Château Pichon Comtesse Pauillac 2020 - 2nd Grand Cru Classé

Bettane & Desseauve

About the domain :

The Louis Roederer champagne house acquired this famous cru with the firm intention of making it a model grand cru once again, after several disappointing vintages. A great deal of effort has gone into viticulture, increasingly inspired by organic methods, a state-of-the-art vat room has been built, and the blends have increased the proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon, while retaining the contributions of the other three grape varieties that make the cru so original. The wine has gained in vigor without losing its charm and finesse.

Guide Hachette des vins

About the wine:

Pichon Comtesse has produced a great 2020 (77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot and 6% Cabernet Franc) with elegance and depth in its dark color. The nose is remarkably fine and complex, evoking redcurrant, ripe blackcurrant, violet, menthol and dark chocolate. The palate is a gentle build-up of power around dense, voluptuous flesh and silky tannins, culminating in a long, very long, fresh finish. A vibrant, intense Pauillac of admirable refinement. 2028-2040

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate

RVF - La Revue du Vin de France / Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France

About the wine:

Pure class! This wine unfurls a subtle, silky, meticulous texture, with vibrant berry notes and an absolute delicacy in its mouthfeel. Velvety tannins bring supreme refinement to the finish.

About the domain :

Owned by the Rouzaud family (Louis Roederer champagnes) since 2007, the cru opened a new chapter in its history almost a decade ago. Managed by Nicolas Glumineau, it has since relaunched itself in the race for excellence and intends to regain the position of "super second" it held in the 1980s, thanks to the production of a series of legendary wines (1982, 1986, 1989). If the decade of 2000 was less successful, the latest vintages, delivering a more precise and upright wine, more marked by the Cabernets, are far more convincing.

Wine Enthusiast

Vinous

About the wine:

Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 2020 presents one of the most opulent aromatic profiles among Pauillac wines, with aromas of black cherry, cassis, graphite and cedar. The palate is medium-bodied, with slender tannins and a silvery trickle of acidity. Silky-textured, this wine retains impressive balance on the finish, bearing the weight of the fruit with class. It gets better the longer you spin it, although the bottle I tasted just after bottling had a little more precision. Nevertheless, this is a fabulous Pauillac that flirts with perfection. Tasted blind at Southworld's annual tasting. 2032-2065

Le Figaro vins

About the wine:

A soothing nose, like a large, calm lake with no visible horizon. The fruit is sensual, carnal, but with all the seriousness of a Pauillac. Black fruit blends with saline, meaty, saffron and rosebud notes. On the palate, the balance is breathtaking. Flavors unfold one after the other without ceasing, and the cashmere texture densifies towards the end, as if the wine were woven from a single silken thread, of interminable length. 2030-2060

Yves Beck

About the wine:

Freshness is Comtesse's watchword, but it doesn't reign alone: its accomplices are power and subtlety. With exceptional depth, the wine shines not only in its density, but even more so in its dimension, elegance, power and serenity. The tannins are of rare finesse, underlining the incredible potential of this wine, which is, without hesitation, Pichon's greatest success along with 2010 and 2016. Tasted twice. At the first tasting, I wrote of power, grace, plenitude, the beginning of a breathtaking culmination or realization. I think that would have sufficed as a review, but I wanted to go into more detail... Especially when I'm giving a three-figure score! 2027-2060

The Wine Cellar Insider - Jeff Leve

About the wine:

A fascinating wine in every sense of the word, whose perfume captivates you with its array of flowers, spices, tobacco, currants, smoke, cedar and roasted plums. The intensity, purity, precision and length are perfect to let you feel all the layers of silky, fresh and sensual fruit. The finish easily passes the 50-second mark and never looks back. With a little time in bottle, this gem could reach triple digits, it's that good! Drink between 2027 and 2065.