Chateau Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 2eme Cru Classe, Pauillac 2000

Sitting next to my former colleague, Pierre Antoine Rovani, at one of the tastings, he commented that he didn’t like the striking green note in the aromatics of this wine, which I didn’t detect at all, and a subsequent bottle at another tasting did not reveal it either. I do think there is a hint of bay leaf and a meatiness to it. In short, I find this to be a spectacular Pichon Lalande. Dense purple in color, with loads of coffee, mocha, creme de cassis, and chocolate notes, this is a somewhat unusual blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, and a whooping 10% Petit Verdot, with a little bit of Cabernet Franc. The Petit Verdot certainly gives the wine more of a tapenade, floral note, which I think can be interpreted by some as herbal. This is a rich, opulent, stunning Pichon Lalande that is beginning to drink beautifully, yet should continue to improve for at least another 10-15 years and last 30 or more years.

I love the nose of cedar and fruit, with hints of sweet tobacco and plums. Full and round, with pretty dense fruit and a long, silky finish. Complex and beautiful. You could drink it now, but I would still wait. This continues to evolve in the glass, showing notes of porcini. This could be the new 1982. Pull the cork after 2013.

Of all the 2000s tasted in the line-up, this was the one that was most evolved, with melted tannins and exotic saffron spice notes. It’s a beautiful wine, very classic Pauillac, full of tertiary hints of truffle, soft menthol and undergrowth - signatures of an older Bordeaux wine that is wonderful to drink now. It’s probably the most perfect of the five for cracking open over the next few years but may not have the staying power of the others. Interesting to note how much higher the pH is here (3.85) than Leoville (3.5) considering it’s practically next door. 10% Petit Verdot completes the blend. Harvest 21 September 21 to 9 October.

Good full medium ruby. Rather wild aromas of plum, black raspberry, lead pencil, tobacco, minerals and roasted game. Sweet, thick and complex, with very ripe, mellow flavors of black raspberry, truffle, roasted herbs, espresso and tobacco. Will rely more on its firm tannins than its rather soft, harmonious acids for longevity. This very persistent wine may be starting to shut down in the bottle, but it displays the lovely penetrating sweetness of the year.

Sporting a healthy ruby/purple hue, the 2000 Château Pichon-Longueville Comtesse De Lalande has a spicy and complex style with loads of floral, mint, cedar, and violet nuances that give way to a solid core of ripe darker fruits on the nose. It's medium to full-bodied on the palate and has a nicely balanced, elegant mouthfeel, present tannins, and outstanding length. Based on 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, and a massive 10% Petit Verdot, it's a classic, old-school claret-styled Comtesse that shines for its complexity and nuance. I think the larger percentage of Petit Verdot gives this a unique style (I wouldn't peg this as Comtesse in a blind tasting), but it's nevertheless satisfying and impeccably made. It's drinking at peak today yet should easily hold for another decade with a gradual decline thereafter. Drink 2026-2036.

The 2000 Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande has a strong minty bouquet that perhaps slightly overwhelms the terroir expression. I believe this comes from a high proportion of Petit Verdot (14%) that would have probably been eschewed nowadays. The palate is medium-bodied with intense black plummy fruit mixed with graphite and sage. This is a muscular though enjoyable Pichon, dense and almost brawny toward the finish, but what is missing is a sense of elegance and precision. Just a touch of greenness shows on the finish (in a positive way). A forceful Pauillac that will benefit from decanting.