1995 Pichon Lalande

[Hm$(still)]

No detailed tasting notes from last night, but my bottle was ready to go. Tannins well integrated and all that PLL loveliness. Smoke ‘em if ya got ‘em.

Hm$

[hautbrionlover]

Agreed.
It’s a beauty

[jckba]

95’s always seem to show a bit austere to me but I wouldn’t turn a glass or two of this down on any given night.

[JimHow]

Excellent 1995s include GPL, PLL, Mouton, Ducru, LLC.

[jckba]

Excellent 1995s include GPL, PLL, Mouton, Ducru, LLC.

I like the Calon Segur too and even more so than it’s ‘96 counterpart which I am not sure I can say for any of your examples.

[JimHow]

Darn, I actually meant to include the Calon Segur in my list, just realized now I forgot it.
I agree, the 1995 Calon Segur is a stunner, much better than the '96.
For sure the 95 GPL is better than the 96, the rest can be debated.

[ericp]

Much better? Cmon now Jim. I have the 96 ahead by a shade

[AKR]

I thought we did a big panel of 1995 v. 1996 Medoc's many years ago in Boston?

Does anyone have a link to that (was it on the older website)?

[JimHow]

Indeed we did, AKR.
The irony is that we were so smug back then in trashing the Sucker in his reviews that 1995 was better than 1996.
Our tasting in downtown Boston had 1996 as the far and away superior vintage.
Twenty years later, I'm not so sure Mr. Suckling wasn't right.
The 1995s are a challenge, no doubt. But 1996 is a big Cabernet vintage, almost to the point that it has no personality.
27 years later, I'm still not sure the question has been answered.
When I visited Mouton in 2000, they thought their 1996 was better.
Whether that's the case today, I dunno.
Boy, Eric, I'll defer to you, but one of the wines I've been most "certain" about is GPL, that the '95 handily beats out the '96, for the same reasons mentioned above.

[ericp]

I think we had that Rialto if I remember right. That was a super fun tasting, and you’re right Jim at the time we all were poking fun at Mr. suckling, myself included. Several of the 95s have come around and are on par or better than thier younger brothers (just not Calon imo ), but good lord they’ve required the patience of a saint!