A vintage of extremes, 2018 will surely be remembered. The prestigious Second Classified Growth of Pauillac - Chateau Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande has achieved a truly exceptional vintage in this year.
Blending Cabernet Sauvignon (71%), Merlot (23%), Cabernet Franc (5%) and Petit Verdot (1%) the Chateau Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 2018 is aged for 18 months in oak barrels (50% of which is new oak).
At the tasting, the vintage presents the aromatic signature of the great wines of Pauillac. The nose opens with aromas of black and red fruits, especially blackcurrant and raspberry, punctuated by delicate floral fragrances of violet and peony. We also find very nice touches of lemon and smoke notes reminiscent of tobacco or cigar box. On the palate, the wine offers a delightful fruity sensation, evolving plenty of generous texture. The palate is precise, fine and balanced, sporting an elegant frame of tannins with a tight grain. Full of tenderness and generosity, the end of mouth is prolonged into a finish of incredible length. A masterful Pauillac in a great vintage for Bordeaux.
The grand vin represents 50% of the crop this year. The 2018 Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande is made up of 71% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot with a pH of 3.85, an IPT (total polyphenol index) of 87 and 14% alcohol. Very deep purple-black colored, it is like hitting a brick wall to begin, needing considerable coaxing to start to reveal notes of crushed black cherries, warm blackberries, ripe blackcurrants and chocolate cake with nuances of violets, rose hip tea, charcuterie, tapenade and incense with wafts of new leather and iron ore. Full-bodied, concentrated and completely laden with tightly wound black fruit and savory layers, the palate gives a rock-solid backbone of firm, super ripe, super fine-grained tannins and soft background freshness, finishing very long with a veritable display of mineral fireworks.