The savoury, floral edge of Cabernet on gravel is fully on display, and it needs time in the glass to soften and unroll. After a few minutes, the smoky side comes out, and the lean but concentrated berry fruit, although the tannins are a little crunchy. Delicious, a very classic Pauillac, full of pencil lead and crushed stone. 75% new oak. Drinking Window 2021 - 2038
Blind tasted by Jane Anson (at Bordeaux, 19 Feb 2021)
Part of Bordeaux 2011: The top-rated wines tasted 10 years on

This has lots of mineral and lemon peel character with dried flowers and currants. Full and very silky with fresh acidity. Long and intense. Racy and lean at the finish. The licorice, tar and spice character with dried fruits and currants impresses me. Full body with firm tannins and a chewy finish. This is even better now than from barrel. Better in 2019. – jamessuckling.com, Feb 2014

This is proper claret: boasts great polish, gloss and depth with a core of sweet fruit and that delicious redcurrant crunch. Has fabulous balance, purity and a lightness of touch which many will find thoroughly pleasing. Excellent alcohol level, good tannin management and that zip in the mouth give it good structure. Lovely.

The dense ruby/purple-colored 2011 Grand Puy Lacoste exhibits a charming, open-knit bouquet of red and black fruits. It is a savory, medium-bodied, flavorful, well-endowed Pauillac from Xavier Borie that can be enjoyed over the next 10-15+ years. 91 points – Robert Parker (Wine Advocate #212, April 2014)

Shows purity and focus, with a core of bitter plum, cassis and lightly singed vanilla notes leading to a silky, relatively unadorned finish that glides along. Flickers of cedar and iron should emerge with cellaring. Best from 2015 through 2025. – James Molesworth (WineSpectator.com, March 2014)

The dense ruby/purple-colored 2011 Grand Puy Lacoste exhibits a charming, open-knit bouquet of red and black fruits. It is a savory, medium-bodied, flavorful, well-endowed Pauillac from Xavier Borie that can be enjoyed over the next 10-15+ years.

The 2011 Grand Puy Lacoste is a blend of 78% Cabernet Sauvignon and 22% Merlot. It has a slight subdued nose that demands some coaxing and eventually, perhaps reluctantly offers aromas of blackberry, wild hedgerow, sous-bois and damp tobacco. I find it missing a little vivacity and precision. The palate has a crisp, brine-tinged entry with chalky tannins. Typically masculine and austere, quite edgy and tense, the 2011 is a straight down the fairway, quintessential Pauillac with cedar and strong graphite notes on the finish. Leaving it for another five minutes, there is a cheeky scent of orange that develops in the glass and then...poof...it’s gone again. This is an intriguing Pauillac that keeps you on your toes. – eRobertParker.com, May 2012

[78CS/22M] Fresh ripe fruit; elegant middleweight in a firmer style but with no excess of either acidity or tannin; freshly ripe to taste with clear gravel aromas, firm but not coarse in texture, long in the mouth and with good, well defined length. Fresh, aromatic claret, a perfect expression of fine Médoc and a typically classy bottle of refined Pauillac in prospect. Another wine where one feels this is akin to 2008 with more mid palate complexity and structure. 2022-32+ [M.Schuster, Bordeaux Mar/Apr 2012]

Ruby-purple. Enticing aromas of strawberry, white pepper and minerals. Then bright and fresh in the mouth, with lively red berry, aromatic spices and herbal flavors nicely lifted at the back by vibrant acidity. The finish is bright, smooth and perfumed but reveals a trace of heat.

Tasted blind. Some intensity and aroma. Very severe. Tannins only just mastered. Drink: 2018-2030 – jancisrobinson.com, Nov 2015

78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot. 40 hl/ha. Still a youthful colour. Subdued nose with a dark-fruit nuance. Lifted edge to the palate but still quite tannic and austere. Firm in tone and form. Slightly chewy finish. Definitely needs some solid fare. (JL)