1982 Chateau Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 2eme Cru Classe, Pauillac 1x750ml

Vinous 98

The 1982 Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande has a justifiably lofty reputation and this bottle is evidence that it has lost hardly any of its allure. Backward, almost surly on the nose at first, it opens gloriously with intense blackberry and blueberry fruit, pressed violet and background scents of a marshy estuary. Stunning delineation. The palate is medium-bodied with more sapidity than I recall, beautifully structured and so velvety smooth that you do not notice the depth of this Pauillac. Almost sensual on the finish, this continues to cruise at a high altitude. Tasted single blind at the 1982 dinner at Corus in London. [Neal Martin, 01/12/2025]

Anticipated maturity: 2025-2055

Robert Parker 100

While bottles that have been traded or traveled extensively are beginning to tire, I was fortunate to buy a case of the 1982 Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande from a cold cellar in Alsace where it had remained unmoved since release. Given impeccable storage such as this, the wine remains simply remarkable and numbers one of the vintage’s greatest achievements. Soaring from the glass with aromas of cassis and blackberries mingled with hints of cigar wrapper, dark chocolate, licorice and violets, it’s medium to full-bodied, broad and velvety, with a sensual and enveloping core of fruit, rich but melted tannins and a long, resonant finish. Seamless and complete, I’d choose a pristine bottle of the 1982 Pichon Lalande over any of the Pauillac first growths, and I’m trying to ration my remaining half-dozen bottles without much success. [William Kelley, 25/12/2021]

Anticipated maturity: 2002-2035