2012 Pichon Lalande, Leoville-Barton

14 May 2013

Nicolas Glumineau of Pichon LalandeDespite (or, perhaps, because of) Pichon-Longueville's higher-than-expected release price yesterday, Roederer have stuck to their guns. Following a highly successful spell at Montrose, Nicolas Glumineau has taken over the reins from Sylvie Cazes and this morning released their flagship Pichon Lalande considerably below the price of last year's. It's one of the great names of Bordeaux, it's considerably below the price of any other vintage on the market, and it should develop beautifully over the next 10 to 15 years.

'Lovely deep, intense colour. Fruity, fresh, pure, floral nose. Lovely ample attack, then the wine develops to become big and quite full considering the vintage, with taste and fine tannins. It's delicious! There is a reminiscent note of Pomerol in its richly supple feel. Flavoursome finish – impossible to spit it out! Blend: 59% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot. 93 points.' - Jean-Marc Quarin, quarin.com

Leoville-Barton was one of our favourites in St-Julien this year. If the chateau found the growing season difficult then they weren't letting on. This is a lovely, restrained, fresh and classy 2012, which has an air of effortlessness about it. Our only hesitation is that we still have stock of the 2011 which we retasted on our latest visit. This has developed beautifully with the extra year in barrel. Like so many supposed lesser years of the past decade, customers are going to be pleasantly surprised when they come to drink these recent vintages. /AR

Offered subject to availability for shipment spring 2015

Halves & magnums £10 extra per 9 litre case; other formats on request