Professional ratings (2023 vintage)
Score range across major critics: 95–99 points
- James Suckling: 98–99 points
- James Lawther MW (JancisRobinson-style scale equivalent): 18/20
- Jane Anson: 98 points
- Decanter (Georgina Hindle): 98 points
- Jeb Dunnuck: 95–97+ points
- Wine Advocate / William Kelley: 97–99 points
- Antonio Galloni (Vinous): 95–98 points
- Neal Martin (Vinous): 96–98 points
- Falstaff (Peter Moser): 97 points
- Berry Bros. & Rudd in-house note: ~18.5/20 equivalent, aligning with 95–97+ range
- Bordeaux Index aggregated professional notes: 97–99 points range highlighted
Consensus professional assessment
Across critics, the 2023 is consistently described as:
Style and structure
- Medium to full-bodied, polished and highly refined
- Very fine, silky tannins rather than muscular structure
- Highly precise, “seamless” texture
Aromatic profile
- Blackcurrant (cassis), blackberry, and dark cherry core
- Floral elements: violet, lilac, iris
- Classic Pauillac markers: graphite, pencil shavings, tobacco, crushed stone
- Subtle spice, licorice, and mineral undertones
Palate character
- Emphasis on purity and balance over sheer power
- Bright acidity giving freshness and lift
- Layered fruit with a long, mineral-driven finish
Aging potential
- Generally considered a long-term cellar wine
- Recommended drinking window: ~2030–2050+
- Built for evolution rather than early consumption
Overall critical consensus
The 2023 Pichon Comtesse is widely regarded as:
- One of the top wines of Pauillac in the vintage
- A classic expression of the estate’s “elegant rather than massive” style
- Potentially among the most refined recent vintages, with some critics placing it near or above 2022 in finesse
98-99pts James Suckling
Wow. This is really excellent, with superb finesse and focus. It has tight density that is almost diamond-like in its brilliance. Medium to full body, with a quality of tannin that is incredibly seamless. Like silk in texture. A top Pichon Lalande. From organic and biodynamically grown grapes. 80% cabernet sauvignon, 17% merlot and 3% cabernet franc. May be better than 2022.
97-99pts Wine Advocate
The 2023 Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande is a brilliant wine that will be worth a special effort to track down. Unwinding in the glass with aromas of wild berries and cassis mingled with licorice, lilac, iris root, violet, burning embers and pencil shavings, it's medium to full-bodied, seamless and complete, with a deep, layered core of cool fruit that largely conceals it's ultra-refined structuring tannins. At a very measured 13% alcohol and 3.67 pH, it unites all Pichon Comtesse's sensuality with unimpeachable Pauillac classicism. The 2023 is a blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot and 3% Cabernet Franc.
98pts Decanter
This smells divine, lovely lush blackcurrant and black cherry characters on the nose with pencil led, graphite, liquorice and menthol elements - very Pauillac on the nose. Gorgeous weight, supple and agile, great movement and energy to this. Acidity makes this buzzy, tangy and bright but not over the top, this keeps its structure and retains a serious directness from start to finish. Generous licks of minerality adds some cool classicism to it. Sleek and refined, precise and very drinkable. One of a number of brilliant Pauillac wines in 2023. Winemaker Nicolas Glumineau wants it to be racy and it’s certainly racy. 50% grand vin production, 50% second. 3.67pH, 14.7% press wine only Cabernet. Ageing 19 months, 60-65% new oak and then one wine barrels.
96-98pts Vinous
The 2023 Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande was picked from September 6th until the 29th, with some rain on September 20th in the middle of Cabernet picking. But, Nicholas Glumineau remarked that the vineyard/fruit was in good condition; one day of rain did not affect the quality. The 2023 has a quintessential Comtesse bouquet, displaying pure and expressive black fruit laced with violet and graphite, delivered with impressive delineation. The palate is very refined on the entry. This is armed with beguiling symmetry- poised yet intense on the finish. It doesn't exert huge grip because it knows it doesn't need to, and it fans out gloriously. Outstanding.
-Neal Martin
95-98pts Vinous
Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande marries elegance, power and sophistication. Soft, ripe tannins wrap around a core of inky dark fruit, licorice, spice, pencil shavings, lavender and menthol. Bright acids pull it all together on the finish. In 2023, Pichon Comtesse blends Merlot picked early for freshness and Cabernets picked later for tannin ripeness and flavor complexity. Readers will have to be patient, but the 2023 holds considerable promise for those who can wait. This is another stellar effort from the team led by General Manager Nicholas Glumineau. Tasted three times.
-Antonio Galloni
95-97+pts Jeb Dunnuck
The Grand Vin 2023 Château Pichon-Longueville Comtesse De Lalande checks in as 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc. It's a beautiful, elegant wine offering incredible finesse and elegance in its darker, almost blue fruits as well as graphite, violets, and crushed stone-like minerality. Medium to full-bodied, balanced, with silky tannins, as well as outstanding length, it brings that classic Comtesse round, seductive, sexy style and is another gorgeous wine from this remarkable team.
95-97+pts The Wine Independent
The 2023 Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande is deep garnet-purple in color. It slowly emerges from the glass with compelling restraint, offering glimpses at scents of cassis, kirsch, and fresh blackberries followed by nuances of violets, graphite, and cedar chest. The medium-bodied palate is tightly wound and energetic, with a firm frame of grainy tannins and beautifully knit freshness, finishing long and earthy. This is a classic. The blend is 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot, and 3% Cabernet Franc.
Winemaker's Notes
Château Pichon Comtesse produces only red wines and its vineyard, made up of around 70 plots, is composed of four different grape varieties: 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot. An unusually high percentage of the vineyard is planted with Petit Verdot, which brings freshness and great aromatic complexity to the wine. Petit Verdot plays a vital role during sunny years in which the grapes reach peak maturity.
History
The Pichon Longueville estate goes back to 1688-1689. In 1850, Virginie de Pichon Longueville, Countess de Lalande, and her two sisters inherited three-fifths of the vineyard from their father. This took on the name of Chateau Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande. In 1978, May-Eliane de Lencquesaing, daughter of Edouard Miailhe, in turn inherited this beautiful property and devoted herself entirely to continuing the tradition of quality wine.
Just two families have been responsible for maintaining this wine's superb reputation for three centuries. Bordering on Chateau Latour, Second Growth Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande is located in the southern part of Pauillac, near Saint-Julien. The unusual choice of grape varieties (there is a much higher percentage of Merlot than average) is a partial explanation for this wine's outstanding personality, marked by elegance, balance and finesse. Traditional methods and modern technology combine to make the most of the estate's prestigious soil. The international reputation of this "Super Second" Growth can be attributed to unfailing quality and dynamic owners.
