1959 Château Pichon Longueville Comtésse de Lalande

This is my third bottle of the 1959 Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande, which was purchased from Christie's. It is a great vintage for the Pauillac estate, although bottles can vary. This has a wonderful, entrancing nose, with cedar and pencil box aromas—all the signature scents one expects from the appellation. It has impressive clarity and delineation, gaining intensity with aeration and offering a touch of humidor. The palate is medium-bodied, very saline and precise with finely chiseled tannins. This 1959 is one of the freshest and most vibrant wines I have encountered. While not quite the best example I have tasted, it remains a winsome Pichon Lalande. Tasted at "Koala's" Bordeaux dinner in Hong Kong.