Chateau Pichon Comtesse de Lalande 2011

2011 Pichon Lalande 

78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot 

• René Gabriel's BX Total: Süsses, seidenes, florales Bouquet, rote und blaue Beeren, rote Pflaumen, Erdbeeren, Minze, Tabak, Röstaromen. Ausgewogener, samtener, eleganter, frischer Gaumen mit kräftiger, guter Frucht, viel, feinem Tannin, kräftiger, süßer Aromatik, eleganter, klassischer Struktur, sehr langer, voller, feiner Abgang mit guten Rückaromen. 18/20 2018 - 2038 – A. Kunz. 

• Wine Enthusiast: 93-95. Barrel sample. This is powered by tannins while also keeping its fresh fruit intact. There is a mineral texture that’s layered with a juicy fruit character on the finish. 

• Antonio Galloni: 93. My impression is that the 2011 Pichon Lalande will have its day, one day. For now, big, burly tannins give the 2011 a decidedly monolithic feel. To be sure, there is plenty of fruit density and power lurking in the glass, but the 2011 needs more time in bottle before it starts showing at its best. Two thousand-eleven was marked by an unusual weather pattern in which spring was quite warm and dry, but then summer was cool. 

• The Wine Advocate: 92-94. Only 40% of the crop made it into the grand vin, which achieved 12.95% natural alcohol. The final blend for the 2011 Pichon Lalande was 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Cabernet Franc, 8% Merlot and 2% Petit Verdot. Under the administration of the new owners, the Merlot component has been dramatically reduced in favor of more Cabernet Sauvignon in the final blend. A strong effort, the 2011 boasts a dense ruby/purple color and abundant aromas of black currants intermixed with unsmoked cigar tobacco, serious body, more concentration than most of the classified growths, and a bigger, more structured style that may suggest a subtle change in the winemaking philosophy at this estate. This impressive wine is one of the vintage’s most interesting efforts. It should drink well for 15-20 years. 

• The Wine Cellar Insider: 92. Slightly herbaceous on the first sniff, from there you find the tobacco, cedar chest, and fresh red berries. Medium bodied, forward and already easy to drink, the wine finishes with soft textures, followed by cherries and earth in the end notes. Made from blending 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Cabernet Franc, 8% Merlot and 2% Petit Verdot, the picking was quite fast, taking place from September 13 to September 28.