18-bottle Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande Vertical (1976-2007)
Jeff & Chuck's, Mountain View, California
Tasted Friday, December 17, 2010 by europat55 with 1,369 views
Introduction
Here are my notes from a unique opportunity to taste 18 different vintages from a great Bordeaux wine.
Wines were served from the youngest to the oldest over the course of 2 hours.
All the wines were double decanted before the service.
Flight 1 - Flight #1: (6 Notes)
In the first flight, the 2007 to 2003 vintages turned out very similar. The 2002 was my #6 and the 2001 was a distant #1 for everyone.
Flight 2 - Flight #2: (6 Notes)
This second flight contained six Lalande vintages that were all outstanding and ready to drink now. These were good examples of why you want to wait 10+ years before opening your good Bordeaux wines.
Flight 3 - Flight #3: (6 Notes)
In the third flight, the '90 was a relative disappointment. The '89 delivered in line with the expectations. The '85 was a good revelation.
Closing
To my palate, the Pichon Lalande delivers a fairly consistent showing, year after year, with very little variations from the challenging vs. great vintages, so looking for the 'off' vintages of this wine seems to make a lot of sense to me in term of QPR!
2007 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
Very nice earthy nose, somewhat thin in the mouth. Not ready for business yet, but seems to have the potential for a 91-93+ in 10 years.
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2005 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
Part of an 18-bottles Pichon Lalande vertical tasting. Shy nose opon opening, with more cassis and earthy notes after 30 mins. Somewhat thin in the mouth. Fairly long finish. Not ready for business yet, but seems to have the potential for 89-91 pts in 5-10 years. Feels overpriced compared to other vintages.
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2004 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
Nice earthy nose, with hints of cassis, blackcurrents. Somewhat thin in the mouth. Not ready for business yet. Seems to have the potential for 90-92 pts in 5+ years. Certainly a great effort for the vintage.
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2003 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
Very nice earthy nose, with hints of blackcurrents, cassis and mushrooms. Somewhat thin in the mouth. Not ready for business yet, but I'm starting to see the aging style of this wine. Seems to have the potential for 92-94 pts in 10 years.
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2002 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
Not as good as the other Lalande vintages tasted the same day. Seems to have aging potential, but there are concerns with the green tannins. Not ready for business yet. Likely a 88+ pts in 5-10 years.
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2001 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 91 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
Wow! Very impressive aromas of plum, blackcurrents, cassis. Balanced palate with decent structure, fruit and leather. Medium finish. This has room to grow to a 92-93 pts, but also quite enjoyable now. Outstanding!
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