Comtesse de Lalande - Château Pichon Longueville - Pauillac 2016

Wine Advocate

98 / 100

par Lisa Perrotti-Brown le 30/11/2018

The 2016 Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande is blended of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot and 4% Cabernet Franc aged for 18 months in 60% new oak. Deep purple-black in color, it is a little mute, slowly unfurling to reveal a core of crushed blackcurrants, blueberry compote and black raspberries with nuances of cinnamon stick, violets, star anise, menthol and pencil shavings plus a waft of fallen leaves. Medium-bodied and super intense in the mouth, the palate bursts with black fruits and savory layers, complemented by red fruit sparks and framed by fantastically ripe, fine-grained tannins, finishing very long with a lingering suggestion of minerality.

Decanter.com

98 / 100

par Jane Anson le 26/10/2018

Vinous

97-100 / 100

par Antonio Galloni le 20/10/2017

Wow! The 2016 Pichon Lalande is one of the must-have wines of the year. I felt that way every time I saw it during the spring en primeur tastings. A few more months in bottle has only made that potential even more obvious. At once powerful and yet also delicate, the 2016 is a regal, aristocratic wine endowed with class and pedigree to burn. The crème de cassis, violet, graphite and menthol flavors are finely sketched, sure, but what stands out most is the wine’s extraordinary balance. While the 2015 is a soloist, the 2016 is an orchestra.

Wein Wisser

19,5 / 20

le 22/05/2017

75 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 21 % Merlot, 4 % Cabernet Franc, 40 hl/ha. Tiefes Purpur mit satter Mitte. Welch ein Parfüm von Cassis und Heidelbeeren! Dahinter Lakritze und Kokos, sowie aufkommende Schokonoten, und trotz dieser Dichte der Aromen niemals die Balance verlierend. Am kräftigen Gaumen zeigt er viel Charme, perfekt ausgereifte Tannine und eine Explosion von blaubeeriger Frucht und Mineralik im Rückaroma. Das Ganze mündet in ein nicht enden wollendes Finale mit Brombeeren und ein Crescendo, das seinesgleichen sucht. Der Pichon- omtesse reiht sich daher vor Mouton-Rothschild und ganz knapp hinter Lafite und Latour auf Platz 3 ein. Kann in der perfekten Trinkreife noch die Maximalnote erreichen!

Le Figaro - L'Avis du Vin

19,5 / 20

par Club Vin le 15/05/2017

Nez de petits fruits rouges mûrs, pointe vanillée. Bouche gourmande, fruitée, graphite, sapide, tannins ronds et enrobés, finale très longue, très joli toucher de bouche, belle matière.

Bettane & Desseauve

97-98 / 100

par Bettane & Desseauve le 03/05/2017

Le plus complet depuis le rachat par Roederer, et une expression noble et complexe du terroir de Pauillac (notes de cèdre et de havane très fines), dans un corps retrouvant une grande plénitude et droiture. Il méritera peut-être une note plus élevée après mise. Ici aussi, la plus forte proportion de cabernet sauvignon depuis longtemps, ce qui ne l’empêche pas d’être assez différent de son baron de voisin !

Wine Advocate

96-98 / 100

par Neal Martin le 02/05/2017

The 2016 Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande is a blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot and 4% Cabernet Franc (compare that to the 2010 that had 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, for example--that should give you some pointers). The alcohol level is 13.32% and a pH of 3.76. I tasted from a new oak barrel and the final blend will include around 60% new wood and 40% one year old, which is something I took into account. It has a very succinct bouquet, one that is almost understated at first, gradually unfolding with blackberry, cedar and graphite scents, in the vein of say the 1986 or 1996 Pichon Lalande of the past. The palate is very well balanced and what I appreciate here is that it is still as much identifiable as Pichon Lalande as it is a Pauillac and a 2016. There is that touch of roundness imparted by the Merlot, even though the Cabernet dominates the blend, surely the terroir sculpting the wine. It gently builds in intensity, maintaining freshness, a gentle but insistent grip towards the finish and a very long aftertaste. This is probably just a notch up on the outstanding 2015 Pichon-Lalande, a Rolls Royce with a purring engine.

