France

Cabernet Sauvignon

Merlot

Cabernet Franc

Petit Verdot

Chateau Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande

Chateau Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 2eme Cru Classe Pauillac

Bordeaux

Pauillac

Fragrant cassis bud, rose petals, and peony. Great definition, mouthwatering on the finish, savoury blue and black fruits, less concentration than the past few vintages, but this uses slate textured tannins, cold ash smoke and well-judged salinity to compensate and build interest and engagement. Harvest September 22 through to October 9. 66% new oak. Low yields of around 30hl/h. 16% press wine, 52% of the overall production (with the rest in Pichon Comtesse Reserve, no 3rd wine). 3.7 pH. IPT 70, 

Inside Bordeaux

Deep garnet-purple colored. Shoots out of the glass with vibrant notes of black raspberries and black currants, plus hints of iris, fertile loam, cardamom, and graphite. The light-bodied palate is light on its feet with vivacious black fruit and savory flavors, supported by delicate, fine-grained tannins and appealing freshness, finishing earthy.

by Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW

Mørke, dype solbær toner, mørke saftige bringebær, kjølige kaffe toner, pene granitt preg. 

Smak av flotte bringebær, veldig fremtredende rød frukt, men av det mørke slaget. Veldig solbær og bringebær. En ganske rustikk Comtesse stil. Flott syre.

94-95p.

Expert

Amatør

This delivers fragrant, understated, sculpted, classic Pauillac, with savoury cassis bud, liquorice, fennel, mint leaf, cigar box, cassis, rose petals and undergrowth. Fine but plentiful tannins, with tension and elegance, plenty of ageing ahead, although no need to wait as long as in vintages like 2020 or 2022. 15hl/h yield, 3.76ph. 60% new oak for ageing (up to 700% for first three months only). First year organic conversion.

Smakt på Bordeaux-messe, og var messens beste vin. Selv om den er lukket og litt vanskelig å feste grepet rundt, er det er en dybde i den vinen her som er helt hinsides. Den har en uhyrlig konsentrasjon og finesse. 

Hvordan denne vinen utvikler seg kan bli en morsom reise. Dette er er så godt, så godt!! 

You feel the clever construction of this wine from the start, and the architecture shines through. A linen edge of the tannins, with grain and texture that holds things back through the mid palate. Subdued power at the moment, with hints of butterscotch and black chocolate, bilberry fruits that are not overly sweet but have succulence and impact. Good quality, one to cellar and look forward to opening in the future. 60% new oak, 4hl/h yield. No Petit Verdot in this vintage.

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.

Dark chocolate shavings against the sun-sweetened damson and blackberry fruits, with notes of crushed earth, saffron, caramel and coffee. Not quite integrated at this stage, but there is smart winemaking on display. The riverside location of Pichon Comtesse meant they were not impacted by the frost unlike so many estates in the 2017 vintage, and the wine has much in common with the 2011 - sculpted and finessed but a little less concentrated than the biggest vintages. 36hl/h yeld, 3.8ph, 60% new oak

Cabernet franc’en gir vinen den litt stilkete touchen og struktur som gjør dette til en litt mer «maskulin» utgave av comtesse

Litt tørkede rosiner på duft, mørke plummer, bringebær

Tanninrik og kraftig, finfin eike og en rund munnfølelse og bra fatspice



WSET 1

Røde og mørke bær, bjørnebær, solbær, lær, tobakk, noe vått treverk, pene mineralske undertoner. 

Smak av solbær, bjørnebær, tobakk, sedertre, sopp og mørke rips. Lang konsentrasjon sammensatt med pen syre. Overraskende tilgjengelige tanniner til 2015 årgangen nå å være. 

Bx messe.

The nose is elegant and classic with blackcurrant, cedar, graphite and some cellar. There are also red carnations and dark chocolate. It is complex and elegant. 

The palate is medium-bodied, intensely fruity and acidic in a fine balance. The tannins are noticeable but elegant. The finish is very long, structured and acidic. 

It is still young, but 2014 is a vintage that has become drinkable early. It pairs well with the Cote de Beauf at Matmagasinet in Stavanger.

Displaying a charmingly unfussy character to the blackberry and raspberry fruits, this has supple tannins that still have life and form to them, and is easily one of the best wines here. Rosebud and campfire smoke edge, and one of the few wines that give you a reason to buy this over the estate's other vintages, because it is that rare beast in the Médoc - a 100% Cabernet Sauvingon. I last tasted this wine two years ago, and this is an upscore (perhaps because I am tasting it as part of a horizontal not a vertical, and it stands out among its peers in the vintage). 13hl/h, Nicolas Glumineau's first year as director.

Medium ruby in colour, less intense towards the edge of the rim, suggesting a touch of evolution. This shows vanilla and sage spice, crushed dark cherries, with a mid palate dominated by velvety but still firm and present tannins. A wave of fresh acidity comes in on the finish and supports a rolling out of vanilla and sweet spices. The vintage profile is identifiable in the weight of the body, and the sweeter, drinkable style of the wine. 55% new oak, first year with Nicolas Glumineau as director (overseeing blending but not viticulture), with 50% 1st wine in production, harvest October 1-18.

