95-100 / 100
Noncontractual photograph
Vintage | Wine 1982 |
Classification | Médoc - 2ème Cru Classé |
Region | Bordeaux |
Appellation | Pauillac |
Colour | Red |
Volume | 0.75 l |
Country | France |
Château | Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse De Lalande |
Country | France |
Harmony and the variety of grapes of Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande is unique in the Pauillac appellation. It is undoubtedly the proportion of grapes that gives a guarantee of longevity and an exceptionally elegant personality exempt of harshness. The 45% Cabernet Sauvignon determines the structure and gives it its longevity. The recent tasting of older vintages such as 1875, 1893, 1900 have shown, by their astonishing youth, the possibility of aging the wines of Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande. 35% Merlot: a surprising percentage, unusual in an appellation that emphasizes Cabernet Sauvignon. "My uncle Louis loved this grape," says May Eliane de Lencquesaing, "it brings the color, roundness and suppleness, hallmarks of the wines of this area". The 12% Cabernet Franc gives a balanced wine with a fruity bouquet, firm and clear in his youth, which integrates very well during aging. The 8% Petit Verdot provides freshness and aromatic complexity and spiciness. In the years with bright sunlight as in 1982, 1986, 1989 and 1990, when the maturity of the grapes was excellent, its contribution is remarkable.The Chateau Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande remains faithful to the tradition of hand picking. Each year, more than 100 people - often the same families of Andalusia - pick grapes in the field, depending on the age and the maturity of the plots. Merlot, a precocious variety, starts the harvest, the Cabernet and Petit Verdot, late varieties, close the harvest. They sort rigourously in the vineyard and at the arrival on the receiving hopper.
DOMAINE DE LA ROMANEE CONTI 1982
Grands Echezeaux
CHÂTEAU LA TOUR HAUT BRION 1982
Pessac Leognan
TRAPET PERE ET FILS Clos Prieur 1982
Gevrey Chambertin
Saint Emilion
Latricières Chambertin
DOMAINE DE LA ROMANEE CONTI Marey Monge 1982
Romanée Saint Vivant
Pomerol
CHÂTEAU MOUTON ROTHSCHILD 1982
Pauillac
Pessac Leognan
Saint Emilion
(04-2001)
(02-2016) 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.
(09-2007)
(06-2019)
(6-2014) Acker Merrall and Condit It was a great bottle, but tighter than I ever remembered it being. There were aromas of peanut brittle, caramel, nutter butter, green bean and a pinch of thigh cream. This was long, elegant and solid, but I definitely felt like I should have opened it up a few hours earlier.