Château Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 2023

What depth in this wine—you want to dive in. A textbook Cabernet aroma; it carries through on the palate, builds tremendous drive, yet remains highly elegant. Breed, class, length. Stunning.

This smells divine, with lovely lush blackcurrant and black cherry on the nose alongside pencil lead, graphite, liquorice and menthol notes – very Pauillac on the nose. Gorgeous weight, supple and agile, with great movement and energy. The acidity makes this buzzy, tangy and bright without going over the top, keeping its structure and a serious directness from start to finish. Generous streaks of minerality add a cool classicism. Sleek and refined, precise and very drinkable. One of a number of brilliant Pauillac wines in 2023. Winemaker Nicolas Glumineau wants it racy and it’s certainly racy. 50% grand vin production, 50% second. pH 3.67, 14.7% press wine, only Cabernet. Aged 19 months, 60–65% new oak and then one-wine barrels.

80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot and 3% Cabernet Franc. Cask sample. Seductive, elegant aroma. Dark fruit with a touch of zest and spice. Lovely tannin texture, the palate fresh yet suave and aromatic. Tannins present but very, very fine. Elegance and power combined. Bravo. (JL)

The 2023 Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande has a classic aromatic profile for the Pauillac estate, with plenty of blackberry and blueberry fruit, just a hint of white flowers and pencil box. Open and welcoming, even at this stage. The palate is medium-bodied with pliant tannins that lend this Pauillac a malleable and very seductive mouthfeel. Finely judged acidity, very harmonious, with veins of graphite running through the finish and a cedar-tinged aftertaste. Utterly delightful.

It is the vibrancy, coupled with the silky textured layers of fruit that seals the deal. But, before you get to that, the perfume, with its blend of tobacco, dark red, and black fruits, flowers, truffles, and smoke that initially grabs your attention. Silky, and sensuous, polished, fresh, and lifted, the finish with its layers of sweet, plush, silky cherries, and currants, ably express their purity and finesse. are pure. According to the chateau, the 2023 represents their version of Back to the Future. I see their point. The wine will age effortlessly for decades, yet it is going to fabulous to drink, even in its youth. The wine blends 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot, and 3% Cabernet Franc. Drink from 2028-2065.

Dark ruby garnet, opaque core, purple reflections, brightening at the rim. Delicately floral, black cherries, some cassis, a hint of nougat and spices, a multi-faceted bouquet. Juicy, complex and elegant, fine tannins, good freshness, pronounced fruit on the finish, good length, as if from a single mould; a full-bodied table wine with certain ageing potential.

Score: 96–98. An enchanting nose, like a secret garden where flowers, shrubs and trees intertwine, with a sappy note that rises and blossoms in the nostrils. Then you discover the garden’s indulgent corner, with fresh, plush fruit (blackcurrant, redcurrant, blackberry, raspberry) just begging to be picked. On the palate, this superb orchestra of fruit, flowers and sap begins a slow, poignant, ravishing adagio, caressing the roof of your mouth like brushed silk. Sublime.

Second official year of conversion to organic farming, implemented for much longer, with biodynamic trials boosting the expression of the terroir: denser, more intense, ripe yet crunchy, the wine gains in drinkability, flesh, and balance. A flavorful palette with fine notes of graphite, truffle, and blackberry.

96-98. Barrel Sample. A beautifully smoky wine from the Comtesse with rich tannins that are in balance with acidity. The black fruits of the dominant Cabernet Sauvignon are very forward giving a richly textured wine that will age very well. Organic and biodynamic.