CHATEAU PICHON LONGUEVILLE 'Comtesse de Lalande' 2eme Grand Cru Classe, Pauillac 2022 Bottle

Description

The 2022 Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande is a remarkable wine that exemplifies the estate's prestige, earning top scores of 100 points from The Wine Advocate and 99 points from both Decanter and James Suckling. William Kelley praises its complex aromas of cassis, blackberries, licorice, and violets, noting its full-bodied, layered character and seamless integration of tannins. Decanter highlights the wine's minerality and structure, with vibrant acidity that enhances its power without overwhelming the palate. Suckling notes its perfect aromas, including blackcurrants and lead pencil, and the extraordinary mouthfeel with finely integrated tannins. Vinous gave it 98 points for its sensual bouquet and well-balanced structure. With a drinking window from 2030 to 2050, this wine promises to be a benchmark Pomerol.

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Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande is a prestigious wine estate located in the Pauillac appellation of Bordeaux, classified as a 2ème Grand Cru Classé. Established in the mid-18th century, the estate covers approximately 89 hectares, primarily planted with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot grapes. Château Pichon Longueville is celebrated for its elegant and complex wines, often displaying rich fruit flavours, spicy notes, and velvety tannins, with a characteristic balance and finesse that reflects its exceptional terroir. The estate has undergone significant investment in recent years, leading to improvements in winemaking techniques and vineyard management. Consistently receiving high scores from critics, Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande is a coveted choice for collectors and connoisseurs seeking the essence of fine Bordeaux.

THE WINE ADVOCATE 100 points !!!
Reviewed by: William Kelley
Drink Date: 2030 - 2055
The 2022 Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande has turned out even better in bottle than I anticipated, bursting from the glass with aromas of cassis and blackberries mingled with scents of licorice, violets and pencil shavings. Full-bodied, layered and enveloping, it's suave, seamless and complete, with faultless precision, pristine integration of tannin, controlled sweetness and a long, expansive finish. The 2022 manages to unite the sensuality that's the estate's calling card and the ripeness of the vintage on the one hand, with a sense of Pauillac classicism on the other, threading the needle to deliver one of the finest wines of the vintage and a benchmark Pichon Comtesse. It's a blend of 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc that spent 18 months in barriques (three months more than was formerly the case), two-thirds of which were new. As I wrote en primeur, there's more than a hint of the 1982 about this wine, and like the 1982, the 2022 will offer an exceptionally wide drinking window. Published: Mar 06, 2025

DECANTER 99 points
Tasted by: Georgie Hindle
(at Bordeaux, 15 Dec 2024) Part of Best Pauillac 2022 tasted in bottle
Drinking Window: 2030 - 2050
Shiny and striking, this delights from the first sip giving a burst of strawberry and citrus acidity before salty minerality comes in the form of chalky tannins, graphite, pencil lead and slate. Really quite mineral. It's sleek and classically styled, no overt ripeness of fruit although there's concentration in the frame and power that thrusts the flavours forward. Detailed and joyous, it's pent up with muscles and tension but where other wines are showcasing that brawn now, this also delivers a ton of juicy acidity and lift which makes this so joyful. I love it. 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc.

JAMES SUCKLING 99 Points
What perfect aromas of blackcurrants, lead pencil, violets, blood oranges and blood. Some iron. Medium- to full-bodied, this has incredible tannins that are completely loaded and integrated, melting into the wine with such a glorious mouthfeel. The finish goes on and on, lightly austere in the most sophisticated way. Racy and rigorously focused. 78% cabernet sauvignon, 17% merlot and 5% cabernet franc. Try after 2030, but already a new benchmark for this estate.

VINOUS 98 points
The 2022 Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande has a very sensual, perfumed, floral bouquet with crushed violets and licorice infusing the black fruit. It needs time to really open in the glass, manifesting more underlying graphite scents with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with filigree tannins and quicksilver thread of acidity. It offers the sensuality of this Pauillac Classed Growth with structure and poise, just firming up a little with time, which is not a bad thing. This estate has enjoyed a scintillating run of form in recent years, and this latest bottled vintage shows that there is no end in sight. - Neal Martin

JANCIS ROBINSON 17+ points
Gently fragrant, the Cabernet element to the fore. Juicy extract but firmness behind. Suave texture of tannin. A certain finesse but power as well. Freshness and length on the finish. A refined statement. (JL)

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ABOUT CHATEAU PICHON LONGUEVILLE 'Comtesse de Lalande'
Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande, ranked 2ème Grand Cru Classé in the 1855 classification, is one of Pauillac’s most revered estates, celebrated for producing wines of precision, aromatic elegance and remarkable ageing potential. The domaine traces its origins to the 17th century and occupies prime gravelly terroir on the left bank of the Gironde, which provides excellent drainage and heat retention, conditions that favour Cabernet Sauvignon while allowing Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot to add aromatic complexity and textural balance. Vineyards are managed with parcel by parcel attention, careful selection of rootstock and clones, and strict yield control to ensure concentration and clarity of fruit, while sustainable practices increasingly guide soil health and vine longevity.

In the winery, traditional savoir faire is blended with modern precision, grapes undergoing meticulous sorting before fermentation in temperature controlled vats, where maceration and extraction are adapted to the character of each parcel to achieve harmony between tannin and aroma. Élevage takes place in fine French oak, a considered proportion of which is new each year, providing structural support and subtle spice without obscuring varietal purity. The château’s historic cellars and ongoing investment in technology and cellar management reflect a commitment to consistency and the expression of terroir.

The Grand Vin typically displays Pauillac’s signature concentration and terroir clarity, offering a complex bouquet of blackcurrant, black cherry and cassis, layered with cedar, graphite and floral lift, framed by fine, energetic tannins and a saline mineral thread. On the palate the wine combines depth and precision, delivering both immediate allure and the capacity to evolve into complex tertiary aromas with prolonged cellaring. Second and reserve cuvées provide earlier accessibility while reflecting the estate’s stylistic focus on balance and refinement. Through meticulous vineyard stewardship, thoughtful winemaking and respect for its heritage, Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande continues to set a standard for Pauillac elegance and longevity.