Pichon Lalande 2016

robert_parker98

Reviewed by: Lisa Perrotti-Brown

The 2016 Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande is blended of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot and 4% Cabernet Franc aged for 18 months in 60% new oak. Deep purple-black in color, it is a little mute, slowly unfurling to reveal a core of crushed blackcurrants, blueberry compote and black raspberries with nuances of cinnamon stick, violets, star anise, menthol and pencil shavings plus a waft of fallen leaves. Medium-bodied and super intense in the mouth, the palate bursts with black fruits and savory layers, complemented by red fruit sparks and framed by fantastically ripe, fine-grained tannins, finishing very long with a lingering suggestion of minerality.

robert_parker98

Reviewed by: Neal Martin

The 2016 Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande is a blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot and 4% Cabernet Franc (compare that to the 2010 that had 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, for example--that should give you some pointers). The alcohol level is 13.32% and a pH of 3.76. I tasted from a new oak barrel and the final blend will include around 60% new wood and 40% one year old, which is something I took into account. It has a very succinct bouquet, one that is almost understated at first, gradually unfolding with blackberry, cedar and graphite scents, in the vein of say the 1986 or 1996 Pichon Lalande of the past. The palate is very well balanced and what I appreciate here is that it is still as much identifiable as Pichon Lalande as it is a Pauillac and a 2016. There is that touch of roundness imparted by the Merlot, even though the Cabernet dominates the blend, surely the terroir sculpting the wine. It gently builds in intensity, maintaining freshness, a gentle but insistent grip towards the finish and a very long aftertaste. This is probably just a notch up on the outstanding 2015 Pichon-Lalande, a Rolls Royce with a purring engine.

robert_parker100

Reviewed by: William Kelley

One of the greatest wines that this estate has produced in the modern era, the 2016 Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande is a brilliant classic that no Bordeaux lover is going to want to do without. Mingling aromas of cassis and plums with notions of licorice, sweet tobacco leaf, rich soil tones, licorice, cigar smoke and violets, it's full-bodied, seamless and complete, with huge concentration, bright acids and a long, penetrating finish. Standing out for its unerring precision, impeccable balance and ineffable sense of completeness, it should prove almost immortal.

vinous100

Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni

The 2016 Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande is every bit as regal as it has always been. Towering and spectacularly rich in the glass, the 2016 captures every ounce of potential is showed from barrel. The 2016 is a vivid, dramatically sweeping wine that will leave readers week at the knees. Beams of tannin give the 2016 soaring intensity that is matched by a host of aromas and flavors that open up in the glass. Blackberry jam, graphite, spice, menthol, licorice, pencil shavings and spice are all finely sketched in a bold, savory Pauillac that hits all the right notes. The 2016 Pichon Comtesse has been riveting on each of the four occasions I have tasted it from barrel thus far, making it easily one of the wines of the vintage. Nicolas Glumineu and his team turned out an epic Pichon Comtesse in 2016. Don't miss it!

vinous100

Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni

The 2016 Pichon Lalande is one of the must-have wines of the year. I felt that way every time I saw it during the spring en primeur tastings. A few more months in bottle has only made that potential even more obvious. At once powerful and yet also delicate, the 2016 is a regal, aristocratic wine endowed with class and pedigree to burn. The crème de cassis, violet, graphite and menthol flavors are finely sketched, sure, but what stands out most is the wine’s extraordinary balance. While the 2015 is a soloist, the 2016 is an orchestra.

vinous100

Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni

A deeply emotional, moving wine, the 2016 Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande is simply extraordinary. The tannins are nearly buried by the sheer intensity of the fruit, while the 100% new oak is remarkably well integrated at this stage. Dark, powerful and brooding, the 2016 possesses remarkable polish for such a big wine. The purity of the flavors is simply captivating. Scents of graphite, smoke, leather, tobacco and menthol soar from the glass, enhancing a core of deep, plush, dark fruit. All the elements fuse together in a wine of nearly unparalleled beauty. Although not inexpensive, Pichon-Lalande is arguably the single finest relative value in ageworthy wine in Bordeaux right now. Readers should do whatever they can to pick up the 2016. It is without question one of the wines of the vintage and potentially a legendary wine in the making. Tasted three wines.

vinous97

Reviewed by: Neal Martin

The 2016 Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande is very expressive on the nose, displaying more red fruit than the 2016 Lynch-Bages, but retaining classic Pauillac style thanks to tobacco and cedar scents that manifest with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins and a fine bead of acidity. Very harmonious, leading to a pure and very detailed, almost pixelated finish that is utterly seductive. I would guess this is Pichon-Lalande [Post-edit: Bingo!] Superb. Tasted blind at the Southwold tasting.

vinous97

Reviewed by: Neal Martin

The 2016 Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande has an enthralling bouquet of tobacco-infused black fruit, shaved truffle and pencil shavings; crushed stone emerges with continued aeration. The Cabernet Sauvignon is clearly in the driving seat here, just like the 1996. The palate is medium-bodied with grippy tannin, more saline and marine-influenced than Pichon Baron, and a tad spicier toward the finish, which is one of the most impressively persistent I have ever encountered in a Pichon-Lalande, fanning out with gusto and leaving the mouth still tingling 60 seconds after it has departed. This is a benchmark for the estate, the best Nicolas Glumineau has overseen in his tenure... thus far.