Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande
Pichon Comtesse de Lalande, or Pichon Lalande in ist shorter form,
produces one of the most popular wines of Bordeaux.
One reason is its very consistent quality but most of all its charm and drinkability.
Compared to its brother across the road it is softer and approachable earlier. This doesn’t mean that it doesn’t age well. On the contrary, because of its balance it is able to drink well over several decades. Lying on the border to Saint-Julien it shows some character of these wines, you may still find some bottles with Saint-Julien instead of Pauillac on the label.
This is one wine that I have had the fortune to taste in a large number of tastings and dinners over the years (though I was surprised to see that I had notes on 61 vintages). Most of these notes come from a tasting of 40 vintages that I organised together with the château in 1997, a splendid lunch at Restaurant Taillevent in Paris to celebrate May-Eliane Lenquesaings 80th birthday, a tasting of both Pichons in 2017 and a tasting of 25 vintages 2022 at the Rheingau Gourmet and Wine Festival as well as other smaller occasions.
1864 The oldest Pichon I have tasted was a 1864 Pichon. This was apparently the last vintage vinified together with the wine of Pichon Baron by Raoul Pichon. The property having been divided up a few years earlier. It was light coloured wine with a delicate sweet fruit - a moving experience.
1914 was very old and past it – if it ever was good.
1920 similar to above.
1922 tawny colour with some fruit left but getting old.
1926 was a very small harvest of top quality wines, the Pichon lovely and sweet, almost burgundian. Showing some age but still very good.
1928 was a massive and tannic vintage. The only note I have is from a bottle still alive but only just so.
1929 shows the typical sweetness of the vintage paired with some volatility keeping it fresh and attractive to drink.
1930 Herbal nose, some sweetnes. Short. Old.
1934 show a lovely sweetness, with some volatility but still enjoyable.
1937 showed some fruit but the tannins are likely to have overtaken this by now.
1940 is pretty nasty with hard acidity.
1942 a touch better but should most likely be very tired by now.
1945 was a year of great concentration of fruit with wonderful structure and backbone and the Pichon Lalande is no exception. It is still a great wine.
1947 was a difficult vintage to vinify many wines showing volatile acidity. Still some sweet fruit but quite tannic finish.
1949 was a wonderful vintage and Lalande is no exception. Sweet and elegant fruit now but starting to show some age.
1950 one bottle sweet and sour. Probably well past it.
1952 had some elegance and fruit but starting to show some age. 1953 much better.
1953 is one of the loveliest and most "classic" of all Bordeaux vintages and Pichon Lalande made one of their best wines ever. Still quite dark in colour with perfect balance and class.
1955 is a wonderful vintage – it was the last vintage before the crippling frost of 1956 and has a great structure and good fruit left.
1957 always too high in acidity.
The comparison between 1959 and 1961 is always a fascinating one. Both truly great vintages and so too for Pichon Lalande. I prefer the 1959 slightly being fresher with sweet lovely soft fruit even after 60 years of age. The 1961 is still a gorgeous wine but showing some age.
1962 is now showing its age.
1964 is for me the most underrated of all Bordeaux vintages – the charming Pichon is still drinking well though it won't improve by keeping.
1966 is a classic left bank vintage and Pichon Lalande still drinking well. More structure than charm.
1970 a good wine but not one of the top Pauillacs. Should be drunk.
1975 was not an easy vintage on the left bank, most wines were simply too tannic and have long since dried out. Pichon Lalande is an exception and probably the best wine from Médoc next to Latour in this vintage. There is none of the hard tannins and it is still very good to drink. Interestingly, the wine was made by May-Elaine de Lencquesaing's old school friend and neighbour, the late Michel Delon of Château Léoville Las Cases (as were the following two vintages).
1976 was a vintage ruined by rain at the harvest and not a good wine.
1978 was Mme. de Lencquesaing's first vintage – just about everything that could go wrong during the growing season did so and the bordelais were expecting a disaster when the weather changed and a glorious autumn brought some very good wines. The 1978 Pichon is still a stylish wine with some tobacco flavours but starting to show its age, so I would suggest that it needs drinking now.
1979 is one of the better wines in this vintage.
1980 is a forgettable wine.
1981 is very good for the vintage.
1982 was the vintage which propelled Pichon Lalande to "Supersecond" status. This has always been a total charmer and a great success for the château. A very soft, attractive wine with great concentration of fruit without the massive tannins present in some 1982s.
1983 is very good with fresh spicy fruit. Ist only problem was to have to follow the great 1982.
1984 goodish but past it now.
1985 is to me the "modern" version of the 1953 as a vintage. A beautiful vintage that lives on impeccable balance and charm rather than power. I more and more start to prefer 1985s to 1986s on the whole. And similarly to the 1953s it will age better than most people are aware of, balance being much more important than alcohol, concentration and power.
1986 Pichon is very nice now. It shows softer tannins and better friut than most wines this year.
1987 similar to 1984.
I like the 1988 vintage very much – it is now shedding ist tannins and improve from year to year, The Lalande is very good and will drink well for many years to come.
The 1989 Pichon Lalande is one of the many stars of the vintage, very exotic with spicy fruit and a joy to drink.
1990 is a good wine but nowhere near its potential. Rather a disappointment considering the vintage.
1991 was a difficult vintage mostly ruined by spring frost. Drink up.
1992 only goodish with some green tannins.
1993 and 1994 were both affected by rain. Not bad but needs drinking.
The 1995 and 1996 are quite different in style, the 1995 sweet and charming, but on the lighter side with some dry tannins on the finish whereas the 1996 will turn out to become a classic for the future. Very good concentrated fruit and long finish. For me the greater of the two wines.
1997 shows classic 1970s style wine. Quite elegant.
1998 touch herbal nose.
1999 good, stylish fruit.
2000 is a massive wine. Very impressive.
2001 is a charmer from a very good classic vintage
2002 goodish but with some unripe tannins.
2003 is one of the best in this complicated vintage. Good fruit and not too alcoholic and jammy.
2004 a good wine
2005 shows very good soft sweet fruit. A total charmer. Will age well.
2007 good for the vintage.
2009 with massive tannins but very good fruit. Good future.
2010 very good, spicy nose with a touch eucalyptus. Good soft fruit and softer tannins than the 2009. A very, very good wine
2012 good soft fruit.
2014 good fruit. A good wine.
2016 touch closed Good concentrated fruit.
2018 soft tannins. Quite long.