| Region | |
|---|---|
| Subregion | France > Bordeaux > Left Bank > Pauillac |
| Colour | Red |
| Type | Still |
Made from a blend of 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 38% Merlot and the rest Cabernet Franc, the second wine, the 2009 Reserve de la Comtesse, exhibits notes of forest floor, white chocolate, licorice, black currants and vanillin-infused black cherries. It possesses a sweet, round, generous style given its high glycerin. Both the Reserve de la Comtesse and Pichon Lalande have about 13% alcohol, slightly lower than most Pauillacs achieved in 2009. Drink it over the next 10 years.
The 2009 Réserve de la Comtesse feels unusually primal on the nose with brine-tinged black fruit, touches of graphite but overall it does not come across as particularly finessed. The palate is medium-bodied with grippy tannin, a little extracted in style with impressive weight, just lacking a little sophistication towards the finish. That said, it does improve with aeration, gaining necessary clarity after five minutes. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners’ 2009 Bordeaux tasting. 2021 - 2035
Currants and flowers on the nose. Dried spices as well. Full-bodied, with silky yet chewy tannins and a long finish. Dense and solid. Second wine of Pichon-Lalande.
Dark crimson. Very fragrant. Lifted, luscious and lively. Relatively light bodied and flirtatious. More transparent than most 2009s. Just a bit angular and sinewy. Fades just a little fast. Date tasted 31st March 2010. Drink 2015-2023.
Bilberry freshness gives a lighter feel to the nose but the fruit on the palate is rich and ripe giving flesh in the middle. The blueberry and bramble are sweet backed up by dark chocolate enriching the back palate. The fruit mix lingers on the finish. Drink 2020-2040.
Black red, big smoky wild violets nose, seductive fruit , fleshy and lifted, a really lovely Saint-Julien style Pauillac, all of a piece. Drink 2014-2022.
The 2009 Reserve de la Comtesse has an intriguing bouquet with touches of undergrowth and a hint of liquorice underneath those ripe black fruits. The oak sticks out a little at the moment but it will integrate with time. The palate is medium-bodied with a touch of soy on the entry. It fans out nicely across the mid-palate, the Merlot very expressive at the moment with a dash of white pepper towards the cohesive finish. Nice length and posture. Tasted November 2011.
For the vintage, this Reserve has an exuberant, most approachable nose with red-berries, kirsch, graphite, sous-bois and cigar box. Very Pauillac. Moderate definition, actually closing up a little in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with firm tannins, lots of tobacco/cigar box flavours infusing the black, dusky fruit. Nicely balanced, if just a little too conservative towards the austere, smoky finish. Tasted March 2010.
