Lewis Chester

9.6

1996 vintage. At Hotel TerraVina with my pal, Gerard Basset MW. Unfortunately we didn't get time to decant it sufficiently prior to having with lunch. Typically I would have had at least a 2 hour decant before serving. Medium garnet hue, very bright. The nose is simply stunning and evolved constantly in the glass. Blackberry, black plum, cedar wood, lots of spices, cocoa and hints of roasted coffee bean. Tertiary notes have developed but there still seems to be a bit of development to be teased out of this wine yet. The palate exhibited an enormous amount of structure - high acidity and high tannins that are ripe but chunky. There's nothing round here - more linear and angled than curvy. Almost light bodied but with a big two-step punch of a finish: there's an initial hit and then a powerful umph of additional rev's that makes your head bob up and down in joy and happiness. Though it's drinking extremely well now, this will hold for decades to come. Fabulous. — 9 years ago

Craig Stanfield

9.5

Started wth a slight must on the nose, but that blew off. Opened to round and bright red and some blue fruit. Tobacco and wood (not lavish oak, maybe cedar) round it out. Fine grained tannins and a wonderful finish. Love the value of Rioja and hard to believe I just got some of these babies recently. This was the 125th vintage. — 9 years ago

Allison Muma

9.2

Loved this Zin. Hubby and I drank the bottle in one sitting. — 10 years ago

Ryan Carey

Founder Wine Confidential

9.1

2008 Tom Scott Barn Burner. Typical vegetal quality that I often get from Tom Scott. Green bell pepper and sweet blueberry notes — 10 years ago

Michael Maggitti

9.2

08 sat in my wine frig until Fathers Day. Smooth, mellow black cherry accented the appetizer round — 11 years ago

Jeffrey Lew

9.2

53 years in waiting for this group... What can I say. Started off much younger than the label would say.. Like the old grand dame of St Estephe.. Nice fruit, wonderful nose, and a pleasant finish to round out a great bottle of wine from a era gone by. Shared with friends like it should be. Looking forward to 2015 to do it all again. — 11 years ago

Fabricio

9.5

A great wine for especial occasion. Great ripe black fruit, round tannins, well balanced and amazing red fruit in the palate. Long finish and delicious after taste. — 12 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

— 9 years ago

Christine Woo

9.2

Round, meaty and tobacco. Tasty stuff — 10 years ago

Mike Saviage

9.2

5-Oh Bday Dinner... From a half bottle. Deep red and purple color. Mostly opaque and thick in the glass. There is still some good fruit in the nose with gravel and soil notes. Very round in the mouth. The wine hung in there over the hour it was consumed. Nice experience with an 80+ year old wine. — 11 years ago

David Wanek

9.2

Great food wine. Wish I had more. — 11 years ago

Rob Moose

9.2

2009. Shy! Cream to drink, iodine to smell. Became more expressive after about an hour in the decanter. Very pretty, without angles but not quite round either. Curious. Cull&Pistol in Chelsea Mkt — 11 years ago

Mindi VandenBosch

9.5

Awesome wine. Very earthy — 13 years ago

Harry C

9.0

Took a while to open up, so let it sit and breathe. It'll be worth it. Lots of dark fruit. In the mouth, feels round and full with satisfying lingering finish and layered tannins. I wanted to taste the 2012 now before laying it down for a few years. It's going to be great next time around. — 9 years ago

K. Ross

8.9

Black current and black cherry. Earth. Nice round Bordeaux. — 9 years ago

Sarah Stevens

9.0

Florally, lemony, crisp and perfect with chicken. Lovely summer white. — 10 years ago

with Evan

EatSommThings (Jimmy)

9.4

Rich and round with toasty notes and has bottle development — 10 years ago

with Diana

Joe Boudreau

8.9

Not the best year for Bordeaux's but this one continues to hold up well albeit a bit dirty....round structure easy to drink, but drink now, don't hold on to this vintage too much longer. — 11 years ago

Christine Havens

9.5

The 1995 Shafer Hillside Select is still youthful, and would benefit from further another 10-20 years of cellaring. Saturating aromas of burnt brown sugar, toffee, cherry liqueur, blackberries, blueberries, graphite and dark chocolate round out the nose. In the mouth, its big and brawny, endowed with firm, ripe tannins, and vibrant acidity—that narrowly prevents a total plunge into velvety darkness. The intensity and concentration of fruit is over the top. A powerhouse from start to finish. 14.1% ABV — 11 years ago

Melissa Boon

9.6

Beautiful brick color, deep, murky. Nose: chocolate, pepper, vanilla, toffee. Very interesting, round, red fruits, coffee, tobacco. Mouth: red fruit, sourness, blunt chocolate, tobacco. Very velvety, nose that is super expressive, nice acidity from sour red fruits. Very good wine, very good vintage. — 12 years ago