“A beautiful effort, the 2009 Pichon Lalande, a blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot, possesses copious mocha, lead pencil, unsmoked, high class tobacco, black currant, forest floor and herbaceous characteristics. In recent years, the 2009 vintage was one of the most highly scored by Robert Parker, winning a commendable 95-point score: Often softer and more approachable in its youth than that of other Medoc producers, it nonetheless ages well.
Voluptuous, feminine and silky are words frequently employed in describing the wine from Pichon Lalande wine, its character beautifully exhibiting the velvety properties of Merlot. She is succeeded by Nicolas Glumineau, formerly of Chateau Montrose. Sylvie Cazes, who was managing director here (as well as being president of the UGCB) until late 2012 also brought a lot of prestige to the estate. Frederic Rouzard, head of Roederer and President of Pichon Lalande, was made 10th place in The Drinks Business’s Luxury Power 50 list of 2011 and knows a few things about fine wine branding. Of course, credit must go to the stewardship the estate has had under the Rouzard family of the Champagne Louis Roederer firm. This has allowed Pichon Lalande to create wines in post-2000 vintages that are on average 3 RPJ points better than those of the previous decade. The interest generated by Mr Parker’s flagging up of potent investment prospects has already begun to be felt, as has the investment made in the vineyards which has included soil mapping and geological surveys. It is this ‘investor value potential’ that Robert Parker was highlighting when he named Pichon Lalande among his ‘Magical 20’ at a tasting of the 2009 vintage in Hong Kong during the latter part of 2011. As Asians and buyers in other expanding international markets move away from Lafite, Latour and other inflated Premier Crus, the Super-Second brands are picking up the slack and experiencing the steady, organic growth that comes with Chinese buyers turning their gaze onto labels that represent value. These estates, regularly outclassing their Second-Growth siblings in quality and occasionally even showing signs of First-growth standard, are currently feeling the benefits of maturing buying behaviour in the Far East. The international reputation of this "Super Second" Growth can be attributed to unfailing quality and dynamic owners.Next to Ducru-Beaucaillou and Leoville Las-Cases, Chateau Pichon Lalande is one of the most sought-after ‘Super-Seconds’. Traditional methods and modern technology combine to make the most of the estate's prestigious soil. The unusual choice of grape varieties (there is a much higher percentage of Merlot than average) is a partial explanation for this wine's outstanding personality, marked by elegance, balance and finesse. Bordering on Chateau Latour, Second Growth Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande is located in the southern part of Pauillac, near Saint-Julien. Just two families have been responsible for maintaining this wine's superb reputation for three centuries. In 1978, May-Eliane de Lencquesaing, daughter of Edouard Miailhe, in turn inherited this beautiful property and devoted herself entirely to continuing the tradition of quality wine.
This took on the name of Chateau Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande. In 1850, Virginie de Pichon Longueville, Countess de Lalande, and her two sisters inherited three-fifths of the vineyard from their father. The Pichon Longueville estate goes back to 1688-1689.