Daniel M

9.2

We are celebrating my daughter's entering teenage years (tomorrow) and this Château Pape Clément 2012 is a year older than she is. I bought 2 bottles of it at a foire aux vins in 2014 back in Paris, have kept it since then, it went through a bunch of moves, including one from Paris to Warsaw and it came back in the trunk of our car this summer for the occasion. The carbon imprint of this (very heavy, on top of it) bottle is not great...
It was served along 2 massive beef tomahawk steaks cooked to medium-rare perfection by my dad.
Cassis, tar, tobacco, cedar, oak, a touch of red bell pepper which turned into menthol and black pepper as the wine warmed up in the glass (I had it chilled to 16°c and opened to shoulders).
The palate is full bodied, broad, layered, with cassis, black cherry, tar and oaky notes all along. It rolls on the tongue. The mouthfeel is soft and delicate but mutes into a grainy, gravely tannic wall that disrupts the finish and creates an additional layer of complexity. The finish is long, complex, evolving a tiny bitter note in the very end. The vintage is what it is and it can be felt in the way the wine is broad without being the broadest and in the mouthfeel which is a bit soft and lacking a tad of thickness. It's nevertheless a great wine which went super well with the steak. Happy Birthday Amelia! — 3 days ago

"Odedi"

9.2

Dark ruby in color with a wide reddish rim.

Red fruits on the nose and medium plus in body with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with nice complexity and mouthfeel.

Long finish with round tannins and tangy cherries.

This young Mourvedre from Bandol is starting to drink beautifully now. Already showing nice complexity and good balance, and will continue to age nicely in the next 10 to 15 years.

Soft and elegant. Complex and interesting. Easy drinking and good by itself or with food.

A blend of 90% Mourvedre and 10% Grenache. Aged in used French oak barrels for 18 months.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$60. — 4 months ago

Ming L

8.9

The nose shows fresh apple and pear, with a subtle, fleeting hint of brioche. The palate is defined by a crisp, direct attack that yields to a somewhat firm, fruit-driven structure. Fine lively bubbles.

Not my favorite entry level NV Champagne, but it’s quite pleasant. — 5 months ago

Vino Joe

9.8

Wow. Wow and wow. This was amazing! It’s definitely still early on. I let this decant for 2.5 hours before the first sip. It was revved and ready by then and was stellar by hour 4+. Rich and deep but silky smooth. Currants and an earthy/smokey quality. Loved this! — 6 months ago

J-Philippe Chartier

9.3

Beau margaux acheté à la propriété. — 2 years ago

Julia Beauchesne

9.5

Delicious and Smooth — 5 years ago

Mike Saviage

9.4

Tasted blind. Reddish tawny. Nose is closed and not yielding much. I get cranberries, some cherries, iron and stones, some wood. Has a high pitched character to it. Has some pucker in it yet. Tight with ample acidity. I guess 97 Vogue Bonnes Mares. In my experience this wine has had some variations in its performance. Today it was better than most, but suffered by not getting ample air before it was served. — 6 years ago

Alvaro Bustillos

9.4

Billy shanon lalo barbara @ asador bastian — 22 days ago

Jack Krawczyk

9.5

delightful honeydew — 2 months ago

Ron Siegel

9.4

I have always enjoyed this wine & decided to open one of my last few btls out of an owc. This had a perfumed nose of red & black fruits, mocha, graphite, menthol & tobacco notes. One of the wines of the vintage. — 3 months ago

Smf

9.5

Went well with prawns — 4 months 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. — 6 months ago

Brett Francis

9.0

This was really excellent, smooth, light delicate with hints of strawberry and citrus on an incredibly hot day. Enjoyed by all. — 5 years ago

Rick Phillips

9.3

Just beginning to hit it’s stride! Still a little strong on the front. Dense fruit with a lot of oak. As the evening progressed it opened up nicely with plum, blackberry and cherry. Oak smoothed out to earthy undertones, smoother on the end. Will develop nicely over the next few years. — 2 months ago

with Letha

Stefan Dolhain

9.2

2019 vintage. Still young. As usual, very reliable. — 3 months ago

David Miska

9.2

Wonderful — 3 months ago

"Odedi"

9.3

#AgedWineTuesday

Very pretty color of peach with a salmon hue.

Strong nose of apples, citrus, peaches, yeast, light bread and minerals.

Medium plus in body with medium acidity and tiny bubbles.

Dry on the palate with raspberries, over ripen strawberries, apples, limes, yeast, sea salt, brioche, spices, minerals, light earth and cardamom.

Long spicy finish with limes and grapefruits.

This 14 year old Rosé Champagne is drinking beautifully already, and will continue to age nicely in the next 10 years. Elegant, spicy and rich. Fruity and nicely balanced, complex and engaging.

Wine Spectator 96 points. Wine Advocate 95 points.

Good right out of the bottle, and better when not too cold.

A great sipping wine that paired beautifully with my Tuna Avocado Tartare.

A blend of 67% Pinot Noir and 33% Chardonnay, with 5% red wine. Disgorged in 2020.

12% alcohol by volume.

93 points.

$200. — 4 months ago

Thomas Hillskog

9.1

Peak maturity now better than 2 and 4 years ago. Still fruity but with more complexity an soft tannins. — 6 months ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.4

Château Pichon Baron 2023 – Pauillac, Grand Cru Classé en 1855. BDX France 🇫🇷

Overview
A commanding and traditionally styled Pauillac delivering power, precision, and aristocratic structure, driven by a 66% Cabernet Sauvignon–dominant blend with 27% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot and 1% Semillon support. Dark fruit density, mineral authority, and refined oak integration create a wine that feels impactful today while clearly engineered for long-term evolution and layered complexity.

Aromas & Flavors
Blackcurrant, cassis, blackberry, graphite, pencil shavings, cedar, cigar box, crushed gravel, subtle dark cocoa and savory spice.

Mouthfeel
Full-bodied with firm yet polished tannins, excellent mid-palate density, vibrant structural tension, tightly knit acidity, and a long, authoritative finish that builds rather than fades.

Food Pairings
Dry-aged ribeye, lamb rack, beef Wellington, venison, mushroom-forward dishes, aged hard cheeses.

Verdict
A textbook expression of elite Pauillac: powerful, elegant, disciplined, and deeply age-worthy. The wine delivers immediate presence while clearly signaling even greater complexity and harmony with time in bottle.

🍷 Personal Pick
This is serious wine, fierce yet controlled, deeply impressive without arrogance, and loaded with finesse under the horsepower. A bottle that earns respect with every sip and promises an extraordinary future in the cellar. — 7 months ago

Canon Thomas

9.6

Showing very golden. More Chablis style. — 5 years ago