1996 Pichon Baron

[stefan]

With flat iron, baked potato, and asparagus we drank

1996 Pichon Baron. I opened this 2nd growth Pauillac 4 hours before dinner. That was perhaps a mistake, as when I poured it I got nothing. Lucie said that there was a nicely floral bouquet, but it was very light. The wine was very soft in the mouth for a '96 northern Medoc and even a bit thin. But the PB was delicious; lip-smacking good with licorice accenting the cassis. The wine is noticeably firmer toward the end of the bottle, as one would expect from a 30+ year old wine. stefan 88. Lucie 91.

[Jay Winton]

do you mean 1966?

[stefan]

No; 1996, Jay. It was unusual that such a relatively young and well aired wine firmed up so much.

[JimHow]

I've always felt that wine in that vintage should have been better.

[Ramon_NYC]

I'm sorry but, I just don't get the "30+ year old wine" bit in your TN Bill.
I've had this wine over the last several years, and it always showed as young, but with significant air time, showed itself to be an excellent 1996 Left Bank wine. But can't hide the fact that it can benefit more with many yearsof cellar time.

[stefan]

Ramon, this bottle was certainly not like a 30+ year old wine in all respects (e.g., no tertiary characteristics). I did not mean that, but just that the wine changed more than I would expect for a young wine when we got to the last third of the bottle. But this bottle very definitely was not excellent. I have three more and hope that they are up to PB standards.

[robertgoulet]

I got the 30 yr old reference but at first I scratched my head, no worries

[dstgolf]

I thought the math professor with the Einstein award couldn't add!!

[Comte Flaneur]

Here is a different spin on this wine

http://www.wine-pages.com/ubb/ultimateb ... 1;t=036075

I must admit this was my wotn at a BWE Pauillac event in mid town Manhattan in 2006 when I first met Blanquito. It beat Mouton 88 and Latour 94.

[manton]

I hope this is good because I have some of this but have not tasted it in years!