Château Pichon Comtesse Pauillac 2022 - 2nd Grand Cru Classé

Bettane & Desseauve

About the estate:

The Louis Roederer champagne house acquired this renowned vineyard with the firm intention of restoring it to its former glory as a model grand cru after several disappointing vintages. A great deal of effort has been put into viticulture, increasingly inspired by organic methods, a state-of-the-art winery has been built, and the blends have increased the proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon while retaining the contributions of the three other grape varieties, which give the vintage its originality. The wine has gained in vigor without losing its charm and finesse.

Decanter

About wine:

Brilliant and striking, this wine enchants from the first sip, offering an explosion of strawberry and citrus acidity, before the salty minerality manifests itself in the form of chalky tannins, graphite, pencil lead, and slate. Truly very mineral. It is elegant and classic in style, with no obvious fruity maturity, but with a concentration in the structure and a power that brings out the aromas. Precise and joyful, it is full of power and tension, but where other wines emphasize their strength, this one also offers juicy acidity and relief that make it so joyful. I love it. 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot, and 5% Cabernet Franc. 2030-2050

Guide Hachette des vins

About wine:

A clever compromise between tenderness and firmness in this vintage, which will be sparkling in 2022. Ripe black fruits, fresh red fruits, blond tobacco, pepper, rose, pencil lead—the nose is powerful and unusually complex, enchanting and bearing the mark of a Cabernet Sauvignon (78%) at the peak of maturity. The palate is equally impressive: full-bodied, welcoming, and creamy, with finely chiseled tannins, a certain strength, and a bewilderingly charming texture. The finish, with its admirable purity and persistence, featuring black fruit and freshness, completes this masterpiece. Quite simply exceptional, this Pichon Comtesse will undoubtedly go down in history. 2030-2050

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate

About wine:

Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 2022 proved to be even better in the bottle than I had hoped, bursting with aromas of blackcurrant and blackberry mingled with scents of licorice, violet, and pencil shavings. Full-bodied, complex and enveloping, it is smooth, consistent and complete, with impeccable precision, perfectly integrated tannins, controlled sweetness and a long, ample finish. The 2022 vintage manages to combine the sensuality that is the hallmark of the estate and the maturity of the vintage with the classicism of Pauillac, offering one of the greatest wines of the vintage and a benchmark Pichon Comtesse. A blend of 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot, and 5% Cabernet Franc, it spent 18 months in barrels (3 months longer than before), two-thirds of which were new. As I wrote in my primeur report, this wine is strongly reminiscent of the 1982, and like the latter, the 2022 will offer an exceptionally long window of drinking. 2030-2055

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

About wine:

The vintage makes a big splash with this splendid 2022. It combines everything that makes a legendary bottle: the pedigree of Cabernet grapes, the definition of fruit, the silky texture, and the refined length. It bursts onto the scene as a legend.

About the estate:

Part of the Rouzaud family (Louis Roederer champagnes) since 2007, the estate began a new chapter in its history almost a decade ago. Under the leadership of Nicolas Glumineau, it has since relaunched itself in the race for excellence and intends to regain the position of "super second" that it held in the 1980s, thanks to the production of a series of legendary wines (1982, 1986, 1989). While the 2000s were less successful, the latest vintages, delivering a more precise and straightforward wine, more marked by Cabernet, are much more convincing.

Wine Enthusiast

James Suckling

About wine:

What perfect aromas of blackcurrant, pencil lead, violet, blood orange, and blood. A hint of iron. Medium-bodied to full-bodied, this wine has incredible tannins, very present and well integrated, which blend into the wine with a magnificent mouthfeel. The finish is long, slightly austere, but highly sophisticated. Racy and rigorously precise. 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot, and 5% Cabernet Franc. Best enjoyed after 2030, but already a new benchmark for this estate.

Le Figaro vins

About wine:

A true gift. This wine rises from the glass like a pure, crystalline tenor voice, both confident and vibrant, in perfect balance. Aromas of garden fruits and flowers mingle with subtle notes of pencil lead and cocoa beans. On the palate, it is an explosion of finesse: fruits and flowers intertwine in an enchanting dance. The delightful finish leaves a delicious, delicately chocolatey impression. 2030-2060

Yves Beck

About wine:

The energy, clarity, and power announced by the bouquet of Pichon Comtesse border on consternation. From the outset, the wine announces its greatness, without compromise, without doubt. The nuances of black berries, graphite, peppermint, eucalyptus, fresh vegetation, elderberry, and the brightness that accompanies them are impressive and invite you to rate the wine without even tasting it. The final step is therefore a matter of awareness... and pleasure. And the wine does not fail to emphasize its ability to shine without being intrusive, to seduce without being sweet, to convince without raising its voice. It is elegant, deep, refined, expressive, and endless in terms of persistence. 2028-2057