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The 2010 Pichon Lalande is performing extremely well and at the top of the range I predicted several years ago. A final blend dominated much more by Cabernet Sauvignon than usual (66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc and the rest Petit Verdot), the wine is a tighter, more tannic and structured version of this famed Pauillac, which often tends to have more of a St-Julien-like personality than most Pauillacs. Structured, backward and tannic, yet showing a fat mid-palate that is more savory, broader and more expansive than I remember from barrel, this wine is somewhat reminiscent of the 1986, given the Cabernet Sauvignon domination of the blend. Full-bodied, impressively endowed, and less sexy and velvety than normal, this is a somewhat different style of Pichon Lalande than most readers have been used to. Whether you like it more or less will depend on your point of view, but this wine, unlike most Pichon Lalandes, needs a good 5-7 years of cellaring and should keep for 30+ years.
Robert Parker (Wine Advocate #205, Feb 2013)
The 2010 Pichon-Lalande has a very beguiling bouquet with a very expressive Merlot at the moment. There is a sense of warmth coming through, touches of liquorice and allspice, although it remains delineated and intense. The palate is medium-bodied with those subtle marine influences that I have observed in previous bottles. I was maybe expecting a little more precision and grip on the finish, but it remains a gorgeous Pichon-Lalande, even if it has been surpassed by subsequent vintages like the 2015 and 2016. Tasted from an ex-château bottle at the BI Wines & Spirits 10-Year On tasting.
2nd Growth Pauillac (41hl/ha,13.6%) [66CS/ 24M /7CF/3PV] Black red; dense, minerally nose, abundant in Cabernet fruit; rich, generous, fleshy wine, a lovely feminine balance; sweetly ripe, complex and energetic, lively, juicy, very finely tannic, long and subtle to taste, spicy, sweet, penetrating, with a great aromatic range, and with a splendidly Pauillac - spicy aromatic aftertaste. Class, superfine tannins, fleshy, feminine and generous. A complete, a fine expression of the year and of the property. Not massive but very impressive. 2020-40+ [M.Schuster, Bordeaux Mar/Apr 2011 ]
This is a pretty and refined Pichon Lalande. Aromas of blueberries and blackberries with hints of earth and mushrooms. Full body, with velvety tannins and a juicy finish. I slightly prefer the 2009. Better in 2017.
– jamessuckling.com, Feb 2013
An eternal wine, the 2010 Pichon Lalande is a total showstopper. The first impression is one of explosive power, but time in the glass brings out the wine’s more delicate, floral side. Violet, graphite, crème de cassis, licorice and menthol overtones recall the 1996, but the tannins here are much softer, sweeter and more polished. In two recent tastings, the 2010 has been positively stellar. The alternation of hot days and cool nights led to a late harvest. The Cabernet Sauvignon harvest did not start until October 7; by that date in 2009 all the fruit was in. Readers who can still find the 2010 should not hesitate, as it is a modern-day classic. That’s all there is to it.
Quality 928 | Brand 992 | Economics 941 |
investment staple
Quality: Above the average quality score of its peer group for the 2010 vintage, 784
Brand: Strong restaurant presence, featuring on 36 of the world's top wine lists, including Amber - Mandarin Oriental
Economics: Below its peer group average price of £117 for the 2010 vintage
Production: Lower production than its peer group average of 151,058 bottles
- www.wine-lister.com June 2017
Silky, sweet black fruit, black olive and truffle notes from the start. This is majestically impressive - it sparks to life in your mouth and breaks out an involuntary smile. The texture is just liquid silk and it slowly but surely builds through the palate, gaining in confidence and totally delightful. Bright, vibrant tannins make the most of the high levels of acidity that were available in 2010, while matching them pace for pace with concentrated fruit. For me this is getting better as it ages, starting to rival the 1982 at Comtesse, and I can't wait to keep tasting it over the decades to come. Last time I rated this wine, in 2016, I gave it 98 points, and I questioned whether to keep it there, which is already an exceptional score, but I want to mark just how clearly it stood out in this horizontal. 60% new oak.
Tasted by Jane Anson (at BI London, 30 Jan 2020)
Part of Top scoring wines of 2020: 100 point wines
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