Château Pichon Lalande 2020

Many châteaux in Bordeaux are passed down from father to son and run by men, and one often hears winemakers rhapsodize poetically about the union between, “man and vine.”  Because of this, the story of Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande is a unique and important one.  It is a story about feminine influence.  The success of this illustrious Super Second is due to the contributions of powerful women who championed it throughout the ages.  Because of this, the stunningly voluptuous wines of Château Comtesse de Lalande are drinkable proof that girls do indeed rule.   

The origins of the property date back to 1850 when Baron Joseph Pichon Longueville divided his large estate in two upon his death; his male heirs received Château Pichon Longueville au Baron and his daughters received Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande. In the 18th Century, the property was run entirely by three women: Therese de Rauzan, Germaine de Laujus and Marie Branda de Terrefort.  Though it stood adjacent to the First Growth Château Latour, the wines from Comtesse de Lalande carved out a distinct taste profile from the traditional Pauillac style.  They were considered sensual and feminine.  After a few years, Virgine, the wife of the Count de Lalande, took over management of the estate.  She made many contributions including commissioning the popular architect Duphot to build a residence inspired by the Hotel de Lalande located in Bordeaux.  Instead of passing down the estate to male heirs, the estate was passed from aunts to nieces.  The female legacy was honored, and the estate remained in the hands of the same family for over 250 years.

In 1978, May-Eliane de Lencquesaing became the new owner and manager of Château Pichon Comtesse de Lalande.  She was nicknamed, “Le Générale,” partially because of her husband’s military background and partially because she was a force to be reckoned with.  In addition to increasing the size of the property from its original 40 hectares to 89 hectares, she traveled the globe and was a fierce champion of the Bordeaux region.  Under her management, quality of the wines skyrocketed, and they earned international recognition and critical acclaim.  Eventually, May-Eliane de Lencquesaing sold the estate to Champagne Roderer in 2007.  Roderer understood the importance of the feminine influence at Comtesse de Lalande and hired Sylvie Cazes to oversee the property. The estate was renovated and modernized, with a targeted replanting program and a triple tiered gravity-controlled cellar that cost upward of 15 million Euro.  This allowed the winemaking team to create softer, more supple wines at the Pauillac estate.

Though less of the grand vin is being made now, the quality continues to improve.  With both holdings in Pauillac and Saint-Julien, these 100% organically farmed wines require a bit of time to unfold.  They are softer than other Pauillacs but generally require at least 10 to 12 years of bottle ageing to show their sublime secondary characteristics.  Their textures are astonishingly silky, and they offer exquisite notes of truffle, dark berry, cassis and cedar.  Because of the consistent critical acclaim, this estate would be up for a promotion to a First Growth should a reclassification ever be in the cards.

"Deep purple-black in color, the 2020 Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande begins on a single, well-defined, wonderfully pure note of ripe blackcurrants, opening out to a melody of redcurrant jelly, kirsch, ripe blackberries and tar, with emerging suggestions of dark chocolate, cardamom, ground cloves and violets, with a waft of black truffles. Medium-bodied, tightly wound and with loads of fantastically nuanced black fruit layers, it has a rock-solid frame of finely grained tannins and bags of freshness, finishing long and mineral laced. The blend this year is 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot and 6% Cabernet Franc." Lisa Perotti-Brown, The Wine Advocate (05/20/2021) Rating: 95-97 Drink: 2026-2050

"Softer and silkier than many Pauillacs in the vintage, this is a clear success. Hugely silky and seductive, with grip, power and finesse. One of the best of the appellation, with finessed tobacco, heather and plump blueberry and cassis fruit, expertly managing the low 30hl/ha yield. 60% new oak. Tasted twice." Jane Anson, Bordeaux Primeur Week (04/30/2021) Rating: 96 Drink: 2030-2048

"An estate that has been on fire of late, the 2020 Château Pichon-Longueville Comtesse De Lalande is another brilliant wine in a succession of brilliant wines. Revealing a dense purple hue as well as full-bodied aromas and flavors of blac currants, scorched earth, tobacco leaf, and violets, it hits the palate with an expansive, rich, yet pure, precise texture that carries fabulous tannins, perfect balance, and a stacked mid-palate. Based on 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot, and 6% Cabernet Franc, it's an incredible wine that's going to flirt with perfection and is unquestionably one of the finest, if not the finest, Left Banks in the vintage. Bravo. Tasted twice. " Jeb Dunnuck, Bordeaux 2020: En Primeur Part 1 (05/23/2021) Rating: 98-100

"The 2020 Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande is holding so much in reserve. Tightly wound and not fully expressive, the 2020 is going to need at least a few years to come out of its shell. Bright acids and persistent tannins give the 2020 a super classic, mid-weight feel. I very much like the wine's persistence. Readers will have to be patient with the 2020. The exuberance of some recent vintages is not present today. The blend is 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot and 6% Cabernet Franc, which means a touch more Cabernet Sauvignon than in recent years, and quite a bit more than in the past. Harvest ran from September 7 to October 1, which is about ten days earlier than normal. In the cellar, Estate Manager Nicolas Glumineau opted for light extractions, with minimal pumpovers of just one volume of wine per day, at no more than 25 degrees Celsius. Time on the skins was 21 days, pretty much the norm these days. Tasted two times." Antonio Galoni, Vinous (June 2021) Rating: 95-97