Pichon-Longueville Lalande Pauillac 2012

94-96 points Wine Enthusiast: "Intense black currant fruitiness makes this wine unabashedly forward. The palate bears weighty tannins behind that fruit, resulting in a wine that is already quite balanced and structured. (Apr 2013)"

94+ points John Gilman (View From the Cellar): "Château Pichon-Lalande is fortunate to have Nicolas Glumineau now at the head of the day to day operations of the estate, as he has moved over from Château Montrose after the 2011 vintage and has clearly hit the ground running in his first full year at this fabled Pauillac Second Growth! The 2012 Château Pichon-Lalande is clearly one of the three finest wines produced on the Left Bank in this vintage and an utterly classic and refined bottle of young claret. The wine this year is a blend of fifty-nine percent cabernet sauvignon, twenty-eight percent merlot, eight percent cabernet franc and five percent petit verdot. The deep, pure and very traditionally-styled nose delivers a superb aromatic constellation of cassis, cark berries, coffee, tobacco leaf, cigar ash, gravel and cedar. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, pure and utterly suave and seamless, with a rock solid core, great focus and grip and a long, classy and ripely tannic finish. Think of a wine cut along the lines of the beautiful 1983 Pichon-Lalande, only deeper and even more refined! This is a glorious success and a clear indication that a combination of strict selection and an intuitive sense of the style of the 2012 vintage could produce magic! Do not miss this wine if you love classic claret. 2025-2065. (Sep/Oct 2019)"

94 points Jane Anson: "(59% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc, 5% Petit Verdot). Medium ruby in colour, less intense towards the edge of the rim, suggesting a touch of evolution. This shows vanilla and sage spice, crushed dark cherries, with a mid palate dominated by velvety but still firm and present tannins. A wave of fresh acidity comes in on the finish and supports a rolling out of vanilla and sweet spices. The vintage profile is identifiable in the weight of the body, and the sweeter, drinkable style of the wine. 55% new oak, first year with Nicolas Glumineau as director (overseeing blending but not viticulture), with 50% 1st wine in production, harvest October 1-18. Alcohol 13%. Drink: 2022-2040. (11/1/22)"

94 points/'2015 Top 100 Wines (#18),' International Wine Report: "The 2012 is a sensational effort from Pichon-Lalande, given the challenging vintage conditions and with only 50% of the crop making it into the wine, the final result is quite impressive. As this blend of 59% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot opens it releases gorgeous aromas of ripe dark fruits, dark cherries, spices, graphite and spring florals which soar from the glass. This continues to impress on the palate with its wonderful balance and gorgeous polished texture which carries through on to the long finish. The 2012 will be accessible early and should also evolve gracefully over the next decade. Best: 2017-2028. (Jul 2015)"

94 points (17/20) La Revue du Vin de France: "The 2012 is the opposite, very charming, but at the same time serious and complete. (2016)"

94 points Tim Atkin, MW (Apr 2013).

93 points Sebastian Payne, MW (Decanter): "Lovely creamy texture and supple fruit. A delightful, relatively uncomplicated claret of medium weight and charm that’s probably now at its best. Drinking Window: 2022-2030. (Mar 2022)"

93 points Chris Kissack (Winedoctor): "The 2012 Pichon-Lalande, or Pichon-Comtesse if you prefer, presents a fragranced and beautifully delineated nose, rich in purely expressed black raspberry and damson fruits, with streaks of tobacco, fresh coffee grounds, smoke and dark chocolate. The palate follows the lead of the nose, in terms of its very fine delineation and its beautifully polished fruits which call to mind lightly dried and fragrant berries, cherries and currants, with little touches of smoky, polished oak and graphite. This is really impressive, with great integration, polished finesse, and plenty of potential in the substance and build. A delicious wine, still evolving, and this feels superior to Pichon-Baron today (rare for me, as I have a track record of favouring the Baron over the Comtesse). The alcohol is 13% on the label. (Mar 2022)"