Wine Advisor
Pichon Lalande 1982
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
I have drunk this wine as often as any 1982 Bordeaux. With over two dozen tasting notes since its bottling, it is amazing that my scores have always been in the upper nineties. In short, Pichon-Lalande (or any Pauillac) could not be much better than this full-bodied, unctuous, super-complex, concentrated wine. From its explosive bouquet of cedar, blackcurrants, herbs, and spices, to its layer upon layer of rich fruit that coats the mouth, this is an awesome bottle of wine. It has been sensational for over a decade. Will it ever close up or begin to lose some fruit? There is some lightening at the edge (something that is not apparent in other 1982 Pauillacs), but keep in mind that this is the only Pauillac with significant quantities (about 40%) of Merlot, which accounts for the faint amber edge. This wine should continue to drink well for at least 10-15 more years. Although astronomically expensive and virtually impossible to find, this is what great Bordeaux is all about! The $110 a case future price sure looks great today! Last tasted, 7/93.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
I have had this wine a half-dozen times over the last eleven months, and have rated it either 98, 99, or 100 on every occasion. It is a fully mature, sumptuous, gloriously perfumed, luxuriously rich Pauillac the likes of which are rarely encountered. The color is a dark plum/ruby with amber at the edge. Spectacular aromatics offer up cedar, smoke, jammy black and red fruits, minerals, licorice, and toast. Unctuously-textured and full-bodied, with low acidity, fabulously sweet, rich fruit, surprising definition for a wine of such lushness and intensity, this is one of the vintage's most compelling and profound efforts. It has been delicious since birth, but absolutely stupendous over the last decade. How much longer can it hold onto its magic? My guess is that it should be consumed over the next 5-7 years.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Tasted at Roberson’s Pichon Lalande/Pichon Baron vertical. Although I have not encountered what might be described as a “perfect” bottle of Pichon-Lalande ’82, this is nevertheless an absolutely delectable Pauillac at the top of its game. This bottle has a beautiful, complex, magnificent bouquet with cedar, pencil lead, truffle and smoke that just unfolds with every passing moment. The palate is medium-bodied, very refined and elegant with beguiling poise. Such a calm, almost nonchalant wine that does not go out of its way to impress, Morello, strawberry, a touch of pepper, cedar and a little tobacco decorating the finish that has quite brilliant delineation and poise. Stunning. Tasted September 2010.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
Last Tasted 8/92 This is unquestionably the finest Pichon Lalande I have ever tasted. It is one of only a handful of big 1982s from the Medoc that has not begun to shut down. The wine reveals the deepest color of any Pichon in the eighties. The only exception is the 1986. There is no amber at the edge. The phenomenal bouquet soars from the glass, offering aromas of minerals, sweet, jammy blackcurrant fruit, toasty new oak, coffee, and chocolate. In the mouth, there is an opulence and richness that must be tasted to be believed. With layer upon layer of velvety textured, rich fruit, and a finish which lasts for well over a minute, this magical Pichon Lalande should continue to offer fabulous drinking for at least 10-15 more years.
