Chateau Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande

Bordeaux

About The Producer

About The Producer

Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande is one of the stars of Pauillac, and one of the original "Super Seconds" in Bordeaux. Classed as a Deuxième Cru Classé in the 1855 Bordeaux classification, it is widely recognised that Pichon Comtesse can not only match First Growths, but occasionally outperform them. The two estates of Pichon Comtesse and Pichon Baron once formed part of the same estate, called Pichon Longueville.

In 1850, Baron Joseph de Pichon-Longueville divided the estate and gave the part now known as Pichon Comtesse to his daughters. The estate remained within the family until the early 20th Century when it was purchased by the Miailhe brothers. May-Éliane de Lencquesaing, the daughter of Édouard Miailhe took over the estate in 1978. She made numerous improvements to the estate, including the expansion of the estate from 40 to 89 hectares of vines and under her supervision, the quality of the wine produced at Pichon Comtesse grew exponentially.

The estate was purchased by the Rouzaud family in 2007, who also own Louis Roederer, Domaines Ott and Champagne Deutz, amongst other estates around the world. Before this sale, the property had been in the hands of only two families for over three centuries, highlighting the values of consistency and tradition close to its heart.

The new owners implemented many changes at the estate including rebuilding the winemaking facilities and a targeted re-planting programme to ensure that vines were planted in the optimum terroir for the variety. Another renovation took place in 2012, which was estimated to have cost in excess of 15 million euros, showing that no expense is being spared at this estate, reflected in the wine created. Sylvie Cazes, whose family own Château Lynch-Bages, was named the director when the change of hands occurred, and in 2012, Cazes was replaced by Nicolas Glumineau, who previously worked at Château Montrose in Saint-Estèphe.

In The Vineyard

In The Vineyard

The vineyards at Pichon Comtesse are planted to 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc and 8% Petit Verdot and are situated beside Châteaux Latour and Pichon Baron. Unusually for the region, Pichon Comtesse uses a higher concentration of old vine Petit Verdot, planted from 1932, which gives the wine unique floral and herbaceous notes and differentiates it from many of the other wines in Pauillac.

In The Winery

In The Winery

Some of the best vintages at this estate have been 1982, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2010 and 2015, although the consistently high critics' scores throughout the years prove the quality of the wine being produced at this estate, year in, year out.

In one of the best vintages for Pichon Comtesse, the 2000, the wine produced was described by Robert Parker as “dense purple in colour, with loads of coffee, mocha, crème de cassis, and chocolate notes”. This wine is more approachable in its youth than many Pauillacs, although in the most outstanding vintages, the depth of the wine will mean that it will require a certain amount of cellaring, with Parker recommending that the outstanding 2015 vintage be aged for at least 10 years. A second wine is also produced at the estate called La Réserve de la Comtesse, made in a ripe and earlier maturing style.

The 2019 Vintage

The 2019 Vintage

A few words from Nicolas Glumineau, winemaker and CEO at Château Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande, on the 2019 vintage.

Can you describe the style of your 2019 blend?

We have never made a wine as refined, racy and elegant at Pichon Comtesse.  There is so much depth. It has a precise attack and thick mid-palate; the finish is endless due to a very sharp tannic structure. It is aromatically complex with floral (violet) and fruity notes (blueberry/raspberry), but it is very Pauillac with its graphite and cedar characters.

The blend is 71% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot and 6% Cabernet Franc, which is very similar to 2017 and 2018. 

The 2019 summer was dry and hot. How did this impact this year's vintage?

True. The question we asked was, ‘what kind of wine can we make if drought lasts until the harvest?’ The answer was concentrated juice with low acidity and a lot of alcohol.  The drought particularly affected very young vines and Petit Verdot  suffered a lot of hydric stress.

We had to manage the hydric stress of the vine by decreasing the height of foliage to avoid too much water evaporation. We also removed the cover crop in the vineyard to decrease the competition between the grass and the vines for water. 

I was scared not to have rain. I prayed for rain to fall – yes, really! And it came down. I couldn’t believe it. Second time in August. Those very rainy hours really saved our lives and it couldn’t have occurred at a better moment

Tannins play such a vital and defining role in the quality of Bordeaux red wines. How did you manage tannin extraction in 2019?

