Pichon Comtesse de Lalande - Pauillac 2020

La Revue du Vin de France

98-100 / 100

the6/7/2021

Le cru frappe un grand coup avec un des vins les plus spectaculaires du millésime. D’un raffinement inouï et d’une longueur interminable, il déploie des notes de fruits rouges juteux et termine sur une touche de menthe fraîche et de poivre blanc. Vibrant.

Le Figaro

97-98 / 100

the6/2/2021

L'élégance incarnée, avec un nez qui vous emporte dès la première seconde, des notes de fleurs après la pluie, de la pivoine fraîche à la décadence du jasmin. En bouche, une texture caressante, comme une poignée de main à la fois délicate et ferme, avec de généreux arômes allant des fruits rouges aux fruits noirs.

Vinous

95-97 / 100

byAntonio Gallonithe6/1/2021

The 2020 Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande is holding so much in reserve. Tightly wound and not fully expressive, the 2020 is going to need at least a few years to come out of its shell. Bright acids and persistent tannins give the 2020 a super classic, mid-weight feel. I very much like the wine's persistence. Readers will have to be patient with the 2020. The exuberance of some recent vintages is not present today. The blend is 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot and 6% Cabernet Franc, which means a touch more Cabernet Sauvignon than in recent years, and quite a bit more than in the past. Harvest ran from September 7 to October 1, which is about ten days earlier than normal. In the cellar, Estate Manager Nicolas Glumineau opted for light extractions, with minimal pumpovers of just one volume of wine per day, at no more than 25 degrees Celsius. Time on the skins was 21 days, pretty much the norm these days. Tasted two times.

Jeb DUNNUCK

98-100 / 100

byJeb Dunnuckthe5/28/2021

An estate that has been on fire of late, the 2020 Château Pichon-Longueville Comtesse De Lalande is another brilliant wine in a succession of brilliant wines. Revealing a dense purple hue as well as full-bodied aromas and flavors of blac currants, scorched earth, tobacco leaf, and violets, it hits the palate with an expansive, rich, yet pure, precise texture that carries fabulous tannins, perfect balance, and a stacked mid-palate. Based on 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot, and 6% Cabernet Franc, it's an incredible wine that's going to flirt with perfection and is unquestionably one of the finest, if not the finest, Left Banks in the vintage. Bravo. Tasted twice.

Vinous

96-98 / 100

byNeal Martinthe5/27/2021

The 2020 Pichon-Lalande has a backward nose similar to that of its neighbor Pichon-Baron, and so I decanted the bottle for 45 minutes. It then revealed gorgeous scents of blackberry, wild hedgerow, seaweed (Japanese nori) and wild mint. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy black fruit and gentle but insistent grip. Very intense but not ripe; there is a coolness about this Pauillac that I like, while the finish is very classically styled and leaves behind a persistent, slightly briny aftertaste. This is a magnificent, cerebral Pichon-Lalande that will deserve serious aging and the patience of anyone still waiting for The Cure's new album. Tasted three times, including directly from the château.

Decanter.com

96 / 100

byJane Ansonthe5/25/2021

Softer and silkier than many Pauillacs in the vintage, this is a clear success. Hugely silky and seductive, with grip, power and finesse. One of the best of the appellation, with finessed tobacco, heather and plump blueberry and cassis fruit, expertly managing the low 30hl/ha yield. 60% new oak. Tasted twice.

The Wine Cellar Insider

97-99 / 100

byJeff Levethe5/21/2021

Deep, dark and almost opaque in hue, the perfume is intoxicating with its spice box, dark Cuban cigars, violets, lilacs, oak, savory herbs, roasted plums, currants and cigar box aromas. On the palate the wine is pure silk and velvet with layer after layer of supple textured fruits. Silky, sexy and sensuous, there is richness, depth of flavor, length and purity here that is a treat to feel and taste. The wine blends 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot and 6% Cabernet Franc, 13.6% ABV 3.82 pH. Picking took place September 9 - September 30. Yields were low, 30 hectoliters per hectare, 60% of the harvest was placed into the Grand Vin. 97-99

Wine Advocate

95-97 / 100

byLisa Perrotti-Brownthe5/20/2021

Deep purple-black in color, the 2020 Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande begins on a single, well-defined, wonderfully pure note of ripe blackcurrants, opening out to a melody of redcurrant jelly, kirsch, ripe blackberries and tar, with emerging suggestions of dark chocolate, cardamom, ground cloves and violets, with a waft of black truffles. Medium-bodied, tightly wound and with loads of fantastically nuanced black fruit layers, it has a rock-solid frame of finely grained tannins and bags of freshness, finishing long and mineral laced. The blend this year is 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot and 6% Cabernet Franc.

Anthocyanes

95-97 / 100

byYohan Castaingthe5/11/2021

Nez de fruits très murs, violette, épices, un peu cassis avec une trame mentholée à l'aération. Bouche ronde, suave, structure moyennement dense avec du velouté et un bel enrobage. Pas le plus massif des Comtesse mais la fraicheur et le velouté contrebalancent cela. Beau potentiel de garde.

Bernard Burtschy

96-97 / 100

byBernard Burtschythe5/10/2021

Falstaff

96-98 / 100

the5/10/2021

Tiefdunkles Rubingranat, opaker Kern, violette Reflexe, zarte Randaufhellung. Zart floral unterlegte reife Kirschenfrucht, feine Nuancen von Brombeer und Cassis, zart nach Kadamom, Gewürznelken und kandierte Orangenzesten, einladendes Bukett. Saftig, feine Süße, reife Pflaumen, ein Hauch von Nougat, reife Tannine, gute Länge, zarte Röstaromen im Abgang, sicheres Reifepotenzial.

My Bettane + Desseauve

96 / 100

by Bettane & Desseauvethe5/7/2021

Jamessuckling.com

96-97 / 100

byJames Sucklingthe4/23/2021

This is extremely structured, but with a level of polish and refinement that highlights the excellence of the terroir. Very long and expansive on the palate, showing class and beauty. Powerful.