Chateau Pichon Longueville Comtesse De Lalande Bordeaux 2005

Deep black purple hue. Opaque. Like the Reserve de la Comtesse, a exceptionally fine nose of cedar, hawthorn, ripe blackberry fruit (not leaf like some other 2005's) cassis and strawberry. Superb definition. Medium bodied, beautifully balanced with a firm mid-palate. Tannic but balanced with layers of blackcurrant, raspberry, cedar and tobacco. The Cabernet is more dominant this year. Firm grip on the finish, I wine that does not want to let go (and why would you want it to?) A vin de garde Pichon Lalande. At the Farr tasting. A deep purple hue, virtually opaque. A very intense, supremely focused nose of blackberry, cedar and violets. Much more cohesive than in Bordeaux. A very intense, deceptively powerful palate, less extraction than Pichon Baron but grips the palate like few other Pichon Lalande's. An awesome wine. Neal Martin