Château Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 2020

A balanced and aromatic red wine from Pauillac

The estate

A 2nd Classified Growth of Pauillac, the magnificent Château Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande shines bright in the Pauillac appellation.

It was in 1925 that the Miailhe family, in the guise of Edouard and Louis Miailhe, acquired this property on Bordeaux’s Left Bank. May-Eliane de Lencquesaing, daughter of Edouard Miailhe, is an emblematic figure in Gironde viticulture. She ran Château Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande from 1978 to 2007, when the Rouzaud family, owners of the Louis Roederer Champagne House, acquired the estate.

The vineyard

The Pichon Longueville estate comprises 92 hectares, 72 of which are planted to the vine. The soils, composed of gravel outcroppings upon a clayey-sandy subsoil, are home to vines aged 30 years on average. This great Pauillac vineyard is managed with sustainable viticulture and biodynamic practices on 32 hectares.

The vintage

While warm temperatures in the winter favoured early bud burst, the months of April and May were hot and marked by very heavy rainfall. These conditions did not affect flowering, which was early and rapid. A cool and fairly rainy month of June preceded a hot, dry summer. The rains in August helped the vines ripen and avoid water stress. The grapes harvested were of very high quality.

Winemaking and ageing

Plot vinification. Vatting by gravity. Tapered double-wall thermo-regulated tanks. Ageing for 12 months in barrels (40% new) with medium long toasting. Traditional racking à l’esquive.

Blend

Cabernet Sauvignon (77%)
Merlot (17%)
Cabernet Franc (6%).

Characteristics and tasting tips for Château Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 2020

Tasting

Nose
Frank and beautifully pure, the nose expresses fragrances of blackberry, blackcurrant and peony with tasty notes of cedar typical of the appellation.

Palate
Wonderfully elegant, the palate entices with its perfect balance between power, length, fullness and a delicious feel. Aromas of blackcurrant and blackberry coat the palate, whose chiseled tannic structure delicately blends precision and flavour.