![]() ![]() The weather until a few days ago has been clear with bright sunshine, warm days and a cool breeze. Temperatures have fallen now with more cloud cover and intermittent rains. While driving from Sauternes to St Emilion we drove through light hail but not enough to cause too many problems. In some instance I have tasted wines a few times enabling me to cross reference. Nowadays it is difficult to taste the wines blind but density of colour, aromatic freshness, tannin density and overall balance are obvious indicators. All sub regions produced examples of really good wines, but some performed better than others. Generally the very top estates made exemplary wines illustrating that the human factor and wealth can have a major impact on terroir! Over the last few weeks I have tasted around 350 to 400 wines, sometimes in large format forums like the UCG tastings or at various Chateaux. The Bordeaux whites and sauternes are very good, but from an Australian perspective the excitement is all in the red wines. At least a decade of cellaring is required before the wines should be approached.Ģ018 Bordeaux Vintage Report and recommendationsĢ018 is an exceptional year. In the best years, it is one of the most exotic and voluptuously scented wines of the Médoc. Pichon-Longueville Lalande is not as powerful or as tannic as some its Pauillac neighbours and this is mainly because of its relatively high Merlot content. The wine is fermented in stainless steel cuvées and then matured in oak barriques (50% new) for 18 months. Located in the east of the Pauillac appellation, the vineyards ( Cabernet Sauvignon 45%, Merlot 35%, Cabernet Franc 12%, Petit Verdot 8%) lie on deep gravel beds underpinned by clay and then sandstone and limestone (part of these vineyards actually reside in the St-Julien appellation). Pichon-Longueville Lalande is a 75-hectare property that produces on average 36,000 cases per year. James Laubé of the Wine Spectator baptised Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande, "A First Class Second Cru", a most fitting tribute. The wine is seductive when young without prejudicing its longevity. ![]() In the palate, the tannins appear mature and melted, revealing a strong and affirmed structure, a surprising suppleness, perfect harmony and long persistency. ![]() The nose is distinguished by a bouquet of aromas, mixing blackcurrant and violet, vanilla and cinnamon. Complexity, elegance and longevity are the hallmarks of this race, they are found every year during the creation of the vintages. The unique encepagement and the twelve hectares of vines situated on the soils of St Julien endow the wines of Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande with an exceptional personality compared with the other crus of the Pauillac appellation. Since the end of the 1970's, the reputation of Chateau Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande has acquired the status of a "super second" and a "nearly first", in light of the consistency of its quality. The variety of parcels of land, due to the elements of the earth and their encepagement explains the complexity of the personality of the wines of Pichon. Full-bodied, concentrated and completely laden with tightly wound black fruit and savory layers, the palate gives a rock-solid backbone of firm, super ripe, super fine-grained tannins and soft background freshness, finishing very long with a veritable display of mineral fireworks."Ĭhâteau Pichon Longueville de Lalande is ideally situated between the Gironde estuary and the Atlantic Ocean. Very deep purple-black colored, it is like hitting a brick wall to begin, needing considerable coaxing to start to reveal notes of crushed black cherries, warm blackberries, ripe blackcurrants and chocolate cake with nuances of violets, rose hip tea, charcuterie, tapenade and incense with wafts of new leather and iron ore. The 2018 Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande is made up of 71% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot with a pH of 3.85, an IPT (total polyphenol index) of 87 and 14% alcohol. One of the high water marks of the vintage.-J.M."ĩ7-99 THE WINEADVOCATE: "The grand vin represents 50% of the crop this year. 97-100 WINESPECTATOR: "This one nails it in 2018, with saturated, almost sappy kirsch, plum and blackberry preserve flavors at the core, inlaid with sweet tobacco, singed vanilla, worn cedar and fresh earth notes. ![]()
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