2023 Pichon Comtesse Reserve
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Tasting notes
The second wine of this great château is the 2023 Pichon Comtesse Réserve, which is based on 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 5% each of Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc raised in 50% new oak and the rest in once-used oak. Notes of black cherries, currants, smoky tobacco, and graphite give it a real Cabernet Sauvignon character. Medium-bodied and balanced, with ripe tannins, it's a beautiful second wine that will evolve for 15-20 years.
Critic scores
Average Score
James Suckling
William Kelley, Wine Advocate
More reviews and scores
Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2023 Pichon Comtesse Reserve rolls out with evocative notes of ripe black cherries, redcurrant jelly, and boysenberries plus underlying hints of wild sage, wet slate, and damp soil. The medium-bodied palate is so fresh and elegant, with gentle powdery tannins supporting the delicate black fruit flavors, finishing on a lingering mineral note. The blend is 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot, and 5% Cabernet Franc. This is a higher percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon than is typical, a sign of the future since more of this variety is being planted.
I like the freshness and linear character to this second wine of Pichon Lalande. It's medium-bodied with creamy and polished tannins that are fine at the end. It is linked from start to finish. 60% cabernet sauvignon, 30% merlot, 5% cabernet franc and 5% petit verdot.
A terrific second wine, the 2023 Resèrve de la Comtesse wafts from the glass with a pure bouquet of blackcurrants, dark berries, lilac and pencil shavings. Medium to full-bodied, layered and velvety, it's sensual and vibrant, with melting tannins and a deep core of cool fruit framed by polished but present tannins. This blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot and 5% Cabernet Franc marks the 50th anniversary of this second wine's production.
About the producer
Ch. Pichon Comtesse is one of the stars of Pauillac, and one of the original "Super Seconds" in Bordeaux. Classed as a Deuxième Cru Classé in the 1855 Bordeaux classification, it is widely recognised that Pichon Comtesse can not only match First Growths, but occasionally outperform them.