Sunday, August 14, 2016

Pichon Lalande 89 and 98

 Pichon Lalande 89 and 98

Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 1989, 1998

For a grilled New York strip steak dinner at Bill and Beth's, Bill served this '98 vintage classic, and I brought along a '89 for comparison and complementary tasting. This may be my last bottle of a case I bought back upon release of this label.

Fittingly, this '89 served as a further tribute to B & B's son Matt as a birth year vintage, commemorating his recent wedding when Bill served classic birth year wines.

This Pichon Lalande duo presented amazing consistency in character and tasting profile between two diverse vintages and presented all the classic flavors reminding me why it is one of my favorites of all Bordeaux.

Dark garnet colored, starting to show a slight brownish rust hue due to aging, medium full bodied, complex yet perfectly balanced, each exhibited classic nose of a fine cigar, earth, floral, tones of cassis, graphite and hint of menthol and smoky oak. The 98 was a bit more bright and vibrant in its expression of the fruit, while the 89 was a bit more subdued and slightly closed. Both finished with smooth graceful silky lingering tannins.

RM 93 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1372

More to follow ...