AJ | Saturated dense black-red, right to the core. Very deeply coloured. An aroma of stealthy harmony: summer lawns and flower beds, berries and stonefruit too, sweet spices and a little cream -- everything is tickled in here. Not forceful, but an aroma of great loveliness. Fine work for the vintage. Smooth, creamy, svelte and long: here comes Pichon-Lalande. In fact this vintage has toned down the natural sweetness of this wine, so it seems to have a more sober, restrained or 'serious' style than usual (what was called 'masculine' in former times). Fine concentration, sumptuous tannins, splendid inner palate aromatics: actually hard to fault within the context of the vintage. It doesn't have that great vintage roar and it won't last as long as warmer vintages will ... but, jeez, it is still very very special wine and anyone who loves the full panoply of Medoc expession should think about acquiring a few bottles. Drink Dates: 2030 - 2045. 95
SF | Midnight black, evanescent. The aromatics are profound and persistent and focus on dark mint chocolate, crushed blackberry and cayenne pepper. The palate adds violets, woodsmoke and plum. The acidity here is affirming, vital, but in no way imposing or overwhelming the tannins, very finely crafted and drawing the wine across the palate with effortlessly benign guile. Drink Dates: 2029 - 2045. 94