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. — 5 months ago

Raul Puga

9.3

Beautiful color and well balanced. Long delicious finish — 2 years ago

Will Stanley

9.4

Tasted alongside the Tondonia, the 2007 Viña Bosconia has a near identical profile, and as such it’s very hard to differentiate between the two. After several hours’ air - this took far longer to open up than the Tondonia - it shows generous aromas of dried cherry, blackberry and a green herbal edge that wasn’t a feature of its sibling.

Hard to pick a winner now between the two, but I feel in ten years the Bosconia will have the edge. — 5 years ago

Hickoryburger

9.2

Sibling rivalry. Domaine vs Jean-Marc. Domaine more Meursault, Jean-Marc more exotic and lively. Both are killer — 5 years ago

Jake Hajer

9.2

Black plum, black cherry, extracted. Aromatic. Big, but balanced. Lilac, roses. Thirst quenching. — 6 years ago

Evan Roberts

9.5

Freaking delicious plenty of fruit, tannin and acid. Age has treated this wine kindly and this magnum was drinking so well I was even more happy to know I have its sibling in the cellar still — 7 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.6

Aromas of raspberry and hints of Thyme and Mint. Oak has fully blended into the fruit at 12 years and is totally balanced. The hallmark of this wine has always been its soft silky tannins; like its more famous elder sibling Hill of Grace for many more $. Medium bodied and in a great place right now in its development. Superb wine in a good vintage from a Vineyard planted in 1912 - dry grown ungrafted vines. Winery says can cellar to 2025. 9 weeks later picked the next one a little soon but I did. Notes as above. Cannot say more - just an excellent wine. Perfect with roast lamb. — 8 years ago

Lance Anders

9.1

Sibling dinner! — 5 months ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.2

Blason d’Issan – Margaux 2010
Bordeaux, France 🇫🇷

Overview
Second wine of Château d’Issan (a 3rd Growth Grand Cru Classé), this Margaux reflects the finesse and elegance of its prestigious sibling at a more approachable level. The 2010 vintage is composed of 59% Cabernet Sauvignon and 41% Merlot, delivering structure, freshness, and the signature grace of the appellation.

Aromas & Flavors
Dark red fruits, cassis, and plum supported by notes of cedar, graphite, and dried violets. Subtle earthy undertones round out the bouquet.

Mouthfeel
Medium-bodied with silky tannins, still carrying freshness and vibrancy. The fruit remains integrated with a polished balance, showing that the wine has aged beautifully without losing Margaux’s hallmark delicacy.

Food Pairing
Perfect alongside roasted lamb, duck breast, or a classic beef tenderloin. Its elegance also pairs nicely with mushroom risotto or aged Comté.

The Verdict
A graceful, approachable Bordeaux that demonstrates how even the second labels from Margaux can age impressively. Still drinking beautifully today, with finesse and balance that embody the spirit of Margaux.

Personal Pick Highlight
One of my favorite “second labels” from Bordeaux — proof that patience rewards, as this bottle aged with remarkable elegance and still charms after more than a decade. Also, the 2010 vintage, a benchmark year in Bordeaux, lends added structure and longevity. Cheers! — 9 months ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.3

2017 vintage. Punchy and unconsolidated like a younger sibling. Plenty of moments of great height afoot. Medium-heavy body. Not as well knit as I'd like given the year/age and da money. Flighty here, tangents there. Still, tasting the wine, the pedigree and quality are evident. 01.04.25. — a year ago

Jan de Weerd

9.2

Well, we were going to have a party for the senses tonight, so why not have a little vertical tasting. After the excellent 2012 that was so expressive and rich, we turned to the 2017. Wow, much tighter and a strong kick into the shins with vibrant spice. Again, young red flavors of red berries and tangy raspberries drenched in white pepper spice. It did open up more and revealed more of earthy under notes but remained much more single dimensional than its older complex sibling who will be ingrained in our memories for along time. — 4 years ago

with Gert-Jan and Tammy

Jim Chen

9.1

Beautiful, elegant, lighter sibling for Pomarium. Pairing with takeout Peay-king Duck from Great China to celebrate. — 6 years ago

Severn G

9.2

We recently pulled some cases out of storage, which haven't seen the light of day for nearly 15 years, so I'll have some fun posts in the next several months.

Nose has dry autumn leaves, ripe black cherry, dried tart cherry and a hint of coffee grounds.

Palate has ripe black cherry, dried blackberry, moist soil, mild tannins on the medium finish.

Decanted ~1.5 hours, heavy sediment in the bottle.

This bottle is in an interesting spot, either an off bottle or much too over the hill. We drank the 2003 Termes last night (the younger sibling) and it was much more enjoyable. Will save some for tomorrow to check for further development. We still have some chances at a good bottle of Numanthia, so hopefully the remaining bottles are a little more exciting.

24 Hour Update: A different wine today, ripe black cherry, ripe blackberry, dark chocolate, light baking spice, apparently it just needed loads of air after its very long slumber. Score update from 90 to 92 today, good juice. — 6 years ago

Chris Zitzman

9.3

The 2023 Cameron Winery “Ribbon Ridge” Pinot Noir is a completely different animal from its sibling from the ‘Dundee Hills”. The latter is fat, juicy, and stuffed with fruit. The Ribbon Ridge, to me, comes off as the much more mature older brother. Not austere: but it takes a bit of conversation to really get to know him. Far more depth and structure- and while maybe not as playful as the Dundee Hills- the Ribbon Ridge, to me, is undoubtedly the first born. — 6 months ago

with Beth

Josh

9.5

Love this. Grapey, sweet, a bit acidic to start but nice smooth finish. Yum. Easy drink — 10 months ago

Ming L

9.2

The Clásico is quite new world in style, just like the Macán, its senior sibling. It’s more concentrated and has a bit more depth than the 18’ Macán, a testament to the excellent 19’ vintage in Rioja. — a year ago

Bob McDonald

9.5

Lemon in colour. See previous Delectable note. Paraffin notes developing. On the palate Barb thought white nectarine notes. Crisp and clean - a beautiful mature Riesling. My last bottle but it could have been left a few more years. Having said that it is hard to see it improving over the standard it is now. An earlier developing style than its sibling Cuvée, Polish Hill. — 3 years ago

Mike Saviage

9.5

Reddish tawny, brighter than the Roumier sibling next to it. Odd nose which had some people guessing Italian. Turns out all this needed (like the 93 Roumier BM next to it) was a lot of air. Notes of bright red fruit, sandalwood and Asian spice came on later in the evening. Has a long life in front of it, but great to compare/contrast this and the Roumier side by side tonight. (Bday 8 of 13) — 6 years ago

AKG

9.2

Loved this. Beautiful structure and nose—- like the slightly less playful, more formal sibling of a full GSM. Great balance of spice, acidity and tannins. — 7 years ago

with Daniel

David White

9.2

Outstanding GSM 2015, worthy sibling to Joshua
Smooth tannins, long finish and plum as well as raspberry flavours — 7 years ago