2008 Chateau Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 2eme Cru Classe, Pauillac

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

Colour: Red

Vintage: 2008

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

97 AG

Super-ripe black cherry, plum, smoke, licorice make a strong opening statement in the 2008 Pichon Lalande. The late harvest that year yielded a decidedly super-ripe, exotic Pichon Lalande with captivating inner sweetness and gorgeous textural finesse. Naturally, the 2008 is young. Very young. Even so, it is stunning. Readers looking for an under-the-radar vintage to cellar of Pichon Lalande will find tremendous satisfaction and pure pleasure in the 2008. An Indian summer saved what had up until that time been a rainy and not especially promising vintage.

Antonio Galloni

94 DR

This displays real elegance without sacrificing power and impact. Flavours of damson, liquorice, charcoal and tobacco are layered, sexy and polished. I'm not going too far when I say that I love this. You can start drinking it soon, but it will stay on this current plateau for a good while. Drinking Window: 2019 - 2036
Tasted by: Jane Anson (at BI, London, 01 Jan 2018)
Part of How Bordeaux 2008 wines taste now: 70 top names rate

Decanter

94 JL

Medium-bodied, bright, fresh, earthy and starting to unfurl its secondary notes, so now you find tobacco leaf, cigar wrapper, spice, smoke, cedar and an array of black and red currants. Fresh, crisp, crunchy red fruits with a peppery edge are found on the palate and in the finish. This is good now, but just another 2-3 years could add more softness to the finish. Tasted Nov 2021

Jeff Leve

921 WL

Quality 878 | Brand 992 | Economics 891 | investment staple
Quality: Above the average quality score of its peer group for the 2008 vintage, 761 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 £90 for the 2008 vintage Production: Lower production than its peer group average of 151,058 bottles

- www.wine-lister.com June 2017

Wine Lister

92 RP

The 2008 is a beauty in the style of the 1988. Although not performing as well as I predicted last year, it is unquestionably an outstanding effort as well as one of the better values from Pichon Lalande in many years. Its dense plum/purple hue is accompanied by sweet aromas of red and black currants, charcoal, herbs, underbrush and a hint of truffles. This medium-bodied, rich, concentrated blend of 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot and 3% Cabernet Franc is an elegant, supple Pichon Lalande that can be drunk now or cellared for 15-20 years.

Robert Parker (Wine Advocate #194, May 2011)

Wine Advocate

92 NM

The 2008 Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande has an expressive, open bouquet that is more forward than I would have expected (indeed, there was more degradation on the rim than you would expect.) The palate is medium-bodied with sappy red berry fruit laced with cedar and sea salt. I like the harmony and the fleshiness imparted by the Merlot towards the finish, although I expect Pichon Baron represents the longer-term prospect. This is more enjoyable than cerebral. (Tasted at BI Wine & Spirit’s annual 10-Year On tasting.)

– vinous.com, Feb 2018

Neal Martin

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