PICHON COMTESSE RESERVE 2nd wine of Ch. Pichon-Longueville Comtesse 2023 Wooden Case x 6 Bottles - PRE-RELEASE

Description

THE WINE ADVOCATE (91-93)
Reviewed by: William Kelley
A terrific second wine, the 2023 Resèrve de la Comtesse wafts from the glass with a pure bouquet of blackcurrants, dark berries, lilac and pencil shavings. Medium to full-bodied, layered and velvety, it's sensual and vibrant, with melting tannins and a deep core of cool fruit framed by polished but present tannins. This blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot and 5% Cabernet Franc marks the 50th anniversary of this second wine's production.

Since joining Pichon Lalande just after the 2012 harvest, Nicolas Glumineau has made a number of changes. In the vineyards, Cabernet Sauvignon is increasingly displacing Merlot, and the soils are worked less frequently. Cover crops are employed, canopy management has evolved, with both fruiting canes now trained in the same direction—Glumineau would like to trial pruning "Guyot simple" if Pauillac's cahier de charges (appellation rules) permitted it—and 27 hectares of the estate's 102 are being farmed organically. A new, highly functional winery and cellar equips him with stainless steel tronconic tanks adapted to parcel-by-parcel vinification. Cooperage choices, too, have been refined (some 65% new oak is the order of the day), and the duration of élevage has been extended to 18-19 months in barrel before racking to tank before bottling. The result? Even as Cabernet Sauvignon occupies a more and more important place in the blend, Pichon Lalande has never been more seamless and sensual, exhibiting a rare degree of structural refinement combined with remarkable complexity and depth of flavor.

JAMES SUCKLING 94-95 Points
16 Apr, 2024 – I like the freshness and linear character to this second wine of Pichon Lalande. It's medium-bodied with creamy and polished tannins that are fine at the end. It is linked from start to finish. 60% cabernet sauvignon, 30% merlot, 5% cabernet franc and 5% petit verdot.

DECANTER 93
Tasted by: Georgina Hindle (at Bordeaux, 08 Apr 2024)
Drinking Window: 2029 - 2040
Deep nose - lush, ripe fruit, chocolate, blackcurrants, smells sumptuous and rich but still with an element of graphite and cool minerality on the nose. Streamlined and well defined, lovely energy and focus and all in balance. Fruity with high acidity but not too sharp, not too angular. You can feel the power underneath and the minerality on top but it’s got good movement. Not so long, but it’s finessed and really easy to approach. If anything it’s a bit quiet right now, subtle and elegant, though this has structure and some firmness. Good quality. 12% press wine. Ageing 12 months, 50% new oak and 50% one year. 5% Cabernet Franc completes the blend. 3.67pH.

JANE ANSON 93
VINOUS 92-94


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