100 Point Wines

wines

An eternal wine, the 2010 Pichon Lalande is a total showstopper. The first impression is one of explosive power, but time in the glass brings out the wine’s more delicate, floral side. Violet, graphite, crème de cassis, licorice and menthol overtones recall the 1996, but the tannins here are much softer, sweeter and more polished. In two recent tastings, the 2010 has been positively stellar. The alternation of hot days and cool nights led to a late harvest. The Cabernet Sauvignon harvest did not start until October 7; by that date in 2009 all the fruit was in. Readers who can still find the 2010 should not hesitate, as it is a modern-day classic. That’s all there is to it.Antonio Galloni | 98+ AGBrilliant – double decant and wait an hour so the wine can better express its sensual aromas of faded rose, cassis, homemade strawberry jam, graphite and iodine freshness. The palate is enveloped in cashmere-like refinement, leading to a long finish with sea air and floral freshness. Best to hang on another five years for a proper drinking window, but if you insist, try it now with filet mignon. Drinking Window 2021 - 2055.Decanter | 98 DECWith signs of new wood on the palate, this is a wine that maintains the polished feel of the wines from Pichon Lalande. It has a stronger presence of Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend than in the past, making it more structured than its predecessors, with a dominance of black currant flavor. It shows the soft side of the vintage, but is also meant for aging.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WEThe 2010 Pichon Lalande is performing extremely well and at the top of the range I predicted several years ago. A final blend dominated much more by Cabernet Sauvignon than usual (66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc and the rest Petit Verdot), the wine is a tighter, more tannic and structured version of this famed Pauillac, which often tends to have more of a St-Julien-like personality than most Pauillacs. Structured, backward and tannic, yet showing a fat mid-palate that is more savory, broader and more expansive than I remember from barrel, this wine is somewhat reminiscent of the 1986, given the Cabernet Sauvignon domination of the blend. Full-bodied, impressively endowed, and less sexy and velvety than normal, this is a somewhat different style of Pichon Lalande than most readers have been used to. Whether you like it more or less will depend on your point of view, but this wine, unlike most Pichon Lalandes, needs a good 5-7 years of cellaring and should keep for 30+ years.Robert Parker | 95+ RPRock-solid, with a classic Pauillac profile of cassis, iron and graphite. Layers of blueberry, blackberry and boysenberry fruit cover the grip for now, but there’s serious muscle for the longer haul, revealing a lingering pastis hint.--Non-blind Pichon Lalande vertical (July 2014). Best from 2020 through 2040.Wine Spectator | 95 WSThe 2010 is based on 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc, and the balance Petit Verdot that was raised in (I’m assuming) a good bit of new oak, although you wouldn’t know this by tasting it. Revealing a still youthful ruby/plum hue with just a touch of lightening at the edge, it has a Saint-Julien-like perfume of darker currants, tobacco, earth, sous bois, and flowers, without that classic cedar and lead pencil character of most Pauillacs. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, it has a wonderfully focused, seamless texture, ultra-fine tannins, and a great finish. It’s still relatively closed and reticent, so give bottles another 4-5 years if possible.Jeb Dunnuck | 94+ JDThis is a pretty and refined Pichon Lalande. Aromas of blueberries and blackberries with hints of earth and mushrooms. Full body, with velvety tannins and a juicy finish. I slightly prefer the 2009. Better in 2017.James Suckling | 94 JS(Château Pichon-Lalande) The 2010 Pichon-Lalande is another unequivocal success for the vintage. The classy bouquet is deep, ripe and impressively pure, with a classically reserved blend of cassis, dark berries, espresso, tobacco leaf, gravel and discreet new oak wafting from the glass. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and quite suave on the attack, with a fine core of fruit, ripe, well-integrated tannins, good acidity and impressive focus on the long, youthful and beautifully balanced finish. A very, very fine young Pichon-Lalande the strongly recalls the young 1986 at this estate. (Drink between 2020-2070).John Gilman | 94 JG

One of my favourite wines from 2022, utterly seductive from the first sip, this is a stunning effort that shows the power of Pauillac in 2022 delivered with elegance and class. Heavily scented on the nose, full of dark fruits, savoury notes of salty chocolate and floral scents. Smooth and so appealing in the mouth, the texture stands out, deep and rich but soft and chalky, tannins have a subtle powderiness that spreads the mouth, cooling and refreshing giving the minerality while the cool black and blue fruits linger in layers expanding vertically. This is so refined and polished - it’s serious no doubt, not super fun, but it doesn’t need to be, it’s rich and sumptuous with sweet blue fruits balanced by high acidity that keeps the focus and energy. Bright, bold, well worked, clean, crystalline and pure. Somehow delicate and punchy at the same time. A mind-blowing wine that you just have to marvel at with intensity, brightness and vibrancy, building as it goes. A long, clean finish leaves you wanting more, salivating for that next sip. 3.8pH. A potential 100-point wine. 3.8pH. 50% grand vin. Tasted twice.Decanter | 98 DECI love the aromatics here with botanicals as well as currants, blackberries and oranges. Full-bodied with incredible tannins that build on the palate with finesse and focus. Featherlight but always there. Stealth in structure. Very vertical. Savory. Superb. 78% cabernet sauvignon, 17% merlot and 5% cabernet franc.James Suckling | 98-99 JSA blend of 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot, and 5% Cabernet Franc, the 2022 Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande is deep garnet-purple in color. After a little coaxing, aromas of blackcurrant jelly, juicy plums, and wild blueberries waltz out of the glass, followed by nuances of red roses, damp soil, tar, and licorice. The medium-bodied palate is tightly wound, with impressive tension created by mineral-laced, crunchy black fruit layers, framed by firm, grainy tannins and seamless freshness, finishing long and savory. pH 3.8.The Wine Independent | 98-100 TWIThe 2022 Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande is one wine where a comparison with this estate’s magical 1982 doesn’t appear to be far-fetched. Wafting from the glass with deep aromas of cassis, plums, violets, rose petals, tobacco leaf and pencil shavings, it’s full-bodied, supple and fleshy, with a layered, seamless core of fruit that largely conceals its chassis of powdery structuring tannin. Concluding with a long, expansive and beautifully perfumed finish, it’s a blend of 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc that has the potential to equal or even surpass the 2019 and 2016 vintages at this address. It checks in at a very classical 13.6% alcohol and a rather high pH of 3.80.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97-99 RPOne of the gems from Pauillac is unquestionably the 2022 Château Pichon-Longueville Comtesse De Lalande, which is 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot, and 5% Cabernet Franc. A hypothetical blend of the 2019 and 2020, it’s a full-bodied, concentrated, opulent Comtesse offering beautiful blue fruits, some chocolate, leafy herbs, and undeniable minerality, ripe, velvety tannins, and a great finish. Despite the higher Cabernet Sauvignon component, this stays silky, expansive, and incredibly sexy. It’s going to be drinkable with just 4-5 years of bottle age but should have a lengthy drink window. Hats off to director Nicolas Glumineau for another legendary wine from this château.Jeb Dunnuck | 97-100 JDThe 2022 Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande is magnificent. In recent years, Estate Director Nicolas Glumineau has pushed Pichon Comtesse to the limit. Maybe even a bit too far. But the 2022 is in the end a super-classic wine that emphasizes mid-weight structure, aromatic presence and persistence more than size. Sweet floral, savory and mineral accents run through a core of ripe, racy red-toned fruit. All the elements are so well balanced. Tasted four times.Vinous Media | 96-99 VM