Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande
The estate was founded in 1689 by Pierre de Mazure de Rauzan and the
vineyard acquired its name a few years later when his daughter Thérèse
received it as part of her dowry on her marriage to Jacques de Pichon
Longueville, the first President of the Parliament of Bordeaux. Thus
began the history of one of the most famous Bordeaux vineyards which
for one and half centuries remained a single holding in the hands of
one family.
It was divided upon the death of Baron Joseph in 1850 between his five
children. However, only two of his children finally inherited the vineyards.
Raoul taking the plot destined for the two sons and Virginie taking
the plot for the three daughters. From then on the lands of Pichon Longueville
would have two very different futures.
Virginie married Count Henri de Lalande, giving her the title, Comtesse
de Lalande, and took over control of the domain. Her passion and the
quality of her management made her a strong personality in the Médoc
and she very much left her mark on the domain. In the 1855 classification
Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande acquired the status
of Second Cru Classé.
In 1925 Edouard and Louis Miailhe purchased the estate. May-Eliane,
the daughter of Edouard, inherited it in 1978. She quickly rekindled
the same enthusiasm that had inspired the Comtesse de Lalande, sharing
with her a love of the land and its wines.
Continuing the tradition of family ownership, Champagne Louis Roederer
took over the controlling share of Château Pichon Longueville
Comtesse de Lalande in November 2006.
A Traditional Method
Vineyards
The 75 hectares (185 acres) of this vineyard border the property of
Château Latour and stretch south of Pauillac towards the Commune
of St Julien, from whence it gets its extraordinary charm. The exceptional
character of the wines produced here, are distinguished by their elegance
and finesse. This is due to a harmonious balance of different grape
varietals: 35% Merlot (a very high percentage for this appellation)
to give roundness and suppleness; 45% Cabernet Sauvignon to provide
longevity; 12% Cabernet Franc for finesse; 8% Petit Verdot to ensure
a certain freshness and aromatic complexity.
Harvest
Chateau Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande remains faithful to
the traditional method of hand picking during the harvest. Every year
more than one hundred people harvest the grapes, often from the the
same families in Andalusia. Special detail is paid to their maturity
and to the age of of land. Merlot is picked first followed by Cabernet
finally Petit Verdot.
Wine making
After the grapes reach the winery they are destemmed and crushed. The
grapes are then transferred to a pair of state-of-the-art fermenting
rooms where there are 33 temperature controlled stainless steel tanks.
This allows for precise control over alcoholic and malo-lactic fermentation.
Tank fermentation varies from 18 to 24 days.
Preparation of the Cuvee
The preparation of the cuvee takes place either at the end of December
or at the beginning of January. It is overlooked by May-Eliane de Lencquesaing
and the chateau oenologist along with consultant oenologists Jacques
Boissenot and Hubert de Boüard. Attention to detail is key.
Maturation
After the preparation of the cuvee, the wine is transferred into Allier
and Nievre forest oak barrels. The wood gives the wine the vital aromas
and tannins thanks to the slow diffusion of air through its pores.
The Grand Vin of Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande
is matured for 18 months in barrels of which 50% are new oak and 50%
oak that is one year old. The barrels are lightly heated during their
production which contributes to the quality of their fragrance. The
use of new wood must not be excessive and must be balanced and harmonious.
The wine is fined with whipped egg whites, a traditional Chateau method
which clarifies the wine. The bottling is carried out at the Chateau
at the beginning of June during in the 2nd year following the grape
harvest.
CHATEAU PICHON-LONGUEVILLE - Comtesse de Lalande 2004 - TheDrinkShop.com
: CHATEAU PICHON-LONGUEVILLE - Comtesse de Lalande, Pauillac, 2eme Cru
Classe 2004 - Fine Bordeaux Wine
Grape Type: 53 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 36 % Merlot, 4 % Cabernet Franc,
7 % Petit Verdot.
ABV: 13%.
Colour: Good bright medium ruby colour.
Nose: Raspberry, cherry, liquorice, and pepper on the expressive nose.
Palate: Densely packed and highly concentrated, with dark berry, liquorice
and graphite flavours. Supple and voluptuous but firm, with captivating
Pauillac soil tones.
On Special Offer - Was £91.56 - Now £79.98
