| Region | |
|---|---|
| Subregion | France > Bordeaux > Left Bank > Pauillac |
| Colour | Red |
| Type | Still |
The 1998 Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande shows better than expected. This is a vintage that I have not encountered for four or five years. The palate remains fragrant with black fruit, melted tar and a light marine influence that seems to have usurped the cedar aromas. It's just a little dry on the entry, but it reveals lovely red and black fruit, firmly structured with a slightly spicier finish than I recall. I would drink bottles over the next decade. (Drink between 2024-2034)
55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc, no Petit Verdot.
First wine showing some age at the rim, just a little pinky brick around the garnet. Intensely cedary nose. Leafy verging on green and a note of spring blossom, herbal. Dry, tight and somewhere between taut and elegant. Chalky tannins, fresh and moreish, lacks the richness of earlier vintages tasted but quite refined. Cassis leaf on the palate, classic cigar box. (JH)
