x
  • Country ranking ?

    721
  • Producer ranking ?

    15
  • Decanting time

    4h
  • When to drink

    2020-2035
  • Food Pairing

    Beef

The Tb points given to this wine are the world’s most valid and most up-to-date evaluation of the quality of the wine. Tastingbook points are formed by the Tastingbook algorithm which takes into account the wine ratings of the world's best-known professional wine critics, wine ratings by thousands of tastingbook’s professionals and users, the generally recognised vintage quality and reputation of the vineyard and winery. Wine needs at least five professional ratings to get the Tb score. Tastingbook.com is the world's largest wine information service which is an unbiased, non-commercial and free for everyone.

Close

The Story

Château Pichon Longueville de Lalande is ideally situated between the Gironde estuary and the Atlantic Ocean. The variety of parcels of land, due to the elements of the earth and their encepagement explains the complexity of the personality of the wines of Pichon. Since the end of the 1970's, the reputation of Chateau Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande has acquired the status of a "super second" and a "nearly first", in light of the consistency of its quality.

The unique encepagement and the twelve hectares of vines situated on the soils of St Julien endow the wines of Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande with an exceptional personality compared with the other crus of the Pauillac appellation. Complexity, elegance and longevity are the hallmarks of this race, they are found every year during the creation of the vintages..

The nose is distinguished by a bouquet of aromas, mixing blackcurrant and violet, vanilla and cinnamon. In the palate, the tannins appear mature and melted, revealing a strong and affirmed structure, a surprising suppleness, perfect harmony and long persistency. The wine is seductive when young without prejudicing its longevity. James Laubé of the Wine Spectator baptised Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande, "A First Class Second Cru", a most fitting tribute...

 

Pichon-Longueville Lalande is a 75-hectare property that produces on average 36,000 cases per year. Located in the east of the Pauillac appellation, the vineyards (Cabernet Sauvignon 45%, Merlot 35%, Cabernet Franc 12%, Petit Verdot 8%) lie on deep gravel beds underpinned by clay and then sandstone and limestone (part of these vineyards actually reside in the St-Julien appellation). The wine is fermented in stainless steel cuvées and then matured in oak barriques (50% new) for 18 months.

Pichon-Longueville Lalande is not as powerful or as tannic as some its Pauillac neighbours and this is mainly because of its relatively high Merlot content. In the best years, it is one of the most exotic and voluptuously scented wines of the Médoc. At least a decade of cellaring is required before the wines should be approached.

Close

Vintage 2021

NEWS: BORDEAUX 2021 VINTAGE by Pros: What do the critics think?

Antonio Galloni, Vinous: “The 2021 Bordeaux turned out to be such a surprise. The weather conditions were difficult, and yet the best properties turned out magnificent and classic wines that will absolutely delight readers who appreciate freshness and energy. The restrained alcohols and mid-weight structures will remind readers of Bordeaux before the 2000s. The best wines offer a striking combination of old-school classicism with modern precision. The quality is inconsistent, however, so choosing carefully is essential. Still, there's a lot to love about 2021."

At the Wine Advocate, William Kelley was one of the first to publish his report on the vintage, with largely positive comments on the region's top estates. He underlines his thoughts by reminding his readers: “We may have lost the habit of tasting wines with a moderate alcohol level and a classic pH en primeur, but anyone who appreciates the great Bordeaux reference wines of the 1980s and 1990 should seriously think about what the 2021s might have to offer in 10-15 years. It’s a style of wine that could come from nowhere else. »

Matthew Jukes: “In many cases they can rightly be said to have triumphed over Mother Nature through their tenacity, experience and tireless work ethic, and the best wines are singular in their purity, freshness and their unusual resonance... If a château has a noble terroir, a fully dedicated team, cutting-edge technology (to sort clean, pure, ripe fruit from the weaker berries) and a slice of luck, then it doesn't there is no excuse not to make fabulous wine... This is a classic example of a vintage where each wine must be tasted individually... Suffice it to say, I have found some exquisite wines in 2021, and they are all pure, long, refreshing, perfectly elegant and refined, and the quintessence of the vineyard plots from which they were harvested.

