RÉSERVE DE LA COMTESSE
2017 Pauillac
60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot. A lovely second wine from Chateau Pichon Lalande. Ripe fruit on the nose. Glossy dark fruit on the palate. Smooth with fine tannins, good uplifting acidity and a long attractive finish. Stands up very well in the shadow of the grand vin. Rating: 90 L&S (Apr 2018)
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The 2017 Réserve de la Comtesse is deep, dark and intense. Charcoal, grilled herbs, smoke, game and licorice add to a real impression of serious power. The 2017 is far more convincing in bottle than it was en primeur. An increase in Cabernet on the property has had a number effects, including moving the Réserve closer to the Grand Vin stylistically. The Cabernet is especially evident today in what is a an important, big second wine. Tasted four times. Drinking range: 2024 - 2037 Rating: 92 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Mar 2020)
The 2017 Réserve de la Comtesse came from a barrel that had begun its élevage in a new barrel and then transferred into a used one. It has a well defined bouquet with blackberry, oyster shell and subtle marine scents, a nose that is full of character. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, a fine bead of acidity and impressive density for a Deuxième Vin. A seductive, graphite tinged finish. This is an excellent follow-up to the 2016 and may even surpass it. Drinking range: 2021 - 2035 Rating: 92 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Feb 2020)
The 2017 Reserve de la Comtesse, which is matured in 30% new oak and 70% one-year old, has a really quite beautiful bouquet with perfumed blackberry, blueberry and subtle vanilla scents. The palate is medium-bodied with just a little sinew on the entry. There is certainly good weight and backbone here, quite saline compared to its peers with a slightly chalky finish with a touch of charcoal. Very fine. Tasted twice with consistent notes. Drinking range: 2019 - 2030 Rating: 90-92 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (May 2018)
60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot. Sweeter fruited than Pez, even lightly floral. Much better balance and more juicy on the palate. Lightish but all in proportion. Tannins are fine and they need to be with only moderate depth of fruit. Drinking range: 2023 - 2027 Rating: 16 Julia Harding MW, www.JancisRobinson.com (Apr 2018)
Composed of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc, the 2017 Reserve de la Comtesse is very deep garnet-purple colored and opens with expressive cassis, dark chocolate, violets and Sichuan pepper notions with hints of black olives and hoisin. Medium-bodied, it's elegant, fresh and chewy in the mouth with a long, earthy finish. Rating: 88-90 Lisa Perrotti-Brown, RobertParker.com (Apr 2018)
This is a wonderful second wine, and a real success in a vintage where second wines are often punching below their weight. It's rich, plump, floral-edged and above all extremely drinkable. It has a juicy frame and it delivers. A 2% pinch of Petit Verdot adds spice (and is added only after the press wine, the absolute final step to add depth, if needed). They used no secondary fruit at all. This should be good to go in five to six years. Tasted several times. Read more at http://www.decanter.com/wine-reviews/france/bordeaux/chateau-pichon-longueville-comtesse-de-lalande-pauillac-20586#yWVr3WrvVwJBHMXt.99 Drinking range: 2022 - 2034 Rating: 92 Jane Anson, Decanter (Apr 2018)
The second wine of Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande, the 2017 Réserve de la Comtesse is a final blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Still aging in roughly 40% new French oak, it has a medium-bodied, rounded, moderately concentrated profile to go with classic Pauillac lead pencil, tobacco leaf, and assorted earth dark fruits. It’s balanced, charming and already approachable. Tasted twice. Rating: 89-91 Jeb Dunnuck, www.jebdunnuck.com (Apr 2018)
A beautiful second wine with blackberry and blackcurrant character and hints of green tea. Medium to full body, firm and silky tannins and a fresh finish. Rating: 92-93 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Apr 2018)
The majority of the Pichon-Lalande vineyard was spared, but one parcel near Château Batailley usually destined for the second wine was hit. On this parcel Nicolas Glumineau and his team picked the ripe second-generation fruit. The picking across the Pichon-Lalande vineyard commenced on September 7th, starting with the young Merlot. and the later-ripeners were only finished on October 1st. The second-generation fruit was picked on that final day, and it was included in the final blend of the second wine. The yield on the non-frosted vines was 36 hl/ha, but on the frosted vines was 10 hl/ha (double figures for the second-generation crop is rare, so this is commendable). In addition a large part of the vineyard here is being replanted and converted to biodynamic viticulture at the same time (rather than converting older vines) and the blend here also includes a vat of young-vine Cabernet Franc from a biodynamic parcel. The blend is 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc (biodynamic) and 2% Petit Verdot. I get floral blossom on the nose, in a quite beautiful style. This continues on the palate with perfumed white gravel and elegant cherry skin fruit, very composed, defined, interesting, overall very promising indeed. It is finessed, with lightly grained tannins, and a fresh and rather smoky-minerally character. A long grip of supple tannins rounds it off rather nicely. Rating: 92-94 Chris Kissack, www.thewinedoctor.com (Apr 2018)
Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande
Pauillac Deuxième cru 1855 Facing Château Latour across the road, at the southern end of Pauillac, are the twin Château Pichons. Originally one estate, the two were divided in 1850 on the death of Joseph Pichon. His son Raoul inherited the title of Baron de Longueville and the vineyards of Château Pichon Longueville Baron de Longueville, whilst his daughters inherited the portion that became Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande. The only daughter to produce off-spring was Marie-Laure who had married Comte Henri de Lalande in 1818 and it was her descendents, therefore, who shaped the future of Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande (or Pichon Comtesse as it is often more conveniently known). The two estates continued to be run as a single vineyard for another ten years, allowing them jointly to be awarded 2nd Growth status in 1855. Pichon Comtesse is now owned by the Rouzard family, owners of the Champagne house of Louis Roederer. Under the ownership of May de Lencquesaing in the final quarter of the 20th Century, the vineyard area of Pichon Comtesse grew from around 40ha to today's 75ha. The vines are 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc and 8% Petit Verdot. Fermentation takes place in stainless steel, with the wine spending 18 months in wood (50% new). Pichon Comtesse produce one of the most highly regarded second wines - Réserve de la Comtesse - which rivals many other estate's grand vins. The healthy reputation that Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande enjoys puts it clearly in the mould of a "super second" - those 2nd Growth estates who's wines merit comparison with the Premier Grand Cru Classés. Pichon Comtesse has had the better of comparisons with its sibling Pichon Baron whose fortunes waned during the 20th Century even if, today, they are on a more equal footing. It is inevitable that the two Pichons will be compared with one another, with Comtesse being a more subtle seductive wine than its slightly foresquare namesake.