Chateau Pichon Comtesse de Lalande 2021

JAMES SUCKLING: "Fantastic aromas of blackberries, blackcurrants and graphite. Metal shavings. It's medium-bodied, with a classy center-palate of fruit and fine, velvety tannins leading to an almost endless finish. This has so much class, especially for the vintage. Very low production. Drink after 2028."

WEINWISSER: "88 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 2 % Merlot, 10 % Cabernet Franc. 60 % Grand Vin, 15 hl/ ha, 12.9 Vol.-%, pH 3.75. Dicht verwobenes Bouquet, betörender Iris-Duft, frischgepflückte Alpenheidelbeere, Schokopastillen, helles Graphit. Im zweiten Ansatz Pauillac at its best: frischer schwarzer Bergpfeffer, edle Cassiswürze, Havanna und getrocknete Rosenblätter. Am vibrierenden Gaumen mit seidiger Textur, alles am richtigen Platz, engmaschiges Tanningerüst, kakaoartig und perfekt geformter Körper. Im konzentrierten, ewig langen Finale explodiert der Pauillac, Waldhimbeere, Graphit und erhabene Adstringenz. Punktet dieses Jahr mit unglaublicher Präzision und Finesse, erinnert Nicolas Glumineau an 1996."

WINE ENTHUSIAST: "Black-currant fruit aromas are also backed by a powerfully tannic wine. It is both elegant and concentrated, and its refined character comes from the stylish structure. The wine also has enormous potential. Drink from 2028."

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "The 2021 Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande wafts from the glass with aromas of blackberries and minty cassis mingled with notes of violet, lavender, pencil shavings and rose petals. Medium to full-bodied, velvety and polished, it's beautifully seamless and complete, with a fleshy core of fruit, ripe acids and sweet, powdery tannins that assert themselves on the gently structured finish. This will offer a broad drinking window. It's one of the vintage's real successes, but it also represents only one-quarter of a "normal" production."

DECANTER: "A gorgeous fragrance on the nose, scented and deep with green peppercorns, blackcurrant leaf, cedar, tobacco and sweet cinammon. Succulent and juicy - the high acidity hits straight away. Lean and direct, but smooth, tannins have a faint graphite grip. Tangy alomst grapefruit on the palate with red berries and freshness throughout leading up to a long-lasting flavour at the end which is added to by a salty minerality. A subtle estate magic is on show. Still young and tight, this will need a few years before opening."

LISA PERROTTI-BROWN: "A blend of 88% Cabernet sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Merlot, the 2021 Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande has a deep garnet-purple color. It gallops out with profound notions of juicy blackberries, freshly crushed blackcurrants, and redcurrant preserves, leading to fragrant wafts of violets, aniseed, and sassafras, with a touch of wild sage. The light to medium-bodied palate is graceful and shimmery, with a lively line and firm, fine-grained tannins framing the energetic black fruits, finishing long with a tingly, minerally lift."

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "Mint, licorice, cigar box, flowers, cherries, currants, brown sugar, and spice fill the aromatic profile. Silky, fresh, vibrant, and minty, the wine is lively, energetic, crisp, chewy, and chalky. You should give this a few years before pulling a cork to allow the wine to soften and fill out. The wine blends 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Merlot. 12.9% ABV. pH 3.75. This is the second-highest percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon in the history of the estate. The harvest took place from September 22 - October 5. Yields were incredibly low at only 15 hectoliters per hectare, almost 70% below a normal harvest. Drink from 2027-2055."

JEB DUNNUCK: "A blend of 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Merlot, that spent 18 months in 60% new oak (there’s also 13% press wine in the blend), the 2021 Château Pichon-Longueville Comtesse De Lalande reveals a vivid purple hue to go with beautiful aromatics of pure cassis, violets, spring flowers, spicy oak, and graphite, with a beautiful sense of minerality with time in the glass. Playing in the medium-bodied end of the spectrum, it has a seamless, layered mouthfeel, ultra-fine tannins, no hard edges, and a pure, layered style that shines in the vintage. It's already impossible to resist but I see no reason it shouldn’t evolve for two decades."

FALSTAFF: "Dunkles Rubingranat, violette Reflexe, dezente Randaufhellung. Frische Kirschen, zart nach Cassis, etwas Tabak und Edelholz, verhaltenes Bukett. Saftig, feine Extraktsüße, reife Tannine, etwas Nugat, mineralisch, engmaschig und frisch strukturiert, zeigt Länge, insgesamt noch recht unterentwickelt, eine Frage der Zeit."

WINE SPECTATOR: "Plush, warm and inviting, offering waves of cassis, crushed plum and blackberry puree that cruise through, while a fine-grained structure provides support. Shows alluring accents of black tea and alder on the finish, with the fruit keeping the upper hand easily. Very polished for the vintage. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2026 through 2040."

JANCIS ROBINSON: "Characteristic elegance but the Pauillac character still evident. Fragrant nose with dark-fruit and floral notes and just a hint of chocolate. Persistent fruit through the mid palate with finely edged tannins. Well structured with good energy and drive, the finish persistent. Balanced and harmonious."