Pichon Lalande 2019 (375ML)

98-100 VM / 98-100 JD / 98-99 JS / 97-99 WA / 98 DE / 96 WS / 96-98 WE

The 2019 Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande was picked 16 September to 8 October. It has a showstopping nose: intense black fruit laced with graphite and mint. (Whisper it...it reminds me of their First Growth next door neighbor.) The palate is underpinned by very refined tannins that cradle what may well be the purest fruit you will find in this vintage. Unbelievably precise all the way through to the finish, I admit staring at my glass trying to find fault with it. Unless winemaker Nicolas Glumineau gets distracted by the new Cure album and makes a catastrophic error during the rest of its élevage, which he is not prone to doing, you are not looking at a modern-day 1982 or 2016, but something even better and more profound. Tasted from three bottles with consistent notes. - Neal Martin, Vinous Media

Nicolas Glumineau continues to work magic at this estate. His 2019 Château Pichon-Longueville Comtesse De Lalande is based on 71% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, and 6% Cabernet Franc that will spend 18 in 60% new French oak. Reminding me of a slightly deeper, richer version of the 2016, it offers a totally thrilling bouquet of blackcurrants, pure cassis, tobacco leaf, chocolate, and a hint of lead pencil. A total monster on the palate, with a full-bodied, deep, powerful texture, it has a huge mid-palate, building yet ripe tannins, not a hard edge to be found, and is as Pauillac as Pauillac gets. I was able to taste this barrel sample over multiple days, and it's one of the most profound young Bordeaux I've ever tasted. - Jeb Dunnuck

Crazy aromas of sweet tobacco and black fruit. Tar and lead pencil, too. Blackcurrants and blackberries. Solid core of fruit and ripe tannins here. It’s full-bodied and chewy. Extremely long. Fascinating wine. Structure with elegance. Extremely creamy and very, very melted together. A classically proportioned wine. 71% cabernet sauvignon, 23% merlot, and 6% cabernet franc. - James Suckling

A blend of 71% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot and 6% Cabernet Franc (with no Petit Verdot this year), the 2019 Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande came in at an alcohol of 14.15% and a pH of 3.7. Medium to deep garnet-purple in color, it sails out of the glass with a stunning array of Black Forest cake, warm cassis and wild blueberries scents with underlying hints of Morello cherries, redcurrant jelly, pencil shavings, menthol and aniseed with a touch of charcoal. The medium-bodied palate packs a lot of fruit into an elegant package, featuring very finely grained, silt-like tannins and seamless freshness, finishing long with loads of lingering mineral and exotic spice accents. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Wine Advocate

A serious, muscled Pichon Comtesse that grabs you from the first nose. The width and texture is evident, feeling both more plush and supple in its fruit character. It's elegant and balanced but packed full of textured raspberries, blueberries and cassis, juicy, with a rise on the finish and clear tannic grip. Very Pauillac in style, more so than the 2018 with great length. Not as structured as the 2016 or the 2010 but not far off and this is easily one of the wines of the vintage. Its heft shares some similarities to its neighbour Latour, which is not always the case in this most feminine of Pauillac wines. Closes down pretty quickly on the finish, suggesting the initial rich fruit is a hint of what is to come but that it will take its time to show itself in bottle. Tasted twice, four weeks apart and it delivered both times. No Petit Verdot in this vintage. Drinking Window 2027 - 2040 - Jane Anson, Decanter

Delivers a gorgeous wave of just-warmed cassis, plum puree and black cherry reduction flavors that glides through so suavely, thanks to a silky, refined structure. This is no lightweight though, as there's a rivet of iron to pin down the finish while savory and floral details play out amid the fruit. Offers the density, purity and drive to hang with the more long-lived wines of the vintage. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2025 through 2042. - Wine Spectator

This is a stylish wine that offers rich, smoky tannins and layers of black currant fruits. The tannins are dominant at this stage of barrel aging but the intense fruits are intent on pushing forward. The beautiful aftertaste is all freshness as well as density. It's for long-term aging. - Roger Voss, Wine Enthusiast