2016 La Réserve de la Comtesse, Château Pichon Longueville, Pauillac, Bordeaux, France
OVERVIEW
From Second Growth Château Pichon Longueville, Comtesse de Lalande comes their second wine La Réserve de la Comtesse, a Pauillac with more Merlot than the usual blend at 37%.
Silky, ripe, long and from a highly favourable vintage, this wine gives pleasure today and can be enjoyed over the coming 15-20 years. The Comtesse is a delicious left bank claret from one of the highest regarded Chateau in the Medoc.
CRITIC REVIEWS
The 2016 Réserve de la Comtesse has a delightful bouquet of black fruit infused with sous-bois and pencil shavings – classic Claret through and through. The medium-bodied palate delivers crunchy black fruit laced with tobacco and cedar. This is a correct, quite “linear” wine, but one that I find well balanced, with a welcome pepperiness that emerges toward the grippy finish. It might not warrant superlatives, but it is clearly well crafted and endowed with understated nobility. Tasted blind at the Southwold tasting. 2021 - 2040 92 Points. Neal Martin
The stunning, ripe dark berries and plums on the nose are attractively dressed and deliver a wealth of assertively rich and juicy dark-fruit flavors on the palate, in balanced and elegant yet powerful style. The best Réserve de la Comtesse for some time. Second wine of Château Pichon-Lalande. Try from 2023. 94 Points. James Suckling (February 2019)
An incredibly luscious, gorgeously balanced and rich Réserve de la Comtesse. They picked right up until the light October rain, waiting until it had passed before continuing. Those extra few days have contributed to the particularly soft and silky quality of the tannins in the Cabernet Sauvignon, which have a gorgeous density to them. This is a serious wine that could stand up against many Médoc grand vins. The blend here is 54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot. Drinking Window 2027-2050. 92 Points. Jane Anson
2016 was stressful, but I’d love to have it every year,” says Stéphanie Danglade. I’m sure she would, because this is an excellent second wine from Pichon Lalande, with leafy, graphite aromas, velvety tannins, a core of crunchy blackcurrant fruit and subtle vanilla spice. A wine that will age seamlessly. 2022-30. 93 Points. Jane Anson
FOOD PAIRING INSPIRATION
A special wine deserves a special pairing, roast lamb and all the trimmings would pair well with the Comtesse or any meat dish with truffle or mushroom.
VINTAGE AND WINEMAKING
Considered an outstanding vintage by the Wine Spectator and Wine Enthusiast, 2015 and 2016 were both excellent vintages in the middle of the decade. Despite early bud break, followed by a couple of wet months, the long, dry, sun-filled summer provided excellent conditions for ripening. The optimal maturity of each parcel was achieved during the harvest between the 20th of September and the 20th of October. 54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot, 4% Cabernet Franc.
PRODUCER NOTES
Bordering Château Latour and stretching south towards Saint Julien, this delightful producer is distinguished by their elegance and finesse.
Founded in the middle of the 17th century by Pierre de Mazure de Rauzan, the vineyard was named Pichon Longueville, after the first President of the Parliament of Bordeaux who married Pierre's daughter. It was divided upon the death of Baron Joseph in 1850 between his five children. However, only two of his children finally inherited the vineyards; Raoul and Virginie. Virginie married Count Henri de Lalande, giving her the title, and took over control of the domain. Her passion and the quality of her management made her a strong personality in the Médoc and she very much left her mark on the domain. In the 1855 classification, Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande acquired the status of 2eme Cru Classé.
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SERVICE AND STORAGE TIPS
The wine should be stored over the longer term at 12c. We recommend this wine be brought up to around 16c for service. This temperature more closely resembles cellar conditions and allows the wine to be lifted and have freshness. For such a young wine, if it were served today we would recommend a few hours in a young wine decanter.
DELIVERY INFORMATION
Delivery is free when you spend over £150. For orders under this amount then a £9.99 delivery charge will be applied.
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Every bottle sold by CoolerSomm is subject to our quality guarantee. If a wine is corked or faulty, we will replace it.
2016 La Réserve de la Comtesse, Château Pichon Longueville, Pauillac, Bordeaux, France
| Wine Card | |
| Wine Producer | Château Pichon Longueville |
| Wine Region | Bordeaux |
| Wine Classification | AOC Pauillac |
| Wine Type | Red |
| Grape Variety | Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot |
| Vintage | 2016 |
| Vintage Quality | Extraordinary - Parker |
| Maturity | Drinking Now - Will improve |
| Body | Full Bodied |
| Sweetness | Dry |
| Alcohol % | 13% |
| Bottle Type | Bordeaux 75cl |
| Serving Temperature | 16-18°C |
| Food Pairing | Rare Steak, Beef, Game, Mushroom |
| Awards | 94 Points - James Suckling |
| 92 Points - Neal Martin |
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