Gentle extractions as usual: infusion more than extraction.

The Bordeaux region is becoming more sensitive to the sustainability of its vineyards. You have taken this a step further?

One-third of our vineyard is now farmed biodynamically. We have a huge replanting programme; we will pull out each single plot and allow it to rest for three years and spray specific biodynamic preparations on it. Every new vine will have been grown biodynamically from the start of its life.

What’s more, the rest of the vineyard is grown sustainably, meaning that, if necessary, we only spray twice at flowering. There’s no anti-botrytis sprays, no insecticides, no herbicides; only sulphur, copper and bio-controls. 

What would you describe as Bordeaux’s greatest asset right now?

Only wine is the hero, not the winemaker. Wines will talk for themselves and we have a series of very good vintages since 2014 - that helps us to promote Bordeaux wines for what they really are.  

Read the full report: Bordeaux 2019 A Vintage Preview

Related Articles

Blending Masterclass at Chateau Pichon Lalande

Blending is an art form and remains rarely understood amongst us normal wine enthusiasts. The more one thinks about the process and the many variables the more difficult it seems to contemplate. The choices seem endless and the more one tastes the more confusing it seems to get! How can you tell that a certain combination is better than another? ...

ON May 11, 2018

2014: THE F+R PICKS. PICHON-LALANDE

Mark my words here: Pichon-Lalande is an estate to watch. The terroir here and its potential has never been in question. The 1996 is praised by many as being of first growth quality, and anyone lucky enough to own or have drunk the 1982 will tell you that it is about as good a bottle of claret as one could ...

ON April 21, 2015

Interview with Nicolas Audebert – Chief Winemaker at Chateau Rauzan Segla, Chateau Canon and Chateau Berliquet

The Rauzan Segla 2018 has been met with rave reviews. At what point did you feel you had made a special wine? It is a long process in a technician's mind as the picture of the vintage is getting clearer and clearer from the picking to the “dégustations d’assemblage” (blending tastings). Each vintage gives me a particular emotion, the ...

BY Gavin Smith,

ON May 24, 2019

Chateau Brane Cantenac - Behind the Bottle

Chateau Brane Cantenac has been a consistent performer in Margaux since Henri Lurton took over the property in 1992. But in the last decade the quality has taken another sharp upswing. Even in a mixed vintage like 2014, Brane produced a beautiful wine. 2015 and 2016 were both outstanding and arguably some of the best wines ever made at the ...

ON March 22, 2019

Interview with Jean-Charles Cazes of Chateau Lynch Bages

Last week we were fortunate to have a one-to-one tasting with Jean-Charles Cazes, the managing director of Chateau Lynch Bages, as well as Chateau Haut-Batailley and Chateau Ormes de Pez. Not only did we have the opportunity to taste the fantastic range of 2019 wines from the estates, but we were also given the opportunity to dig a little deeper ...

BY Gavin Smith,

ON June 10, 2020

About The Producer

Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande is one of the stars of Pauillac, and one of the original "Super Seconds" in Bordeaux. Classed as a Deuxième Cru Classé in the 1855 Bordeaux classification, it is widely recognised that Pichon Comtesse can not only match First Growths, but occasionally outperform them. The two estates of Pichon Comtesse and Pichon Baron once formed part of the same estate, called Pichon Longueville.

In 1850, Baron Joseph de Pichon-Longueville divided the estate and gave the part now known as Pichon Comtesse to his daughters. The estate remained within the family until the early 20th Century when it was purchased by the Miailhe brothers. May-Éliane de Lencquesaing, the daughter of Édouard Miailhe took over the estate in 1978. She made numerous improvements to the estate, including the expansion of the estate from 40 to 89 hectares of vines and under her supervision, the quality of the wine produced at Pichon Comtesse grew exponentially.

The estate was purchased by the Rouzaud family in 2007, who also own Louis Roederer, Domaines Ott and Champagne Deutz, amongst other estates around the world. Before this sale, the property had been in the hands of only two families for over three centuries, highlighting the values of consistency and tradition close to its heart.

