| Region | |
|---|---|
| Subregion | France > Bordeaux > Left Bank > Pauillac |
| Colour | Red |
| Type | Still |
This is the popular second wine of Château Pichon Lalande - previously known as Reserve de la Comtesse. There is always a high percentage of Merlot in the blend here which makes the wine soft and easy to drink when young. One of Bordeaux's most popular second labels and on top form in recent vintages.
The 2023 is a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 5% each of Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. There will be a special label this year to denote the 50th anniversary of the first vintage of this wine.
A terrific second wine, the 2023 Resèrve de la Comtesse wafts from the glass with a pure bouquet of blackcurrants, dark berries, lilac and pencil shavings. Medium to full-bodied, layered and velvety, it's sensual and vibrant, with melting tannins and a deep core of cool fruit framed by polished but present tannins. This blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot and 5% Cabernet Franc marks the 50th anniversary of this second wine's production.
The 2023 Réserve de la Comtesse has a lovely bouquet, discrete initially, then opening with cassis and light violet fruit. It never shouts too loudly at this early stage. The palate is medium-bodied with crisp tannins on the entry. There’s also a stronger graphite element than I have noticed in recent vintages, due to the higher percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon (60%). This is a classically styled Réserve.
Mid ruby in colour, this has a very enticing nose, melding floral tones of iris, cherry blossom and violets with riper, cool blackcurrants and milk chocolate. The palate is succulent in fruit and crunchy in tannin. Finely balanced, there is a powdery texture to this polished, impressive second label. The fruit becomes lusher through to the finish, expanding with a flourish to show sweet cherry, graphite, cedar and violet. A strong effort.
I like the freshness and linear character to this second wine of Pichon Lalande. It's medium-bodied with creamy and polished tannins that are fine at the end. It is linked from start to finish. 60% cabernet sauvignon, 30% merlot, 5% cabernet franc and 5% petit verdot.
Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2023 Pichon Comtesse Reserve rolls out with evocative notes of ripe black cherries, redcurrant jelly, and boysenberries plus underlying hints of wild sage, wet slate, and damp soil. The medium-bodied palate is so fresh and elegant, with gentle powdery tannins supporting the delicate black fruit flavors, finishing on a lingering mineral note. The blend is 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot, and 5% Cabernet Franc. This is a higher percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon than is typical, a sign of the future since more of this variety is being planted.
The success of Pichon over recent years extends to its second wine also, and this delivers waves of cassis bud and red roses on the opening beats, followed up by vibrant raspberry and and blackberry fruits, easier drinking than the powerhouse 2022. A vintage that sees 50 years of Pichon Comtesse Reserve (once known, of course, as Reserve de la Comtesse). 55% of the production, more than usual because they were focusing so much on Cabernet for the main wine. Nicolas Glumineau director.