Reviewed by: William Kelley
While bottles that have been traded or traveled extensively are beginning to tire, I was fortunate to buy a case of the 1982 Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande from a cold cellar in Alsace where it had remained unmoved since release. Given impeccable storage such as this, the wine remains simply remarkable and numbers one of the vintage's greatest achievements. Soaring from the glass with aromas of cassis and blackberries mingled with hints of cigar wrapper, dark chocolate, licorice and violets, it's medium to full-bodied, broad and velvety, with a sensual and enveloping core of fruit, rich but melted tannins and a long, resonant finish. Seamless and complete, I'd choose a pristine bottle of the 1982 Pichon Lalande over any of the Pauillac first growths, and I'm trying to ration my remaining half-dozen bottles without much success.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
One of the monumental wines of the last century is the 1982 Pichon Lalande. Since bottling, it has flirted with perfection, and was a sprinter out of the gate, which gave rise to questions about how quickly it would begin its decline. However, at age 27, it retains all its glossy, rich, flamboyant cassis fruit, chocolaty, berry jam-like notes, and plenty of earthy, foresty flavors. This is a full-bodied, extravagantly rich Pichon Lalande seemingly devoid of acidity and tannin, but the wine is incredibly well-balanced and pure. It is an amazing effort! Release price: ($110.00/case)
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
This has been the most sumptuous, delicious, and profound 1982 to drink over the last 5-6 years. It has never gone through any kind of dormant stage, and it continues to be the odds on favorite to emerge first in any blind tasting of the top 1982s. It reveals a classic Pauillac aromatic profile of sweet blackcurrant fruit intermingled with scents of herbs, cedar, and toast. However, on the palate it performs more like a great Pomerol. Given its unctuous texture, and lavish quantities of fruit, glycerin, and alcohol, this is a thick, supple, velvety-textured, gloriously decadent and hedonistic Pichon-Lalande that should continue to drink well for another 10-12 years. If readers need just one wine with which to impress someone, close a deal, or just experience the pleasures of wine, make it the 1982 Pichon-Lalande. Tasted 27 times since bottling with consistent notes.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
A deep garnet core. An intense nose of blackberry, cedar, a touch of pencil-lead with underlying ripe raspberry fruit. Good definition. The palate is full-bodied, beautifully balanced with a slight savoury edge that I have not noticed on other bottles. Still this imperious Pauillac has so much concentration and finesse that it does not know what to do with itself. Curiously, this bottle is ferrous on the finish. Now reaching its plateau, this certainly has many years ahead. Drink now-2020+ Tasted December 2007.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Tasted blind at The Greenhouse restaurant in London. This has a very deep garnet colour. The nose is reticent at first and rather overawed by the Sassicaia ’82 served alongside, but after thirty minutes the bouquet begins to wake up and demonstrates ineffable delineation and focus, black fruit, cassis, blackberry, cedar and graphite. The palate is full-bodied with a symmetrical structure, stunning definition and just so light on it feet. Cedar, blackberry and graphite once again with just a hint of white fruits. Blessed with a brooding power, this is one of the great wines of the decade, but it needs meticulous decanting. Drink now-2030. Tasted May 2009.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Tasted two or three times in Bordeaux, most notably with proprietor May-Elaine in February 1999: purple colour with little sign of aging. The nose is “complete” Pauillac with incredible definition: cassis, blackberry and a touch black coffee. Pure, blackcurrant and cassis on the palate. Very concentrated but so, so elegant with incredible definition and poise. Velvety smooth tannins. An utterly seductive wine to last another 20 years. In my top ten clarets of all time and possibly more classy than Mouton-Rothschild 1982? A less vigorous bottle at the Braidwoods tasting in October 2003: a beautiful, lifted, slightly liquorices nose that seems more developed than bottles in the past, especially a couple consumed in Bordeaux. Still sublime balance on the palate with dense tannins and damson, pencil-lead and cigar-box notes. Just seems to lack the vigour and freshness exhibited previously. Still a very great wine though. Similar notes just a couple of weeks later at the CEC Tasting.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
Tasted 25 Times Since Bottling With Consistent Notes I have drunk the 1982 Pichon-Lalande as often as any 1982 Bordeaux. With over two dozen tasting notes since its bottling, it is amazing that my scores have always been in the upper nineties. In short, Pichon-Lalande (or any Pauillac) could not be much better than this full-bodied, unctuous, super-complex, concentrated wine. From its explosive bouquet of cedar, blackcurrants, herbs, and spices, to its layer upon layer of rich fruit that coats the mouth, this is an awesome bottle of wine. It has been sensational since it was bottled. Will it ever close up or begin to lose some fruit? There is some lightening at the edge (something that is not apparent in other 1982 Pauillacs), but keep in mind that this is the only Pauillac with significant quantities (about 40%) of Merlot, which accounts for the faint amber edge. This wine should continue to drink well for at least 10-15 more years. Although astronomically expensive and virtually impossible to find, this is what great Bordeaux is all about! The $110 a case future price sure looks great today!
