Absolutely compelling from the initial swirl, sniff and sip. It takes no time to recognize this as being an incredible, future legendary Bordeaux! The perfume is mesmerizing with its display of flowers, spices, tobacco leaf, cassis, plum and blackberries. But it is the texture, with its layers of silky, perfectly, ripe, sweet fruits that steals the show. Rich, full-bodied and concentrated, the decadent finish, with all its multiple layers sticks with you for at least sixty seconds! Drink from 2029-2055.

Pure class, the 2019 Château Pichon-Longueville Comtesse De Lalande is another brilliant wine from director Nicolas Glumineau that checks in at the top of the vintage. A blend of 71% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, and 6% Cabernet Franc that was harvested from mid-September through October 8th. Brought up in roughly 60% new French oak, it hit 14.1% natural alcohol with a pH of 3.7. More elegant and poised from bottle than barrel, it offers a brilliant perfume of crème de cassis, lead pencil shavings, tobacco leaf, damp earth, and graphite. Deep, full-bodied, and pure perfection on the palate, it has this incredible marriage of Latour-like stature and regalness buffered by wonderful, sexy, seamless fruit, which no doubt comes from the higher Merlot content and makes Comtesse de Lalande so singular and unique. It builds slowly with time in the glass and has remarkable purity of fruit, ultra-fine tannins, perfect balance, and a finish that just begs you to pour another glass. It has a seductive, seamless profile that offers pleasure even today (although it needs lots of air to show at its best) yet needs 7-8 years of bottle age to hit the early stages of its prime drink window and will evolve for another 40-50 years if stored properly.

The sample of 2019 Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande sent to me last year was an absolute show-stopper. The bouquet needs a few minutes to open up, delivering intense black fruit, crushed stone and incense with time in the glass. Yes, the nose does remind me of Latour! The medium-bodied palate is endowed with unerring symmetry and poise. This is a powerful, multi-dimensional Pichon-Lalande, extremely precise, very deep and long. The 60% new oak is seamlessly integrated and feels just right. It reminds me of the 1996 in some ways, but with more finesse on the finish. Stunning. 14.12% alcohol -- Neal Martin

Expressive and aromatic on the nose, this is giving such a lot of nuance. Gorgeous texture on the palate, smooth, seductive with perfumed fruit that is dense and layered. Just so complete offering a great combination of blackcurrant fruit against menthol/liquorice notes with balanced acidity. You get the juiciness which is vibrant but also a seriously dark, brooding edge with spice but lovely freshness and lift overall. It's serious no doubt but has that real air of refinement and finesse to the overall profile. Excellent quality. Drinking Window 2029 - 2047

You feel the clever construction of this wine from the start, and the architecture shines through. A linen edge of the tannins, with grain and texture that holds things back through the mid palate. Subdued power at the moment, with hints of butterscotch and black chocolate, bilberry fruits that are not overly sweet but have succulence and impact. Good quality, one to cellar and look forward to opening in the future. 60% new oak, 4hl/h yield. No Petit Verdot in this vintage.

One of the wines of the vintage, the 2019 Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande soars from the glass with complex aromas of wild berries, tobacco leaf, loamy soil, burning embers and hints of violets and rose petals. Full-bodied, deep and complete, it’s velvety and seamless, with a broad attack and a multidimensional core of lively, succulent fruit. Concluding with a long, expansive finish, it’s a remarkable young Pauillac that will offer many years of thrilling drinking. Congratulations to Nicolas Glumineau and his team, who are ushering in a new golden age at an address where standards were always very high. - William Kelley

The wine's tannins and beautiful fruits are impressive. It has the acidity and freshness of the vintage while also giving a structure and texture that will assure considerable aging. This is a very fine wine that will be ready from 2026. ROGER VOSS

Delivers a gorgeous wave of just-warmed cassis, plum puree and black cherry reduction flavors that glides through so suavely, thanks to a silky, refined structure. This is no lightweight though, as there's a rivet of iron to pin down the finish while savory and floral details play out amid the fruit. Offers the density, purity and drive to hang with the more long-lived wines of the vintage. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2025 through 2042. — J.M.