2020 Pichon Comtesse Reserve
A Second from a Super Second
 
95 JS / 93 WI / 93 JD / 93 WS
   
47% Merlot - 43% Cabernet - 10% Petit Verdot
 
$54.99/750ml (In Stock) Buy Now
 

Estate manager Nicolas Glumineau is ambitious in his desire to want to make 100% Grand Vin, but in the meantime enjoy one of Bordeaux' great second wines that has much of the character of the Grand Vin without the hefty price tag.
 
As the Pichon Lalande estate continues to replant with increasingly more Cabernet Sauvignon, the '20 vintage of Comtesse Reserve seems to have a more traditional proportion of Merlot in the blend as well as a dollop of Petit Verdot which is also present in the '21 and '22 vintages. 

 
 

2020 Pichon Comtesse Reserve

95 JS / 93 WI / 93 JD / 93 WS

$54.99/750ml (In Stock) Buy Now

 

Love the lead pencil, black berry and graphite aromas and flavors with iron shavings. It’s medium- to full-bodied with very fine and polished tannins, that are poised and balanced. Classy. Almost drinkable but better in four or five years. - James Suckling

A blend of 47% Merlot, 43% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 10% Petit Verdot, the 2020 Pichon Comtesse Reserve is deep garnet-purple in color. It soars with expressive notes of cassis, wild blueberries, and chocolate-covered cherries with exotic hints of cardamom, cumin seed, and star anise. The medium-bodied palate features fine-grained tannins and seamless freshness to support the elegant fruit layers, finishing spicy.--Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Independent

 

The second wine from this talented team, the 2020 Pichon Comtesse Reserve is worth seeking out. I always find this wine to offer loads of pleasure. Possessing the elegance and purity of the vintage (as well as this estate), it has a pretty perfume of red and blue fruits , some spring flowers and graphite on the nose, ultra-fine tannins, and an already accessible, delicious profile. It's perfect for drinking over the coming 10-12 years. - Jeb Dunnuck

This has a dark currant- and blackberry-filled core supported by a racy graphite spine that runs from start to finish, adding energy and cut. Reveals sweet tobacco, chestnut and tar hints on the finish. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2025 through 2035.--James Molesworth, Wine Spectator

 

 

 
 

Also Available & In Stock:

 

2020 Château Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 

98+ WI / 98 DE / 98 JD / 98 VM / 98 JS 

$207.89/750ml (In Stock) Buy Now

 

The 2020 Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande is made from 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot, and 6% Cabernet Franc. Deep garnet-purple in color, it needs considerable swirling to bring out fragrant scents of lilacs, tilled soil, rosehip tea, and Sichuan pepper, giving way to a core of cassis, black raspberries, and cedar chest with emerging iron ore and charcoal scents. The medium-bodied palate is so tightly knit, with firm, grainy tannins and lovely tension, finishing long and minerally.--Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Independent

 

Smooth, seductive and finely textured, this is both sleek and strict, with a savoury, crushed stone saline tang alongside tobacco, tar, ripe black cherries and soft floral scents; the Cabernet really makes its mark. Sexy and rich, less immediately charming than the 2019 was at this point - it’s more restricted and coiled but more sophisticated, elegant and refreshing - a wine you want to sit and think about while the aromas and flavours open and evolve. Lovely definition, weight and texture overall. A clear stand out.--Georgina Hindle, Decanter

 

The Grand Vin 2020 Château Pichon-Longueville Comtesse De Lalande checks in as 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot, and 6% Cabernet Franc that was raised in 60% new French oak. It has classic Pauillac character in its red, blue, and black fruits as well as graphite, cedar pencil, violet, and flower nuances. Seemingly from a cooler vintage with its purity, vibrancy, and focus, it nevertheless is concentrated and has ripe, gorgeous tannins, a great mid-palate, and a finish that keeps you coming back to the glass. A deep, concentrated, flawlessly balanced 2020 that's built for the long haul, it needs a solid decade of cellaring and will be a 50+-year wine. Of the recent trilogy of 2018, 2019, and 2020, director Nicolas Glumineau has been consist in preferring the 2020, although I think at this point the nudge goes to the 2019. Regardless, these are all truly singular, magical wines that every reader will be thrilled to have in the cellar. It's a good time to be a Bordeaux lover!-Jeb Dunnuck

 

The 2020 Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande has a very intense bouquet with layers of black fruit, hints of seaweed/brine, crushed stone, and perhaps less mint than it displayed from barrel. This possesses stunning delineation, like a perfect C major chord echoing around an empty cathedral. The palate is very well balanced, much more classic in style than its barrel showing, saline to its core, with hints of brine. A Pauillac where you can really sense the Gironde estuary flowing through its veins. Nicolas Glumineau has one of his finest creations on his hands, and when it grows up, it will be challenging First Growths.- Neal Martin, Vinous Media

 

Aromas of blueberries and blackcurrants with some stone and sandalwood undertones. Medium-bodied with a solid core of fruit and a fresh and delicious finish. Classy tannins that are fine and textured. Such sophistication. Drink after 2027 and onwards. - James Suckling

 

 

See our list of Pichon Lalande >

Shop all 2020 Bordeaux >

 

 

 

 

 
 
Ron van Vlaardingen

Fine Wine Sales Director

Grand Vin Wine Merchants

Olympia, WA  98506 | Office: 360.350.4896 x2

www.grandvinwinemerchants.com | ronv@grandvinwinemerchants.com 

 
 
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Grand Vin Wine Merchants · 2950 32nd Ave SW · Suite A · Tumwater, Washington 98512 · United States (360) 350-4896