The estate was founded in 1689 by Pierre de Mazure de Rauzan and the vineyard acquired its name a few years later when his daughter Thérèse received it as part of her dowry on her marriage to Jacques de Pichon Longueville, the first President of the Parliament of Bordeaux. It was divided upon the death of Baron Joseph in 1850 between his five children. However, only two of his children finally inherited the vineyards; Raoul and Virginie. Virginie married Count Henri de Lalande, giving her the title, and took over control of the domain. Her passion and the quality of her management made her a strong personality in the Médoc and she very much left her mark on the domain. In the 1855 classification, Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande acquired the status of 2eme Cru Classé.
The 76 hectares of this vineyard border the property of Château Latour and stretch south of Pauillac towards the Commune of Saint Julien, whence it gets its extraordinary charm. The exceptional character of the wines produced here, are distinguished by their elegance and finesse.
The temperatures were carefully regulated during the fermentation and the maceration to obtain an aromatic and silky expression of the vintage. Overall, the alcohol-tannin-acid balance was excellent. Malolactic fermentation was minimal due to low temperatures. Maceration: 18 to 24 days. The wine spends 18 months in French oak barrels, 60% new.
An early bud break at the end of March followed by two rather cold and wet months. The vine cycle slowed down and was subject to a heavy dose of mildew. The flowering was a bit late (around June 10) while a very long, dry summer arrived on June 20. In general the veraison was late and slow to develop and carried on until August 23 for the petit verdot. September and October were very dry and sunny months which provided excellent conditions for ripening. The optimal maturity of each parcel was achieved during the harvest between the September 20 and October 20.
“Nature knows how to reward the winemaker who works hard to look after his land. 2016 is an exceptional vintage and joins the prestigious list of other outstanding years like 1959, 1982, 1996, 2009… 2016.”
– Nicolas Glumineau
As part of the collection of great vintages of Pichon Comtesse, 2016 offers a powerful, intense and elegant wine. Intensely floral notes of violet, wild blackcurrant and raspberries and spices. The wine is completed with a long finish and smooth tannins.
Lamb, red meats, cheese, truffle and chocolate.
Serve at room temperature.
Wine Spectator: 97 POINTS, #97 TOP 100 WINES OF 2019
March 31, 2019, James Molesworth
“Saturated with dark currant, fig and blackberry compote flavors, this has a fleshy, nearly glycerin feel at first before stretching out to reveal singed cedar, tobacco leaf, dark earth and cassis bush flavors. A terrific tug of cast iron emerges at the very end. Deliciously juicy dark fruit keeps rolling throughout. Best from 2025 through 2040.”
Jeb Dunnuck: 100 POINTS
February 28, 2019, Jeb Dunnuck
“Coming from the genius winemaking talent of Nicolas Glumineau, the 2016 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande matches the 1982 and is a perfect, legendary wine in the making. A blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot, and 4% Cabernet Franc brought up in 60% new oak, it’s not the most powerful Left Bank but offers perfect balance and thrilling intensity as well as heavenly aromatics of crème de cassis, leafy herbs, jammy blackberries, tobacco leaf, and freshly sharpened lead pencils as well as more violets and minerality with time in the glass. Possessing a deep, full-bodied, singular character, the purity of fruit that’s the hallmark of the vintage, building tannins, and a sense of class and elegance that’s hard to describe, it’s a 50-year-wine. While this cuvée has included a fair chunk of Merlot in the past that gave it more upfront appeal, it’s important for readers to know it’s much more Cabernet Sauvignon-dominated today, and while it is slightly more approachable than some of its neighbors, it shuts down rather quickly with time in the glass. (I followed this wine for multiple days.) I suspect a solid decade of cellaring is warranted.”
JamesSuckling.com: 98 POINTS
February 4, 2019, James Suckling
“Glorious aromas of blackcurrants, blackberries and flowers, from violets to roses. Iron and rust undertones. Full-bodied, dense and very layered with loads of richness. It goes on for minutes. Reminds me of the 1986. Best in decades? Take a first look at it in 2025.”
Vinous Media: 100 POINTS
January 2019, Antonio Galloni
“The 2016 Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande is every bit as regal as it has always been. Towering and spectacularly rich in the glass, the 2016 captures every ounce of potential is showed from barrel. The 2016 is a vivid, dramatically sweeping wine that will leave readers week at the knees. Beams of tannin give the 2016 soaring intensity that is matched by a host of aromas and flavors that open up in the glass. Blackberry jam, graphite, spice, menthol, licorice, pencil shavings and spice are all finely sketched in a bold, savory Pauillac that hits all the right notes. The 2016 Pichon Comtesse has been riveting on each of the four occasions I have tasted it from barrel thus far, making it easily one of the wines of the vintage. Nicolas Glumineau and his team turned out an epic Pichon Comtesse in 2016. Don’t miss it!”
The Wine Advocate: 98+ POINTS
November 30, 2018, Lisa Perrotti-Brown
“The 2016 Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande is blended of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot and 4% Cabernet Franc aged for 18 months in 60% new oak. Deep purple-black in color, it is a little mute, slowly unfurling to reveal a core of crushed blackcurrants, blueberry compote and black raspberries with nuances of cinnamon stick, violets, star anise, menthol and pencil shavings plus a waft of fallen leaves. Medium-bodied and super intense in the mouth, the palate bursts with black fruits and savory layers, complemented by red fruit sparks and framed by fantastically ripe, fine-grained tannins, finishing very long with a lingering suggestion of minerality.”
Decanter: 98 POINTS
October 7, 2018, Jane Anson
“They practice biodynamic methods across 6ha of the total 76ha in production here. Cabernet dominant, it’s very Pauillac in style and totally lives up to its en primeur promise. The tannins deepen and tighten and here we are, smack-bang in the northern Médoc. This is youthful, rich, powerful and intense; very good quality. It gets better and better as you return to it, and I’m really impressed with the texture and depth of the silky-smooth palate: pure cassis notes alongside hawthorn, hedgerow and liquorice. Matured in 60% new oak.”
AOC Pauillac, Bordeaux
54% Cabernet Sauvignon
37% Merlot
5% Petit Verdot
4% Cabernet Franc
Natural Cork
13.1%
3.71
No
No
