2013 Pichon Longueville Lalande (Pauillac)

The 2013 Pichon-Lalande, according to Nicolas Glumineau, was picked 10 days earlier than he wanted because of the risk of rot, therefore 10 hectares of Merlot was picked in a single day, a Sunday to boot. `It saved us,` Glumineau tells me. It has a light, fragrant, slightly briny bouquet. Just a little herbaceousness coming through, simple but pleasurable. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannins, and it has more depth than the nose implies. Hints of dark chocolate and espresso towards the finish with a touch of spiciness, though undeniably monotone compared to recent vintages under Nicolas Glumineau. This is a perfectly respectable Pauillac if you can abide the bitterness on the aftertaste that ebbs away in the glass. Tasted at the `Difficult Vintage` vertical at the chateau. 90 points