Tasting notes

2009:  A restrained 12.9% alcohol.  Very fresh aromas of plum and red fruits, continuing on to the palate where there is lovely fresh acidity, minerals, a hint of spice and delicious, crunchy red fruits.  Already quite complex and harmonious, with good depth, this is an elegant 2009 in typical Lalande style.  Delicious.  93-96 points, drink 2015-2030.  April 2010.

2007:  From bottle (April 2010), there were fine and gentle aromas of soft, sweet red fruits and a touch of cedar.  On the palate the wine has lovely sweet fruit and is very fine and gentle in style.  There is an attractive and charming freshness to the wine, with lovely minerality and good weight.  Fresh and complex finish, 

an impressive wine for the vintage.  93 points, drink now-2022.  During the en-primeur tastings (April 2008) the wine, a blend of 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc showed elegan-yet-fine aromas of refined red fruits.  On the palate the wine has good depth and clean mouthfeel, with red currants and plum flavour, and good minerality.  Quite complex, with a long, clean finish, this is a really lovely, feminine claret that will be beautiful in the medium-term.  91-94 points, drink 2012-2020.

2006:  Soft, attractive aromas of red currant and plum.  On the palate there is lovely fresh acidity, elegant fruit flavours, minerality and a touch of oak.  Good complexity and length of finish, whilst this may not be a powerhouse, it’s a lovely, feminine style in a masculine vintage.  92-93 points, drink 2012-2022.  April 2008.

2005:  Tasted three times, with consistent notes.  A blend of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot, with 13% alcohol and an IPT of 68.  Beautiful aromas of very pure plum, red berries, minerals and sweet musk.  Firm yet extremely fine tannin structure frames the fruit perfectly, perhaps overshadowing the fruit at the moment.  Still very fresh, yet not the vibrancy for the vintage as some, this is a very good if not outstanding wine for the vintage.  It’s evolution will be very interesting to watch, as it may take on additional complexity during its elevage.  91-94 points, drink 2015-2030 (May 2006).  In April 2008 the wine showed pretty aromas of red currants, plum and minerals.  On the palate the wine has considerable underlying fruit intensity, and good complexity.  Whilst it is very elegant and refined, there is enough fruit and structure in reserve to suggest this will improve further in bottle.  93 points, drink 2015-2028.  Again, in February 2009, the wine showed consistent flavours as previously, but with a touch more flesh and roundness.  93 points, drink 2014-2030.

2004:  A blend of 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, 7% Petit Verdot and 4% Cabernet Franc, yields of 50 hl/ha.  Violets, minerals and beautiful, subtle, ripe berry fruit, with fine, elegant chalky tannins, wonderful purity and complexity on the palate, classical Bordeaux.  The structure needs a few years to integrate with the fruit, but all the components are present for a very good, classical style.  93-95 points, drink 2010-2025 (April 2005).  A year later I found classic aromas of plum, berries and musk, along with earthy minerality.  On the palate the wine is a little reserved, but with enough minerals and ripe fruit to give the wine lovely depth.  93 points, drink 2010-2025 (May 2006).

2003:  Consistently a stunning wine, this is a blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot and 4% Petit Verdot, from a yield of 39 hl/ha.  Much more complex and interesting aromas [than the 2003 Reserve de la Comtesse] of spice, dark fruits and lovely ripe plum.  Serious structure, although extremely fine, with layers of fruit and tannin.  Very serious fruit, great balance.  94-96 points, drink 2006-2025 (April 2005).  From bottle twice (November 2006 and October 2008) the wine has shown brilliantly, albeit in a somewhat flamboyant style for Lalande, with ripe, rich aromas of plum, musk and minerals which follow through on to the palate.  Long and very complex, it certainly has more richness than usual, but is not stewed or showing any sur-maturite character.  It will be very interesting to see how long this lives for...I’m just not sure, but I certainly won’t count it out early!  96 points, drink 2008-2023+.

2002:  A very beautiful, fresh and elegant style, showing lovely plum, mineral and red currant aromas.  Delicious yet quite delicate on the palate, there is good undergrowth and cassis flavour on the palate, some minerals and a hint of tobacco.  Very good complexity and length, this is a lovely drinking claret, even if it probably won’t make old bones.  90 points.  Drink 2008-2017.  October 2008.

2000:  Very impressive style, showing the power of the vintage without any heaviness or tough tannin.  As is usual with Pichon-Lalande, the wine is quite fine and fresh, with ripe red berry, plum, cassis and lovely mineral aromas.  On the palate the wine has great depth and density, and a hint of exoticism that is somewhat unusual for this wine.  Layered, with loads of glycerol and richness, very complex and impressive.  I like this a lot.  But it’s so delicious already, will it get even better?  And will I be able to keep my hands off them to see?!  97 points, drink 2005-2025.  August 2004.

1996:  A really delightful wine, with beguiling aromas of cedar, tobacco, plum which follow through on to the long, complex and utterly delicious palate.  The wine is still quite fresh and very clean and precise, with typical elegance yet ample power and structure.  An excellent expression of the vintage.  94 points, drink now-2020.  February 2010.

1990:  Very disappointing, quite thin, vegetal and somewhat dirty aromas which, sadly, flow through to the palate.  Moderate complexity, and reasonable length, this is just lacking substance and style, and shows excessive under-ripe fruit character for what should be a great vintage.  Is it the bottle or the wine?  87 points (July 2001).

1983:  Wonderful, fully-developed aromas of tobacco, cedar, minerals, spice and plum.  On the palate the wine is still quite rich and fresh, although seems fully-mature, with fine, complex and soft tannins, and lots of mineral on the lengthy, complex finish.  Just lacks a little something to take it to the upper echelon, but really delicious drinking.  94 points, drink now-2014.  July 2004.

1978:  Fully-mature, sweet and complex aromas of cedar, mineral and leather.  On the palate the wine is doubtless starting to fade, having reached its zenith, but still very enjoyable in a mature, imprecise kind of way.  90 points (May 2002).

Click here to return to top.

Click here to return to Château Pichon Comtesse de Lalande.