1966 Château Pichon Longueville Comtésse de Lalande
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The 1966 Pichon-Comtesse de Lalande has never really been my favourite vintage from this era. Mature on the nose, it offers vestiges of black fruit, cedar and tar, a little dried out, tea leaf emerging with time. The palate is rustic and a bit rough-edged though there is some freshness coming through on the finish. Not bad, but I always preferred the 1961 or 1970.
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Jancis Robinson MW
Neal Martin
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The 1966 Pichon-Lalande is a vintage that I have encountered two or three times before. It has an expressive bouquet of autumn leaves, pencil box, woodbines and a touch of black tea. The palate is well balanced and quite mellow with a fine bead of acidity. It feels fresh and poised, but very old-school and a little more rustic than other bottles I have tasted. Maybe it has lost the vigor that it showed a decade ago, but it remains a commendable wine. Tasted at the Pichon-Lalande vertical at the château.
The 1966 Pichon Lalande possesses remarkable depth and pure power. A slight element of cork suggests this bottle might not be perfect, but the textural depth and intensity for a 51 year-old wine are truly remarkable. This bottled was re-corked at the château in 1986.