Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande Pauillac, 1982

[Kraftwerk]

Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande Pauillac, 1982

Very Smooth , soft and friendly--like a friend you would like to see more of, a case would be nice for instance. Ended up sharing a single bottle with three other adults (Piper her father and her uncle Pitt) who had about one , 1.5 glasses each . That left more for me ! Greedy? Not really but I was just enjoying it too much. The others are just not that much into drinking in general, luckily for me.

It is not a big huge wine and at the first scent of it wafting nose-ward, you are actually thankful for its mysterious subtlety.
Towards the end the tannins kept well out of the way. It was simply perfect from start to finish and did not change much during the short time it was exposed to air poured in goblets, then sipped enjoyably.
Long finish.

Miss it now, like a friend.

Congrats to the winemakers. No wonder the family fought over those vines in the late '70's.

Thinking this Andrew Jefford, who bought a few bottles (for 90 British pounds each!) in 1984, was prescient to say the least and somehow above average in the wine collecting world. Kudos to that man and to Pipers dad who bought this particular bottle in Massachusetts in 1986 or so.

Anyone out there: let me know when you open a bottle, I will be right over.

[DavidG]

Thanks for the note on one of my all-time favorites. It brings back great memories. Wish I still had some...

[JonoB]

At an 82 Shindig about 18 months ago, this was by a clear margin WOTN. Brilliant wine with time to spare. LLC was a close second but only because it was still a baby and will overtake it in time. I think only Mouton, Latour and Haut Brion are better than those two in 82. Certainly my top 5 of the vintage.

[Comte Flaneur]

I went to my first 1982 horizontal at Bibendum wine merchant in London in 1990, when I was a 27 year old whippersnapper. I remember it very well. It was the first growths + Cheval Blanc + the 'super seconds' - Cos, LLC and Pichon Lalande. There was about 100 people there and when we walked into the room all the wines had been poured and the aroma was intoxicating; the whole room was full of it; it hit you like a tsunami.

I think it was hosted by Willy Lebus and it was blind. Two MWs led the tasting, and they both agreed 100% with each other and both were 100% wrong 100% of the time. They confused Margaux for Lafite. The Pichon Lalande was the run away winner and was the only wine which was remotely ready to drink. Ever since this wine has romped home in 82 blind horizontals, though I heard that Latour is reeling it in gradually. The P-L '82 is one of my all time favourites too.

October 2012 is the date penciled in for the BWE 1982 horizontal...just fyi.

[Kraftwerk]

Luckily we have one bottle remaining. (Actually it is my girlfirends' her Dad bought her a case of nice wines the year she was born, smart guy.) These Pichon Longueville bottles were originally bought at "Ruby Wines Everett MA" they are still in business, in Avon MA.

You want us to wait until October to drink it? Well a few months early and it was fine, still thinking about it.
I am worried about storing it over the summer. It made it through last summer, which was very hot at times.
I realized it has been out of the cellar since last year, stored in her closet!

[Houndsong]

Everett? Mon dieu!

~ Malden Guy

[JimHow]

Must be a Bruins fan...
They're up 3-zip on Philly, Hound... Oh wait...
1982 and 1986 Pichon Lalande... It doesn't get much better....

[JCNorthway]

I have had the opportunity to drink the 1982 Pichon Lalande on 3 occasions, one of which was with BWEs at a Pichon Lalande vertical here in the Chicago area. In fact the BD attended that evening. It has been an absolutely glorious wine each time I've had it, and it stood out from any other wines at those sittings. You are a lucky man to have another bottle.

[JimHow]

Did we drink the '82 that night Jon?
I recall the '86 sending me into fits of ecstacy that night.

[JCNorthway]

Jim, you are right. It was not the 1982 I was remembering. I went back to my notes, and it was the 1989 that I was recalling. I think I confused that evening with one of my wine club's dinners where we had the 1982- which was great at that dinner. But I do recall the 1986 we drank that evening as still being big and structured, but with a good amount of fruit that stood up to the structure. I think we were talking about that wine as possibly being an example of what the tannic 1986 wines would become when they matured.

[hm$]

I opened this wine for my parents' 50th Anniversary. 3rd time I have had it. It is extraordinary.

hm$

[Jay Winton]

Don't think I've tried it

[JimHow]

I had it once at a BWE event, I can't remember where.

[JonoB]

At least Comtesse always gets at least 5 points less every vintage other than 82 than Baron... You know what points mean...


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