Essence of Pauillac on the nose. Graphite, cassis, slate, pencil lead, liqourice, the full gamut of the appellation's signatures, now opening up after years of being a little subdued. This is just about ready to drink even if there are still some austere tannins in evidence and although it's a vintage where I find many wines are a little disappinting in Pauillac (and St Estèphe, due to a hail storm in early September pushed some estates to a hasty harvest) here Comtesse shows itself, as it does in 2007 and 2013, as above average in its success. First year with Sylvie Cazes as director, 3.73ph, harvest September 13 to 28.

Ultrasmooth Bordeaux - mørk og kompleks, masse tid å gå på her - ville ventet 5-15 år til

Sommelier

Duft av mørke sursøte markjordbær, tobakk,  lys kaffe, hvit og lys sjokolade. Utrolig sexy og elegant primærfrukt. Integrerte tertiære toner. 

Smak av (noe konsentrerte) sorte og røde bær. Myk og sexy. Behagelig myk rød frukt. Det er alltid en finesse over vinene til Comtesse.

Showing more tertiary aromatics than the 2006, with soft tobacco, cured leather. A vintage which has come around to its drinking window quicker than some but is still on the plateau of delivering pleasure. Lighter in structure than the 2006 or 2008 on either side of it, but it is totally charming, and the softly-spoken fine tannins are a delight. Saline, mouth watering finish, really excellent quality and ready to go. Plenty of Comtesse character also. One to recommend if you are looking to pull the cork any time soon. 3.68ph, harvest September 21 to October 9, 50% new oak.

Velvety tannins, lovely depth of flavours and blackberry fruit, bracken, brambled hedgerows, a ton of cassis puree and juice. Enjoyable, still young, love the cedar oak notes that are unveiled as it opens, along with the warm turmeric spice. Still so much tannic frame holding everything in place, this is starting to open but with plenty of life ahead. These was a big wine En Primeur and is still big shouldered. 3.65ph. The year that Roederer Estates took over, with Gildas d'Ornon as managing director and Thomas Do-Chi-Nam as technical director.

Love the colour of this, deep damson, generous and enticing. The tannins are just astonishingly finessed and generous, chocolate, cedar, cocoa bean, so well constructed, combining depth to the fruit with feather-pillow tannins. Clearly young, decades ahead of it, but this is already confident and enjoyable, effortlessly standing out from this lineup of exceptional wines. It lacks the weight and concentration of the 2009 or 2010 of Comtesse, but it's showing extremely well, and seems to be gaining in power. 50% new oak.

In the same frame as the 2002 in that it is classic, with firm tannins, big shoulders, and Pauillac bite, but this is bigger and more enjoyable in every way, more of a crowd pleaser, and a beautifully velvety texure. Cassis, cocoa baen, liquorice root, bilberry, crushed stones, essence of its appellation. An abundant year also, with high yields (clocking in at over 60hl/h). Plenty of intensity through the mid palate. Not as seductive as some vintages of Comtesse, but easily one of the wines of this vintage and it's beginning to be ready to drink at this point. Gildas d'Ornon director at the time.

The real surprise for me in this lineup, with clear sweetness to the fruit. It is ripe in character, reflecting the heat of the vintage, touches of fig and prune, a ton of chocolate and cinammon spice layering on the gourmet appeal. Less grip than many of the vintages on display here, with a softness to the tannins and cured leather notes that suggest it is ageing relatively quickly, but still alive and kicking and giving pleasure right now, and they have teased crushed mint leaf out of the finish. Drink now, or within next five to 10 years. Slight VA on the nose as it opens. Harvest September 10 to 26. 3.77ph.

This has been a stubborn vintage from the beginning, with angularity to the tannins. At 19 years old they are beginning to soften and allow the blackberry and bilberry fruits to show themselves more clearly. There is plenty of Pauillac kick, with evident charcoal and crushed stone notes. Sweet cinammon, tobacco leaf and cedar come in through the mid palate. Good quality but lacking a heart-quickening moment. 3.76ph,

Sweeter and silkier aromatics on the nose than the 2000 vintage, a more softly spoken wild strawberry and raspberry puree fruit, with acidity evident on the close of play. Tobacco and campfire notes curl through alongside white pepper and tumeric. It is supremely elegant, almost more St Julien than Pauillac in expression but still plenty of estate signature. The fine tannins build up over the palate and tell you that it is not going anywhere soon. A gentler and more seductive expression than the biggest vintages. 50% new oak, 3.89ph.

A knockout wine that competed for the bottle of the tasting. At 24 years old the tannins still place you firmly in Pauillac, as do the lush cassis and grilled blueberry fruits, and the layers of liqourice root, cigar, campfire, and sandalwood. 50% new oak. Harvest September 21 to October 9. Owned in 2000 by May-Eliane de Lencquesaing, who had been in place since 1978 and remains at 98 years old one of the great figures of Bordeaux. Thomas Doh Chi Nam was technical director, as he was from 1992 through to 2011. It's been three years since I last tasted this vintage, and it's even better than it was then, really a wine to celebrate.

