#2015 pichon lalande series

At least a decade of cellaring is required before the wines should be approached.Д¬omplete 2015 Bordeaux report by Andrew Caillard MW вЂњNext in line of a great series of vintages 2000, 2005, 2009, 2010 & 2015.вЂќДў015 is a wonderful Bordeaux vintage without the hype or hysteria associated with 20.В The wines are generally expressive and generous with marvellous concentration and structure. In the best years, it is one of the most exotic and voluptuously scented wines of the MГ©doc. Pichon-Longueville Lalande is not as powerful or as tannic as some its Pauillac neighbours and this is mainly because of its relatively high Merlot content. The wine is fermented in stainless steel cuvГ©es and then matured in oak barriques (50% new) for 18 months. Located in the east of the Pauillac appellation, the vineyards ( Cabernet SauvignonВ 45%, MerlotВ 35%, Cabernet FrancВ 12%, Petit VerdotВ 8%) lie on deep gravel beds underpinned by clay and then sandstone and limestone (part of these vineyards actually reside in the St-Julien appellation). Pichon-Longueville Lalande is a 75-hectare property that produces on average 36,000 cases per year. James LaubГ© of the Wine Spectator baptised ChГўteau Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande, 'A First Class Second Cru', a most fitting tribute. The wine is seductive when young without prejudicing its longevity.

In the palate, the tannins appear mature and melted, revealing a strong and affirmed structure, a surprising suppleness, perfect harmony and long persistency. The nose is distinguished by a bouquet of aromas, mixing blackcurrant and violet, vanilla and cinnamon. Complexity, elegance and longevity are the hallmarks of this race, they are found every year during the creation of the vintages. The unique encepagement and the twelve hectares of vines situated on the soils of St Julien endow the wines of ChГўteau Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande with an exceptional personality compared with the other crus of the Pauillac appellation. Since the end of the 1970's, the reputation of Chateau Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande has acquired the status of a 'super second' and a 'nearly first', in light of the consistency of its quality. The variety of parcels of land, due to the elements of the earth and their encepagement explains the complexity of the personality of the wines of Pichon. Drink 2025 - 2060.ChГўteau Pichon Longueville de Lalande is ideally situated between the Gironde estuary and the Atlantic Ocean. This is probably just a notch up on the outstanding 2015 Pichon-Lalande, a Rolls Royce with a purring engine. It gently builds in intensity, maintaining freshness, a gentle but insistent grip towards the finish and a very long aftertaste. There is that touch of roundness imparted by the Merlot, even though the Cabernet dominates the blend, surely the terroir sculpting the wine. The palate is very well balanced and what I appreciate here is that it is still as much identifiable as Pichon Lalande as it is a Pauillac and a 2016. It has a very succinct bouquet, one that is almost understated at first, gradually unfolding with blackberry, cedar and graphite scents, in the vein of say the 1986 or 1996 Pichon Lalande of the past. I tasted from a new oak barrel and the final blend will include around 60% new wood and 40% one year old, which is something I took into account. The alcohol level is 13.32% and a pH of 3.76. The 2016 Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande is a blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot and 4% Cabernet Franc (compare that to the 2010 that had 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, for example-that should give you some pointers). (I followed this wine for multiple days.) I suspect a solid decade of cellaring is warranted. While this cuvГ©e has included a fair chunk of Merlot in the past that gave it more upfront appeal, it's important for readers to know it's much more Cabernet Sauvignon-dominated today, and while it is slightly more approachable than some of its neighbors, it shuts down rather quickly with time in the glass. Possessing a deep, full-bodied, singular character, the purity of fruit that's the hallmark of the vintage, building tannins, and a sense of class and elegance that's hard to describe, it's a 50-year-wine. A blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot, and 4% Cabernet Franc brought up in 60% new oak, it's not the most powerful Left Bank but offers perfect balance and thrilling intensity as well as heavenly aromatics of crГЁme de cassis, leafy herbs, jammy blackberries, tobacco leaf, and freshly sharpened lead pencils as well as more violets and minerality with time in the glass. Coming from the genius winemaking talent of Nicolas Glumineau, the 2016 ChГўteau Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande matches the 1982 and is a perfect, legendary wine in the making.