Saint-Julien du Chateau Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande, Chateau Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande, Saint-Julien

Ibid prior; a more satisfying and encouraging showing than the 2025 example

1996 vintage

I first tasted it in 2021 and then again in 2024, and I remembered it as a delicate and flavorful Bordeaux. It hasn't changed much since. Nose of leather and tobacco. The palate is both refined and elegant; this wine is like liquid silk. Not necessarily the most profound Pauillac, but remarkably delicate and superbly flavorful. Excellent balance with acidity that lifts the wine to a finish still dominated by leather and tobacco. An excellent Bordeaux, very classic and enjoyable.

1996 vintage

The last of a series of tasting notes of the 1990 Pichon over a period of ~13 years. A fading testament to the longevity of the great 1990 Bordeaux vintage. A perfectly maintained, moist cork. The color of the wine in the decanter suggests dark, dried blood stains on a white table cloth (once red now brown). The nose speaks more of the earth than the fruit of the vine. Leather, tar and tobacco dominate the mouth. A finish only …

1990 vintage

Super Bowl 2026 (Atlanta, GA) : Tasted Double Blind. This was showing the best I've ever tasted it. A complete showstopper and I ranked it #2 of 11 of the night. Next to the '82 Pichon Lalande, the '96 is my next favorite vintage. Incredible nose, Tobacco, smoke, juicy black fruits, green herb, nice balance, but it has power with a kiss of oak on the finish. Loved it. It actually showed better than 82 Mouton tonight. Must be the …

1996 vintage

All tertiary sences on full gear. Beautiful soft tannins. Had a few minutes between 3rd and 4th hour were it took off like a rocket, but im giving it an overall score of 95. Outstanding wine!

1996 vintage

Fully into tertiary territory but very much alive. Decanted 30 minutes and showed classic Pauillac maturity: cedar, cigar box, dried blackcurrant, and leather. Palate is silky and resolved, with tannins completely integrated and just enough acidity to keep things lifted. Fruit is more dried than fresh, but still present, framed by savory, earthy complexity. Nice elegant finish. Clearly past peak youth, but still drinnking very well.

1990 vintage

At its peak. Decanted 2 hours. Delicious with lamb leg. Red fruits jam, wet forest soil, leather. La grande classe.

2004 vintage

This was in a great place last night. Opened about an hour before consuming and it seems pretty ready to go. Tannins are resolved nicely and some of the primary fruit is calming but not getting to those older feeling tertiary things yet. Plenty of life left

2004 vintage

3 hour decant needed. Drinking well but will improve.

2010 vintage

Excellent. Two hour decant. Ready. Terrific structure. Mature. Mushrooms, black currants, forest sense. Delightful with beef stew during cold winter weather.

1996 vintage

I think developed nicely over the course of a 3hr meal. Wonderful aromatics with red fruit and that classic pyrazine note that makes you think Bordeaux. great acidity with presents tannins but not obtrusive, this has plenty of life left.

1996 vintage

Jolly Boys dinner (Noizé, London) : Seemed more viogorous than previous bottles, cedary, but with the classic PL freshness. Super

1990 vintage

Pichon Lalande 2004 The melange of fruit and flowers on the nose is absolutely intoxicating. Sweet dark cherries and dried flowers. On the palate it's very primary. The tannins are firm and clearly announce their presence, but are fine and filigreed and not harsh. This wine has not aged a day - there is not a hint of tertiary notes - it could easily go for another 10-20 years before hitting its tertiary peak. Right now it's delicious, personable, and …

2004 vintage

On nose: incredible typical barnyard nose. On palate: a bit single dimensional and light bodied in comparison to the other wines of the night. But still a fantastic wine. Lalande continues to impress. Other wines of the night: '82 Palmer '82 gruaurd Larose A great wine, but the 82s stood out in comparison.

1990 vintage

Wine comparison for the evening: 1982 Gruaud Larose (98) 1982 Palmer (97) 1990 Pichon Lalande (94) The 1990 Pichon Lalande immediately stood out on the nose with its classic profile, beautiful aromatics of earth, spice, and leather. On the palate, there was a restrained but elegant presence of fruit, with tannins that are still present yet fully mellowed. Everything felt resolved and harmonious, carrying through to a long, graceful finish. Although I scored it a 95 previously, in tonight’s line-up …

1990 vintage

Opened cork and let breathe 6h prior to decanting, tasted about 1.5 h later. Dark red in color. Initial whiff of 'PL' green that blows off to reveal very deep aromas of crushed black small fruits, dark florals, smoky cedar and graphite. The palate shows waves of cassis, blackberries, hint of coffee and herbs, good acidity, fine tannins and a long spice and cedar tinged finish. Lovely.

