Chateau Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande (scuffed labels) 2005

Professional Ratings

• 96 Decanter
  This needs time in the glass, but unfurls to reveal cedar, cinnamon, tobacco, cassis and rose notes. It's heady and confident stuff that I've tasted several times over the past few months and have been hugely impressed by, especially with food.
• 95 Wine Enthusiast
  Has developed an elegance all its own, with great style, smoothing out the real intensity of the wine. This 2005 continues in that tradation, a spicey, fruity wine, which has restraint as well as hidden power.
• 93 Wine Spectator
  Beautiful currant, berry and licorice aromas follow through to a full body, with tar and berry character, fine tannins and a long finish. I was expecting a little more from this, but it's still outstanding. Best after 2013.
• 93 James Suckling
  What a nose on this, with orchids and currants, this is very perfumed and pretty. Full-bodied, with bright and lively acidity. Rose petals and citrus fruit on the palate give way to a long and intense finish. Wait and see where this goes.