|
 
Chateau Pichon Longueville de Lalande is ideally situated between the Gironde estuary and the Atlantic Ocean. These two masses of water favour the movement of air, which clears the sky of clouds and reduces rainfall. The region of Pauillac benefits from a microclimate that is relatively dry which helps the concentration of the grapes.
Chateau Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande remains faithful to the tradition of hand picking during the harvests. Every year more than one hundred people - often the same families from Andalusia - pick the grapes in accordance with their maturity and the age of the parcel of land: The Merlot, an early grape, begins the harvests, the Cabernet and the Petit Verdot, late varieties, close the harvests. A very rigorous selection is carried out among the vines and later in the receiving bin.
After the preparation of the cuvee, the wine is transferred into Allier and Nievre forest oak barrels. The wood ennobles to wine, endowing it with aromas, the tannin, thanks to the slow diffusion of air through its pores, melts the elements of the wine which would otherwise be lacking due to its young age.
The unique encepagement and the twelve hectares of vines situated on the soils of St Julien endow the wines of Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande with an exceptional personality compared with the other crus of the Pauillac appellation. Complexity, elegance and longevity are the hallmarks of this race, they are found every year during the creation of the vintages..
The nose is distinguished by a bouquet of aromas, mixing blackcurrant and violet, vanilla and cinnamon. In the palate, the tannins appear mature and melted, revealing a strong and affirmed structure, a surprising suppleness, perfect harmony and long persistency. The wine is seductive when young without prejudicing its longevity. James Laubé of the Wine Spectator baptised Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande, "A First Class Second Cru", a most fitting tribute.
May Eliane de Lencquesaing is the owner and administrator of Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande. She naturally revive the tradition of the Comtesse de Lalande, personally overseeing the management of the family domain with her passion for wine and strict management.
The terrace at Château Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande offers a spectacular view of the vineyards in Pauillac and Saint Julien as well as the Gironde Estuary.
Art & Culture
This estate has been devoted to culture ever since the 17th century. In the early 19th century, Sophie de Pichon Longueville, student of the painter Gérard, decorated the family home with fourteen admirable paintings.
The chateau's Orangerie currently displays a collection of elegant antique glassware, some of which is over 3000 years old. There are wine glasses and goblets as well as Greek, Roman, and Syrian carafes. The Afghani and Chinese glasses have survived the years marvellously, despite their fragility.
These incredibly old pieces are displayed alongside glasses from Venice and Bohemia, as well as French and English glasses from the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries. Engraved glasses, cut glass, blue opaline, and Bohemian red glassware exemplify the virtuosity of master glassmakers.
A crystal and vermeil Fabergé ewer made in Moscow in 1894 is one of the collection's finest pieces.
The late 19th and early 20th centuries are represented by Gallé, Lalique, Daum, and Baccarat. The elegant glass paste items goes far beyond their utilitarian purpose to become veritable works of sculpture.
Contemporary artists give the collection another dimension: designs by Jean-Paul Van Lith, the Leperlier brothers, Jean-Claude Novaro, Trilogie de Martinez (France), stunning items by Weinberg, Chihuly, and Rossol (USA), a large amber glass oval by Vasicek
(Czech Republic), a vase with a trout design by Japanese artist Hiroshi Yamano's, Kosta Boda glasses from Sweden, etc.
The diversity and creativity of these works of art is truly highlighted in this exceptional setting.
And why did May-Eliane de Lencquesaing spend 20 years accumulating such an impressive collection of glassware?
She feels that there is a similarity between the modesty of the origins of glass and those of wine: glass is made from the humble raw material, sand, and wine from a wild creeper, the vine. Both are utterly transformed by human intelligence and expertise to create something which is not merely a product, but a work of art.
  
Facts & Figures
Area under vine
75 hectares
Production
180,000 bottles
Soil
The exceptional wealth of the Pauillac appellation is due to the poor and miserly earth. The hilltops are made up of gravel on top of clay, a composition which favours excellent water drainage. It is the gravel of the first quaternary, called Garonne Gravel, namely that of the Günzienne layer (the oldest and most elevated) that explains the quality of the best vineyards of the Haut-Médoc.
Grape varieties
45% Cabernet Sauvignon
35% Merlot
12% Cabernet Franc
8% Petit Verdot
Aging
The Grand Vin of Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande is matured for 18 months in the barrels, of which 50% are new oak and 50% one year old oak. 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, the exchange between new wood and the wine must be harmonious and balanced. It is for this reason that the "Réserve de la Comtesse" is made with only 25% new wood.
Second wine
Réserve de la Comtesse
Other Chateaux
Chateau Bernadotte
  
Wines available
|
