Always a rustic, dense, muscular, masculine effort, the 2012 reveals more finesse than normal along with a deep color, chunky, monolithic red and black fruits intermixed with hints of beef blood, earth and a touch of truffles. It is an exuberant, beefy Lalande de Pomerol that may lack finesse, but offers plenty of mouthfilling density. It should drink well for a decade. A huge property owned by the Baron Guichard (also the owner of Vray Croix de Gay) and run by the Goldschmidt family, this 120-acre estate is planted with 74% Merlot and the rest mostly Cabernet Franc with a tiny touch of Malbec.