1989 Château Pichon Lalande
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Tasting notes
The 1989 Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande is a wonderful Pauillac. Served in tandem in Pichon Baron, I don't think it has quite the same class…but it's close. Certainly, stylistically, they are very different. Slightly more high-toned, with layers of black cherries and cassis fruit. Iodine and pressed violets seep through with aeration. Very composed, the Merlot adds a soupçon of opulence. The palate is medium-bodied, again high-toned with mulberry and blueberry fruit and a dab of salted licorice. The finish seems to indicate some Petit Verdot wanting a say in matters. It's just delicious from start to finish. Tasted at the 1989 dinner at Piccolino in London.
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Average Score
Robert Parker
Jancis Robinson MW
More reviews and scores
A beautifully mature, evolved, complex and graceful wine, the 1989 Château Pichon-Longueville Comtesse De Lalande is still ruby-hued, with just light bricking at the edges. The aromatics are classic Pauillac, with ample mature red and black fruits as well as lead pencil, cedary herbs, forest floor, and spicy, leathery nuances. Medium-bodied, soft, and elegant on the palate, it's in a great spot today. I don't see it getting any better, but it certainly has another decade of prime drinking.
Soft truffle and tobacco, this was a hot year that comes through in its exotic cinammon spice flavours, and its freshly cut rosemary and sage herbs that sit against bilberry and black cherry fruits. There are still tannins here, now fully integrated, and a kick of fresh acidity that adds a mouthwatering feel from the mid palate. Softens on the finish, and this is just beginning to dip from its perfect drinking window.