Pichon Comtesse Reserve 2019

Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande is a highly regarded wine estate in the Pauillac appellation of the Haut-Médoc region of northern Bordeaux. of the most significant second growths in Pauillac, Bordeaux. Often shortened in common parlance to “Pichon-Lalande” or “Pichon Comtesse” (partly to differentiate it from neighbor, Château Pichon-Longueville Baron), the estate produces a regularly lauded, Cabernet Sauvignon-dominant grand vin.

Pichon Comtesse implemented a gravity-flow approach throughout the winemaking process, from the reception of the grapes to the moment the wines are put in barrel. Once fermentation is complete and the “free run juice” is run off, the must (the solid part consisting of the grape skins and seeds) is extracted from the vat and delicately pressed. The “press wines” are obtained using precision technology, under the supervision of an expert team. After rigorous selection, their structure will complement the smoother tannins extracted during fermentation to produce the perfect blend.

TASTE:
The nose is elegant, aromatic and offers delicacy, a certain power in finesse as well as concentration. It reveals notes of bright boysenberry, black pepper and small notes of violet associated with touches of bright black berries, roasting as well as fine hints of racy minerality, almost aromatic herbs/toasted and a very discreet almost minty hint. The mouth is nicely built, beautifully balanced and offers freshness, juiciness, suavity, sapidity, a nice definition / roundness of the fruit as well as generosity. On the palate, this wine expresses notes of pulpy/bright blackberry, crushed cassis and small notes of raspberry associated with touches of red berries as well as slight hints of camphor, graphite, mocha, gravel, a subtle hint of cardamom and an imperceptible hint of clove. Tannins are precise, fine, elegant and discreetly mellow. A fine hint of liquorice and vanilla on the finish.