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Pichon Lalande 2011

RegionBordeaux
Subregion France > Bordeaux > Left Bank > Pauillac
ColourRed
TypeStill
Grape VarietyCabernet Sauvignon/Merlot

View all vintages of this wine | View all wines by Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande

Label

Tasting Notes

Only 40% of the crop made it into the grand vin, which achieved 12.95% natural alcohol. The final blend for the 2011 Pichon Lalande was 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Cabernet Franc, 8% Merlot and 2% Petit Verdot. Under the administration of the new owners, the Merlot component has been dramatically reduced in favor of more Cabernet Sauvignon in the final blend. A strong effort, the 2011 boasts a dense ruby/purple color and abundant aromas of black currants intermixed with unsmoked cigar tobacco, serious body, more concentration than most of the classified growths, and a bigger, more structured style that may suggest a subtle change in the winemaking philosophy at this estate. This impressive wine is one of the vintage's most interesting efforts. It should drink well for 15-20 years.

92/94
Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (200), April 2012

A 2011 with blackberry, dark-chocolate and smoked-meat character. Full body, silky tannins and a long, intense finish. All about balance and polish. Very fine. Needs three to four years to soften. Try in 2017.

93
James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com, February 2014

The upward curve at this Louis Roederer-owned château is encouraging. A substantial increase in the percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon has given Pichon extra ballast in 2011, resulting in one of its best wines in recent years: fleshy and sweet-cored with dense black fruits and real presence on the palate. Structured yet elegant, this will age well over the next decade or so. 10+ years.

96
Tim Atkin MW, timatkin.com, April 2012

Very fine expression of Cabernet cassis, lovely refreshingly lifted fruit, great elegance and charm and hidden power to last. Drink 2016-2035.

17.5
Steven Spurrier, Decanter.com, April 2012
Read more tasting notes...

The headline is that this vintage of Pichon Lalande has the highest percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon ever: 78% accompanied by 8% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. It is aged in 60% new oak and has an IPT of 75. It has a very strict bouquet, obviously dominated by the Cabernet with notes of blackcurrant, tobacco, graphite, a hint of Christmas cake and that tincture of blood orange evident in the second wine. The palate is medium-bodied with a linear, conservative entry that expands nicely in the mouth. It has fine acidity, good tension, fine weight but it is very tightly wound, more so than usual at this nascent stage. Leaving it aside, there is a hint of Lapsong Souchang and graphite towards the finish that shows a little hardness, but that should soften by the time of bottling. A very Pauillac-like Pichon, perhaps the little brother of the 1996? Tasted twice with consistent notes. Tasted April 2012.

91/93
Neal Martin, RobertParker.com, April 2012

This is really fantastic for the vintage with a wonderful balance and finesse, yet a firm impressive tannin structure. It's very long and pretty. This has less Petit Verdot in the blend than in past vintages. 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 43% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot.

93/94
James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com, April 2012
Please note that these tasting notes/scores are not intended to be exhaustive and in some cases they may not be the most recently published figures. However, we always do our best to add latest scores and reviews when these come to our attention. We advise customers who wish to purchase wines based simply on critical reviews to carry out further research into the latest reports.