Reserve de la Comtesse 2015

$72.00
Out of stock
SKU
4849-2015

Other Vintages We Offer:

• Domaine: Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande
• Appellation: Pauillac
• Classification: Second Wine, Second Growth, 2ème Grand Cru Classé
• Origin: Left Bank, Bordeaux, France

The story of Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 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.  Laguna Cellar invites you to discover the fabulous second wine of this estate, Réserve de la Comtesse.  This voluptuous wine is a powerhouse in its own right, and though it is a second wine is not to be underestimated.   

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.  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 hired Sylvie Cazes to oversee the property. The estate was promptly 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.

Réserve de la Comtesse was created and sold for the first time in 1973.  The vines benefit from the same know-how as the grand vin and the end result is a more accessible, user friendly  version of the wine. Réserve de la Comtesse is usually made with a mixture of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot that grow on the same plots as the vines used for the grand vin.  With both holdings in Pauillac and Saint-Julien, these 100% organically farmed wines require a bit of time to unfold, though one can enjoy this offering a bit sooner than the more powerful and richly concentrated grand vin

Tasting Notes

"The 2015 Reserve de la Comtesse is a blend of 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot. It has a very fine, quite sophisticated and pure bouquet with black cherries, cedar and violet aromas, perfumed and sensual. The palate is medium-bodied with supple, rounded tannin that is cloaked by layers of tobacco-tinged black fruit that segues into a long, lightly spiced finish. This is a delightful, quite serious deuxième vin that I suspect will age much longer than drinkers will afford it. Try to give this five years and you will be rewarded." - Neal Martin, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (4/27/2016, Issue 224), Ratings: 90-92, Drink: 2020-2035

 

More Information
Stock Status Out of Stock
Appellation Pauillac
Vintage 2015
Brand Château Pichon Lalande
Shipping Weight 3.000000

 

Pauillac is best known as the appellation that produces 3 of the 5 First Growths estates in Bordeaux. Blessed by an exceptional terroir, Pauillac is located in the northern part of the Médoc peninsula, on the Left Bank along the Gironde estuary, an ideal placement contributing to moderating the climate and providing optimal conditions for wine cultivation. Pauillac is bordered by two other prestigious wine appellations: Saint-Estèphe to the north and Saint-Julien to the south.

Pauillac's terroir, characterized by gravelly soils, is often considered one of the finest for the production of Cabernet Sauvignon, the predominant grape in Pauillac’s blends. The gravel helps with drainage and reflects heat, encouraging ripening and concentration of flavors in Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Malbec grapes. Such exceptional predispositions explain that Pauillac is home to some of Bordeaux's most renowned and iconic wine estates. They include First Growths estates such as Château Lafite Rothschild, Château Mouton Rothschild, and Château Latour. Other famous estates include Château Pichon-Longueville Baron, Château Pichon-Lalande, Château Duhart-Milon, Château Pontet-Canet, Château Batailley, Château Lynch Bages, Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste, Château Grand-Puy Ducasse, Château Haut-Batailley, Château Lynch-Moussas, Château d'Armailhac, Château Haut-Bages Liberal, Château Pedesclaux, Château Clerc Milon, Château Croizet-Bages.

Pauillac wines are known for their deep color, complex aromas, and rich, full-bodied flavors, including notes of cassis, blackcurrant, cedar, tobacco, and graphite, with a pronounced tannic structure, which require several years or even decades of bottle aging to reveal their full potential. 

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