Velvety tannins, lovely depth of flavours and blackberry fruit, bracken, brambled hedgerows, a ton of cassis puree and juice. Enjoyable, still young, love the cedar oak notes that are unveiled as it opens, along with the warm turmeric spice. Still so much tannic frame holding everything in place, this is starting to open but with plenty of life ahead. These was a big wine En Primeur and is still big shouldered. 3.65ph. The year that Roederer Estates took over, with Gildas d'Ornon as managing director and Thomas Do-Chi-Nam as technical director.

Tasted at the property, the 2006 Château Pichon-Lalande has a voluminous bouquet with outgoing blackberry, cassis and violets scents, a touch of boysenberry jam tucked just underneath, although it does not quite have the delineation of the Lynch Bages. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin. This feels very composed in the mouth, quite fresh with well-judged acidity, harmonious and tensile on the finish. This deserves a higher score than I awarded out of barrel and it continues to improve year by year. Tasted April 2016. - Neal Martin

The success of this wine owes as much to Merlot as to Cabernet. The Merlot has created the ripeness and smoothness of the wine. While the Cabernet keeps it firm and closed up there is a base of rich sweet fruit here that will show over the next two years. The style of the wine is moving away from elegance to power under the new regime of owners Champagne Roederer.

93+ Tasted blind at Southwold ’06 Bordeaux tasting. This is much more closed on the nose: blackberry and graphite…very tightly coiled at present. The palate is full-bodied with saturated tannins, very pure and viscous, modern style winemaking but there is wonderful balance and focus, leading to a sumptuous, structured finish with tinctures of damson, apricot and raisin counterpoising the austere Cabernet. This is a long-term Pichon-Lalande that may ultimately outclass the ’05.

Displays currant and blackberry, with hints of licorice. Full-bodied, with round, chewy tannins and lots of fruit under the structure. A rich wine for the vintage, needing plenty of bottle age. Best after 2014. 16,665 cases made. –JS

The 2006 Pichon Lalande has only 64% Cabernet Sauvignon and 36% Merlot, with no Cabernet Franc, nor Petit Verdot, in the blend. It is deep garnet-brick in color and is a little closed to start, opening out to notes of tar, unsmoked cigars, crushed rocks, and dried sage, plus subtle fruit suggestions of prunes and dried blackberries. The medium-bodied palate is firm and chewy with muscular, savory-laced black fruits and a rugged finish. It's a dense, sturdy claret, for sure, although it lacks the grace and finesse of a great Pichon Lalande. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown