2018 Chateau Pichon Comtesse Lalande, 2nd Growth Pauillac (1 x Double Magnum)
A gourmet vintage that I found a little atypical En Primeur but it has shown over subsequent tastings that this is in control and is going to age beautifully. Love the touches of fennel, liqurice and olive paste that sit alongside the tar, pencil lead, slate and cassis fruits. 50% new oak, 35hl/h yield because of the dry summer. A great wine that I am expecting to have the 2009 ability to surprise you with its finesse as the terroir comes through. Tasted at a chateau vertical July 2021, and again September 2021.
2018 Chateau Pichon Comtesse Lalande, 2nd Growth Pauillac (1 x Double Magnum)
A gourmet vintage that I found a little atypical En Primeur but it has shown over subsequent tastings that this is in control and is going to age beautifully. Love the touches of fennel, liqurice and olive paste that sit alongside the tar, pencil lead, slate and cassis fruits. 50% new oak, 35hl/h yield because of the dry summer. A great wine that I am expecting to have the 2009 ability to surprise you with its finesse as the terroir comes through. Tasted at a chateau vertical July 2021, and again September 2021.
| Producer | Chateau Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande |
|---|---|
| Sub-Region | Pauillac |
| Region | Bordeaux |
| Country | France |
| Grape Variety | Bordeaux Blend |
| Vintage | 2018 |
| Colour | Red |
| ABV | 13.00% |
| Style | Medium-Full , Dry |
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Inside Bordeaux
There is plenty of baby fat here, 2018 is a gourmet vintage with a rich and round mid-palate. Enjoyable fennel and tight black liqourice notes on the finish. This is a great vintage but the nuances have not been revealed yet, and it needs time to soften. I gave this wine 98 points last time I tasted it, when first in bottle, and that may prove correct as the terroir comes through more strongly with age. 50% new oak (lower than usual because high alcohols meant being careful to guard against over-extraction), 35hl/h yield following a dry summer. Harvest September 13 to October 11.
96 Points / Drinking 2028 - 2050
By Jane Anson / September 2021
Robert Parker Wine Advocate
The grand vin represents 50% of the crop this year. The 2018 Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande is made up of 71% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot with a pH of 3.85, an IPT (total polyphenol index) of 87 and 14% alcohol. Very deep purple-black colored, it is like hitting a brick wall to begin, needing considerable coaxing to start to reveal notes of crushed black cherries, warm blackberries, ripe blackcurrants and chocolate cake with nuances of violets, rose hip tea, charcuterie, tapenade and incense with wafts of new leather and iron ore. Full-bodied, concentrated and completely laden with tightly wound black fruit and savory layers, the palate gives a rock-solid backbone of firm, super ripe, super fine-grained tannins and soft background freshness, finishing very long with a veritable display of mineral fireworks.
97-99 Points
By Lisa Perrotti-Brown / April 2019
Vinous
The 2018 Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande is powerful, dense and explosive, with a real sense of vertical lift that conveys energy. Grilled herbs, lavender, inky blue/purplish fruit and spice notes develop in the glass, but it is the wine’s balance, purity of tannin and finish that stand out most. In 2018, so many wines lean towards extreme versions of themselves, but Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande remains very much within its classic parameters. The 2018 doesn’t quite offer the visceral thrill of the very best recent vintages, but it comes very close. At its purest essence, the 2018 is very Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande. The en primeur sample is shown from 100% new oak, although the wine will have about 60% new wood. Tasted four times.
95-98 Points
By Antonio Galloni / April 2019
Vinous
The 2018 Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande dazzles from the very first taste. A heady concoction of inky dark fruit, graphite, new leather, licorice, lavender, spice and grilled herbs soars out of the glass. The 2018 is rich and expansive yet retains a super-classic vertical feel. Plush, silky tannins add to its immeasurable pedigree. I would cellar the 2018 for a decade or so, if patience permits. It's a stellar wine in the making.
97+ Points / Drinking 2028 - 2058
By Antonio Galloni / March 2021
Vinous
The 2018 Pichon-Lalande was picked from September 16 to October 10 at 35hl/ha. It has a voluminous, generous bouquet of ample black cherry and blueberry fruit, quite floral if not exhibiting the killer definition of the 2016 tasted in direct comparison. The palate is very seductive and lithe thanks to the supple tannins. There are plenty of layers of black fruit here, laced with graphite and touches of mint, and building nicely to a defined finish. Touches of dark chocolate on the aftertaste mingle with minerals. This is a seriously fine Pichon-Lalande that might ultimately stand shoulder to shoulder with the 2016.
96-98 Points / Drinking 2025 - 2055
By Neal Martin / November 2019