En utrolig forførende og korrekt flaske - den virker fortsatt pur ung - og har nok en del å tjene på å ligge lenger. Klassiske Bordeaux-aromaer, mye mørke bær, bjørnebær, solbærskall med også røde, friske plommer. Topp syre og topp lengde. En sjeldent god vin. 

Ruby red with a light garnet rim. Leather, tobacco, figs and blackcurrant. Fresh and lean. Cherry stones, tobacco, leather and some sweet-sour red fruits. Integrated supple tannins. Medium long.

1993 was another wet and rainy vintage. Loads of rain in spring, then sunny conditions giving hope. In September the rain came again diluting the grapes. This is a drink up vintage. It will not get any better. I have not tasted that many wines from 93 but I really enjoyed the Comtesse.

Litt murstensfarge ytterst i kanten ellers medium rubinrød. 

En helt fabelaktig kompleks nese som gir mye fra åpning. Tikker alle de klassiske markørene for noe utviklet bdx dvs modne mørke rødbærsfrukter, stall, lær , søt tobakk, våt skogsbunn ispedd  noter av mint og kledelige vegetale toner. Likheten til en Hermitage med litt alder fra en kvalitetsprodusent er slående. 

Bløt og moden frukt med masse avslepne tanniner gir vinen en fin struktur som kan minne om ungdommelig. Munnfølelsen er myk og behagelig, men ikke silkete. En distinkt syre bidrar til friskhet og balanse. Lengden og finishen er en liten reise som varer og varer. 

Toppen er nådd. Hvis du liker mer tertiært preg og mer utviklede toner så venter du 5-10 år. Vinen tåler det. Kjøpt i 2013 på Vika-polet. Min siste flaske av denne har forlatt kjelleren. Snufs. Lenge leve lagret rød bordeaux.  

WSET 3

Ruby red with a garnet rim. Leather, tobacco, blueberries, blackberries and minerals. Fresh acidity. Vibrant and playful. Dark fruits with blackberries, cherry stones, starting dates, leather and minerals. Velvety. Layered with integrated supple tannins. Very long.

I have said before how much I like the 89 vintage. This is another example of just that. The bottle was given two hours decanting. That was needed!

Ruby red with a garnet rim. Leather, tobacco, blackcurrant dried plum and a slight minty touch. Fresh acidity. Sweet cherries, licorice, spice and leather. Nice balance with integrated tannins. Long.

Give it an hour or two decanting.

Drink from now until 2035

Sømløs og «burgundersk» elegant - mørk krydret frukt - pen match til pinnekjøtt

A great example of a word-of-mouth hit, the 1982 Pichon Comtesse has built its reputation by delivering time and time again, giving the First Growths a run for their money with its cigar box and pencil lead Pauillac signature and the caressing ripe fruits of a great quality vintage. I have tasted this every two years for the past six years, and each time I have expected it to be past its peak, and each time it has proved me wrong. You get plenty of tertiary flavours, certainly, with truffles and rose petals, together with exotic dried spices of turmeric and cumin and barely-there tannins. Got to be the best value of the wines tasted in this 1982 horizontal, even though it has risen in price over the past 5 years. May-Eliane de Lencquesaing owner at the time, having stepped up to take over her family estate in 1978. Yield 40hl/h, harvest 16-30 September.

Mursteinsrød mot brun. Jordkjeller og muggost. Lukter også kork, men det forsvinner etter 20 min. Lett munnfølelse men god syre. Lite tanniner. Tørket frukt, tobakk, fat, skogbunn/mose. Drikkes nå (eller for noen år siden :-)

Lys rød farge, brunlig tynn rand. Cederttre, paprika og  svale røde bær på duft og smak. Elegant vin med utviklet fruktighet og forsatt konsentrerte tanniner og lang ettersmak. Dekantert i 2 timer før servering. Fra egen kjeller

Transparent ruby with an orange rim. Rose petals, tar, leather, anise, truffles and figs. Fresh acidity. Playful and elegant. Mature with dark berries, leather, white pepper, crowberries and anise. Fully integrated tannins. Long.

Drink from now until 2030

Elegant nese av sigarkasse, treverk og noen små hint av frukt. Noen tanniner igjen etter så mange år, kunne ønsket meg noe mer frukt. Fortsatt veldig livlig og var ikke i nærheten av å svinne hen selv etter fem timer i karaffel. Fra en årgang som det ikke var noe å skrive hjem om, gøy å prøve, men ingen stor opplevelse. 

raffinert med ren rødfrukt, murstein, krydder og tobakk - pen syre

Category	Red wine
Vinmonopolet no.
Producer	Chateau Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande
Vintages	2024
Country	France, Bordeaux, Pauillac
Bottle	75 cl

Alcohol	%
Acid	%
Sugar	g/l

Packaging
Cork type
Selection
Wholesaler
Carrier