96
THE WINE ADVOCATE: "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."
18
WEINWISSER: 18 RENÈ GABRIEL´S BX TOTAL: " Verschlossenes, konzentriertes, blockiertes Bouquet, Edelhölzer, Kaffeebohnen, schwarzer Cassis. Konzentrierter, komprimierter Gaumen mit klassischer, muskulöser Struktur, viel gutem Tannin, verschlossener Aromatik, sehr langer, dichter Abgang. Kann noch zulegen. 18/20 2019 - 2038"
18
JANCIS ROBINSON: "Mid bright crimson. Low key but very classy nose. Nothing out of place. Very sweet with luscious tannins – much less fierce than in most other 1995s. A very attractive gamey wine with perhaps quite a high proportion of Merlot. Polished finish – sweet but not tarty. Very persistent."
93
THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: 93 THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "With 1 hour in the decanter, the wine offers a full-bodied, concentrated experience filled with tobacco leaf, blackberry, herbs, cigar box and red fruits. The wine is less strict than many 95 wines, but there is some austerity to the wine that you definitely feel. Time is not going to add much more softness."