Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande

Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande has been owned by the Rouzaud family since 2007, who also own Louis Roderer champagnes.

Since the arrival of the Roederer family at the head of the estate, major restructuring work has been undertaken in the vineyard. Close to the river, the 78 hectares of vines cross the Jalle de Saint-Julien to reach the Léoville plateau, before extending onto the large Pichon Longueville plateau to the south of the Pauillac appellation. The exceptional richness of the Pauillac appellation is the result of poor, sparse soil. The hilltops are composed of gravel on clay, a composition that promotes excellent drainage. This gravel dates back to the Quaternary period and is known as Garonne gravel.

Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande remains faithful to the tradition of hand harvesting. Each year, more than 100 people—often the same families from Andalusia—harvest the estate's grapes according to their degree of ripeness and the age of the plots: Merlot, an early-ripening variety, kicks off the harvest, while Cabernet and Petit Verdot, late-ripening varieties, bring it to a close. Rigorous sorting is carried out in the vineyards and upon arrival at the reception area.

The variety of the plots, due to the soil composition and grape varieties, explains the complexity of the personality of Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande wines. On the palate, the tannins are well present, ripe and mellow, revealing a strong structure, surprising suppleness, perfect harmony and a long finish. When young, the wine is seductive without compromising its longevity. The Réserve de la Comtesse also plays on roundness and finesse with its red fruit aromas and delicate woodiness.