1949 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande Pauillac Bordeaux France Wine Tasting Note
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1949
Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande (Pauillac)
What a beautiful wine! Popped and poured, the essence of violets and roses started off the aromatic show. They were quickly joined by Cigar wrapper, cedar wood, smoke, leather, and bright red fruits. Medium bodied, elegant, silky, vibrant and gorgeous to feel as it caresses your palate. Surprisingly, the wine put on weight as it remained in the glass. This is what fully mature, Bordeaux is all about. One little note, the bottle has not moved since release and was recorked in the mid-1980's, so it is going to be hard to replicate this experience. Still, with provenance, it is worth taking a chance on in the auction market. 2,947 Views Tasted Mar 18, 2019 |
When to Drink Chateau Pichon Lalande, Anticipated Maturity, Decanting Time
Chateau Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande is not a wine to drink on the young side in most vintages. The wine is soft enough, but you miss out on the sublime secondary characteristics that come with age. Young vintages can be decanted for an average of 2-4 hours, give or take. This allows the wine to soften and open its perfume.
Older vintages might need very little decanting, just enough to remove the sediment. Chateau Pichon Lalande is usually better with at least 10-12 years of bottle age. Of course, that can vary slightly, depending on the vintage character. Chateau Pichon Lalande offers its best drinking and should reach peak maturity between 15 and 40 years of age after the vintage.
Chateau Pichon Comtesse de Lalande is the most voluptuous Bordeaux wine produced in the Medoc. Much of the wine's sensuous qualities come from the large portion of Merlot included in the blend. Pichon Lalande offers dark berry flavors, truffle, cassis, and cedar notes. The wine is pure silk and velvet textures.
Due to the softness of the wine, Pichon Lalande is often approachable earlier than other Medoc properties. But don't let that fool you into thinking the wine will not improve with age. It does! Ass it closes in on 40 years of age, the sublime 1982 Pichon Lalande is still going strong.
Serving Chateau Pichon Lalande with Wine and Food Pairings
Chateau Pichon Lalande is best served at 15.5 degrees Celsius, 60 degrees Fahrenheit. The cool, almost cellar temperature gives the wine more freshness and lift.
Chateau Pichon Lalande is best paired with all types of classic meat dishes, veal, pork, beef, lamb, duck, game, roast chicken, roasted, braised, and grilled dishes. Chateau Pichon Lalande is also good when matched with Asian dishes, rich fish courses like tuna, mushrooms, and pasta.