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1988 Pichon Lalande

1988 Pichon Lalande

92 JG

Featured Review
(Château Pichon-Lalande) 1988 is a vintage of good, but hardly remarkable ripeness, and in the context of all the other stellar vintages in this decade in Bordeaux, it stands out a bit stylistically. However, at least with the Pichon-Lalande, the 1988 is hardly a weak link and the wine is outstanding in its very classical styling and proportions. The bouquet offers up a lovely, cool fruit blend of cassis, dark berries, menthol, tobacco leaf, gravel, cigar smoke and a judicious foundation of toasty new oak. On the palate the wine is fullish, pure and impeccably balanced, with a good solid core, melting tannins and fine focus and grip on the long, complex and very classy finish. This does not have the exotic topnotes of a sunnier vintage, but it has a lovely base of Pichon’s inimitable terroir and has no cause to apologize for anything! Fine, fine juice cut from an utterly classical cloth and a dramatically underrated vintage of Pichon-Lalande. (Drink between 2019-2050). John Gilman

Cellar Tracker | 92 JG

Critic Reviews

(Château Pichon-Lalande) 1988 is a vintage of good, but hardly remarkable ripeness, and in the context of all the other stellar vintages in this decade in Bordeaux, it stands out a bit stylistically. However, at least with the Pichon-Lalande, the 1988 is hardly a weak link and the wine is outstanding in its very classical styling and proportions. The bouquet offers up a lovely, cool fruit blend of cassis, dark berries, menthol, tobacco leaf, gravel, cigar smoke and a judicious foundation of toasty new oak. On the palate the wine is fullish, pure and impeccably balanced, with a good solid core, melting tannins and fine focus and grip on the long, complex and very classy finish. This does not have the exotic topnotes of a sunnier vintage, but it has a lovely base of Pichon’s inimitable terroir and has no cause to apologize for anything! Fine, fine juice cut from an utterly classical cloth and a dramatically underrated vintage of Pichon-Lalande. (Drink between 2019-2050).

John Gilman | 92 JG
Aromas of black olive, blackberry and currant. Complex and fascinating. Full-bodied, with soft and velvety tannins and a long, caressing finish. Pretty and satisfying.--'88/'98 Bordeaux blind retrospective (2008). Drink now.

Wine Spectator | 92 WS
Somewhat austere but very successful for the vintage, Pichon-Lalande’s 1988 has a dark garnet color and an intriguing nose of compost, earth, black currants, licorice, and weedy tobacco. The wine is medium-bodied with a sweet, relatively expansive mid-palate and slightly rugged tannins in the increasingly attenuated finish. This wine has reached full maturity and should be drunk over the next 5-10 years. Anticipated maturity: Now-2008. Last tasted, 5/02.

Robert Parker | 90 RP

Wine Details for 1988 Pichon Lalande

Type of Wine Bordeaux Red : Picture in your mind a combination of cedar, lead pencil, blackcurrant, plum and mineral aromatics, and texture that caresses your palate like a playful lover. The experience is thrilling from the first whiff to the final seconds of a tannic, generous finish - that is what you'll get from a Bordeaux Red
Varietal Bordeaux Blend
Country France : Wine is the lifeblood that courses through the country of France, pulsing with vigorous pride and determination. Viticulture is not just a hobby or an occupation in France; it is a passion, a cherished tradition that has been passed down through generations of wine stained hands. Winemaking is a beloved art that has been ingrained in the culture, an aptitude instilled in sons by fathers and the hallmark for which France’s reputation was built, allowing it to be renowned as, arguably, the most important wine producing country in the world.



For centuries, France has been producing wines of superior quality and in much greater quantity than any other country in the world. It boasts some of the most impressive wine regions, coveted vineyards and prestigious wines on earth. The regions of Bordeaux, Burgundy, Rhone, Sauternes and Champagne have become the benchmark, for which others aspire to become. Legendary producers such as Chateaux Margaux, Domaine De La Romanee Conti, Chapoutier, d’Yquem and Dom Perignon are idolized world-wide.



France has stamped its name on nearly every style of wine, from the nectar-like sweet Sauternes to hedonistic Chateauneuf Du Papes classic Bordeaux and Burgundy, to its sparkling dominance in Champagne. Many of the most infamous grape varietals in the world, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay originated in France and are not only beloved, but utilized in the creation of some of the greatest wines on earth. French wine production commands the attention of the wine market year after year. With over 860,000 hectares under vine, and numbers close to 50 million hectoliters of wine produced annually, France dominates the market and sets the standard for not only product quality, but also quantity.



