Goedhuis Pichon Lalande Tasting & Dinner
Hibiscus Restaurant, London
Tasted Wednesday, January 26, 2011 by Remony with 920 views
Introduction
Presented by Thomas Do Chi Nam, winemaker at the chateau since the mid 1990s. The presentation was engaging and enthusiastic, but it is always something of a problem with presentations and tutored tastings conducted by people closely associated with the winery or the grower that they are relentlessly positive about every wine on show! In at least two cases, I really could not agree with the uncritical eulogy with which Thomas greeted his wine (although it may be that the bottle of 1986 served to our table was flawed). Nevertheless, this was a great opportunity to taste many very good wines from a fine chateau, and a thoroughly well-enjoyed evening. The food from Hibiscus was really excellent, most particularly the scallop with pork pie sauce and the iced chestnut parfait. Well done and thank you to the Goedhuis team! The notes which follow include in some cases Thomas's comments as well as my own.
Flight 1 - The Noughties (4 Notes)
Flight 2 - Interlude (1 Note)
Flight 3 - The Nineties (2 Notes)
Flight 4 - The Eighties (2 Notes)
Closing
With both wines from the Eighties, there appears to have been substantial bottle variation. In response to a question, Thomas was strongly supportive of the continuing relevance of the 1855 classification. On the strength of this vertical tasting, Pichon Lalande does seem to be appropriately classed as a second growth. However, on such a well-mannered occasion, no-one was likely to ask the awkward question why the 1990 and 2005 vintages of Pichon Lalande were relative failures, and no-one did! But the question is worth asking at some more suitable time, and deserves an answer.
2007 Réserve de la Comtesse 84 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
Initially very alcoholic on nose. Then some fruit, composed, perhaps ready. But on palate sharp, unformed, no length. Second tasting: some sweet fruit on front of palate. But tannic & sharp. Quite acidic, still no length.
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2006 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 92 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
On nose richness, fruit, lanolin, really good. Very tannic, lots of fruit on palate. Very unresolved as yet. But long, and very good potential. Forget this for 10 years. [Thomas Do Chi Nam: lots of tannin, strong vintage, uncut diamond, 20-30 year wine, very classical, still all fruit.]
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2003 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 89 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
Really drinking quite well tonight. Good fruit, no acidity. Not complex. Two dimensional wine. Enjoyable now. Thomas Do Chi Nam says it won't be ready for another 5 years, and will last for 20-25 years after that. But will it? I am doubtful.
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2001 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 94 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
Very clean nose. Wine is fully resolved but only at the start of its drinking life. Beautiful fruit, including peaches as Thomas Do Chi Nam suggests. Delicious. Long. Satisfying. Curiously persistent. Initially seems not particularly long, but it is. It lingers and grows. More tears on the sides of the glass than with the 2003 or the 2006 -- but the alcohol is not obvious on the nose or the palate. [Thomas: A great vintage, a forgotten vintage. 14% Petit Verdot (unusually high for Pichon Lalande), 50% Cab Sauv, 36% Merlot. "Flowers, peaches, violets."]
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