Château Pichon Lalande, 2024

"The 2024 Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande is plush, sensual and inviting. Succulent dark-toned fruit, sweet spice, new leather, mocha, chocolate and lavender build nicely. Here, too, the tannins are so polished, so refined. The 2024 is an especially elegant Pichon-Comtesse. It’s also very clearly one of the wines of the vintage. Bravo. Tasted four times."

"Dark ruby, opaque core, purple reflections, delicate edge brightening. Nuances of cassis, cherry and sea buckthorn, fine wood savouriness, some vanilla and liquorice, inviting bouquet. Juicy red cherry, currants, finesse-rich acid structure, appears light-footed and lean, offers great drinking animosity, mineral-salty and well adhering, sure maturity certain ageing potential, delicate style."

"(Pauillac; 83% Cabernet Sauvignon; 14% Merlot; 3% Cabernet Franc; a final yield of 20 hl/ha – on Cabernet it was millerandage and coulure, for the Merlot it was mildew and millerandage that were responsible for the losses; IPT 70; pH 3.7; press wine at around 16-18%; no sulphites were used in the vinification process; 12.7% alcohol after a little chaptalisation of some plots; tasted at the UGC press tasting at the Cité du Vin, then again at the property with Florian Genty; Eric Boissenot is the consultant). Dark chocolate drops, a little violet, less of the cedar that one often discovers from this en primeur, black cherries, a twist of the pencil sharpener and a little hint of freshly crushed green peppercorns with the aromatic lift they bring. So gentle on the attack, we can really only be at this address, but there’s less of the velour of recent vintages. More cedar when re-tasted after decanting at the property. A wine that glistens as it glides over the palate, exuding an effortless elegance and levity – reinforced by the passage from velour to silk in this vintage. Very beautiful and true to its identity, if with not quite the seductive appeal of 2019, 2020 or 2022. That said, it’s still pretty special!"