Chateau Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 2eme Cru Classe, Pauillac 1985

This bottle of 1985 Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande was opened by Nicolas Glumineau at the château, so provenance is impeccable. Unsurprisingly, this is one of the best examples that I have encountered, much better than the one opened six months previously. The nose offers dark berry fruit again, cedar, iris flower and graphite—here, the Cabernet Sauvignon component is more expressive, more "alive." The palate is beautifully balanced, pliant and velvety in texture with black fruit and fluid tannins. A little more grip towards the finish makes it very harmonious, perhaps more luxuriant than I recall on any other bottle. Irresistible. Tasted at the château in April 2025.