Pichon Lalande 2018 has been released at €132 per bottle ex-negociant, up 46.7% on the 2017’s opening price of €90. It is being offered by the international trade at £1,656 per 12×75, up 48.4% on the 2017’s release of £1,116 per case.
The critical reception of today’s release has been very positive. James Suckling awarded it 98-99 points and said it was “floating on the palate”. Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW (The Wine Advocate) gave it a similar barrel range of 97-99 points and complimented its “super ripe, super fine-grained tannins and soft background freshness”. Antonio Galloni (Vinous, 95-98) described it as “powerful, dense and explosive, with a real sense of vertical lift that conveys energy”.
The wine also achieved a potential 100 point score from both Jeff Leve (The Wine Cellar Insider, 98-100) and James Molesworth (Wine Spectator, 97-100). For Molesworth, Pichon Lalande 2018 is “one of the high water marks of the vintage”.
Prices for Pichon Lalande show 53% correlation to our ‘Benchmark Critic’ scores. Today’s release is coming to the market above all recent vintages; however, followers of Suckling and Perrotti-Brown might find something to be excited about, as our ‘Fair Value’ chart shows. The 2018 also looks very attractive when Leve and Molesworth’s scores are considered.
Alternatively, buyers might wish to consider the 2015, which boasts 96 points from Neal Martin and is currently available at a 28% discount. The 2014, which carries the same score as the 2009 and 2010, costs almost half the price of today’s release.
Looking for more?
Our Bordeaux 2018 pages contain everything you need to know about this year’s En Primeur campaign, including:
- Critic scores
- Release prices
- Bordeaux 2018 analysis tool [members only]
- The conversation on social media
- Liv-ex’s fair value methodology
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