Reviewed by: William Kelley
Several years ago, I purchased a case of the 1982 Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande from a frigid Alsatian cellar where it had lain undisturbed since release, and from these bottles, it continues to very much merit a three-digit score. One of the most flamboyant, sensual wines of the vintage, it offers up a sweet bouquet of blackcurrants and blackberries mingled with notions of orange rind, violets, licorice and pipe tobacco. Full-bodied, supple and enveloping, with melting tannins, ripe acids and a long, cedar-inflected finish, it continues to deliver magical drinking. Having drunk the 1982 six or seven times this year, however, I am forced to concede that bottles that show this level of vibrancy and flare aren't so easy to find, so now is a great time to start pulling corks in earnest. This may not prove to be the very longest-lived wine of the vintage, but its star certainly did burn bright!
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
Tasted at least a half dozen times in 2002, I keep waiting for this wine to fall off. It has been prodigious from its early days, and in bottle continues to be one of the most satisfying wines of this great vintage, both intellectually and hedonistically. The color is still a dense, dark garnet/plum/purple. The nose offers spectacularly sweet creme de cassis intermixed with plums and cherries, vanilla, and smoke. The wine is full-bodied, opulently textured, very plush, with a viscous texture and extravagant quantities of fruit, glycerin, and alcohol. It has always been incredibly low in acidity, very decadent, and about as hedonistic as a Pichon-Lalande, or any Bordeaux, for that matter, can be. It has surprised me with its longevity, and should still continue to show no amber at its rim nor any evidence of breaking up. However, I wouldn’t push my luck, as this wine is already 20 years old. Anticipated maturity: Now-2012. Last tasted, 9/02.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Tasted at the 1982 dinner at The Square, you cannot help but fall for the charms of the Pichon-Lalande 1982. It has superb lift on the nose with a sorbet-like freshness emanating from the Merlot rather than the Cabernet. With aeration, it offers touches of truffle and graphite, but retains that astounding freshness and vitality. The palate is medium-bodied with immense freshness and femininity, that leads to a citrus fresh finish that lingers on the palate for a minute or so. Brilliant. Tasted April 2012.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Tasted at Pebbles/Zachy’s 1982 dinner in Hong Kong. The Pichon-Lalande ’82 almost embarrasses the Pichon Baron ’82. It has a seamless nose of blackberry, cassis, graphite and cedar, again, with an almost sorbet-like freshness and vitality that you want to keep returning to repeatedly. The palate is beautifully defined with filigree tannins and so much freshness and poise, a citric theme from start to finish. There are notes of blackberry, cedar, graphite and a spray tan of glycerine. This is a Pauillac that challenges the First Growths and I would argue with the exception of Latour, is equal to them. Tasted November 2012.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Whilst I enjoyed several bona fide perfect examples of the 1982 Château Pichon Lalande in the late nineties, my most recent encounters imply that these years were its peak. Nevertheless, it remains a brilliant, benchmark wine that continues to give a great deal of pleasure. This bottle, of perfect provenance, was captivating on the nose - still youthful and jam-packed with very pure and intense black and red fruit, mixed with cedar and graphite notes that ebb away as the Merlot component takes over and delivers strawberry and undergrowth scents. The palate retains its exquisite balance thanks to its fine tannin and layers of black, graphite-infused fruit that ease you into its sumptuous finish. It is a long-term wine, so do not be surprised if it continues along its plateau for another 20 years. Why is it not 100 points in my book? Well, compared to the 1982 Latour, it does not possess that same level of precision or length. Yet the bottom line is that both wines represent fabulous, era-defining contributions to this legendary vintage, and both continue to offer profound expression of Pauillac at its peak. Tasted February 2016.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
Another dazzling wine, the 1982 Pichon Lalande is utterly profound from the very first taste. In the glass, the 1982 is powerful and explosive, with seemingly endless layers of flavor that continue to unfurl over time. Vivid, intensely aromatic and seamless, the 1982 has enough pedigree and depth to drink well for at least several decades. What a wine!
