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Pichon Lalande

The Winery

Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande

"True purity of taste is a quality of the mind; it is a feeling which can, with little difficulty, be acquired by the refinement of intelligence; whereas purity of manners is the result of wise habits, in which all the interests of the soul are mingled and in harmony with the progress of intelligence. That is why the harmony of good taste and of good manners is more common than the existence of taste without manners, or of manners without taste."
- Louis Roederer, Proprietor

The heritage of Pichon-Lalande dates back to before the greater Pichon estate was split in half, its sister winery being Pichon-Baron. Unlike its sister though, the wines are much more refined, feminine and full of finesse. The estate is now owned by Roederer, and with the help of oenologists Jacques Boissenot and Hubert de Bouard (of Angélus), it is deemed by Robert Parker as "One of Pauillac's most consistently brilliant wines”.

The Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot blend is softened by a heavy hand of 35% Merlot, making it gentle compared to its Pauillac neighbors. During harvest, a team from Andalusia journeys to Lalande to pick, by hand, the grapes before they are completely destemmed. The scores are high, the wines are lovely, and the investment is worthy. Enjoy the grand vin, Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande or if you prefer, the second wine produced names Réserve de la Comtesse. Notable vintages include 1982, 1986, 1989, 1990, 1995, 1998, 2000, 2003 and 2005.

www.pichon-lalande.com

1996
Out of Stock
750ml
WA96–97
WCI97
TWI97
V96
WS96
FM95
D95
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Tasting Notes

WA96
The 1996 Pichon-Lalande is just as awesome from bottle as it was from multiple cask tastings. For Pichon-Lalande, the percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon is atypically high. This wine normally contains 35-50% Merlot in the blend, but the 1996 is a blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Petit Verdot. Only 50% of the estate's production made it into the grand vin. The color is a saturated ruby/purple. The nose suggests sweet, nearly overripe Cabernet Sauvignon, with its blueberry/blackberry/cassis scents intermixed with high quality, subtle, toasty new oak. Deep and full-bodied, with fabulous concentration and a sweet, opulent texture, this wine was singing in full harmony when I tasted it in January. Given the wine's abnormally high percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon, I would suspect it will close down. It possesses plenty of tannin, but the wine's overwhelming fruit richness dominates its personality.
WS96
Deep ruby-red. Very sexy aromas of currant, blackberry and brown sugar, all lifted by an ineffable floral quality from the thoroughly ripe cabernet sauvignon that comprises three-quarters of the blend. Dense, fresh and thick with extract; a wonderful combination of texture and guts. Has a core of steel and a powerful structure I haven't found in more recent vintages from this chateau. A very serious style of Pichon-Lalande, with much less merlot than usual. Finishes with terrific length and grip. Drink between 2005 and 2025.

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