![]() 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. In 2007, Maison Louis Roederer began a new chapter in the long and magnificent history of Château Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande. Her indefatigable passion elevated Pichon to a level equaled only by its consistency all over the world. 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.įor over thirty years, owner May Eliane de Lencquesaing modernized the château‘s installations in the truest respect for tradition. In tasting, I found the two wines more differentiated stylistically, which has not often been the case.Founded in 1689, Château Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande has quite a spectacular history. Glumineau added that the Merlots showed a wider range of quality, while the Cabernets were more homogeneous. Yields were 42 hectoliters per hectare, which is typical for the château. General Manager and Winemaker Nicolas Glumineau describes 2019 as a year of drought, until rains arrived at the end of July and middle of August, which were very important for the maturation of the Cabernets in mid-October. ![]() The 2019 Pichon Comtesse is a very serious wine that almost certainly has more to say than it is willing to express at this stage. Dark fruit, menthol, rose petal, licorice and grilled herbs all flesh out over time. Time in the glass brings out the aromatic intensity of the Cabernets. The 2019 Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande evokes a feeling of real power and breadth, with tons of energy giving the wine drive that builds into the finish. It has a seductive, seamless profile that offers pleasure even today (although it needs lots of air to show at its best) yet needs 7-8 years of bottle age to hit the early stages of its prime drink window and will evolve for another 40-50 years if stored properly. It builds slowly with time in the glass and has remarkable purity of fruit, ultra-fine tannins, perfect balance, and a finish that just begs you to pour another glass. Deep, full-bodied, and pure perfection on the palate, it has this incredible marriage of Latour-like stature and regalness buffered by wonderful, sexy, seamless fruit, which no doubt comes from the higher Merlot content and makes Comtesse de Lalande so singular and unique. More elegant and poised from bottle than barrel, it offers a brilliant perfume of crème de cassis, lead pencil shavings, tobacco leaf, damp earth, and graphite. Brought up in roughly 60% new French oak, it hit 14.1% natural alcohol with a pH of 3.7. A blend of 71% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, and 6% Cabernet Franc that was harvested from mid-September through October 8th. ![]() Pure class, the 2019 Château Pichon-Longueville Comtesse De Lalande is another brilliant wine from director Nicolas Glumineau that checks in at the top of the vintage.
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