A blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, and 5% Petit Verdot but without any Cabernet Franc, the 2009 Pichon Lalande has a deep garnet-brick color. It charges out with vibrant notions of crème de cassis, blueberry pie, and redcurrant jelly, followed by flamboyant suggestions of dried roses, cardamom, fragrant earth, and menthol. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is rich and impactful, featuring fantastically plush tannins and seamless freshness, finishing with epic length and depth. Absolutely scrumptious right now, it has a good 20-25 years of cellaring potential left, and I suspect there is way more gravitas in the pipeline.
97+ points, Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Wine Independent (Nov 2022)
What a great nose of blackberries, currants and spices. Hints of fresh herbs. Full body, with ultra-fine tannins and lovely fruit. Such finesse and beauty. Wonderful to taste. Reminds me of the legendary 1982. Try in 2018.
96 points, James Suckling (Mar 2012)
A beautiful effort, the 2009 Pichon Lalande, a blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot, possesses copious mocha, lead pencil, unsmoked, high class tobacco, black currant, forest floor and herbaceous characteristics. It is a deep purple-hued, charming, surprisingly open-knit Pauillac with wonderful freshness, a plump, fleshy mouthfeel, opulence and unctuosity, medium to full body and a well-delineated, luscious style. More elegant than its nearby neighbor, Pichon Longueville Baron, and not as massive in concentration and extract, it is one of the great Pichon Lalandes of the last twenty years.
95 points, Robert M. Parker, Jr., Wine Advocate (Issue # 199 - Dec 2011)
In the same qualitative ballpark as the 2010, if not a step up, the 2009 Château Pichon-Longueville Comtesse De Lalande nevertheless offers more immediate pleasure and opulence, with a gorgeous perfume of blackcurrants, lead pencil, unsmoked tobacco, truffle, and spice box. A blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, and 5% Petit Verdot, this full-bodied, round, mouth-filling Pauillac has sweet tannins, beautiful mid-palate depth, and a great finish. It needs an hour or two in a decant today to drink brilliantly and will unquestionably evolve gracefully for another 20-25 years.
95 points, Jeb Dunnuck (Mar 2022)
A seductive wine, deliciously ripe with the softest, juiciest fruit over smoky new wood. The wine shows intense fruit as well as a soft Merlot core. The tannins are beautifully integrated in this ripely sweet wine.
95 points, Roger Voss, Wine Enthusiast (Feb 2012)