Château Pichon Comtesse Pauillac 2022 - 2nd Grand Cru Classé

Bettane & Desseauve

About the estate:

The Louis Roederer champagne house acquired this renowned estate with the firm intention of restoring it to its former glory as a premier cru, following several disappointing vintages. Significant efforts have been made in viticulture, increasingly inspired by organic farming; a state-of-the-art cuvier 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 cuvée its unique character. The wine has gained in vigor without losing its charm and finesse.

Decanter

About the wine:

Bright and striking, this wine enchants from the very first sip, offering an explosion of strawberry and citrus acidity, before salty minerality emerges in the form of chalky tannins, graphite, pencil lead, and slate. Truly very mineral. It is elegant and classic in style, without obvious fruit ripeness, but with a concentrated structure and 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 a juicy acidity and a depth that make it so joyful. I love it. 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot, and 5% Cabernet Franc. 2030–2050

Guide Hachette des vins

About the wine:

This vintage strikes a masterful balance between tenderness and firmness, truly shining in 2022. Ripe black fruits, fresh red berries, blond tobacco, pepper, rose, and pencil lead—the nose, powerful and of rare complexity, enchants and bears the hallmark of a Cabernet Sauvignon (78%) of exceptional maturity. Just like the palate, which is full-bodied, inviting, and creamy, woven with finely chiseled tannins, possessing a certain strength yet a bewilderingly charming texture. The finish, with admirable purity and persistence, featuring black fruit and freshness, completes this masterpiece. Simply exceptional, this Pichon Comtesse will undoubtedly go down in history. 2030–2050

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate

About the wine:

The 2022 Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande proved to be even better in the bottle than I had hoped, bursting with aromas of blackcurrant and blackberry intertwined with notes of licorice, violet, and pencil shavings. Full-bodied, complex, and enveloping, it is smooth, harmonious, and complete, with impeccable precision, perfectly integrated tannins, controlled sweetness, and a long, ample finish. The 2022 vintage successfully combines the sensuality—the estate’s signature—and the maturity of the vintage, on the one hand, with Pauillac classicism, on the other, thus 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 during the en primeur tasting, this wine strongly evokes the 1982 vintage, and like that one, the 2022 will offer an exceptionally long drinking window. 2030–2055

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

About the wine:

This vintage makes a big splash with this splendid 2022. It combines everything that makes for a legendary bottle: the character of the Cabernets, the definition of the fruit, a silky texture, and a refined finish. It bursts onto the scene as a legend.

About the estate:

Owned by the Rouzaud family (Louis Roederer champagnes) since 2007, the estate turned a new page in its history nearly a decade ago. Under the leadership of Nicolas Glumineau, it has since relaunched its pursuit of excellence and aims to reclaim the “super second” status it held in the 1980s, thanks to the production of a series of legendary vintages (1982, 1986, 1989). While the 2000s were less successful, the most recent vintages—delivering a more precise and straightforward wine, more distinctly marked by the Cabernets—are far more compelling.

Wine Enthusiast

James Suckling

About the wine:

What perfect aromas of blackcurrant, pencil lead, violet, blood orange, and blood. A hint of iron. Medium-bodied to full-bodied, this wine boasts incredible tannins—very pronounced yet well-integrated—that meld into the wine with a magnificent mouthfeel. The finish is long, slightly austere, yet highly sophisticated. Racy and meticulously 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 the 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 a captivating dance. The delightful finish leaves a rich, delicately chocolatey impression. 2030–2060

Yves Beck

About the wine:

The energy, clarity, and power revealed by the bouquet of Pichon Comtesse are almost overwhelming. From the very first sip, the wine announces its greatness—without compromise, undoubtedly. The nuances of black berries, graphite, peppermint, eucalyptus, fresh greenery, and elderflower—along with the brilliance that accompanies them—are impressive and invite one to rate the wine even before tasting it. The final step is thus a matter of awareness… and pleasure. And the wine does not fail to highlight its ability to shine without being overpowering, to seduce without being sweet, to convince without raising its voice. It is elegant, deep, refined, expressive, and endlessly persistent. 2028–2057