2009 Pichon-Lalande, Pauillac
SKU #1086907
97 points
Vinous
The 2009 Pichon Lalande is ripe and decidedly flamboyant from the very first taste. Dense and voluptuous in the glass, with serious richness, the 2009 is also almost shockingly tannic. It won’t be ready to drink anytime soon, and yet, there is so much to look forward to. The warm, dry conditions yielded a dense, exotic Pichon Lalande, but there is serious structure beneath all of the fruit. (AG)
(10/2017)
96 points
James Suckling
What a great nose of blackberries, currants and spices. Hints of fresh herbs. Full body, with ultra-fine tannins and lovely fruit. Such finesse and beauty. Wonderful to taste. Reminds me of the legendary 1982. Try in 2018.
(2/2012)
95 points
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
A beautiful effort, the 2009 Pichon Lalande, a blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot, possesses copious mocha, lead pencil, unsmoked, high class tobacco, black currant, forest floor and herbaceous characteristics. It is a deep purple-hued, charming, surprisingly open-knit Pauillac with wonderful freshness, a plump, fleshy mouthfeel, opulence and unctuosity, medium to full body and a well-delineated, luscious style. More elegant than its nearby neighbor, Pichon Longueville Baron, and not as massive in concentration and extract, it is one of the great Pichon Lalandes of the last twenty years. (RP)
(2/2012)
95 points
Wine Enthusiast
A seductive wine, deliciously ripe with the softest, juiciest fruit over smoky new wood. The wine shows intense fruit as well as a soft Merlot core. The tannins are beautifully integrated in this ripely sweet wine. *Cellar Selection* (RV)
(2/2012)
94 points
Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar
Dark red. Sexy aromas of redcurrant, smoke, mocha, espresso and tobacco, with darker berry notes emerging as the wine opens in the glass. Rich, lush and seamless but not yet filled in, with its berry flavors complicated by earth and herb elements. Not the last word in concentration, but this sexy Pauillac is sweet, shapely and remarkably accessible today. Finishes long, suave and palate-coating, with perfumed red berry flavor and an obvious chocolatey quality from the Merlot component. (ST)
(7/2012)
93 points
Wine Spectator
The ripe red currant, blackberry and boysenberry fruit is layered with black licorice snap, fruitcake and plum sauce notes. Has the fleshier edge of the vintage but retains a solidly racy graphite spine through the finish. (JM, Web Only-2014)
K&L Notes
From our tasting team: *** A more masculine style of Pichon, but with great aromas of cedar and cassis. Tons of ripe fruit and a very sweet middle. Great texture. On the bigger side for Pichon. 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot. 94 points Neal Martin's Wine Journal: "Served blind at the Southwold 2009 tasting. The Pichon Lalande '09 has a far more understated bouquet with black cherries, pencil shavings, cedar and mint - classic Pauillac in other words, but very intense and precise. The palate is understated on the entry. This is very elegant, refined, very Lafite-like in style with a harmonious, citrus fresh finish that is long and sensual." (06/2013)