2000 Chateau Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 2eme Cru Classe, Pauillac

Chateau Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 2eme Cru Classe, Pauillac

Colour: Red

Vintage: 2000

Region: Bordeaux, Pauillac

Pichon Lalande is often judged on its relationship to its namesake and opposite neighbour, Pichon Baron, and understandably so; what this overlooks (and we use the term carefully) is that Pichon Lalande adjoins the venerable terroir of Chateau Latour, arguably the finest piece of vineyard real estate on the Left Bank. From their stunning new glass-and-steel winery one is afforded a vista that is virtually unmatched in Bordeaux – across several hectares of Cabernet and Merlot vines, straight onto the Gironde, via the hallowed house of Latour and its famous squat stone tower. This is no uneasy neighbour; at its best, Lalande stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the First Growths. If Pichon Baron boasts the power and masculinity of Latour, then Pichon Lalande sports its elegance, perfume, clarity of vineyard and sensual texture. Since Nicolas Glumineau took over the reins the estate has delivered a string of exceptional wines with the run from 2015 to 2019 as good as anything the estate has produced.

Tasting Notes and Scores

96 DR

Of all the 2000s tasted in the line-up, this was the one that was most evolved, with melted tannins and exotic saffron spice notes. It’s a beautiful wine, very classic Pauillac, full of tertiary hints of truffle, soft menthol and undergrowth - signatures of an older Bordeaux wine that is wonderful to drink now. It’s probably the most perfect of the five for cracking open over the next few years but may not have the staying power of the others. Interesting to note how much higher the pH is here (3.85) than Leoville (3.5) considering it’s practically next door. 10% Petit Verdot completes the blend. Harvest 21 September 21 to 9 October.
Tasted by Jane Anson (at 67 Pall Mall, 17 Oct 2019)
Part of Best Bordeaux anniversary buys: From 10-60 years

Decanter

96 RP

Sitting next to my former colleague, Pierre Antoine Rovani, at one of the tastings, he commented that he didn’t like the striking green note in the aromatics of this wine, which I didn’t detect at all, and a subsequent bottle at another tasting did not reveal it either. I do think there is a hint of bay leaf and a meatiness to it. In short, I find this to be a spectacular Pichon Lalande. Dense purple in color, with loads of coffee, mocha, creme de cassis, and chocolate notes, this is a somewhat unusual blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, and a whooping 10% Petit Verdot, with a little bit of Cabernet Franc. The Petit Verdot certainly gives the wine more of a tapenade, floral note, which I think can be interpreted by some as herbal. This is a rich, opulent, stunning Pichon Lalande that is beginning to drink beautifully, yet should continue to improve for at least another 10-15 years and last 30 or more years.

Robert Parker (Wine Advocate #189, Jun 2010)

Wine Advocate

96 TA

A blend of 59% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot, the 2000 Pichon Lalande is deep garnet-brick in color. It rolls out of the glass with easy-breezy scents of potpourri, dried cherries, fruit cake, and star anise, with wafts of sandalwood and crushed rocks. The medium-bodied palate is in a sweet-spot with loads of intermingled dried berries, floral, and exotic spice notes framed by soft, powdery tannins and plenty of freshness, finishing long and fragrant. Lisa Perrotti-Brown Nov 2022 - The Wine Independent

Tim Atkin MW

958 WL

Quality 935 | Brand 992 | Economics 952 |
Quality: Above the average quality score of its peer group for the 2000 vintage, 717 Brand: Strong restaurant presence, featuring on 36 of the world's top wine lists, including Amber - Mandarin Oriental Economics: Below its peer group average price of £173 for the 2000 vintage Production: Lower production than its peer group average of 151,058 bottles

- www.wine-lister.com June 2017

Wine Lister

95 WS

This has pronounced bay and cassis bush aromas that impart lots of peppery and herbaceous lift, but this is hardly on the lean side as there's a well of gorgeously pure currant and blackberry fruit notes at the core. The finish is sleek and glistening as an iron note takes over.—Blind 2000 Bordeaux retrospective (December 2015). Drink now through 2028. — JM

Wine Spectator

94 WI

Good full medium ruby. Rather wild aromas of plum, black raspberry, lead pencil, tobacco, minerals and roasted game. Sweet, thick and complex, with very ripe, mellow flavors of black raspberry, truffle, roasted herbs, espresso and tobacco. Will rely more on its firm tannins than its rather soft, harmonious acids for longevity. This very persistent wine may be starting to shut down in the bottle, but it displays the lovely penetrating sweetness of the year.

Wine Independent

93 JS

Lot of currants and berries with a slightly stewed-fruit character. It’s full and round with soft tannins and a fruity finish. Needs to be decanted an hour or two before serving. Succulent wine.

James Suckling

92 NM

The 2000 Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande has a strong minty bouquet that perhaps slightly overwhelms the terroir expression. I believe this comes from a high proportion of Petit Verdot (14%) that would have probably been eschewed nowadays. The palate is medium-bodied with intense black plummy fruit mixed with graphite and sage. This is a muscular though enjoyable Pichon, dense and almost brawny toward the finish, but what is missing is a sense of elegance and precision. Just a touch of greenness shows on the finish (in a positive way). A forceful Pauillac that will benefit from decanting.

Neal Martin

Chateau Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 2eme Cru Classe, Pauillac