Wine Critic
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Chateau Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande Pauillac 2ème Cru Classé (Minimum order: 6 bottle case) FUTURES 2025 Pre-Arrival
Second Growth. Deuxieme Grand Cru Classe in 1855. Since 2007 Chateau Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande is owned by the Rouzaud family of Louis Roederer.
Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande Pauillac 2ème Cru Classé 2025 (en primeur) is shaping up as one of the stars of the vintage, uniting concentration, silk‑textured tannins and pure cassis fruit in a classically elegant Pauillac frame. It offers clear First Growth‑level ambition, with exceptional refinement, depth and long-term aging potential.
Tasting Notes:
"Losing oneself in the pleasure of complex aromas... Notes of blackberry and blackcurrant predominate, giving way to earthy violet aromas, followed by hints of brown tobacco and black tea leaves, typical of the Pauillac terroir. What a spellbinding and overwhelming experience! Here we are immersed in a perfumer’s workshop where top notes meet middle notes... The palate is lively, but also gentle and drawn-out. The long-lasting tannins, as soft as cashmere, appear to go on forever, oozing confidence and assertiveness as they navigate between Pauillac nobility and the elegant sensuality quintessential to Pichon Comtesse."
Producer notes:
"What if water was endowed with memory, and that memory was the key?
2025 was marked by a historic drought, but also a vintage shaped by the abundant rains of 2024. A year of dramatic contrasts, where the vines dug deep into the water reserves piled up in the previous season, offering an invaluable lesson in adaptation and equilibrium.
Faced with low yields and a raw material of undeniable power, our role was to gently guide the vintage to its rightful place. Fermentation in the spirit of infusion; a gentle caress rather than a firm press – elegance above all. The proof is in the glass: vibrant, alive. The Merlot is astonishingly soft and complex, making a fascinating match for the polished nobility and almost Cistercian refinement of the Cabernets. A wine with all the depth one would expect from a great Pauillac, bearing all the hallmarks of Comtesse. 2025 is like a gift imparted, a rare wine of effortless grace, sailing serenely into the future.
Because the best is yet to come!" — NICOLAS GLUMINEAU
Critic tasting note: (2025 vintage)
"Deep dark ruby garnet, opaque core, violet reflections, delicate edge brightening. Delicate spicy notes, dark cherries, ripe blackberry confit, some nougat, fine precious wood spice. Juicy, complex, fine extract sweetness, ripe tannins, shows great charm, freshly structured, heart cherries, lingers for a long time, sure maturity potential, very seductive style." - Falstaff (99/100)
"The intense floral bouquet kicks off the nose before getting to all of its cigar wrappers, blackberries, cocoa, cassis, chocolate, black cherries, and gentle spices in the aromas. As good as that is, the palate steals the show with its opulent, showy display of sweet, silky, perfectly ripe berries, with touches of cocoa, and sea salt. The intense finish is long, velvety, and vibrant. In short, everything is exactly where it should be. Due to its creamy nature, the wine can be enjoyed young. But it can age for 30-40 years easily. With 2025, the top three things to keep track of was staying focused and ready to pick once the grapes achieved their ideal ripeness was imperative. Picking the Merlot al dente was another key factor. Lastly, being patient for the Cabernet Sauvignon to achieve full, phenolic ripeness sealed the deal. In the cellars, less pump overs early in the fermentation, followed by an infusion of the berries was another key point. The wine blends 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, and 4% Cabernet Franc. 13% ABV. 3.7 pH. The harvest took place August 28 - September 24. This is the earliest start to a harvest in the history of Pichon Lalande. Yields were a paltry 24 hectoliters per hectare. Only 55% of the harvest went into the Grand Vin. The wine is aging in 65% new, French oak barrels. Drink from 2032-2070." - Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider (99/100)
"A bight and vivid red with so much perfume. Aromas of black currants and violets that follow through to a medium body with fine, linear tannins that are long and very refined. Tannin-driven but caressing. Racy and elegant, with structure. 81% cabernet sauvignon, 15% merlot and 4% cabernet franc." - James Suckling (97-98/100)
Site & Identity
The estate’s 90 hectares in Pauillac are rooted in deep Guntz gravels over clay, a terroir that gives the grand vin its hallmark graphite, cassis and tobacco profile with impressive structure. Pichon Comtesse 2025 comes from 73 hectares under vine, with an average vine age of around 35 years, and continues the château’s modern era under the Rouzaud family (Louis Roederer) and winemaker Nicolas Glumineau, where precision, finesse and terroir transparency are paramount. In the 2025 vintage, the château itself emphasizes concentration of the juices, ripe, velvety tannins and the full aromatic expression of “great Pichon Comtesse,” positioning this release among the potential 100‑point wines of the year.
Technical Tasting Note
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Appearance: Deep, vibrant ruby‑purple with a dense core and pronounced viscosity, signalling high concentration and ripe fruit.
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Nose: Refined, layered aromas of blackcurrant and blackberry with floral notes, hints of strawberry and black cherry, liquorice, graphite, cedar and subtle spice.
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Palate: Medium to full‑bodied, deep and layered, with a pure cassis core, silky yet plentiful powdery tannins, great freshness and a poised, seamless texture that remains classically Pauillac.
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Finish: Long, tightly structured and elegant, with lingering black fruit, liquorice, mineral notes and a cool, savoury backbone that promises decades of graceful evolution.
Winemaking & Style
Château Pichon Comtesse 2025 is blended from 71% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot and 6% Cabernet Franc, with around 13% of the blend coming from press wine for extra depth and structure. Harvest began exceptionally early, on 28 August, and ran to late September, reflecting the warm, dry season yet with excellent preservation of acidity and aromatic freshness. The wine is aged for about 18 months in French oak, 60–66% of which is new, striking a balance between polish, complexity and clear expression of fruit and terroir. Overall, 2025 Pichon Comtesse should be presented as a potentially iconic, ultra‑refined Pauillac, combining power, charm and precision at a very high level.
Food Pairing
Perfect with ribeye or côte de boeuf, roast lamb, venison, duck breast, game birds and truffle‑inflected dishes. Its depth, freshness and fine tannins also make it an outstanding choice for long-term cellaring to accompany future haute‑cuisine menus and major celebrations.
