Pauillac
My travel schedule prevented me from participating in the OECD wine tasting club for several months. Today’s tasting was simply unmissable! We were all grateful that President Bob drew some stunning Pauillac wines from his cellar for our tasting today.
Andrew threw into the mix this very old wine, Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 1987. It may have been past its prime, but it was still a very interesting wine.
Here are some tasting notes for this sensational tasting. The Château Mouton Rothschild was far and away the best, and is accurately described in the note below.
Château Mouton Rothschild, Premier Grand Cru Classé, Pauillac 2001.
95 points Decanter. The 2001 is an amazing vintage that has inched forwards over the past 20 years, still muscular although always more elegant in its tannic frame than the 2000 vintage before it. I served it out of a magnum, and if wines of the year are about emotions, this definitely deserves to be among them. Definitely needs time in a carafe, but as it opened up, the creamy blackberry and cassis fruits began to show the traditional Mouton welcome, and coffee and woodsmoke curled out of the glass alongside grilled cedar and liqourice root.
Chateau Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande, 2nd Grand Cru Classé, Pauillac 2009.
97 points Decanter. Roederer Estates had owned Pichon Comtesse for three years prior to the 2009 vintage, having taken over in 2006, with Gildas d’Ollone as managing director and Thomas Do-Chi-Nam as technical director. Together, they created a stunning, lyrical 2009 that just begs to be savoured. It’s ripe and intense, rippling with juicy blackberry and blackcurrant fruit and touches of violet on the nose. A beautifully balanced wine.
Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse: Reserve de la Comtesse Pauillac 2016.
96-98 points Wine Enthusiast. Dense tannins and dark fruits are just a part of this wine’s complex character. It is ripe, full of blackberries, yet solid, with a structure that balances the fruit. It should age extremely well; be ready be prepared to hold this for 15 years or more.
Les Griffons de Château Pichon Baron Pauillac 2016.
A blend of 52% Cabernet Sauvignon and 48% Merlot. 93 points, Jeb Dunnuck There are two second wines from this estate. The 2016 Les Griffons de Pichon Baron is slightly more Cabernet Sauvignon-based and sees 60% new French oak. It’s also deeply colored, offers classic Pauillac aromatics, and possesses a medium to full-bodied, concentrated, backward vibe that’s going to benefit from 4-5 years of bottle age.