Some quick notes and a few beauty shots from our annual wine dinner featuring this year fourteen vintages Pichon Lalande. For once we were lucky, with every one of them firing on all cylinders, and almost without exception, showing the tell tale floral and herbal notes of the chateau. An excellent meal catered by the Artist’s Palate, a hidden gem of a chef out of Dutchess County,
We were able to raise a significant amount of money for two really deserving charities, Midnight Run and Sloan Kettering rare cancer research. Heritage auctions kindly partnered and helped underwrite the tasting.
To get things going, a Figeac 1986 served blind. No prizes, the high percentage of Cabernet fooled everybody. It turned out to be much better than the 1986 Pichon. 93.
2000
Beautiful young tannic dark fruit herbal brilliant. A good decade away from apogee, will stay there for some time to come. Even though it is not ready, it is still enjoyable. 95
1996 Solid herbal edgy without the fullness in the mid palate of the 2000. Again very young, it is extremely tannic, and I am still hoping that the tannins will soften before the fruit dies. See 1975. 91-94?
1989 I have always enjoyed the 1989, and bought a ton of it before prices went up. Even now, it is something of a bargain. An archetypal glorious nose menthol, Turkish delight, mocha. And of course that herbal undertow. Fully realized, and Brilliant 97
1990 sexy opening up quite nicely; better than expected, but of course suffered next to the 1989. I believe Parker scored this less than 80 points. If so, can’t see why. 90
1988 This was probably the surprise of the tasting, not a great fan of the vintage which I generally find is dusty and charmless. This was neither; a fully mature, aromatic wine that was very Pichon. Medium finish, but still excellent. 93
1986 very square tannic little complexity. Tannic, massive, at thirty three still backward. May finally resolve, but again the tannins will probably win again at the expense of the fruit. 87?
1985 is so pretty. It should have been dwarfed by the 1982, yet it almost held its own. Rich, but with a core of fresh red fruits and lovely rose petals. And the beginnings of earth, and leaf meal. Not easy to find, according to a merchant who flew in for the tasting. A certain Chinese tycoon loves the wine and is buying it in bulk. 96
1982 vied with the 1961 for wine of the night; I really could not decide, so gave them both perfect scores. It is all Pichon, but also has that incredible sensual character that is a hallmark of the best wines of the vintage. Rich, opulent but with unbelievable precision highlighting the complexity of this wine. Cedar, tobacco, lavender, crunchy fruit, and a huge layered finish. Magnificent. 100 points.
1981 How do you follow 1982 Pichon Lalande. Sadly not with the 1981 or 1978.:and yet both of them are lovely examples of perfectly mature Pichon. Tannins soft and pliant. Very pretty lovely if slightly muted flavors. Great-in its own right, but slightly overlooked in this company. 92
1978 Fairly similar to the 1981, again the tannins resolved, but there was some edgy acidity, which worked well with the fat of the duck. 89
1975 For me, the weakest wine of this brilliant tasting. A good reputation among 1975 Medocs, it showed plenty of unresolved tannin and a slightly disturbing volatile acidity. Not that nice. There is some fruit, but one is left with an impression of sharp tannins and acidity. 83?
1970 I love this wine, and it showed beautifully yesterday. For me it was tied with the lovely 1985, archetypal mature Pichon Lalande. Beautifully balanced, and still only at the early stages of maturity. The wine is complex yet light. Plenty of dark fruit, leather, flowers and cedar. And of course just a bit of herb. Long easy finish. 96
1962 was served blind, with half thinking it was claret and half a Rhône. I thoroughly enjoyed it noting the tobacco and cedar, and less herb and Turkish delight. Excellent. As Yogi would have said, “everybody knows 1962 is an underrated vintage”. 95
1961 And finally to the second potentially perfect wine from this tasting. The initial reaction to this wine was stunned silence. How could a wine be this fresh and still be nearly 60 years old? Every flavor complexity we had seen in other Pichon was here, totally realized, fresh and mature. Spice, cedar, herb, lavender, rosemary forest floor. Just a brilliant wonderful wine. 100 points
1900 Quinta do Sibio colheita Port. From a house that had a sterling reputation at the beginning of the twentieth century. We should have waited. It was hand carried from England, and rested in my cellar for a couple of weeks. Still cloudy. Interesting walnut and almond flavors, and some fruit. ?