Decanter's Georgie Hindle also notes the marked contrasts with recent blockbuster vintages: "It's not a big, opulent, sumptuous year [...] The heat and sunlight just haven't been enough to produce the sunny fruits, high alcohol and uber glamor on display in great vintages like 2016 and 2018. However, what we get instead is freshness and elegance, racy acidity, more spirits weak, balance where it is successful and a real sense of terroir and grape signatures in the glass. She also reminds us of the benefit of this more restrained style: “It is likely that they will present earlier consumption opportunities compared to more robust and mellow vintages. »


Jane Anson (who has the advantage of being based full-time in Bordeaux) had several ideas about who would inevitably be more successful in 2021. The first came down to the estate's resources: "It's undoubtedly a vintage which rewards estates that have a talented team of full-time collaborators who work in the vineyards throughout the year, and who know their terroir. It rewarded skillful and timely decision-making. Those who subcontracted vineyard work were at a disadvantage. » The best wines of the vintage revealed in his opinion: “Classic balance and lower alcohols. Malic acid levels were high at harvest, but after malolactic fermentation, pH and acidity levels were overall classically balanced, resulting in wines that were fruity and supple in texture. And finally, unlike vintages where all the hard work could be done in the vineyard, the complex work in 2021 only continued in the cellar, “Skillful winemaking. We have gotten into the habit of repeating that wine is made in the vineyard. This is of course still true, but in 2021 it was abundantly clear that the best wines are also sometimes made in cellars.

Honest Grapes: Let’s not forget the white ones either. The quality here is more consistent than the reds, and Jancis Robinson proclaims that "in general, the dry whites are brilliantly crisp, aromatic and well-defined with ample fruit, while the sweet whites are some of the best ever, though that most of them are produced in catastrophic quantities.” Haut Brion & La Mission produced sensational whites, among the “finest sets of dry whites since 2017” for William Kelley. Meanwhile, Georgie Hindle reports that "the whites are excellent and perhaps more consistent across the board, with plenty of freshness, vibrancy and clarity on the palate."

 

Close

Latest Pro-tasting notes

<10 tasting notes

Tasting note

Be the first one to make a 20s tasting note!

Written Notes

Deep crimson. Intense dark cherry, blackcurrant brambly aromas with espresso, graphite leafy notes. Richly flavoured and sturdy with ample blackcurrant blackberry fruits dense chocolaty/ chewy textures and integrated cedar oak notes. Finishes chocolaty firm with mineral graphite notes. This should age pretty well. 88% cabernet sauvignon, 2% merlot, 10% cabernet franc. 12 months in 40% new French oak. 13% alc

  • 95p

88% C. Sauvignon, 10% C. Franc and 2% Merlot. 12.9% alcohol. This property had to put more C. Sauvignon in the blend due to a significant loss on Merlots (coulure and mildew). Loss of Merlot resulted in low yield, which landed on 15 hl/ha. Cabernets had greatly profited from fine weather conditions in October. Redcurrants, crushed stones, fresh coffee beans, potent yet elegant, medium concentration, fine midpalate and persistent finish. Very successful for the vintage. 95p.

  • 95p

Ruby. Blackberries, anise, spices, dark fruits, some vanilla, nuanced nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, blackberries, spices, detailed, layered and nuanced, lovely balance and energy to it, long finish. 12,9% alcohol. 96-98

  • 98p

Dark purple colour with violet hue and black core. Rich and concentrated nose yet with a lot of freshness. Aroma reminiscent of ripe cherries, blackberries and blackcurrants. Subtle oak and fine toasting. On the palate very precisely shaped, full-bodied and well structured with excellent length, ripe berries and dark stone fruit, discreet spiciness in the finish. A powerful yet very elegant wine.  

