2023, Château Pichon Lalande, PAUILLAC, 2ème Grand Cru Classé

Last Year EP $372.00-

One of the great names of the Médoc and a true "super-second". The château is situated next to Château Latour and opposite Pichon Baron, with most of the vines a little further inland from the river. A new winery has just been built and recent vintages have been amongst the best ever produced here.
80% cabernet sauvignon, 17% merlot, 3% cabernet franc.

The 2023 Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande is a brilliant wine that will be worth a special effort to track down. Unwinding in the glass with aromas of wild berries and cassis mingled with liquorice, lilac, iris root, violet, burning embers and pencil shavings, it's medium to full-bodied, seamless and complete, with a deep, layered core of cool fruit that largely conceals it's ultra-refined structuring tannins. It unites all Pichon Comtesse's sensuality with unimpeachable Pauillac classicism.
97-99 William Kelley, Wine Advocate

Wow. This is really excellent, with superb finesse and focus. It has tight density that is almost diamond-like in its brilliance. Medium to full body, with a quality of tannin that is incredibly seamless. Like silk in texture. A top Pichon Lalande. From organic and biodynamically grown grapes. May be better than 2022.
98-99 James Suckling

Intense and luxurious, with wonderful balance and grip, has the old school feel of a powerful, structured but effortlessly drinkable Pauillac with the precision and sculpted fruit quality of recent vintages at this exceptional estate. A gorgeous mix of cassis, cocoa bean, espresso, squid ink, graphite, pencil lead and gun-smoke. A wine you will want to drink and share, and one that is fully at the top of the vintage. Final year of conversion to organics. Nicolas Glumineau director.
98 Jane Anson

The 2023 Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande has a quintessential Comtesse bouquet, displaying pure and expressive black fruit laced with violet and graphite, delivered with impressive delineation. The palate is very refined on the entry. This is armed with beguiling symmetry—poised yet intense on the finish. It doesn’t exert huge grip because it knows it doesn't need to, and it fans out gloriously. Outstanding.
96-98 Neal Martin