1996 vintage

2 hour decant. Perhaps because I recently tasted the 1982, 1990, and 1996 vintages of Pichon Lalande, the 2010 did not yet display the signature tertiary aromas of spice, leather, and barnyard. Instead, it came across as very fruit-forward and relatively plain. On the palate, the profile closely mirrored the nose, with fruit taking center stage. The tannins were clearly present but not overly grippy or powerful, and they subsided fairly quickly. The finish, however, was reminiscent of the older …

2010 vintage

(New Year's at Rocknroller's). lovely bordeaux nose of pencil lead and earthy notes. Rich cassis on palate. Red fruit. In great drinking place now. My red of the night. Complete agreement with MasterDecanter.

1996 vintage

2025 New Years Eve (Kevin and Vicki's house) : Decanted a short time, drank a medium-sized glass over 2 hours. Gorgeous floral fruit, dark cherry, cassis, graphite. A great Pichon Lalande.

1996 vintage

Incredibly youthful nose that tastes a good 15-20 years younger. Classic Bordeaux with lots of pencil shavings, smoke, leather, cassis, and some cherry notes. Good acidity on the palate with similar flavors and an earthy underwood note. Long finish. Very, very good mature Bordeaux in perfect condition.

1970 vintage

New Years Eve Celebration (Rocknroller's (Kevin & Vicki's Place)) : Very dark red color. PNP, drank a glass over 2 hours plus. This was the first time having this in over 13 years. Still a totally impressive bottle. Intensely perfumed nose of pencil, cassis, and incense, with blue fruit undertones; The palate is velvety, cassis, cedar, pencil, bright and beguiling, This was long and caressing, loved it. Pretty much a dead heat with the '95 Dunn. 95+(+?)pts.

1996 vintage

Till Bosse i julklapp

2004 vintage

This was pretty much a middling bottle of PL. it was mostly purple fruited, with maybe a little tobacco leaf, and dark earthy dirt. Although a little clunky, I enjoyed it enough.

2008 vintage

Bien meilleur après 2h, j’aurais du l’ouvrir avant ou le mettre en carafe. Un peu rustique au début puis finalement très élégant. Un peu court quand même.

2004 vintage

Corked

2004 vintage

Tonight’s wine comparison: 1996 Pichon Lalande (94) 1996 Montrose (93) This is my 100th tasting note, woohoo! 1.15 hour decant. A beautiful nose of barnyard, leather, and spice. On the palate, the tannins are present but well integrated, with abundant spice notes. Acidity is mild, and the finish is long and beautiful. Compared to the 1990 Pichon Lalande I recently had, I preferred the 1990, as the 1996 showed a punchier and more expressive spice profile that was just shy …

1996 vintage

Very fresh and intact. Beautiful color and clarity. Superb but subtle nose of a well aged Bordeaux. Complex rich cheese, graphite, minerals, and fait fruits. great balance, body and finish. I think even though 88 vintage was not as well rated in Paulliac as 82, 86, 89, 90 this has held beautifully. Probably peaked in the past few years or now, do not think it will improve. Tries after a 30 min decant, and held well over 4 to 6 …

1988 vintage

Somptueux & à son apogée, avec encore 10 ou 15 ans devant lui. Les fruits noirs sont encore très présents, les tanins sont soyeux et racés. Puissant et parfaitement équilibré.

1988 vintage

1hr 15 decant. On nose: barnyard, no hint of fruit, black pepper, lots of baking spices, on palate: medium acidity, spices come through strong, black pepper,

1996 vintage

still excellent but I would drink this now as I don’t think it will improve from here.

1988 vintage

Wine comparisons for the night: 1990 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 2009 Château Léoville Poyferré 2010 Château Angélus The nose was absolutely gorgeous, dominated by potent barnyard aromas with virtually no detectable fruit. On the palate, the tannins were still present but beautifully subdued and fully integrated. The finish was long and left a lingering, elegant aftertaste. That intoxicating nose elevated the entire drinking experience from start to finish. Clearly the wine of the night.

1990 vintage

Rated a point lower than the 1996 Latour that I had earlier in the year. Medium garnet, pronounced, blossom, geranium, white pepper, vanilla, blueberry, graphite, flint, earth, leather. medium+ acid and tannins, medium body, medium+ finish. The wine has good resolution, depth, and interest. Classic. This bottle was fully developed. Compared to the 1996 Latour that was still developing, these have a similar profile, but are at the end of their plateau and need to be consumed.

1996 vintage

Barnyard, old leather, game/meat… but beyond the tasting notes, this wine creates so such emotion and feelings - fine, elegant and feminine. Wow! 97

1996 vintage

Half bottle, in excellent condition, perfect cork. This wine is simply a long way from being ready. if, which cannot be certain, it eventually knits together into a fine Pauillac. On Day1, lovely deep colour, intense fruit, restrained tannins. But at this stage, really just a fruit bonbon, rather modern, a smooth tidy lanolin mid-palate, little length. On Day 2, harsher, no longer smooth, no longer saved by its fruit, in your face, and still no length. Is this just …

2010 vintage

Smooth and easy drinking at this stage, earthy, graphite early on, with an hour or so of time light perfumed black fruit starts to show. Don’t have much experience with aged Bordeaux yet but this seems to match classic descriptors one would expect.

