98/100

Nicolas Glumineau continues to work magic at this estate. His 2019 Château Pichon-Longueville Comtesse De Lalande is based on 71% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, and 6% Cabernet Franc that will spend 18 in 60% new French oak. Reminding me of a slightly deeper, richer version of the 2016, it offers a totally thrilling bouquet of blackcurrants, pure cassis, tobacco leaf, chocolate, and a hint of lead pencil. A total monster on the palate, with a full-bodied, deep, powerful texture, it has a huge mid-palate, building yet ripe tannins, not a hard edge to be found, and is as Pauillac as Pauillac gets. I was able to taste this barrel sample over multiple days, and it's one of the most profound young Bordeaux I've ever tasted.

98/100

The 2019 Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande was picked 16 September to 8 October. It has a showstopping nose: intense black fruit laced with graphite and mint. (Whisper it...it reminds me of their First Growth next door neighbor.) The palate is underpinned by very refined tannins that cradle what may well be the purest fruit you will find in this vintage. Unbelievably precise all the way through to the finish, I admit staring at my glass trying to find fault with it. Unless winemaker Nicolas Glumineau gets distracted by the new Cure album and makes a catastrophic error during the rest of its élevage, which he is not prone to doing, you are not looking at a modern-day 1982 or 2016, but something even better and more profound. Tasted from three bottles with consistent notes.

96/98

This is a stylish wine that offers rich, smoky tannins and layers of black currant fruits. The tannins are dominant at this stage of barrel aging but the intense fruits are intent on pushing forward. The beautiful aftertaste is all freshness as well as density. It's for long-term aging.