rounds out. Drink till 2024. — 8 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

I have to say this is my favorite Chateau to stand in front of and gaze. On the nose, spice, wild blackberries, dark cherries, blueberries, black plum, plum, leather, cedar, dark moist soil, wet stones, mint, tobacco leaf and dark fresh & dry flowers. It's drinking nicely with silty medium-medium + tannins & full bodied. Ruby, ripe wild blackberries, dark cherries, blueberries, black plum, plum, leather, cedar, dark moist soil, wet stones, crushed dry minerals, mint, tobacco leaf and violets, dark fresh & dry flowers. The acidity is round and mouthwatering. The long finish has great elegance, beauty, length, tension & balance. It's just starting to hit it's stride and has plenty of life ahead of it. Another 15-20 years. Who said 04 was a difficult vintage? This will continue to improve and will stun with another 10 years in bottle. Photos of the the exterior Chateau front & side, tasting room and Christian Seely Managing Director. Chateau Pichon Baron and Chateau Pichon Lalande were originally part of the same estate. Pichon Baron got it's name when Therese, daughter of the founder, received the estate as a dowry when she married Jacques de Pichon Longueville the first President of the Bordeaux Parliament. Chateau Pichon Baron changed because of the Baron Joseph de Pichon Longueville. He took over managing Pichon Baron when he was only 19 years old! When the Baron passed away at 90 in 1850, he divided his Pauillac estate. The sons were awarded what became Chateau Pichon Baron and the daughters were given what later became Chateau Pichon Lalande. Pichon Baron went through three rough decades in the 60's, 70's and 80's. Part of the issues were, lack of investment and they machine harvested. The first really great vintages for them were 89 & 90 after Jean Rene Matignon, Jean-Michel Cazes join them and AXA Insurance Company purchased them adding capital. The 73 hectare vineyard of Chateau Pichon Baron are planted to 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. However, the Cabernet Franc and the Petit Verdot are reserved exclusively for the second wine. The terroir is mostly deep gravel, sand clay soils. Pichon Baron uses 80% new French oak and rests in barrel 18 months. @ FogoDeChao

— 8 years ago

Nick Piccone

8.9

Awesome value - good oak and red fruit, some tannin — 9 years ago

April Wang

9.5

Dark ruby to garnet. Sweet, candied cherries, hints of gravel, toasted tea leaves. — 10 years ago

Joseph Colao

9.1

A very good bottle of wine and even better for the price. Price v quality makes it one of the best values in my opinion. — 10 years ago

Adrian Weisell

9.3

Deep and rich- notes of cassis, dark berries, wet gravel, dried black tea leaves, rose petals cigar box, On the palate surprisingly elegant, soft coating tannins and amazingly vibrant for the age. Really beautiful. — 11 years ago

Jayme Wortley

10

Such a great wine! Loved how the owner did the tasting and explained how they made each bottle!! — 11 years ago

Stanislav Lobanov

9.0

16.5/20 (90/100) Аромат спелых ягод черешни и ежевики, слив, молочного шоколада и конфет. Тельное с умеренной кислотностью и интенсивными, вяжущими, но бархатистыми по текстуре танинами. Типичный Стелленбош. #capewine2018 — 7 years ago

Chris England

9.2

98+ rated £107+ LP entering the start of its 3-4 decade drinking window but needs 5-10yrs to start shining - too young now but potential is there for greatness 😉

🍇 56% Cab S, 34% Mer, 7% Pet V & 3% Cab F

🍷 Opaque ruby

👃 Smokey oak through mocha infused blackcurrant & dark plum w/ gravel, pencil lead & minerals

👄 Med body of smooth blackcurrant & dark plum w/ mocha, raspberry & minerals in fine dry tannins

🎯 Short+ finish of mocha & dark fruits w/ dry minerals - needs time — 8 years ago

Chris England

9.2

Fab @ £63 & doesn’t disappoint but 05 nicer for a little more 💵

🍷 Opaque ruby

👃 Smokey torched oak, leather, gravel, minerals & pencil lead through spiced dark berries & plum

👄 Med body of dark ripe plum & blackcurrant w/ a touch of bitter mocha, liquorice & blackberry

🎯 Med+ plummy blackcurrant mineral loaded linger — 8 years ago

Chris England

9.3

1st wine of Lafon-Rochet in top year @ £40+ drinking good now but a great 94-95+ in 5-10yrs 👍

🍇 67% Cab Sav, 27% Merlot, 5% Petit V & 1% Cab Fr

🍷Opaque ruby w/ purple hue

👃 Gravel, lead, minerals pushing through spiced blackberry/currant with sweet cedar, light smoked oak & earthy wet leaves