The new owners implemented many changes at the estate including rebuilding the winemaking facilities and a targeted re-planting programme to ensure that vines were planted in the optimum terroir for the variety. Another renovation took place in 2012, which was estimated to have cost in excess of 15 million euros, showing that no expense is being spared at this estate, reflected in the wine created. Sylvie Cazes, whose family own Château Lynch-Bages, was named the director when the change of hands occurred, and in 2012, Cazes was replaced by Nicolas Glumineau, who previously worked at Château Montrose in Saint-Estèphe.

In The Vineyard

The vineyards at Pichon Comtesse are planted to 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc and 8% Petit Verdot and are situated beside Châteaux Latour and Pichon Baron. Unusually for the region, Pichon Comtesse uses a higher concentration of old vine Petit Verdot, planted from 1932, which gives the wine unique floral and herbaceous notes and differentiates it from many of the other wines in Pauillac.

In The Winery

Some of the best vintages at this estate have been 1982, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2010 and 2015, although the consistently high critics' scores throughout the years prove the quality of the wine being produced at this estate, year in, year out.

In one of the best vintages for Pichon Comtesse, the 2000, the wine produced was described by Robert Parker as “dense purple in colour, with loads of coffee, mocha, crème de cassis, and chocolate notes”. This wine is more approachable in its youth than many Pauillacs, although in the most outstanding vintages, the depth of the wine will mean that it will require a certain amount of cellaring, with Parker recommending that the outstanding 2015 vintage be aged for at least 10 years. A second wine is also produced at the estate called La Réserve de la Comtesse, made in a ripe and earlier maturing style.

The 2019 Vintage

A few words from Nicolas Glumineau, winemaker and CEO at Château Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande, on the 2019 vintage.

Can you describe the style of your 2019 blend?

We have never made a wine as refined, racy and elegant at Pichon Comtesse.  There is so much depth. It has a precise attack and thick mid-palate; the finish is endless due to a very sharp tannic structure. It is aromatically complex with floral (violet) and fruity notes (blueberry/raspberry), but it is very Pauillac with its graphite and cedar characters.

The blend is 71% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot and 6% Cabernet Franc, which is very similar to 2017 and 2018. 

The 2019 summer was dry and hot. How did this impact this year's vintage?

True. The question we asked was, ‘what kind of wine can we make if drought lasts until the harvest?’ The answer was concentrated juice with low acidity and a lot of alcohol.  The drought particularly affected very young vines and Petit Verdot  suffered a lot of hydric stress.

We had to manage the hydric stress of the vine by decreasing the height of foliage to avoid too much water evaporation. We also removed the cover crop in the vineyard to decrease the competition between the grass and the vines for water. 

I was scared not to have rain. I prayed for rain to fall – yes, really! And it came down. I couldn’t believe it. Second time in August. Those very rainy hours really saved our lives and it couldn’t have occurred at a better moment

Tannins play such a vital and defining role in the quality of Bordeaux red wines. How did you manage tannin extraction in 2019?

Gentle extractions as usual: infusion more than extraction.

The Bordeaux region is becoming more sensitive to the sustainability of its vineyards. You have taken this a step further?

One-third of our vineyard is now farmed biodynamically. We have a huge replanting programme; we will pull out each single plot and allow it to rest for three years and spray specific biodynamic preparations on it. Every new vine will have been grown biodynamically from the start of its life.

What’s more, the rest of the vineyard is grown sustainably, meaning that, if necessary, we only spray twice at flowering. There’s no anti-botrytis sprays, no insecticides, no herbicides; only sulphur, copper and bio-controls. 

What would you describe as Bordeaux’s greatest asset right now?

Only wine is the hero, not the winemaker. Wines will talk for themselves and we have a series of very good vintages since 2014 - that helps us to promote Bordeaux wines for what they really are.  

Read the full report: Bordeaux 2019 A Vintage Preview

Blending Masterclass at Chateau Pichon Lalande

Blending is an art form and remains rarely understood amongst us normal wine enthusiasts. The more one thinks about the process and the many variables the more difficult it seems to contemplate. The choices seem endless and the more one tastes the more confusing it seems to get! How can you tell that a certain combination is better than another? ...

ON May 11, 2018

2014: THE F+R PICKS. PICHON-LALANDE

Mark my words here: Pichon-Lalande is an estate to watch. The terroir here and its potential has never been in question. The 1996 is praised by many as being of first growth quality, and anyone lucky enough to own or have drunk the 1982 will tell you that it is about as good a bottle of claret as one could ...

