Pichon Lalande 2015

I tasted the 2015 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande on three separate occasions rating it 97 twice and 98 once. Checking in as a final blend of 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, this is a nuanced style of wine that grows on you with time in the glass, and the larger Merlot component always gives it a more supple, seductive texture. Crème de cassis, black raspberries, spring flowers, leafy herbs and lead pencil notes all flow to a full-bodied, ultra-pure, seamless beauty that builds on the palate, has fine tannin and a great, great finish. As classy as they come, it will continue to impress for two to three decades. While this estate lies just to the north of Château Latour, most of its vineyards are located west of highway D2, in more gravely soils, at times overlapping into the appellation of Saint-Julien to the south. This estate always produces a regal, yet incredibly seductive style of Pauillac, which I suspect is due in part to the inclusion of a larger percentage of Merlot in the final blend, which can be upwards of 30%. This estate has a brand new, state of the art winery and utilizes optical sorting, fermentation in stainless steel, and aging occurring in roughly 60% new barrels and 40% in once used. Manager Nicolas Glumineau is doing an incredible job at this estate and both the 2014s and 2015s are beautiful wines.

Score: 97

Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com Maturity: 2023-2053 30 November 2017

This has excellent energy, featuring voluptuous blackberry and black currant fruit lined with cassis bush, bay leaf, wet stone and iron notes, with sweet tobacco filling in the background. The finish is broad and long, with a nice graphite edge. This is Pauillac.

Score: 94 - 97

James Molesworth, Wine Spectator 01 April 2016

A dazzling, towering wine, the 2015 Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande has put on considerable weight in just the last few months. Today, the 2015 is vivid and intense, with a huge backbone of tannin and marvelous complexity. In 2015, the Cabernet Sauvignon is pushed higher as the Merlot was less consistent in its ripening. Graphite, charcoal, tobacco, crème de cassis and new leather are some of the signatures in what is shaping up to be a super-classic Pichon-Lalande. Simply put, the 2015 is one of the wines of the vintage. Tasted four times.

Score: 96 - 98

Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com 01 April 2016

The 2015 Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande is a blend of 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot that was picked from 10 September with the young Merlot, finishing on 9 October. It includes 12.5% vin de presse (which incidentally was included in the blend). It has a very pure bouquet with expressive Merlot imparting black cherries and wild strawberry aromas that are embroidered with a thread of graphite. I noticed how it errs more towards black fruit with extended aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with edgy tannin on the entry, the Cabernet Sauvignon here in the driving seat despite that level of Merlot trying to get in a look. Together they give a sense of completeness to this Pichon Lalande that has semblances towards the great 1996. Whereas this Pauillac has a tendency to be more approachable than others, in fact, the 2015 has the backbone and substance to suggest that it will require a minimum of ten years' ageing, but patience will be amply rewarded. Nicolas Glumineau has overseen a quite brilliant Pichon Lalande here.

Score: 95 - 97

Neal Martin, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Maturity: 2027-2060 01 April 2016