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
Sadly, it is not a great night for Bordeaux. The 1982 Pichon-Lalande, served from 5-liter, is controversial, but in my view it is corked. I have highly variable experiences with the 1982 just in the last few months. Some bottles are utterly sublime, others far from it.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
In three recent tastings the 1982 Pichon-Lalande has been highly variable, showing frayed edges that suggest it needs to be enjoyed sooner rather than later. The best examples are still holding on to considerable depth, but even there, the signs of age are starting to creep in. The 1982 was quite a bit more impressive a few years ago. It’s time to drink up or sell, as there appears to be very little upside at this point.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 1982 Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande is a benchmark vintage for the estate, although I have not encountered a perfect bottle for around 20 years, when I believe the wine was at its height. Still, this is a lovely Pauillac with plush black and blue fruit on the nose, like before, almost Margaux-like in terms of its crushed violet component. The palate is ripe and rich on the entry thanks to the contribution of the Merlot, yet there is such panache and swagger that you instantly fall for its charm. Melted tar and pencil shavings on the very persistent finish. Just a very very gorgeous wine. Tasted at the 1982 Dinner at Hatched.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 1982 Pichon-Lalande has a very pure bouquet, sensual and beautifully defined, featuring blackberry and hints of graphite, and later crushed violet, so that the aromatics are almost Margaux-like. The palate is medium-bodied with a slightly edgy, balsamic-tinged entry. There is great depth, focus and power here, though in recent encounters I find the secondary aromas more prominent, and the wine no longer possesses the flamboyance that it demonstrated a decade ago. Hints of tar and pencil shaving line the persistent finish. This remains a great wine, and yet several bottles in the last 24 months suggest that it is no longer the perfect wine that it clearly was in the late 1990s. Tasted at a vertical tasting at the château.
Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer
Deep red-ruby color. Liqueur-like aromas of currant, cedar, lead pencil, truffle and smoked meat. Magically sweet and silky in the mouth, with superb depth of flavor and a complete absence of rough edges. A huge wine with utterly compelling sweetness and great terroir character. Powerful if somewhat unrestrained. Finishes ripely tannic, long and sweet. Many tasters still rank this among their two or three favorites of the vintage. Drink now to 2015.
About the Producer
Pichon Lalande is arguably the best known Super Second Pauillac for its quality consistency and quintessential Bordeaux claret expression. Neighbouring Chateau Latour and lying just right opposite Chateau Pichon Baron, Pichon Lalande, as its name suggests, has long seen extended female owner influence since the 1850s. Back in the 1850s, the original Pichon Lalande got broken down into two-fifth being renamed as Pichon Baron and three-fifth remaining as Pichon Lalande upon the passing of Baron Joseph de Pichon Longueville. The three-fifth was run by the three daughters of the Baron himself and over the course of a few years, Pichon Baron and Pichon Lalande took on distinctive styles - with the former being more a masculine expression and the latter, feminine. Female ownership and influence continued, with little interruption, till the modern days. Pichon Lalande's string of female leaders have contributed to the continuous modernization of Pichon Lalande's vineyards and cellars; as well as the doubling of vineyard area during the 1970s - 90s. Today, Pichon Lalande's feminine expression continues to prevail - whilst the team is placed under the leadership of a former opera singer turned winemaker gentleman named Nicolas Glumineau. Conversion to biodynamic viticulture (fully by year 2021), continuous investments in precision winemaking facilities see Pichon Lalande continue to be revered among leading critics. Pichon Lalande is planted to 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot. It is the predominant Cabernet Sauvignon presence in Pichon Lalande's wines that make this wine such a capable representation of Pauillac's deep gravelly terroir.
1928(1)1970(1)1979(1)1981(1)
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