Pichon Lalande 1995

robert_parker92

Reviewed by: Neal Martin

Tasted at the Chapon Fin restaurant in Bordeaux. I have not tasted this for three of four years. Tasted against the 1996, I don’t think it has the breeding or ambition as that vintage, but it is certainly coming into its own. The Cabernet Franc is less pronounced on this bottle, but there remains a savour, dried blood tincture right in the background. The palate is medium-bodied and just a little herbaceous, yet there is undoubtedly sufficient fruit here to render this a very enjoyable Pauillac, armed with that seductive tobacco-tinged finish. Superb – but will last 15-20 years. Tasted September 2011.

robert_parker92

Reviewed by: Neal Martin

Tasted at the Fine Wine Experience’s Pichon-Lalande vertical in London. The 1995 Pichon Lalande is actually looking quite mature for the vintage with a noticeable brick/tawny rim. The nose is savoury and mushroomy, that 15% Cabernet Franc making a real impression on the nose. The palate is medium-bodied, touches of green pepper lacing the black fruits, a little herbaceous, a little fleshy, well balanced, lots of character with a lovely tarry, cigar box, foursquare finish. Very fine. Drink now-2025. Tasted December 2008.

robert_parker95

Reviewed by: Neal Martin

Tasted several times. First blind at a 1995 horizontal in September 2000 where it was smooth and silky with expressive cedary notes and lots of oak on the finish. Then a gorgeous bottle in October 2004 with a beautiful rich nose of pine, tobacco and sweet black cherry and silky tannins. Opulent but with a fine structure underneath. Two or three more encounters all consistency impressive with that cedar and pine dominating the nose. Lastly at Farr's 1995 vs. 1996 tasting in April 2006. The nose is surprisingly closed, but with some coaxing wild strawberry, tobacco and cooked meats emerge. A fleshy, black, peppery palate with good acidity, more evolved and expressive than the more classically lined 1996. Touch of pain grille on the supple finish. Reflects the vintage, (as does the 1996.)

robert_parker96

Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.

A fabulous effort, the 1995 is Pichon-Lalande's greatest wine since the outstanding back to back vintages of 1982 and 1983. The opaque purple color resembles ink. The wine boasts a knock-out, super-charged nose of jammy black fruits, minerals, licorice, spice, and smoke. Well-endowed, with fabulously concentrated, pure flavors, a layered personality, and a chewy mid-section, this is one of the great wines of this excellent vintage. This wine's compelling purity, extract, and aromatic profile will make it appealing in its youth, but the size, balance, and depth suggest 25 years of aging is possible. Anticipated maturity: 1999-2020.

robert_parker95

Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.

A fabulous effort, the 1995 is Pichon-Lalande's greatest wine since the outstanding back to back vintages of 1982 and 1983. The opaque purple color resembles ink. The wine boasts a knock-out, super-charged nose of jammy black fruits, minerals, licorice, spice, and smoke. Well-endowed, with fabulously concentrated, pure flavors, a layered personality, and a chewy mid-section, this is one of the great wines of this excellent vintage. This wine's compelling purity, extract, and aromatic profile will make it appealing in its youth, but the size, balance, and depth suggest 25 years of aging is possible. Anticipated maturity: 1999-2020. Last tasted 10/97

robert_parker95

Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.

In 1995, fifty percent of the crop was cut off the vine in a vendange verte (the culling of fruit in order to lower production and increase the concentration of the remaining grapes). That resulted in one of the top dozen wines of the 1995 vintage. This wine was terrific on each of the four occasions I tasted it during the last two weeks of March. The color is an opaque purple. The knock-out set of aromatics offers up smoky, sweet, black-cherry and cassis scents intermingled with hints of coffee and herbs. This ripe, full-bodied wine exhibits outstanding texture, layers of flavor, and a low acid, firmly delineated, moderately tannic finish. I would rate this awesome example of Pichon-Lalande higher than both the outstanding 1989 and the uninspiring, light-weight 1990. Although it will be hard to resist its charms, give it 3-4 years of cellaring after its release and drink it over the subsequent 20+ years. It is a knock-out 1995! All of the wines in this segment were tasted between March 19 and March 28 in Bordeaux. Most of the important wines from both the 1994 and 1995 vintages were tasted three separate times during my ten-day stay in Bordeaux.

robert_parker96

Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.

What sumptuous pleasures await those who purchase either the 1996 or 1995 Pichon-Lalande. It is hard to choose a favorite, although the 1995 is a smoother, more immediately sexy and accessible wine. It is an exquisite example of Pichon-Lalande with the Merlot component giving the wine a coffee/chocolatey/cherry component to go along with the Cabernet Sauvignon's and Cabernet Franc's complex blackberry/cassis fruit. The wine possesses an opaque black/ruby/purple color, and sexy, flamboyant aromatics of pain grille, black fruits, and cedar. Exquisite on the palate, this full-bodied, layered, multidimensional wine should prove to be one of the vintage's most extraordinary success stories. Anticipated maturity: 2001-2020. The 1995/1996 vintages are two of the greatest back to back efforts Pichon-Lalande has ever produced, including the 1982/1983 vintages.