Best-smelling cork - 2005 Pichon Lalande

[wine_drinker]

So, I wanted to try out more wines carried by my new favorite local seller, I picked up a bottle of 2005 Pichon Lalande from Laguna Cellar for $139.95. It's not the rock bottom price on wine-searcher, but below the W-S average price of $154. What I really wanted to test is the condition of the wine before I allocate more wine budget to this Bordeaux specialist store in Southern California. OMG, I admit I was blown away by how good the wine tasted and how well it was stored. A couple details: once opened, the cork was the cleanest and best-smelling cork I've ever had. I detected a floral scent, almost light perfume, from the cork. I wonder if it hinted at the feminine nature of Pichon Lalande I've often heard mentioned. (Note to self: need to try Pichon Baron from the same vintage for comparison.) Once the wine breathed for an hour, it became so velvety and full of taste of berries, and maintained a light floral note. The color is not as dark as I expected from the critics' notes (one called it "dark crimson", I struggled to see the dark side). But given time to open up, the wine tasted very much as its reputation would lead one to expect. I think I will start buying more Pichon Lalande to balance out the mostly muscular wines I have been drinking.

[dstgolf]

Great review and yes you are bang on. PL is not the crimson beauty of its sibling the purple Baron from across the street and certainly the softer more feminine of the two both in the visuals and on the palate. Both are fabulous wines and just a matter of style to ones preferences but I'd take either or on any given night. 2005s are starting to show but still a ways from peak and I suspect the Lalonde will be ready earlier than the Baron. I don't think that you'll be disappointed with either of these two and if you are used to drinking the heavier Cali stars you may be ready to pass down the Bordeaux trap of luxury getting hooked on variety/complexity and elegance that I don't find in most areas of the wine world. Keep sampling through Bordeaux and gain the passion of others on this board...... and welcome.

[wine_drinker]

Thanks! Agreed, the Californian reds have been disappointing to me lately, especially the ones that I have painstakingly stored for many years. Instead of improving and developing complexity, they have lost their character. I won't name the brands, to be polite. But for >$150/bt at release, I expect them to get better over time. The fault, as I start to believe, lies in the single-grape approach. The Cabs Californian winemakers are so keen on lack the complex layers of tastes a Bordeaux would develop as it matures. Why are they so hung up on simple marketing gimmicks like labeling it a Cabernet or Merlot? Is blending different grapes that hard to learn? Even with all the French eager to invest and work in California?

Great review and yes you are bang on. PL is not the crimson beauty of its sibling the purple Baron from across the street and certainly the softer more feminine of the two both in the visuals and on the palate. Both are fabulous wines and just a matter of style to ones preferences but I'd take either or on any given night. 2005s are starting to show but still a ways from peak and I suspect the Lalonde will be ready earlier than the Baron. I don't think that you'll be disappointed with either of these two and if you are used to drinking the heavier Cali stars you may be ready to pass down the Bordeaux trap of luxury getting hooked on variety/complexity and elegance that I don't find in most areas of the wine world. Keep sampling through Bordeaux and gain the passion of others on this board...... and welcome.

[dstgolf]

You have entered a minefield on this board regarding Cali Cabs. We always go searching for the majic and at our annual convention we try to showcase and compare many of the Cali stars. On there own they seem fine but in a side by side showing they seem to fall short. Cali Cabs for the most part are unidimensional,uninspiring,over priced and over hyped. There certainly are very good ones out there but I feel there are better Bordeaux wines at better price points that will age elegantly given the appropriate pedigree. Not that Bordeaux is a bargain but compring a $100-150 bottle from both regions I`ll take Bordeaux any day. For the sub $25 I still prefer Bordeaux but can find reasonable early drinking Cali Cabs when I need to but more recently I`ve gravitated to Spain in addition for that price range giving tremendous value and pleasure.

Cali Cabs in the higher price range people think they can lay them down and yes they can but for the most part they don`t evolve like Bordeaux changing and improving with age and is a major disappointment.

If you look elsewhere on the board you`ll find many more disappointments from California than not. Now if you look at Oregon Pinot I`m sure you`ll get a very different response from people with many fans on the board.

Happy hunting.