Frank Heinz

9.2

Wylds Cafe — 5 years ago

Michi Z

9.7

Love this wine! Not too sweet. — 5 years ago

Nate Axline

9.0

Simple and straight forward Sta. Rita Hills. This was a interesting vintage, early harvest and small yields. Giving nice fruits but very light palate texture and finish. — 6 years ago

with Rachelle

Jae Cho

9.1

Post chix 'n bunnies libation at a local Mexican joint near my sister's. It was light and cheerful on opening and evolved w time. Raspberry, tomato, citrusy crisp with a long finish. — 8 years ago

with Brandon and Diana

Somm 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. — 8 years ago

Gerich Fellermann

Sales Grassroots Wine Wholesalers

9.9

Frank Stitt tribute dinner - post — 13 years ago

Gil Castro

9.0

Nice and easy flowing. I got this one because I miss eating and having there wine. Damn this COVId!!! — 5 years ago

J Tyler McClendon

9.4

Very fresh with still some good fruit. — 5 years ago

Pooneet K

8.9

A nice Niagara Chardonnay. Quite full, but not overly rich if that makes sense. You get a bit of sensation from the barrel fermentation but there is no apparent oak, just body. Good acid but one smidge less cohesive on the finish than I’d like. Still nice. — 6 years ago

Luis Arguero (@winefromAtoZ)

9.5

Unparallel intensity, concentration, & character. What a superb wine! Definitely aged to perfection! — 8 years ago

Kyle Doucet-Walter

9.3

Very exciting; perfumed, complex and balanced. From the oldest Pinot vines in Ontario. There is a promising future for elegant wine in Ontario and wines like this are proof. — 8 years ago

Vincent Tian

9.5

Kokarri lunch group lunch with lamb — 10 years ago

Beki Miller

9.7

En magnum — 10 years ago

Alexander Sanchez

9.2

Red fruits, raspberries, earthy. More alcohol, no acidity. — 10 years ago

João Freire

9.3

Great aroma, an austere douro wine. Age will work even more wonders — 11 years ago

Ray Ormand

9.0

Fresh off the truck and even better than I remembered. Fleshy, juicy, proud red with good acid and grip. — 11 years ago

Monroe Bryant

9.2

Tasty and light with a distinct Belgian taste. Bananas. Dog park chillage. — 12 years ago

Vinny Eng

10

Post Scribe Harvest Dinner goodness — 13 years ago

Craig Daniels

9.5

I had the Vin Nature version of this wine, 2018 Twenty Mile Bench.
Quite frankly exceptional, no additives,natural ferment and neutral barrels, unfiltered and unfined. Just a perfect expression of this varietal. — 5 years ago

Bob Dylan

9.0

Amazing natty Ontario wine. Maybe a bit too dry this time. — 6 years ago

Malika Lowe

10

Very sweet, I love it. — 7 years ago

McKenzie Mohler

8.9

Very dry, slightly sour but in a good way — 8 years ago

P Pelissero

9.0

Drank it on Xmas. — 8 years ago

Dave G

9.5

Post-gaming. — 9 years ago

Tugay Evcim

9.0

Brewdog rules, bitchez! — 10 years ago

Peter Yeung

9.4

Little post board night cap - toasty, baked citrus, nicely developed character — 10 years ago

Frank Witulski

9.4

Lighter less earthy than Highliner. — 10 years ago

Paul Kaan

Winemaker/Blogger FilthyGoodVino.com

9.3

88-89-90 Baroli Festa! When this is just the 1st bracket you know it's going to be a good night!Intriguing drinking will post the full round-up on FilthyGoodVino.com soon! #Barolo #FilthyOldVino #WinePorn — 11 years ago

Mathew

9.4

A touch of spice, earth, tobacco, and smooth. So freakin' good. I'm Sideways after an epic day of cycling. — 11 years ago

Richard Keith

9.1

Yummy! Oaky with rounded tannins and fruit! — 13 years ago

with Sarah