2013 Château Pichon Lalande

Perfumed and with apparently ripe fruit on the nose. Light and sweet and just a little simple but without the very drying finish of some. (JR)

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 château.

Displaying a charmingly unfussy character to the blackberry and raspberry fruits, this has supple tannins that still have life and form to them, and is easily one of the best wines here. Rosebud and campfire smoke edge, and one of the few wines that give you a reason to buy this over the estate's other vintages, because it is that rare beast in the Médoc - a 100% Cabernet Sauvingon. I last tasted this wine two years ago, and this is an upscore (perhaps because I am tasting it as part of a horizontal not a vertical, and it stands out among its peers in the vintage). 13hl/h, Nicolas Glumineau's first year as director.