Chateau Pichon Longueville, Comtesse de Lalande, Pauillac (Grand Cru), 1983
This is another bottle we got in a lot from a Dougy Center auction. So it's hard to say how much this bottle really cost, but it was listed as having a $130 value. So right away, the expectations are set pretty high. That lot also included a 1990 version of this wine, that we reviewed earlier. Then, we drank that 1990 with a 1975 Petrus. No, not a fair fight to say the least. This time around, we paired this 1983 with a 2005 Hermitage, a 2005 Cotes du Rhone, and a 2006 Cotes du Ventoux. Again, not a fair fight, only in reverse.
And similar to last time, this wine was significantly different between when we first opened it, and about an hour later. Initially, it was thin, flabby, and terribly disappointing. It smelled a bit like vinegar, with flower rot, puke, and branches. The taste was non-existent, and super thin. It totally had that about-to-go feel to it. Bummer. So we all got a second glass of that 2005 Hermitage (and then that 2006 Ventoux), and drank that for awhile, leaving this 1983 Pauillac to sit.
And it was much better an hour later. The aromas were much more complicated now. Curry. Pepper. Cedar. Vegetable. Cauliflower. Musty. And Peppermint. The taste was subtle: plum and vegetable (maybe beet and some other green vegetable). However, the finish still remained very thin (really light bodied).
This wine definitely didn't meet our (admittedly high) expectations. Here's a 1983 Grand Cru Pauillac! And yes, the nose was pretty amazing. Yet, it was just too thin and the taste was not all that exciting. Certainly it was better than the other cheaper wines we drank this night, but it wasn't worth $130 in my opinion. It probably peaked years ago. Too bad.
Cost:
Rating:
8.0