Jason Keefer

9.3

Beautifully pink! Strawberry pastries with vanilla! Bubbles so tiny! — 11 days ago

with Natasha

Garen Staglin

9.5

Elegant. Plenty of fruit left. Rose and cedar prominent. — 19 days ago

Jack Krawczyk

9.4

took about 45 min for first signs of life but opened into a solid mexican cocoa nib and cedar — a month ago

Danny O'Brien

9.3

Really well crafted Zinfandel-based blend, clearly reads as Zin without being too overbearingly fruity or jammy. Finish has a lot of nice subtle complexity — a month ago

Tegan Marriott

9.2

Lithe & supple, with agility and resonance. This is the Leonard Cohen of Gamay! Hallelujah!🙏 — a month ago

Scott Kahn

9.1

Still tasting fresh and alive at 40 years! Black fruit present along with mushroom, cedar, and vanilla spice. Tannins are softened but still providing a structure for the wine. — a month ago

Doug Powers

8.9

Rose petal and floral aromas, color has lightened, soft and mature on the palate, time to drink these 1993 St. Innocent Pinots, this was brilliant 15 years ago!! — a month ago

with Jim

Ron Siegel

9.4

In a perfect spot showing the classic La Mission character with a smoky, cedar, leather, sweet tobacco note, red, black fruits, menthol & savory spices — 21 days ago

Ron Siegel

9.3

Mostly black fruits, full bodied with cedar, leather, sweet spices & tobacco — a month ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

I remember when the 2005 Pichon Lalande was reviewed by RP, 89. I saw that & said, you would have to get in the way of the 2005 Bordeaux vintage to be that sad. I still bought 6 at a bargain basement price. A very good idea post 20 yrs+. Both Pichon’s don’t have a modern day history of getting in the way of a good vintage.

I also bought this one. 18 yrs in bottle and still acending. This will hold 5 more yrs and will last another 10 yrs properly stored.

I have visited Bordeaux 11 times. This chateau visually is still my favorite. It was showing a picture of this chateau to Sofia that launched our first visit. Sofia loved it and we have stared at it multiple times on every visit.

It was in our visit in 2007, I stood in the estate vineyard, looked & tasted their soils. After doing so, I said, “I get it.” I understood everything about what I was tasting in Left Bank Bordeaux’s early in my wine journey.

Sofia and I had dinner w/ Christian Moueix not long after the 2005 vintage was hyped/released. She asked him, when did you know you had something special?” He said, “as soon as I tasted the fruit at harvest.”

Tonight, it shows that it is a close relative, a sibling to Pichon Longueville. Cork, perfect.

The nose shows; classic left bank traits. Ripe, dark, brooding fruits, bright, mid berries, red cola, leather, tobacco, sandalwood, leather, led pencil, dark rich earth, limestone, dry river stone, hint of mushrooms, dark, red, fresh & withering florals.

The fruits on the palate show everything outstanding from the 2005 growing season. Ripe, juicy, brilliant; dark currants, blackberries, black raspberries, black plum skin, black cherries, baked/poached strawberries & some hovering raspberries. Dark chocolate bar to pudding, red cola, anise, dark spices w/ palate heat, dark, rich earth w/ dry leaves, pronounced graphite, dry tobacco, leather, limestone, dry twig, dry river stone, moist clays, moist herbs, cedar to sandalwood, withering & dry, dark flowers, red roses, some lavender & violets, beautiful rainfall acidity, excellent; balance, tension, structure, length w/ an elegant finish that lasts minutes and lands on spice & earth.

13.4 ABV. Nice.

#TheTwoHourRibcap

This held up vacuumed sealed the same night, refrigerated & enjoyed exactly a week later. — a month ago