Château PICHON COMTESSE DE LALANDE 2018 magnum 150 cl

Description

Yves Beck 100 points www.yvesbeck.wine

Dégusté le 02.11.2020 par Yves Beck

71% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot

Pichon Comtesse se révèle avec une exceptionnelle finesse, avec grandeur et délicatesse, avec classe et ferveur ! Il y a les typiques notes de Pauillac, comme des notes de cèdre et de graphite, puis il y a le Cabernet Sauvignon avec son défilé de fraîcheur (menthe, eucalyptus) et de fruits rouges tels que framboises et cerises. En bouche le vin commence par se distinguer par sa finesse et… sa puissance ! Quelle classe, quelle précision et quelle incroyable aptitude à si bien concilier ampleur et race. Un vin brillant, profond, intense, persistant et certainement une des plus grandes réussites du millésime.  2026-2055  

James Molesworth 98 points www.winespectator.com  2ème rang au classsement   » the Top 100 Wines of 2021!  »
Offers a deep well of dark currant, blackberry paste and plum preserves fruit that needs time to unwind fully, as it’s shrouded in warm earth, tobacco, singed cedar, sweet bay leaf and savory notes. A ramrod of graphite adds to the racy, structured feel. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Best from 2030 through 2050. 13,000 cases made.

Jean-Marc Quarin 97 points www.quarin.com
Ma meilleure note donnée à ce cru en primeur. Couleur rouge sombre, intense et belle. Nez fin, fruité et complexe, avec des jolies nuances de fruits frais et mûrs et une touche crémeuse. De suite dense à l’attaque, puis suave au développement, riche et puissant en milieu de bouche, voici le millésime du cru le plus complet que je connaisse depuis 1982. Et pourtant il évolue en fondant au palais et s’achève long, savoureux et noble dans sa texture. Sa signature aromatique est bien là, la chair en plus. C’est très bon et supérieur au 2016. Assemblage : 71 % cabernet sauvignon, 23 % merlot, 5 % cabernet franc, 1 % petit verdot. Degré d’alcool : 14° (moyenne plus) – pH : 3,85 (moyenne plus) – IPT : 88 (moyenne plus).

Jane Anson  98 points  www.decanter.com (at Bordeaux, 10 Nov 2020)
Lovely grilled and graphite notes right off the bat; this is big and muscular, and extremely Pauillac. There is grace here too, with raspberry purée, cassis, fig and blackberry fruits set against charcoal and fine tannins that quickly build up to suggest how well this will age. 1% Petit Verdot completes the blend. 60% new oak used. 13% press wine. 3.75pH, 88IPT – higher even than the 80IPT in 2016. Drinking Window 2026 – 2038

Neal Martin 96-98 points www.vinous.com/
The 2018 Pichon-Lalande was picked from September 16 to October 10 at 35hl/ha. It has a voluminous, generous bouquet of ample black cherry and blueberry fruit, quite floral if not exhibiting the killer definition of the 2016 tasted in direct comparison. The palate is very seductive and lithe thanks to the supple tannins. There are plenty of layers of black fruit here, laced with graphite and touches of mint, and building nicely to a defined finish. Touches of dark chocolate on the aftertaste mingle with minerals. This is a seriously fine Pichon-Lalande that might ultimately stand shoulder to shoulder with the 2016.

Lisa Perrotti-Brown 97-99 points www.erobertparker.com/
The grand vin represents 50% of the crop this year. The 2018 Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande is made up of 71% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot with a pH of 3.85, an IPT (total polyphenol index) of 87 and 14% alcohol. Very deep purple-black colored, it is like hitting a brick wall to begin, needing considerable coaxing to start to reveal notes of crushed black cherries, warm blackberries, ripe blackcurrants and chocolate cake with nuances of violets, rose hip tea, charcuterie, tapenade and incense with wafts of new leather and iron ore. Full-bodied, concentrated and completely laden with tightly wound black fruit and savory layers, the palate gives a rock-solid backbone of firm, super ripe, super fine-grained tannins and soft background freshness, finishing very long with a veritable display of mineral fireworks.

Jeb Dunnuck 96-98+ points www.jebdunnuck.com
The top wine is the 2018 Pichon-Longueville Comtesse De Lalande, a Cabernet Sauvignon-dominated blend of 71% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot. Compared to the 2010 by director Nicolas Glumineau, this saturated purple-colored effort offers the classic elegance and regal style of the estate as well as plenty of pure Pauillac character. Crème de cassis, liquid violets, charcoal, and scorched earth nuances all give way to a full-bodied, deep, layered 2018 that has remarkable purity, building yet ultra-fine tannins, flawless balance, and a great, great finish. It’s in the same class as the magical 2016, and while I suspect it will be approachable with just short-term cellaring, it’s going to age for 40 years or more. This estate has been on a qualitative roll over the past 5-6 years thanks to the talents of Glumineau, and this is unquestionably another great wine from him and his team.