1996 vintage

Typical 2008. No character.

2008 vintage

This '90 grand vin from Château Pichon Lalande was enjoyed at the Castle in St. Helena with old and new friends across the Valley. This was my contribution to the bunch and was thrilled to share with our group there. This was consumed over an hour or so and got better every step of the way - I would recommend giving an hour of air before enjoying. This is loaded with tertiary flavors - notes of worn leather, pipe tobacco, …

1990 vintage

Tasted at Vinous Miami. The 2010 Pichon Lalande was impressive with a deep profile and a beautifully expressive nose. On the palate it felt complete and refined with great balance and soft tannins. Long finish and unmistakable class. Easily one of the top 10 wines of the event, and good enough that I went back for more than one pour. Enjoying life, always room for one more pour.

2010 vintage

Poured through an aerating spout. Super deep ruby color. Strawberry, marmalade, and baking spice are the key elements here. Smooth, dry, slightly herbal palate. Firm tannins on the long finish. This is really nice, although the nose and palate were a bit out of sync. Tasted this at Vinous Icons Miami.

2010 vintage

This pours medium garnet in the glass with medium bricking. The nose is of green tobacco leaf, leather, old furniture, gravel, rusty iron and coffee. The palate enters on lean fruit, with medium minus tannin, medium acid and a rusty finish that fizzles out a little short. While there is enjoyment to be had here, I think this is likely a sub-optimal bottle. While it still has enjoyment, I think there are better bottles out there.

1970 vintage

Opened at Noble Rot Mayfair. P&P and enjoyed. This was better than I expected. Lovely condition and showing that wonderful balance between freshness and dark fruit whilst being completely resolved without too many tertiary notes just yet. A beautfiul bottle that reminds you to revisit Bordeaux from time to time because they can also be magical. Thanks so much to J for sharing - can't wait to return the favour!

1988 vintage

Notes from a lovely dinner at 67 Pall Mall in London 2000 Monte Bello Ridge: 93 pts. Very smooth. Cigar, coffee and some black fruits. 1999 Lynch Bages: 94 pts. In a beautiful place. Smooth and elegant with lots of secondary and tertiary elements. At least 5–10 years ahead of it. 2005 Lynch Bages: 95 pts. Probably a better wine in the longer run than the ‘99, but still young. A long glorious life ahead. 2009 Clos Vougeot Alain Hudelot: …

2010 vintage

Tour des Deux Rives: A Bordeaux Dinner by Twilight at the St. Francis Yacht Club (K&L) (San Francisco) : First red of the dinner, served side-by-side with the 2016. Pichon Lalande has increasingly gone more Cab-heavy over time. Chocolate-covered blueberry, blackberry, raspberry, and red plum notes. Also pitched up some slight clove and elaichi (cardamom) notes. Definitely a little tight in spite of three hours of air, but this is already lovely and will likely get even better with time. …

2010 vintage

Entre Deux Rives: A Night of Inspired Bordeaux (St. Francis Yacht Club, SF) : First still wine, still served before any food. On the nose and palate, medium to vibrant notes of red berries, red florals, earthy minerality, graphite, char, asphalt and a light oak note. Quite an intense tannic attack off the pour (this had 3 hours of non-decanted air; all wines opened at 4 and serving started at 7, concluded a bit past 9, so the others between …

2010 vintage

Feels lighter than the modern style. Elegant and very enjoyabke

2010 vintage

Awesome. Still relatively youthful though that old wine note that I love is def there - wood, tar. Bit of tannin, little orange at edges. Should still drink well - but that's it for me!

1990 vintage

Cooler styled vintage with good fruit upfront. 1st bottle opened from my futures. Tannins are mellow and wine is approachable, no need to wait. Feels like this is as good as the vintage can perform. Solid, but not spectacular.

2008 vintage

I’m usually behind in my dinner prep and forget to leave time to decant my wine so I suffer from way too many PNPs. However my wife is in Rome, life is slow today and I decided that it was time to try one of my 2010 Pichon Lalande bottles. I decanted it for 3 hours and was very thankful that I took the time to do so. Upon opening the bottle, even with some vigorous aeration in the glass, …

2010 vintage

Day 2 at Big Willy's. Another wine moving day. Amazingly wonderful. Youthful, full of life. More powerful and fruit forward than the 88 Angelus which was left from day before and was still singing strong. Medium ruby. Super pleasant fruit and wood character aromas. Just a stunning feel in the mouth and a medium to long finish. Less of a hurry to drink this than the Angelus and perhaps less risk of bottle variation? Absolutely phenomenal pairing with Chili Biill …

1988 vintage

A real success for this vintage. Still very vital and fruity marred only by a somewhat astringent finish.

1976 vintage

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Saint-Julien du Chateau Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande, Chateau Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande, Saint-Julien

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