The Wine Cellar Insider

98-100 / 100

par Jeff Leve le 27/04/2017

Deep, ark in color, the espresso, cigar box, tobacco, spice, forest floor, blackberry, cassis, lead pencil and dark red fruits make an incredible perfume. Pure silk and velvet, this is so sexy, it’s off the charts. Opulent, in fact, decadent, this wine tastes and feels so majestic I drank it all! This is the best vintage since the majestic 1982 and that is really saying something. Made from a blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot and 4% Cabernet Franc, it reached 13.32% alcohol with a pH of 3.76. The harvest took place September 20 to October 20.

Vinous

97-100 / 100

par Antonio Galloni le 26/04/2017

A deeply emotional, moving wine, the 2016 Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande is simply extraordinary. The tannins are nearly buried by the sheer intensity of the fruit, while the 100% new oak is remarkably well integrated at this stage. Dark, powerful and brooding, the 2016 possesses remarkable polish for such a big wine. The purity of the flavors is simply captivating. Scents of graphite, smoke, leather, tobacco and menthol soar from the glass, enhancing a core of deep, plush, dark fruit. All the elements fuse together in a wine of nearly unparalleled beauty. Although not inexpensive, Pichon-Lalande is arguably the single finest relative value in ageworthy wine in Bordeaux right now. Readers should do whatever they can to pick up the 2016. It is without question one of the wines of the vintage and potentially a legendary wine in the making. Tasted three wines.

Decanter.com

98 / 100

par Jane Anson le 25/04/2017

Beautiful mix of power and restraint that you can almost reach out and touch. The extraction is so silky that the effect is a wine that seems endless, suspended above your palate, caressing it and teasing you to find the tannins that are very much hidden. There are some rich coffee seams that fill out on the mid-palate with cassis and ripe blackberry notes, whipped together with violets and peonies. The juicy, mouthwatering quality just keeps on coming. The blend is 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot and 4% Cabernet Franc from yields around 40hl/ha and with an IPT of 82, 10% higher than in 2010 but you simply can't tell. This is clearly going to age and age. One of the wines of the vintage, and I am ready to be seduced. Drinking Window 2027 - 2050

matthewjukes.com

18,5 / 20

par Matthew Jukes le 25/04/2017

(75 Cabernet Sauvignon, 21 Merlot, 4 Cabernet Franc) | 50% new oak | 13.3% alc. |81 IPT This wine has a profound aroma with focussed flavours, once again, coming from very small berries. Honed, dusty tannins mark the finish and this underlines the fact that this is a wine which will age well. The Merlot makes itself heard in the blend with some red highlights which differentiate it from the other top Pauillacs and overall this is an impressive wine loaded with class and integrity. Nicolas Glumineau compares it to the 1996 and, by chance, I tasted that wine during the En Primeur week and I must concur! 18.5+

Decanter.com

98 / 100

par Jane Anson le 24/04/2017

Beautiful mix of power and restraint that you can almost reach out and touch. The extraction is so silky that the effect is a wine that seems endless, suspended above your palate, caressing it and teasing you to find the tannins that are very much hidden. There are some rich coffee seams that fill out on the mid-palate with cassis and ripe blackberry notes, whipped together with violets and peonies. The juicy, mouthwatering quality just keeps on coming. The blend is 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot and 4% Cabernet Franc from yields around 40hl/ha and with an IPT of 82, 10% higher than in 2010 but you simply can't tell. This is clearly going to age and age. One of the wines of the vintage, and I am ready to be seduced. Drinking Window 2027 - 2050

Jancis Robinson

17 / 20

par Jancis Robinson le 21/04/2017

Blackish crimson. Sweet start and much less obvious density than some, very Merlot and just a little soft. Super-supple certainly… But where's the beef?17-

Le Figaro

19,5 / 20

par Bernard Burtschy le 20/04/2017

Un vin sensuel, profond, vibrant.

Wine Enthusiast

96-98 / 100

par Roger Voss le 19/04/2017

Barrel Sample. Dense tannins and dark fruits are just a part of this wine's complex character. It is ripe, full of blackberries, yet solid, with a structure that balances the fruit. It should age extremely well; be ready be prepared to hold this for 15 years or more.

Wine Spectator

95-98 / 100

par James Molesworth le 10/04/2017

Light savory and tobacco notes peek out from the core, but a ball of cassis and blackberry fruit is still coiled up with the strong iron spine. This is to be expected. Very pure, with a long finish. Risk-free cellaring.—J.M.

Jamessuckling.com

96-97 / 100

par James Suckling le 05/04/2017

Linear and racy with ultra-fine tannins and a gorgeous center palate. Full-bodied, tight and so polished. The classicism and beauty are exceptional. Love the texture. Better than 2015?