CHÂTEAU PIBRAN

The 2012 Pibran is soft, supple and very nicely balanced. Sweet plum, cinnamon, rose petal and tobacco notes open up in a plush, fruit-driven Pauillac to drink young, while the fruit retains its vibrancy. Silky tannins add elegance to the creamy, generous finish. The blend is 55% Merlot and 45% Cabernet Sauvignon. This is a lovely effort from Pibran. Drinking range: 2016 - 2025 Rating: 89 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Jan 2016)

This is a somewhat of a sleeper, under-the-radar property that is not terribly well-known, but seems to consistently make wines well above its pedigree. This wine, which is vinified by the same team that makes the famous Château Pichon Baron, has an inky purple color. The wine reveals loads of blueberry and black raspberry fruit, sweet tannin and medium body, not much complexity, but is a big, juicy, succulent mouthful of fruit. This wine will develop more complexity over the next 5-8 years and last for 15 or more. This is a sleeper of the vintage. Drinking range: 2015 - 2030 Rating: 88 Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate, www.RobertParker.com (Apr 2015)

(55% merlot and 45% cabernet sauvignon; 50% new oak): Dark ruby. Delicate blackcurrant, cedar, spicy minerals and cocoa on the enticing nose. Fresh in the mouth, with clean mineral nuances lifting the dark berry and spice flavors. Lively peppery acidity really extends the flavors on the back. The older cabernet vines were hit by millerandage and this is one of the reasons why there is more merlot than usual in the blend--probably a good idea in any case in 2012 given the wet late season, when cabernet sauvignon was still trying to reach optimal maturity on the vine. It is noteworthy that at Pibran there is a strong calcaire subsoil component and generally more clay than at Pichon-Baron, another reason why upping the merlot presence here may not be a bad idea. A very good result in 2012. Rating: 87-90 Ian d'Agata, www.vinousmedia.com (May 2013)