
Chateau Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 2016 Pauillac

Glorious aromas of blackcurrants. blackberries and flowers. from violets to roses. Iron and rust undertones. Full-bodied. dense and very layered with loads of richness. It goes on for minutes. Reminds me of the 1986. Best in decades? Take a first look at it in 2025.

The 2016 Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande has an enthralling bouquet of tobacco-infused black fruit. shaved truffle and pencil shavings; crushed stone emerges with continued aeration. The Cabernet Sauvignon is clearly in the driving seat here. just like the 1996. The palate is medium-bodied with grippy tannin. more saline and marine-influenced than Pichon Baron. and a tad spicier toward the finish. which is one of the most impressively persistent I have ever encountered in a Pichon-Lalande. fanning out with gusto and leaving the mouth still tingling 60 seconds after it has departed. This is a benchmark for the estate. the best Nicolas Glumineau has overseen in his tenure... thus far.

The 2016 Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande is every bit as regal as it has always been. Towering and spectacularly rich in the glass. the 2016 captures every ounce of potential is showed from barrel. The 2016 is a vivid. dramatically sweeping wine that will leave readers week at the knees. Beams of tannin give the 2016 soaring intensity that is matched by a host of aromas and flavors that open up in the glass. Blackberry jam. graphite. spice. menthol. licorice. pencil shavings and spice are all finely sketched in a bold. savory Pauillac that hits all the right notes. The 2016 Pichon Comtesse has been riveting on each of the four occasions I have tasted it from barrel thus far. making it easily one of the wines of the vintage. Nicolas Glumineu and his team turned out an epic Pichon Comtesse in 2016. Don't miss it!

The 2016 Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande is blended of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon. 21% Merlot and 4% Cabernet Franc aged for 18 months in 60% new oak. Deep purple-black in color. it is a little mute. slowly unfurling to reveal a core of crushed blackcurrants. blueberry compote and black raspberries with nuances of cinnamon stick. violets. star anise. menthol and pencil shavings plus a waft of fallen leaves. Medium-bodied and super intense in the mouth. the palate bursts with black fruits and savory layers. complemented by red fruit sparks and framed by fantastically ripe. fine-grained tannins. finishing very long with a lingering suggestion of minerality.
96-98 / 100 Parker Punkte
Neal Martin bewertet den Chateau Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 2016 im April 2017:
The 2016 Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande is a blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon. 21% Merlot and 4% Cabernet Franc (compare that to the 2010 that had 66% Cabernet Sauvignon. for example--that should give you some pointers). The alcohol level is 13.32% and a pH of 3.76. I tasted from a new oak barrel and the final blend will include around 60% new wood and 40% one year old. which is something I took into account. It has a very succinct bouquet. one that is almost understated at first. gradually unfolding with blackberry. cedar and graphite scents. in the vein of say the 1986 or 1996 Pichon Lalande of the past. The palate is very well balanced and what I appreciate here is that it is still as much identifiable as Pichon Lalande as it is a Pauillac and a 2016. There is that touch of roundness imparted by the Merlot. even though the Cabernet dominates the blend. surely the terroir sculpting the wine. It gently builds in intensity. maintaining freshness. a gentle but insistent grip towards the finish and a very long aftertaste. This is probably just a notch up on the outstanding 2015 Pichon-Lalande. a Rolls Royce with a purring engine.
96-97 / 100 Punkte
James Suckling bewertet den Chateau Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 2016 im März 2017:
Linear and racy with ultra-fine tannins and a gorgeous center palate. Full-bodied. tight and so polished. The classicism and beauty are exceptional. Love the texture. Better than 2015?
95-98 / 100 Punkte Winespectator
James Molesworth bewertet den Chateau Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 2016 im April 2017:
Light savory and tobacco notes peek out from the core. but a ball of cassis and blackberry fruit is still coiled up with the strong iron spine. This is to be expected. Very pure. with a long finish. Risk-free cellaring. —J.M.
Weitere Informationen:
Die Blend für den Pichon Comtesse de Lalande 2016 besteht aus 75% Cabernet Sauvignon. 21% Merlot Noir und 4% Cabernet Franc. Die Lese fand zwischen dem 20. September und dem 20. Oktober statt. Auch wir haben den Pichon Comtesse de Lalande 2016 während unserer Primeurproben mehrfach im Glas. Sie befindet sich auf Augehöhe mit dem Baron ist jedoch kräftiger und hat mehr strenge Cabernetaromen zu bieten etwas dunkle Zartbitterschokolade und Cassis. Sie muss sich ebenfalls unserer Meinung nach nur Pontet Canet. Lynch Bages. und den beiden Rothschild Mouton und Lafite geschlagen geben. Unsere Wertung liegt auch hier wie beim Pichon Baron bei 96-97 Punkten.
Neal Martin bewertet den Chateau Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 2016 im April 2017:
The 2016 Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande is a blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon. 21% Merlot and 4% Cabernet Franc (compare that to the 2010 that had 66% Cabernet Sauvignon. for example--that should give you some pointers). The alcohol level is 13.32% and a pH of 3.76. I tasted from a new oak barrel and the final blend will include around 60% new wood and 40% one year old. which is something I took into account. It has a very succinct bouquet. one that is almost understated at first. gradually unfolding with blackberry. cedar and graphite scents. in the vein of say the 1986 or 1996 Pichon Lalande of the past. The palate is very well balanced and what I appreciate here is that it is still as much identifiable as Pichon Lalande as it is a Pauillac and a 2016. There is that touch of roundness imparted by the Merlot. even though the Cabernet dominates the blend. surely the terroir sculpting the wine. It gently builds in intensity. maintaining freshness. a gentle but insistent grip towards the finish and a very long aftertaste. This is probably just a notch up on the outstanding 2015 Pichon-Lalande. a Rolls Royce with a purring engine.
96-97 / 100 Punkte
James Suckling bewertet den Chateau Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 2016 im März 2017:
Linear and racy with ultra-fine tannins and a gorgeous center palate. Full-bodied. tight and so polished. The classicism and beauty are exceptional. Love the texture. Better than 2015?
95-98 / 100 Punkte Winespectator
James Molesworth bewertet den Chateau Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 2016 im April 2017:
Light savory and tobacco notes peek out from the core. but a ball of cassis and blackberry fruit is still coiled up with the strong iron spine. This is to be expected. Very pure. with a long finish. Risk-free cellaring. —J.M.
Weitere Informationen:
Die Blend für den Pichon Comtesse de Lalande 2016 besteht aus 75% Cabernet Sauvignon. 21% Merlot Noir und 4% Cabernet Franc. Die Lese fand zwischen dem 20. September und dem 20. Oktober statt. Auch wir haben den Pichon Comtesse de Lalande 2016 während unserer Primeurproben mehrfach im Glas. Sie befindet sich auf Augehöhe mit dem Baron ist jedoch kräftiger und hat mehr strenge Cabernetaromen zu bieten etwas dunkle Zartbitterschokolade und Cassis. Sie muss sich ebenfalls unserer Meinung nach nur Pontet Canet. Lynch Bages. und den beiden Rothschild Mouton und Lafite geschlagen geben. Unsere Wertung liegt auch hier wie beim Pichon Baron bei 96-97 Punkten.