France’s many contributions to the world of wine have been absolutely indispensable. The country is the originator of the term “Premier Cru,” coined the term Terroir (a French term so complex there is no literal translation) and has laid the blueprint for a structured appellation system, which others have implemented in their own countries. French vineyard techniques and winemaking practices are mimicked world-wide. California vintners have been replicating Rhone style wines for decades, South America has adopted the French varietal of Malbec and countries around the world are imitating Burgundian styled Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.



With vast diversity in terroir, France is home to some of the most hospitable winegrowing locations on earth. The combination of topography, geology, climate, rainfall and even the amount of sunlight combined with the long historical tradition of winegrowing and making, has allowed the vintners of France to not only hone their skills, but learn from nature to create a product that like the world in which it resides… is very much alive.


Overview

Producer Chateau Pichon Lalande : With 102 hectares under vine in a privileged location in the southern part of the Pauillac appellation a few strides from the Gironde Estuary, hails the esteemed estate of Chateau Pichon Longueville Comtesse De Lalande. Here, the prized soils of perhaps the greatest terroir of all Bordeaux tell a story. The story of a grand and colorful history dating back to 1694 when a dowry bestowed would, unknowingly, come to be recognized as one of the greatest wine estates in the world.

The formation of the original vineyard was created by Pierre de Mazure de Rauzan in 1694. His daughter, Therese, received the estate as a dowry when she married Jacques de Pichon Longueville, who was not only famous for his efforts as a chateau owner but also for being elected as the first President of the Bordeaux Parliament. Years later, at 19 years of age, Baron Joseph de Pichon Longueville succeeded his mother in taking over Pichon Lalande.

Joseph de Pichon Longueville remained in control of the estate for 70 years, witnessing three French revolutions, five kings, two republics and one empire. His undaunted efforts during trying times, awarded his commitment with a magnificent wine estate with 50 hectares under vine (at the time). On the eve of his death, he split the estate equally between his five children, two-fifths to his sons and three to his daughters. This event would change the landscape of the Medoc forever.

During the 18th century, the wine growing influence at Pichon Lalande was feminine in nature as it was managed by the three daughters. Perhaps this explains the wine’s sensuous qualities. After a few years the estate was officially broken up and thus creating Pichon Lalande and Pichon Baron. The properties had two separate identities and ended up making very different styles of wine.

The fruits of Baron Joseph’s efforts were recognized in the Official Medoc Classification of 1855, when Pichon Lalande was awarded Second Growth status. The estate would continue to be controlled by the same family until 1925 when it was purchased by the Miailhe family. Pichon Lalande would enter into the modern era under the tutelage of the Miailhe family’s tireless efforts in bringing global recognition to not only Pichon Lalande but to the entire region.

The estate would be sold a final time in 2007 to Champagne Louis Roerderer, a family owned company managed by Frederic Rouzaud. Today, the third family in three centuries presides over the destiny of Chateau Pichon Lalande with the aim of perpetuating the excellence of this great Pauillac wine.

With close proximity to the Gironde Estuary, with neighbors Chateau Latour and of course Pichon Baron, the terroir of Pichon Lalande is prized and celebrated as possibly the greatest in the Medoc, if not Bordeaux. The estuary has benefited the vines by protecting against the harsh weather and even helped to protect the closest vines during a regional climactic incident in which frost devastated much of the vineyards in Pauillac.

The vineyard is divided into 100 separate parcels in which planting is dictated by terrain and soil structure. Four varietals are planted which are used to source the wines of Pichon Lalande, their second wine, Pichon Comtesse Reserve (previously named Reserve de la Comtesse), and a miniscule bottling of a third wine, Les Gartieux de Pichon Lalande. Cabernet Sauvignon is planted on gravel rises at the top of slopes, while Merlot is planted in sandy gravel soils on cool, damp clay subsoils. Cabernet Franc thrives on the soils with higher clay content with excellent sun exposure. Petit Verdot is the most weather-sensitive varietal grown on the Medoc but thrives on sandy-gravel soils. This varietal is planted closest to the estuary or where it is protected by other plots. The blend becomes a concentrated, full-bodied, smooth wine that expresses intense minerality, depth and richness – the very essence of its terroir.

Chateau Pichon Lalande has become a legendary producer in Pauillac, the Medoc, Bordeaux, and the world. This estate is now globally recognized and its most recent vintages may be the greatest in its long, esteemed history. With a history of such success, and becoming even greater in recent years, the future looks fruitful for Chateau Pichon Lalande.

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