Chateau Pichon Comtesse de Lalande Pauillac Bordeaux Wine

Chateau Pichon Comtesse de Lalande, Pauillac, Bordeaux wine, Second Growth, producer profile, with wine tasting notes, wine ratings, a history of the property, information on wine making and terroir, along with wine tasting reviews. If you want to read about other important, Bordeaux Chateaux: Links to all Bordeaux Wine Producer Profiles
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Before the Medoc earned fame for producing Bordeaux wine, the region was better known for its poor soil and swamp land. This all changed in the 1600′s when the Dutch arrived in the Left Bank. They altered the land and landscape of what is now seen as the finest appellation for wine making in the world.

The first mentions of the Bordeaux wine estae that became Chateau Pichon Comtesse de Lalande discussed the various “forty very gravel laden plots” located in the area known as Saint-Lambert. Saint-Lambert, is also the home of Chateau Latour. Research shows what is now called Chateau Pichon Lalande mentions the creation of the Bordeaux wine property by Pierre de Mazure de Rauzan. Pierre de Mazure de Rauzan is responsible for forming many of what are now widely considered the top Bordeaux wine producing properties today.

The vineyard only acquired its name somewhat later when Thérèse, daughter of the founder, received the estate as a dowry when marrying Jacques de Pichon Longueville, the first President of the Bordeaux Parliament. Thus began the history of one of the most famous Bordeaux vineyards, which remained unaltered and in the hands of one single family for more than 250 years. During the 18th century the wine-growing influence at this great growth was decidedly feminine. The overall strategy was in the hands of three women: Therese de Rauzan, Germaine de Lajus, and Marie Branda de Terrefort. These Pichon Longueville baronesses took care of the vineyard over a period of many years up to the French Revolution. 

Baron Joseph de Pichon Longueville succeeded his mother and took over the running of the growth at the age of 19. He was 90 years old when he died, having witnessed during his long reign three revolutions, five kings, two republics and an empire. Despite the difficulties, he relentlessly pursued a policy of ever higher quality wines. His efforts were rewarded in 1855 when the Médoc classification, drawn up under Napoléon III, ranked the château 2nd classified growth.

On the eve of his death in 1850, he chose to divide the property between his five children. So as to be fair to all, he applied the simplest mathematical rules: his two sons were to receive two fifths of the vineyard and the wine-making facilities; his three daughters, the other three fifths.

After an intermediary period of a few years, when the whole property was administered by Baron Raoul de Pichon Longueville, the estate was broken up. From then on the Pichon Longueville properties were to have two separate and different destinies.

Virginie, the wife of the Count of Lalande, decided in about 1860 to take over the management of her estate as well as those of her two sisters, bringing them together independently under the name of Comtesse de Lalande. As from 1850, through her wish to live in the heart of the Médoc on the lands of Pichon Longueville, she had commissioned the Bordeaux architect Duphot to build a residence inspired by the Hôtel de Lalande in Bordeaux, in which her husband had spent his childhood. Her passion for vines, as well as the quality of her management, made her one of the Médoc’s illustrious characters of the 19^th century. She made a lasting impact on the estate, which still bears her name.

Without heirs, Pichon Lalande passed down from aunts to nieces.  By 1920, the Great War had taken a devastating human toll on the Médoc region, and vineyards were put up for auction. Despite the unfavourable economic circumstances, the Miailhe brothers, descendants of an ancient family of Bordeaux property owners and wine-brokers, bought Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande in 1925.

May-Eliane de Lencquesaing was the daughter of Edouard Miailhe. She became the new owner and general manager of Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande in 1978. Quite naturally, she revived the tradition begun by the Comtesse de Lalande. She took personal charge of the running of the family property, combining her love and passion for wine with rigorous management. She made numerous investments to equip the estate with the latest, high performing wine-making tools. She tirelessly travelled the globe and was one of Bordeaux’s most enthusiastic ambassadors, constantly seeking out potential new markets for its wines. Under her management, the quality of this estate’s wines very quickly rose to an altogether higher plane, gaining recognition all over the world. In 1997 she acquired Château Bernadotte, another estate in Haut-Médoc Appellation.

