![]() The combination of these two varietals, along with a small percentage of (commonly) Petit Verdot or Cabernet Franc, is the perfect balancing act – the two grape varietals cancel out each others weaker points, and accentuate all that is good about the other. Whilst Cabernet Sauvignon grapes are renowned for their acidity and astringency, strong fruit and spice flavors and full body, Merlot grapes are notably rounded, soft, fleshy and lighter on tannin. Whilst there are six 'official' Bordeaux grapes, the two key varietals for almost every fine Bordeaux wine are Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, and with good reason. Here, in the home of the world's finest wines, the type and quality of grapes used is of utmost importance, and the legendary wineries which work on the banks of the Gironde river have mastered the careful art of juice blending to find the perfect balance for their produce. There are few regions in the world with stricter regulations in regards to wine production and grape varietals than those found in Bordeaux, France. Grape Variety: Mixed Variety Region: Bordeaux, France Vineyard: Chteau Pichon-Longueville Lalande A final blend dominated much more by Cabernet Sauvignon. Both the Argentinian and Chilean wine industries benefited from some ideal climatic conditions this year, and are reportedly ecstatically pleased with the fact that their 2010 wines ended up with lower alcohol levels, and were beautifully balanced wines packed full of flavor. Shiraz also had a great year, and most Australian wineries have been proclaiming 2010 one of the great vintages. As such, the majority of South Australian white wines from 2010 are superb, and packed full of character. California also received similar climatic conditions, but again, wineries are highly positive about the overall effect this had on their produce, as the slightly challenging conditions resulted in smaller yields of much elegance and distinction.Ģ010 was really Australia's year, and in South Australia and across the Mornington Peninsula, Chardonnay vines produced good yields with a lower sugar level than in previous years. Spain, too, received some cooler weather, but Rioja and the rest of central Spain are hailing 2010 as a very good year indeed, again as a result of smaller, finer yields. Violet, graphite, crme de cassis, licorice and menthol overtones recall the 1996, but the tannins here are much softer, sweeter and more. The first impression is one of explosive power, but time in the glass brings out the wine’s more delicate, floral side. An eternal wine, the 2010 Pichon Lalande is a total. France, especially, had a fantastic year in 2010, with the world renowned Burgundy region proclaiming that their white wines of this year are ones to look out for, and despite yields being relatively small across much of the country, the quality was exceptionally high. Plex running on a native 4:3 composite video player working extremely well as shown on my pink Zenith after finding a Roku Express+. 'An eternal wine, the 2010 Pichon Lalande is a total showstopper. Silky, sweet black fruit, black olive and truffle notes from the start. The northern hemisphere and Europe saw something of a cooler summer and flowering period, but this was by no means as disastrous as it could have been. Whether you like it more or less will depend on your point of view, but this wine, unlike most Pichon Lalandes, needs a good 5-7 years of cellaring and should keep for 30+ years.2010 saw extremely high quality viticulture in many parts of the world, with an exceptionally long and hot summer providing huge benefits for wineries across many countries, especially in the southern hemisphere. Full-bodied, impressively endowed, and less sexy and velvety than normal, this is a somewhat different style of Pichon Lalande than most readers have been used to. Structured, backward and tannic, yet showing a fat mid-palate that is more savory, broader and more expansive than I remember from barrel, this wine is somewhat reminiscent of the 1986, given the Cabernet Sauvignon domination of the blend. A final blend dominated much more by Cabernet Sauvignon than usual (66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc and the rest Petit Verdot), the wine is a tighter, more tannic and structured version of this famed Pauillac, which often tends to have more of a St-Julien-like personality than most Pauillacs. Buy 1.5Ltr 2010 Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande Pauillac from Pauillac, Bordeaux, and browse Saratoga Wine Exchanges entire selection of Red. The 2010 Pichon Lalande is performing extremely well and at the top of the range I predicted several years ago. Bright, vibrant tannins make the most of the high levels of acidity that were available in 2010, while matching them pace for pace with concentrated fruit. ![]()
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