Chateau Pichon Comtesse de Lalande 2005

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "A deep garnet hue. It has a very seductive nose, quite intense with blackberries, raspberry, limestone and just a hint of oyster shells. Kinda like a Left Bank Angelus (!) Exceptional definition. The palate is full-bodied with an immense structure and power, quite masculine for Pichon Lalande with the Cabernet showing more of its austere, cedar-infused character than out of barrel. It has entrancing length and precision. Off-dry, quite “classic” on the finish but this is only a puppy. This very pure, wonderfully balanced wine lingers seductively in the mouth."

DECANTER: "This needs time in the glass, but unfurls to reveal cedar, cinnamon, tobacco, cassis and rose notes. It's heady and confident stuff that I've tasted several times over the past few months and have been hugely impressed by, especially with food. 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot."

LISA PERROTTI-BROWN: "A blend of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot, the 2005 Pichon Lalande is deep garnet-brick in color. It prances out with a gorgeous perfume of rose oil, licorice, and chocolate-covered cherries, over a core of warm cassis, redcurrant jelly, and sassafras. Medium-bodied, the palate delivers exquisitely soft, silky tannins and seamless freshness to frame the elegant black and red fruit layers, finishing long and perfumed. Tasted at the Chateau, it's amazing how much this wine has woken up since I last tasted it about a year ago, and it still seems to have a lot more left to give!"

JANCIS ROBINSON: "Dark crimson with some blue notes. Iodine nose. Silky tannins. Very aromatic and sweet. Round and polished tannins. Blackcurrant pastilles! Healthy fruit. A savoury note too. Really tannic on the finish, but only on the finish. You could drink this now if you decanted it well."

WINE ENTHUSIAST: "In recent years, Pichon Comtesse has developed an elegance all its own, with great style, smoothing out the real intensity of the wine. This 2005 continues in that tradition, a spice, fruity wine, which has restraint as well as hidden power."

WEINWISSER: "Tiefes Purpur, satt in der Mitte, Granatschimmer am Rand. Momentan etwas reserviert, feine Geraniolnoten im schwarzbeerigen Bouquet zeigend, etwas Nelkentöne und dunkle Edelhölzer. Im Gaumen fest, kompakt, gibt sich fleischig mit noch verlangenden Reserven. Wird wohl erst in etwa 5 Jahren beginnen. Momentan kann er seine frühere Wertung nicht ganz halten."

JAMES SUCKLING: "What a nose on this, with orchids and currants, this is very perfumed and pretty. Full-bodied, with bright and lively acidity. Rose petals and citrus fruit on the palate give way to a long and intense finish. Wait and see where this goes."

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "The past 5 years have been good for this wine. Much better than previous bottles, now you find more of everything expected from Pichon Lalande. The wine is medium-bodied, lush, round, soft and loaded with ripe, fresh, sweet, dark red fruits, plums, tobacco, spice and earth. The plummy, red berry finish offers alternating notes of sweet red fruits and bright, crisp cranberries coupled with sensual textures. Give this a few more years, or 90 minutes in the decanter."

JEB DUNNUCK: "Made in a more mid-weight, elegant style that certainly brings charm, the 2005 Château Pichon-Longueville Comtesse De Lalande has a pretty perfume of red currants, plums, spring flowers, and spicy, truffly, earthy nuances. With medium-bodied richness, an elegant, seamless mouthfeel, and polished tannins, it’s not a blockbuster but is one of those wines that grows on you over the course of an evening. While today’s releases bring another level of everything, it’s still an outstanding wine that should keep for another decade."