Founded in 1689, Château Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande has quite a spectacular history. The quality and elegance of the wines have been the maxim of all the château‘s owners since master winemaker Joseph de Pichon Longueville‘s reign in the 18th century.

For over thirty years, owner May Eliane de Lencquesaing modernized the château‘s installations in the truest respect for tradition. Her indefatigable passion elevated Pichon to a level equaled only by its consistency all over the world. In October of 2006, Lencquesaing joined forces with Champagne Louis Roederer, thus opening a new chapter in the long and magnificent history of Château Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande.

The vast majority of the vineyards are Gunzian gravel mounds of the classic Pauillac composition, with the deep bed of gravel placed over a substrata of clay and limestone. The commitment to sustainable farming practices extends throughout the 220 acres of vineyards, with over 27 acres fully converted to organic viticulture, and 37 acres farmed biodynamically.

After reception of the harvest, destemming and crushing, the grapes are placed in temperature-controlled wooden or stainless-steel vats, of variable capacity, allowing a precise and rigorous selection by plot. The heating and cooling system enables the alcoholic and malolactic fermentations to be controlled with precision. The vatting period ranges from 18 to 24 days depending on the year. Frequent pump-overs are performed to extract maximum colour and tannins from the skins.

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 the soft richness that is 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; a little more than half 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.

Racking takes place every three months up to the bottling. Traditional fining with egg whites is still carried out to clarify the wine.

The nose is refined, classy and complex, offering delicious aromas of licorice and blackcurrant, as well as floral nuances of red roses and peony. It goes on to reveal more mineral notes of earth and roots, with nuances reminiscent of Virginia tobacco. Starts out remarkably straightforward on the palate, becoming full-bodied, with controlled power and well-balanced extraction mid-palate. The delicious and flavorsome finish is underpinned by polished and precise tannins. Pastry, juicy and fruity notes (blue and black fruit) combine with cedar aromas, adding finesse and complexity.

The winter was relatively mild, favouring rather early bud break in the first half of April. This period saw some very cold nights, particularly on 5 April, requiring us to take all the necessary steps to protect the vines from frost. The growing season was marked by regular rainy spells and a high threat of mildew. Thanks to a great deal of effort and the fact that rainfall was scattered a few days apart, the threat of vine diseases remained under control, allowing flowering to unfold in late May and veraison (colour change) in early August. Despite the impression of a gloomy spring and summer, with several cold and rainy spells, particularly between June and August, the growing season was one of the driest years in modern history. The harvest took place from 6 to 30 September 2023– virtually the same dates as the previous vintage. Excellent weather conditions during the harvest meant pickers could wait until the ideal time to harvest the grapes, according to the technological and phenolic ripeness achieved in each plot.