Château Pichon Comtesse de Lalande, 2ème Cru Classé, Pauillac, 2016
Those who have already read the Reserve de la Comtesse note will have high hope for the Comtesse, and don't worry, you won't be disappointed. This is a Pichon of first growth quality. We unanimously preferred it to their highfalutin neighbour. Aromatically, this is the purest expression of Pauillac, pure claret. It is sensual, yet serious, pure, complex and ethereal. It is like being presented with a freshly picked bunch of roses in a bucket of freshly pressed blackcurrant topped with graphite shavings. It is so alive and vibrant. The flavours on the palate are equally well delineated, beautifully taut, with just the right measure of gloss, pure cassis, delivered with such grace, poise and persistence. The quality and texture of fruit is really impressive. Tannins of the utmost finesse give this more than a touch of seduction and tension. They say that owners look like their dogs; Nicolas always greats us warmly with a beaming smile, and we always seem to leave cheered and smiling from ear to ear having tasted his wines - perhaps wines resemble their makers... Pure class.
critic reviews
The 2016 Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande has a gorgeous bouquet with black cherries, violet, cassis and light crushed stony scents. Wonderful delineation. The palate is medium-bodied with immense depth and grip. Powerful, almost burly tannins find counterbalance in a keen line of acidity. The finish is structured, more so than I expected in its infancy, but it still feels elegant and very persistent.
Sleek, powerful, concentrated, densely wrought. A vintage that will provide a slow and steady reveal, still a baby at 10 years old. Cassis, olive pit, orange peel, pencil lead, graphite, squid ink, an exceptional tannic frame, beginning to lose its austerity. 40hl/h yield, 60% new oak, harvest September 20 to October 20. Nicolas Glumineau in place as director since 2013.
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.