👄 Med body of velvety creamy smooth rich black berry fruits w/ earthy feel, black tea & bitter cocoa tones in fine dry tannin

🎯 Med+, slight dry. earthy dark fruit & black tea finish

🎶 Earth Song MJ 👑 — 8 years ago

Camille Rogine

9.6

Incredible. Everything I've ever wanted! Full, dark fruits, jammy, wonderful!
— 9 years ago

Ron Siegel

9.4

Classic Graves with plum & red fruits, cedar, graphite, gravel & mineral notes. Good complexity with floral, pepper and herbal spices. This is one of my favorite vintages of SHL for current drinking. — 9 years ago

Paul Gordon

9.3

Very good GSM blend — 10 years ago

Meghan Chun

8.9

Florally and sweet!! — 10 years ago

Robert Scholl

8.9

1966- Still with some youthfulness; dark red fruit spectrum with tobacco/leather and gravel. Nice balance and good bottle. — 11 years ago

Martin Redmond

9.1

Wonderfully balanced with an appealing cassis, blackberry, loam, cedarwood character. Very persistent on the palate. Long finish. From magnum. Young approachable now, but would love to revisit in 5 years! 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot, 1% Cabernet Franc; 13% alcohol — 11 years ago

Miguel Tortosa Iglesias

10

Sabores a frutas silvestres, olores a madera de roble y regaliz. Final largo y muy suave. — 12 years ago

Greg Ballington

Co-Founder of Millennial Drinkers Wine Blog

9.4

First red on night four at Chops Grille aboard the Harmony of the Seas. Deep purplish red. Rich nose with sweet cinnamon, vanilla, blackberries, cassis, dark gravel and dark cocoa. Heavy tannins (7.5/10) and full bodied. Lush palate with blue and black fruits as well as baking spices, purple flowers and a bit of minerals. Long and lingering finish with a touch of heat. Could use a short decant next time. Drink till 2033. — 8 years ago

with Sean and India

Kimberly Anderson

9.2

Scents of Wet gravel and blackberry to start. Currant, baking spices and licorice. Med firm tannins with a silky finish. Nice! 95pts WS — 8 years ago

with Chad

David Kline

9.4

Rim to rim unvaried black. The charred tips of coffee rye. Cooked, black olives, wood mushrooms, dried black mix of sand and loam. Exsiccated black cherry, espresso, and bitter chocolate. Medium mouthfeel filled with variegated tannins evoke a murky shoreline tumble. Chamomile and dark cigar, cinnamon stick, salty, dried violets, river rocks freshly shattered, a dark look of scorn from a resentful moon and burnt parchment. #margaux #margauxmoments #MargauxWestYoungMan #DoNotPassMargaux #leftbank #Bordeaux #bordeauxlovers #ChateauDIssan — 8 years ago

with Courtney

Matt Trader

9.4

2012 wasn't the best year for left bank Bordeaux, but don't tell that to Pape Clement, because they crushed it! (All puns intended) Decanted from 11-4pm before jumping in, and it could have spent even more time breathing. The nose was divine - rose water, crushed gravel, pencil box, cloves, espresso bean, and mulled black fruits. The pallet was full of focused tannins and dark rich fruit - black plum, creme de casis, red licorice, red delicious apple skin, mineral, vanilla, green bell pepper, nutmeg, and a lingering finish of dark chocolate. Absolutely a full throttle wine, and this one will age just as long as their 100 pt 2010. Also, this vintage is average only $90, compared to about $250, so it is the best value in some of the best of Bordeaux. Buy all this up while you can, try one, and hold on to them for as long as you can! Hold, and drink from 2027-2047. — 9 years ago

with Tais

Maxwell Burns

Hospitality Kenwood Vineyards, Winemaker GARA

9.6

Fresh turned earth and gravel, deep dark red fruits. This wine needs a few more years. — 9 years ago

John L

9.0

Complex dark fruit, leather and clay-gravel. Pairs well with grilled lamb steak. — 10 years ago

Rollie Wright

Sales Wine Spectrum

9.2

Great bang for the buck — 10 years ago

Knightsbridge Wine Shoppe

9.4

Red cherry, cedar, bit of mint, gravel. Nice texture and finish. Showing quite well and in its prime. — 11 years ago

Kapyrick Wine

10

Well balanced , jammy dark cherry, black pepper, soft rounded edges. — 11 years ago

Nate Kresge

9.2

From our Niagara trip — 12 years ago

with Lauren