  • 96p
Load more notes

Information

Origin

Pauillac, Bordeaux

Highlights

Latest news

WINERY NEWS Gaja / Vintage Report 2023 The 2023 vintage has been showing common characteristics throughout all of ou  more ...
TASTINGBOOK WINE NEWS FINE Wine Magazines / Now users can read the previous issues of Fine Wine Magazine and Champagne Magazines digitally
WINERY NEWS Salon / France offered a bottle of Champagne Salon 1948 to King Charles III, during his first official visit  more ...
WINERY NEWS Maison Louis Latour / The Bourgogne 2023 vintage: Surpassing all expectations!  It's been some time since Bour  more ...
WINERY NEWS Olivier Leflaive / 2022 is a sunny and warm vintage with a immediate generous character. Highly long-awaited after a  more ...
WINERY NEWS Graham's / Introducing a Limited Edition Case of 1970 and 2020 Vintage Ports – Our First NFT Launch We  more ...
WINERY NEWS Alois Lageder / The Year 2023 at the Alois Lageder Winery Alois Clemens Lageder: „The first musts and wi- n  more ...
WINERY NEWS Tenuta Belguardo / BELGUARDO V - The first DOC Maremma Toscana Vermentino Superiore   October 2023_Foll  more ...
WINERY NEWS Bec Hardy / Vintage 2023 - WINEMAKING VINTAGE WRAP UP Vintage 2023 was a real rollercoaster ride; the in  more ...
WINERY NEWS Luciano Sandrone /  The growing season 2023 - Towards the harvest The agrari  more ...
WINERY NEWS Gramercy Cellars / Spring Release Wines for 2023! This is a release that everyone at Gramercy is honored to show.   more ...
WINE NEWS: Black Label NV (10's) / Champagne Lanson ditches Le Black Label Brut After db broke news of the planned move ea  more ...
WINE NEWS: Brut Premier NV (10's) / Louis Roederer Launches its Replacement for Brut Premier with Collection 242 NV Louis Roederer Re  more ...
TASTINGBOOK WINE NEWS Finland could seek EU recognition as a wine-producing country by 2028 / Wine production in Finland is extremely small-scale.
TASTINGBOOK WINE NEWS Tastingbook organized the world's largest tasting of the 1990s decade. / Over 250 best wines from 1990-1999 tasted 
TASTINGBOOK WINE NEWS Hill of Grace – Celebrating 60 Years. / by Andrew Caillard MW
WINERY NEWS Henri Boillot / 2020 Vintage was a delight as both winegrower and winemaker. It is with great sadness and emotion  more ...
WINERY NEWS Catena Zapata / HARVEST REPORT - 2023 The 2023 wines will be among the most age worthy. After the October and Nov  more ...
TASTINGBOOK WINE NEWS BWW 2023 - The Best Wine of the World -Competition voting is over! / Almost 3 million votes have been cast for 17,721 wines from 543,000 wine professionals and wine enthusiasts
TASTINGBOOK WINE NEWS 100 BEST CHAMPAGNES 2023 / by Champagne Magazine

Wine Moments

Here you can see wine moments from tastingbook users. or to see wine moments from your world.
Incorrect Information
If you found some information that is wrong, let us know
Are you sure you want do delete this wine? All information will be lost.
Are you sure you want to recommend this wine?
Are you sure you want hide this written note ?
Are you sure you want show this written note ?
UPGRADE MEMBER PLAN
Upgrade your membership now, it's quick and easy. We use PayPal, the world's largest payment system, it accepts all credit cards. Once you've chosen your membership level, you'll go directly to PayPal. You can cancel your membership at any time.
Thank you for your support!
 

X-MAS Special Offer

 

Pro Member

 

Winemerchant Member

 

Winery Member

 

User

 

HOW TO USE TASTINGBOOK?

We recommend you to share few minutes for watching the following video instructions of how to use the Tastingbook. This can provide you a comprehensive understanding of all the features you can find from this unique service platform.

This video will help you get started



Taste wines with the Tastingbook


Create Your wine cellar on 'My Wines'



Explore Your tasted wines library



Administrate Your wine world in Your Profile



Type a message ...
Register to Tastingbook
Sign up now, it's quick and easy.
We use PayPal, the world's largest payment system, it accepts all credit cards.
Once you've chosen your membership level, you'll go directly to PayPal, where you can sign up for a free 7-day trial period. You can cancel your membership at any time. We wish you a rewarding journey to the world of Fine Wines.

 

X-MAS Special Offer

Free 7 days Member trial

 

Pro Member

 

Winemerchant Member

 

Winery Member

 

User

  Register
BWW 2024

BWW 2024 - Who is the Best Wine Critic of the World?

 

VOTE NOW YOUR FAVOURITE WINE CRITIC!

 

Wine Professionals and wine lovers from all around the world choose, who is most reliable and influential wine critic in the world.

BWW - Best Wine of the World -Competition is the largest wine competition in the world, whether measured by the number of wines, the number of consumers involved or the judges taking part.