Dark blackcurrant on the nose, deep and powerful. Good chewy intensity here, quite a ripe style, fleshy with bright cherry fruit poking through the liquorice flavour. Really balanced, giving fruit, fresh acidity, spice, tannins and length. It has a dark profile with the spicy, liquorice undertone but well packaged, precise and driving. One of the best second wines in Pauillac. Can drink now but this also has the power and presence to age. (GH)

The second wine of Château Pichon-Longueville Comtesse, the 2020 Reserve De Comtesse De Lalande is a beautiful wine in the making that certainly tastes like a mini-version of the Grand Vin. Lots of crème de cassis, blueberries, violets, tobacco, and earth all define the nose, and it hits the palate with a forward, medium to full-bodied, supple texture that already begs to be drunk. I love its balance, the purity of fruit is terrific, and the tannins are spot on as well. It ranks as one of the top second wines in the vintage and will have two decades of prime drinking.

This has a dark currant- and blackberry-filled core supported by a racy graphite spine that runs from start to finish, adding energy and cut. Reveals sweet tobacco, chestnut and tar hints on the finish. (JM)