Château Pichon comtesse lalande 1989 (Magnum, 1.5 l)

Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 1989 — Pauillac

This Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 1989, offered here in magnum 1.5 L, embodies one of the noblest, most sensual and most harmonious expressions of Pauillac. A Second Growth with an immediately recognisable style, Pichon Comtesse combines Médoc structure, the depth of Cabernet Sauvignon and a highly characteristic silky elegance: cassis, blackberry, black plum, black cherry, cedar, graphite, blond tobacco, fine leather, liquorice, sweet spices, violet, forest floor, light truffle and a long mineral finish.

Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande is one of the great historic names of Pauillac, renowned for wines of great finesse, refined texture and remarkable ageing capacity. The 1989 vintage, solar, ripe and generous in Bordeaux, now gives a wine that has reached a particularly seductive phase of maturity. The magnum format further enhances slow evolution, preserved freshness and the collector dimension of this bottle.

Terroir: Pauillac, deep gravel and Médoc elegance

The vineyard of Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande is located in Pauillac, on deep gravel rises that favour drainage, slow ripening and Cabernet Sauvignon concentration. These soils, together with the proximity of the Gironde estuary, give wines that are structured, deep and capable of preserving freshness, precision and longevity.

The style of Pichon Comtesse is often recognised for its balance between Pauillac power and sensual texture. Cabernet Sauvignon brings cassis, cedar, graphite, tension and structure; Merlot and the other varieties contribute roundness, velvet and aromatic depth. In the 1989, the terroir is now expressed through melted substance, still-precious freshness and refined tertiary complexity.

Tasting notes

Appearance: deep garnet evolving towards mahogany and brick-toned reflections depending on storage, still dense and luminous in fine bottles. In magnum, evolution is generally slower, allowing the wine to retain brilliance, depth and visual presence for longer.

Nose: deep, complex and harmoniously evolved, with cassis, blackberry, black plum, black cherry, melted black fruits, cedar, graphite, blond tobacco, fine leather and liquorice. With aeration, nuances of violet, sweet spices, mocha, precious woods, forest floor, noble earth, light truffle, black mint and incense may appear.

Palate: broad, velvety, fresh and perfectly melted, with evolved black fruit carried by a structure that remains present but softened. Flavours of cassis, blackberry, plum, cedar, graphite, tobacco, fine leather, liquorice, forest floor and spices unfold with depth, supported by polished tannins and fine Médoc freshness. The finish is long, mineral, lightly saline and persistent, with an impression of noble maturity, soft texture and great Bordeaux classicism.

Expression of the 1989 vintage

The 1989 vintage in Bordeaux produced ripe, generous and structured wines, often marked by fine fruit richness and harmonious evolution over several decades. In Pauillac, the best crus have retained Cabernet Sauvignon structure, gravel freshness and the capacity to develop profound tertiary complexity: cedar, tobacco, leather, graphite, truffle, forest floor and spices.

Today, this Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 1989 in magnum should be approached as a great mature wine, highly dependent on provenance and storage conditions. Measured aeration is recommended in order to preserve its balance and allow its tertiary notes to open gradually. A fine bottle can reveal a remarkable combination of melted black fruit, cedar, blond tobacco, fine leather, graphite, light truffle, forest floor and mineral freshness.