While I always mix in new producers on every trip to be as democratic as possible, there are a very small number of benchmark producers that I try to see every year. Visiting any benchmark estate is both a privilege and a critical and illustrative part of sussing out what a new vintage is capable of. On rare occasions, I’m lucky enough to be able to see more than one benchmark estate in a day. Case in point, Pauillac’s Château Pichon Baron and Château Lynch Bages. I also managed to sneak in a rising producer, Grand-Puy-Lacoste.
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