By AJ McClellan
After dinner it was time to tackle the second flight of Pichon. Moving on to the newer vintages I was expecting bigger more tannic wines, but nothing could have been farther from the truth.
The first wine of the second flight was the 1995 Pichon Lalande. With the usual Pichon elegance this wine was a beautiful beginning to the flight. Soft Red cherries with a touch of anise and dried red rose petals on the nose backed by a warm earthiness. The palate was rich and full with a mouthful of red fruits and a rocky minerality. There was more spice to the 95 than the other Pichon’s showing allspice, clove, and tobacco leaf. Soft tannins finished off the wine leading to a long finish.
Next in our lineup was the 2003 Pichon Lalande. The 03 has been likened to the 82 by Robert Parker and after today’s tasting I can see why. The 03 had a brilliant nose of ripe blueberries, crumbled chocolate, exotic spices, and a stony, flinty minerality. The palate was extraordinarily smooth with a mouth feel of pure satin. Full in body but with an elegance that immediately made me sit up and take notice. This wine was drinking great last night but I think that it will get exponentially better over the next 30 years; this bottle has the stuffing’s be a champion!
The last wine of our tasting was the current release of Pichon Lalande, the 2007. When I poured this wine I was thinking – oh god here we go, rip your face off tannins… – but upon tasting the wine I was astonished by how mellow and smooth it was. This is a testament to Pichon, their winemaking style, blending practices, and commitment to quality year in and year out. The 07 had a bouquet of ripe red and black fruits combined with soft leather, hints of tar, and a touch of cedar. The palate was the most amazing to me drinking like silk. The fruit was big but restrained by a dry earthiness and a healthy dose of spice.