1966 Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande

Located in the southern part of the Pauillac appellation, just next to Château Latour and a short distance from the border with St Julien. The attractive château building here is visible from the D2 road as you approach Pauillac from the south, on the opposite side of the street from Château Pichon Baron. The two neighbours were once part of one larger estate, which was divided in two in 1850. From 1978 until the mid-2000s, Pichon Comtesse was managed by Madame May-Eliane de Lencquesaing, one of the most prominent women in Bordeaux history. Today, the estate belongs to the Rouzaud family, owners of Champagne Louis Roederer. The estate, which currently has 80 hectares of vines, is managed by talented winemaker Nicolas Glumineau. Nicolas and his team also manage Château de Pez, a sibling estate further north in St Estèphe. Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande has long been a favorite in the club, we serve it so often across all vintages we like to refer to it as our 'House Bordeaux.' 

Wine Spectator - "Smoky, with cinder and smoldering charcoal notes weaving up and away from the core of juniper, allspice, dried currant and mulled blackberry flavors. Slightly grainy on the finish, with the charcoal coating hanging on. Shows lovely length as a tug of loamy earth leaves a gorgeous echo."

Neal Martin - "I have always admired the 1966 Pichon Lalande and here, served blind next to its Latour counterpart, it continues to show well. The nose is deceptively Right Bank in style thanks to the relatively high Merlot content. A mixture of decayed red and black fruit intermix with black truffle, sage and thyme, fully mature but with no sign of oxidation. Not powerful, but content to just unfurl at its own pace. The palate has a sweet core of fruit, more youthful than I remember it, elegant in style and never intense. Its freshness is wonderful, hint of clove emerging towards that linear and straight-laced finish. Enjoy this 50-year-old Pichon Lalande now because it is not going to get any better, though neither will you regret waiting this long to open a bottle." (NM)

1982 Gaja Barbaresco

Few wineries evoke excellence and artistry the way the Gaja family name does. To utter these two simple syllables is to call forth one of the greatest and most venerated traditions in European winemaking. The Gaja Winery was founded by Giovanni Gaja in 1859 and has been owned and operated by five generations of the Gaja family. Giovanni Gaja was the great-grandfather of Angelo Gaja, the Winery's current owner. The Gaja estate’s qualitative supremacy and cachet represents a legacy of quality that has evolved since the family immigrated from Spain over 300 years ago. In the centuries that followed the Gaja name has risen to the pinnacle of first-class Italian winemaking.

Decanter - "Most 1982 Barbarescos are over the hill now, but not Gaja's. Even the colour is scarcely evolved. The nose has great purity of fruit, with ripe, intense raspberry aromas. Sleek and fresh, the palate still has energy, poise and fine acidity. The balance is impeccable, delivering charm as well as a light structure and integrated tannins. Elegant, effortless and very long." Drinking Window 2019 - 2025

Jeb Dunnuck - "While working on this report, I had lunch with Gaia Gaja while she was visiting Denver, Colorado, and she brought a bottle of 1982 Barbaresco. Showing how beautifully these wines age, this gorgeous Barbaresco was still ruby to the rim and offers a classic, mature bouquet of dried cherries, leafy herbs, tobacco, and spice. Medium-bodied, seamless, and elegant, yet still packed with sweet fruit, it’s glorious Barbaresco drinking at point. It should have no issues keeping for another decade, but there’s no need to delay gratification."