One of the greatest wines that this estate has produced in the modern era, the 2016 Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande is a brilliant classic that no Bordeaux lover is going to want to do without. Mingling aromas of cassis and plums with notions of licorice, sweet tobacco leaf, rich soil tones, licorice, cigar smoke and violets, it's full-bodied, seamless and complete, with huge concentration, bright acids and a long, penetrating finish. Standing out for its unerring precision, impeccable balance and ineffable sense of completeness, it should prove almost immortal.
One of the wines of the vintage, the 2019 Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande soars from the glass with complex aromas of wild berries, tobacco leaf, loamy soil, burning embers and hints of violets and rose petals. Full-bodied, deep and complete, it’s velvety and seamless, with a broad attack and a multidimensional core of lively, succulent fruit. Concluding with a long, expansive finish, it’s a remarkable young Pauillac that will offer many years of thrilling drinking. Congratulations to Nicolas Glumineau and his team, who are ushering in a new golden age at an address where standards were always very high.
Composed of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot, the 2017 Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande has a medium to deep garnet-purple color and is a little closed to begin, soon revealing floral notes of lilacs and lavender over a core of black raspberries, warm blackberries and forest floor plus touches of star anise and stewed black tea. Medium-bodied, the palate is a bundle of energy and tension with softly played tannins and beautiful floral and black fruit layers, finishing with a long-lingering whisper.
A blend of 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot aged for 18 months in barrels, 60% new, the 2015 Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande displays a medium to deep garnet-purple color and is elegantly fruited with crushed red currants, black raspberries and cassis with touches of lavender, rose hips, tilled soil, fungi and charcuterie. Medium-bodied, finely crafted, remarkably pure and beautifully poised, it has a firm frame of very fine-grained tannins and oodles of freshness, finishing on a lingering mineral note.
The 2014 Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande has an expressive bouquet with lively blackberry, cedar, flint and graphite aromas that are not powerful, yet display admirable precision. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, the Merlot content lending this Pauillac its trademark fleshiness and roundness, yet there is clearly structure here (not always a trait of this Pauillac growth). It will develop more complexity and personality with bottle age, but at the moment you can sit back and just admire the cohesion and superb length. Winemaker Nicolas Glumineau has overseen a quite wonderful Pichon-Lalande, one with inbuilt longevity.
The grande dame, the 2012 Pichon Lalande represents only 50% of their harvest production. It has soft, round tannins, endearing elegance, and up-front fruit. It is not a blockbuster, but its lush, richly fruity style is charming and seductive, with raspberry, blueberry, mocha and blackcurrant fruit and a deep ruby/purple color. This medium-bodied, supple-textured wine is surprisingly precocious and forward, and therefore best drunk over the next 15 years. The final blend was 59% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot.
The dark ruby/plum-colored 2011 Pichon Longueville, Comtesse de Lalande is an elegant, suave, medium-bodied effort with abundant black cherry and red and black currant fruit. Nearly St.-Julien-like in its texture and personality, this is a well-made, finesse-styled Pauillac to drink over the next 10-15 years.
Deep garnet colored, the 2010 Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande gives up notes of warm cassis, blueberry pie and kirsch with wafts of cedar chest, pencil lead, charcoal and charcuterie plus a hint of wild thyme. Medium to full-bodied, the savory-inspired palate possesses a fair bit of chew with a lively backbone and firm finish.
Deep garnet colored, the 2009 Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande is a little reticent to begin, slowly giving way to notions of warm black cherries, blackcurrant cordial, stewed plums and sautéed herbs with hints of damp soil, tobacco and beef drippings. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is packed with tightly wound black fruit and earthy layers, framed by ripe, fine-grained tannins and lovely freshness making for a long, lively finish. Classic!
Château Pichon-Longueville - Comtesse de Lalande is a prestigious Bordeaux winery located in the Pauillac appellation of the Médoc region. Founded in the late 18th century, the estate is renowned for its high-quality wines, which are made from a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot grapes. The wines are aged in oak barrels for up to 18 months, giving them a complex and intense flavor.
The estate produces a range of wines, including a Grand Vin, a second wine, and a white wine. The Grand Vin is a full-bodied, tannic red wine with aromas of blackberry, cassis, and tobacco. The second wine is a lighter, more approachable style, with notes of red fruit and spice. The white wine is a blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon, with aromas of citrus and stone fruit.
Château Pichon-Longueville - Comtesse de Lalande is a classic example of a Bordeaux winery, producing wines of exceptional quality and complexity.
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.
The 2005 Pichon Lalande, with its aromatics of cassis, forest floor and earth are followed by a medium-bodied wine that doesn’t have quite the length and richness the aromatics suggest. Nevertheless, it is medium-bodied, elegant, and pure, and a classic example for this château. Drink it now as well as over the next 15 or so years. It is showing better than my earlier notes suggest.
Made from a blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot and 4% Petit Verdot, this spectacular 2003 hits all the sweet spots on the palate. A glorious bouquet of cedarwood, jammy black currants, cherries, licorice and truffle is followed by a dense, opulently textured, full-bodied wine with terrific purity and freshness as well as deep, velvety textured tannins. Enjoy this beauty over the next 10-12 years.
Dense purple in color, with loads of coffee, mocha, creme de cassis, and chocolate notes, this is a somewhat unusual blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, and a whooping 10% Petit Verdot, with a little bit of Cabernet Franc. The Petit Verdot certainly gives the wine more of a tapenade, floral note, which I think can be interpreted by some as herbal. This is a rich, opulent, stunning Pichon Lalande that is beginning to drink beautifully, yet should continue to improve for at least another 10-15 years and last 30 or more years.