Château Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 1988

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.

1988 Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande is another vintage I had not tasted for a few years. I have recently encountered magnums of 1988 Pichon-Baron, so I was intrigued to see how they compared. The Pichon-Longueville has a classic bouquet with freshly rolled tobacco, brine and sufficient black fruit that renders the aromatics austere in the best way possible. The palate is medium-bodied and far more elegant than previous bottles, autumnal, yet beautifully balanced with cedar and leather notes, becoming a little fungal towards the short yet charming finish. This is drinking perfectly right now.

My sole bottle donated in the name of science delivered a stern, austere, traditional wine that was more interesting for its cigar box, tobacco, truffle, earth, blackberry, olive and herbal nose than its medium-bodied palate of cassis, cranberry and herbs. There is no reason to age this wine any longer. Drink up.

Not a great wine! There are much better and cheaper alternatives from the same vintage! 89: Barrel tasting (15/20): Rich, almost overflowing Merlot. Significantly less acidity than the ’86, soft and round with a rather short tannic frame, comes across as cuddly. I won’t let myself be dazzled so quickly by Pichon-Lalande’s sunshine anymore! Arrival (15/20): Open, fat, ripe with cedar and truffle aromas. Gains length as well as richness, slight bitterness in the tannins. In 1991, drunk and/or tasted several times within a week: on the nose, smoke and cedar aromas (St. Julien affinity). Blueberry, meaty, slightly reductive at the moment. Varnish notes, fuller, almost fatty build, could use a bit more flesh on the bone; tannin structure is dry and in need of maturity. 98: Embarrassing situation for this ’88 Pichon-Lalande; next to it a much better and more concentrated Baron, as well as the lavish Mouton and the mighty Latour from the same vintage: the Lalande is lean, shows some aromatics, but lacks sweetness and by far also density. Generously rounded up: 16/20 points. 03: In a blind tasting: already orange tones in the lightening garnet. On the nose still a bit of barrel bluff in the form of chocolate and coconut (Bounty), but underneath withered fruit and early forest notes. On the palate, ripe and also slender tannins, but the acidity is either unripe or beginning to dominate. And one more thing, as if the bad words for an ’88 Deuxième weren’t enough; the wine gets shorter with every contact (15/20). 05: Again experienced as a disappointing wine. A toast to label drinkers! (15/20). 15: Time really does heal many wounds. That was truly lovely, classic Bordeaux on the nose. The palate has kept its severity, but somehow become milder. A bottle from a superb cellar with Res Jost while playing cards.

Dark color, medium intensity and slightly evolved. Intense nose, fruity and smoky, with a touch of raspberry. Flavorful and pleasant on the palate, medium-bodied, with a soft texture and a seamless finish. Medium length.