Chateau Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande Pauillac 2022 1.5Ltr

The 2022 Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande has turned out even better in bottle than I anticipated, bursting from the glass with aromas of cassis and blackberries mingled with scents of licorice, violets and pencil shavings. Full-bodied, layered and enveloping, it's suave, seamless and complete, with faultless precision, pristine integration of tannin, controlled sweetness and a long, expansive finish. The 2022 manages to unite the sensuality that's the estate's calling card and the ripeness of the vintage on the one hand, with a sense of Pauillac classicism on the other, threading the needle to deliver one of the finest wines of the vintage and a benchmark Pichon Comtesse. It's a blend of 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc that spent 18 months in barriques (three months more than was formerly the case), two-thirds of which were new. As I wrote en primeur, there's more than a hint of the 1982 about this wine, and like the 1982, the 2022 will offer an exceptionally wide drinking window.

The grand vin from Nicolas Glumineau is 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc, and the élevage was in 65% new oak and 35% second-fill oak barrels for 19 months. Remarkably it includes 17.5% press wine, up from the usual 13%, added with consultation from Eric Boissenot who is a big press-wine advocate. This accounts for 60% of production. An expressive, confidently dark, toasted and harmonious nose, with powdered chalk and crushed white gravel dusted over concentrated black cherry, blackberry and currant fruits. The palate is fresh and bright, with plenty of peppered dark fruit freshness, toast, liquorice and tar with black pepper energy, lots of great substance here wrapping all this up, supported by grip from the rich tannic substance. It continues with layers of dark and salted fruits, salty minerals, an intense confidence, and a long and peppery finish. Stunning potential here, with great energy wrapped up in this supple, mouth-watering, sinewy texture, which adds a sense of restraint to what is a confident style. A breathtaking, spine-tingling wine, which simmers with incredibly tight-knit tannin in the length, but with never a hair out of place. Superb, and surely a new benchmark for the estate, one which we can watch evolve over the next three or four decades. Tasted three times. The alcohol is 13.6%.

#66 in Top 100 Wines of France, 2025. What perfect aromas of blackcurrants, lead pencil, violets, blood oranges and blood. Some iron. Medium- to full-bodied, this has incredible tannins that are completely loaded and integrated, melting into the wine with such a glorious mouthfeel. The finish goes on and on, lightly austere in the most sophisticated way. Racy and rigorously focused. 78% cabernet sauvignon, 17% merlot and 5% cabernet franc. Try after 2030, but already a new benchmark for this estate.

Shiny and striking, this delights from the first sip giving a burst of strawberry and citrus acidity before salty minerality comes in the form of chalky tannins, graphite, pencil lead and slate. Really quite mineral. It's sleek and classically styled, no overt ripeness of fruit although there's concentration in the frame and power that thrusts the flavours forward. Detailed and joyous, it's pent up with muscles and tension but where other wines are showcasing that brawn now, this also delivers a ton of juicy acidity and lift which makes this so joyful. I love it. 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc.

This brims with notes of dark currant, blackberry and black cherry preserves that sparkle subtly with reserved energy, while sweet tobacco, licorice snap, chestnut, violet and ink notes work harmoniously through the long, crumpled velvet finish. A late humus echo provides a beautiful counterpoint, which just makes you want to go right back and start the experience all over with another sip. A total stunner. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2028 through 2050. From France. (Collectible)

The 2022 Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande has a very sensual, perfumed, floral bouquet with crushed violets and licorice infusing the black fruit. It needs time to really open in the glass, manifesting more underlying graphite scents with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with filigree tannins and quicksilver thread of acidity. It offers the sensuality of this Pauillac Classed Growth with structure and poise, just firming up a little with time, which is not a bad thing. This estate has enjoyed a scintillating run of form in recent years, and this latest bottled vintage shows that there is no end in sight.

Looking at the flagship 2022 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse De Lalande, it's based on 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Merlot, and the balance Cabernet Franc that spent 19 months in two-thirds new oak and one-third in once-used barrels. Its similarly deep purple hue is followed by a magical, heavenly 2022 that has a layered, full-bodied profile that brings an incredibly floral character as well as a huge core of darker currant fruits, ripe, polished, velvety tennis, no hard edges, and a thrilling finish. It’s a quintessential Comtesse that brings the forward, supple elegance of the château while still offering plenty of classic Pauillac depth, structure, and character. Give bottles 5-7 years and enjoy over the following 40+.