In the vineyard
Ch. Pichon Comtesse farms 89 hectares. In 2009 the estate embarked upon a significant re-planting programme, pairing variety, rootstock and site.
Today the vineyards, which are situated beside Ch. Latour and Pichon Baron, are planted to 65% Cabernet-Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot. On average the vines are 35 years old. Unusually for the region, Pichon Comtesse uses a higher concentration of old-vine Petit Verdot, planted in 1932, which gives the wine unique floral and herbaceous notes and differentiates it from many of the other wines in Pauillac.
Interestingly, some of the vineyards (11 hectares) are in Saint-Julien, however they are allowed to vinify this as Pauillac. Historically the label would sometimes mention Saint-Julien.
The vines are farmed with incredible precision, organically and biodynamically (since 2021).
In the winery
Winemaking is traditional, with the fruit hand-picked, de-stemmed and crushed.
It's fermented in a combination of wooden and stainless steel vats on a plot-by-plot basis, spending around three weeks on skins, depending on the vintage. Pump-overs are favoured for extraction. The Grand Vin is aged between 18 and 22 months in 50% new oak, with around 12 months in 40% new for the second wine, Réserve de Pichon Comtesse. The wines are racked every three months and fined with egg whites prior to bottling.