1997 Château Pichon Longueville Comtésse de Lalande
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Tasting notes
The 1997 Pichon-Lalande is an off vintage that has held up extremely well for a wine now over two decades old. It has a lovely, mellow but quite generous bouquet of blackberry, briar, cedar and a subtle touch of mint. The palate is rounded on the entry and shows commendable depth. This is quite a voluminous wine, not nearly as complex as the 1996 yet bursting with savory red berry fruit mixed with leather and allspice. I agree with Nicolas Glumineau that it delivers a satisfying saline finish. This is drinking perfectly now, although larger formats may give many more years of pleasure. Tasted at a vertical tasting at the château.
Critic scores
Robert Parker
Neal Martin
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This hedonistic, luscious, sexy, opulently-textured Pichon-Lalande is a blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 10% Petit Verdot, and 5% Cabernet Franc. Exhibiting a dark ruby color with purple nuances, it is open-knit, with plentiful quantities of roasted herbs, smoky oak, vanillin, and creamy black currant fruit. A lush texture, low acidity, and an accessible, velvety-textured style will have many admirers. Consume it over the next decade.