ON April 21, 2015

Interview with Nicolas Audebert – Chief Winemaker at Chateau Rauzan Segla, Chateau Canon and Chateau Berliquet

The Rauzan Segla 2018 has been met with rave reviews. At what point did you feel you had made a special wine? It is a long process in a technician's mind as the picture of the vintage is getting clearer and clearer from the picking to the “dégustations d’assemblage” (blending tastings). Each vintage gives me a particular emotion, the ...

BY Gavin Smith,

ON May 24, 2019

Chateau Brane Cantenac - Behind the Bottle

Chateau Brane Cantenac has been a consistent performer in Margaux since Henri Lurton took over the property in 1992. But in the last decade the quality has taken another sharp upswing. Even in a mixed vintage like 2014, Brane produced a beautiful wine. 2015 and 2016 were both outstanding and arguably some of the best wines ever made at the ...

ON March 22, 2019

Interview with Jean-Charles Cazes of Chateau Lynch Bages

Last week we were fortunate to have a one-to-one tasting with Jean-Charles Cazes, the managing director of Chateau Lynch Bages, as well as Chateau Haut-Batailley and Chateau Ormes de Pez. Not only did we have the opportunity to taste the fantastic range of 2019 wines from the estates, but we were also given the opportunity to dig a little deeper ...

BY Gavin Smith,

ON June 10, 2020

“...one of Pauillac’s most consistently brilliant wines... which can rival the three famous first growths of this commune.”

Robert Parker

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Price

2017 Pichon Lalande

From

£500.00

6x75cl

-

1 Immediate | 4 Marketplace

£500.00

6x75cl

-

£500.00

1 Immediate | 4 Marketplace

2015 Pichon Lalande

From

£802.00

6x75cl

-

1 Immediate | 27 Marketplace

£802.00

6x75cl

-

£802.00

1 Immediate | 27 Marketplace

2015 Reserve de la Comtesse

From

£453.00

6xMags

-

1 Immediate | 0 Marketplace

£453.00

6xMags

-

£453.00

1 Immediate | 0 Marketplace

2014 Reserve de la Comtesse

From

£428.00

12x75cl

-

4 Immediate | 77 Marketplace

£428.00

12x75cl

-

£428.00

4 Immediate | 77 Marketplace

2013 Pichon Lalande

From

£538.00

6x75cl

-

4 Immediate | 1 Marketplace

£538.00

6x75cl

-

£538.00

4 Immediate | 1 Marketplace

2012 Pichon Lalande

From

£89.00

Bts

-

7 Immediate | 0 Marketplace

Duty Paid

£89.00

Bts

-

£89.00

7 Immediate | 0 Marketplace

Duty Paid

2008 Pichon Lalande

From

£92.00

Bts

LA
Label: Slightly Bin Soiled

10 Immediate | 0 Marketplace

Duty Paid

£92.00

Bts

LA
Label: Slightly Bin Soiled

£92.00

10 Immediate | 0 Marketplace

Duty Paid

2008 Reserve de la Comtesse

From

£43.00

Bts

-

9 Immediate | 0 Marketplace

Duty Paid

£43.00

Bts

-

£43.00

9 Immediate | 0 Marketplace

Duty Paid

2001 Pichon Lalande

From

£1,377.00

12x75cl

-

1 Immediate | 0 Marketplace

Duty Paid

£1,377.00

12x75cl

-

£1,377.00

1 Immediate | 0 Marketplace

Duty Paid

1994 Reserve de la Comtesse

From

£575.00

12x75cl

LA
Label: Slightly Bin Soiled

1 Immediate | 0 Marketplace

Duty Paid

£575.00

12x75cl

LA
Label: Slightly Bin Soiled

£575.00

1 Immediate | 0 Marketplace

Duty Paid

1990 Pichon Lalande

From

£2,318.00

12x75cl

-

1 Immediate | 1 Marketplace

£2,318.00

12x75cl

-

£2,318.00

1 Immediate | 1 Marketplace

1967 Pichon Lalande

From

£257.00

Bts

LE
Level: TS

1 Immediate | 0 Marketplace

Duty Paid

£257.00

Bts

LE
Level: TS

£257.00

1 Immediate | 0 Marketplace

Duty Paid

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