 

Eager to ensure continuing success for the estate in the future, May-Eliane de Lencquesaing chose to pass her properties into different hands.  Her chosen successors were the owners of Roederer Champagne house, which became the new owners in January 2007. This family-run company is managed by Frédéric Rouzaud and owns several other wine estates in Bordeaux: Chateau Bernadotte  - Chateau  de Pez  and Chateau  Haut Beausejour . 

Château Haut Beausejour – Chateau Bernadotte and Château Réaut la Gravière. In three centuries, only two families had been at the helm to guide this property and its wines towards ever greater renown. A third now arrived to preside over its destiny, determined to build on what had been achieved and to take the growth to even higher levels of quality and prestige.

In February, 2011, Sylvie Cazes was named the director of Chateau Pichon Lalande. She replaced Gildas d’Ollone.

The variety of the plots, with their different soil compositions and grape varieties, explains the complex character of the wines of Pichon. These plots carry such names as Ardileys, Moulin Riche, Longueville, Grand’Plant, La Chapelle, Virginie, Sophie and Marie-Joséphine. They encircle the Château, then lead down close to the river and alongside Château Latour, the famous First Classified Growth. The 85 hectare/210 acre vineyard also stretches across the ditch bordering Saint Julien and almost touches the Leoville plateau, before reaching back to the great Pichon Longueville plateau to the south of the Pauillac appellation.

Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande is unusual in owning 11 hectares (27 acres) of vines in the commune of Saint-Julien, to which it owes its unique character of elegance and suppleness.

The exceptional richness of the wines of the Pauillac appellation is due to its poor, low-yielding soil. The gentle slopes are made up of gravel on clay subsoil, enabling excellent drainage of rainwater. This gravel, dating back to the Quaternary era, is called Garonnaise gravel, and is notably made up of a Gunzian layer, the most ancient and most elevated geologically, which explains the quality of the best Haut-Médoc vineyards.

Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande is ideally situated between the Gironde Estuary and the Atlantic Ocean. The proximity of these two large areas of water brings about air currents which chase away clouds and reduce rainfall. The Pauillac region enjoys a micro-climate and relatively dry conditions, which aid the concentration of juice in the grapes.

 Since the end of the 1970s the reputation of Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande has reached that of “a super second” and “almost a first” due to its consistent quality. The key factor in this success has been selection – extremely painstaking attention to detail during the harvest and above all at the time of blending.

Once blended, the wine is aged in oak barrels sourced from the Allier and Nièvre forests in France. The oak refines the wine, adding its own aromas and tannins, whilst allowing it to acquire that soft richness lacking in its youth, thanks to the gradual, natural contact with air through the pores of the wood.

The Grand Vin of Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande is aged 18 months in oak barrels; half of them are brand new; the other half are second-fill barrels. The barrels have a medium toast, which enhances their aromas. A harmonious balance of oak and wine is always sought. For this reason, only 25 % of new oak is used for the ageing of the Réserve de la Comtesse.

After reception of the grape harvest, destemming and crushing, the grapes are put into the two high technology fermenting rooms where 33 thermoregulated stainless steel tanks with heating and cooling systems allow for precise control of the alcoholic and malo-lactic fermentation.

The period of tank fermentation varies from 18 to 24 days depending on the year. frequent pumping-over is carried out to extract the most colour and tannin possible.

The preparation of the cuvee takes place at the end of December or the beginning of January. The tanks that will make up the Grand Vin and the Réserve de la Comtesse are chosen, always with the very same attention to detail. A third selection is made up of the younger vines of the property.  The racking takes place every three months until the wine is bottled. The fining is always done with whipped egg whites, in strict accordance with tradition, this process allows for the clarification of the wine. The bottling is carried out at the Chateau at the beginning of June of the second year following the grape harvest. The prestigious bottles are stamped with the badges of the Pichon Longueville and Lalande families.

Pichon Lalande is the most voluptuous Bordeaux wine produced in the Medoc.  Much of the wines sensuous qualities come from the large portion of Merlot included in the blend.  Pichon Lalande offers dark berry flavors, truffle, cassis and cedar notes. The wine is pure silk and velvet textures. Due to the wines softness, Pichon Lalande is often approachable earlier than other Medoc properties. But don’t let that fool you into thinking the wine will not improve with age.  It does!

The vineyard is planted to 45% Cabernet Sauvignon,  35% Merlot,  12% Cabernet Franc and 8% Petit Verdot.

www.pichon-lalande.com/