1990 Château Pichon Longueville Comtésse de Lalande

I love the nose of cedar and fruit, with hints of sweet tobacco and plums. Full and round, with pretty dense fruit and a long, silky finish. Complex and beautiful. You could drink it now, but I would still wait. This continues to evolve in the glass, showing notes of porcini. This could be the new 1982.

Very dark blackish crimson. Notably aromatic, even a hint of herbaceousness on this bottle. Lovely balance and spread of mellow aromas. Tannins fully molten. Quite delicate for a 1990. Quite fresh enough on the finish. Subtle with a hint of tarmacadam. Lots of pleasure. Neat. (JR)

Sitting next to my former colleague, Pierre Antoine Rovani, at one of the tastings, he commented that he didn’t like the striking green note in the aromatics of this wine, which I didn’t detect at all, and a subsequent bottle at another tasting did not reveal it either. I do think there is a hint of bay leaf and a meatiness to it. In short, I find this to be a spectacular Pichon Lalande. Dense purple in color, with loads of coffee, mocha, creme de cassis, and chocolate notes, this is a somewhat unusual blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, and a whooping 10% Petit Verdot, with a little bit of Cabernet Franc. The Petit Verdot certainly gives the wine more of a tapenade, floral note, which I think can be interpreted by some as herbal. This is a rich, opulent, stunning Pichon Lalande that is beginning to drink beautifully, yet should continue to improve for at least another 10-15 years and last 30 or more years. (RP)