Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande

The story of Pichon Comtesse begins in 1689 when Pierre de Mazure de Rauzan assembled plots of vines in what is now the heart of Pauillac. His daughter Thérèse received the estate as part of her dowry when she married Baron Jacques de Pichon Longueville in 1694, giving the property its name. The estate remained in the Pichon Longueville family for over 250 years until, on the death of Baron Joseph de Pichon Longueville in 1850, it was divided among his children. His daughter Virginie, wife of the Comte de Lalande, took the larger share, built the current château inspired by the Hotel de Lalande in Bordeaux, and gave the estate its enduring identity.

• Vineyard created in 1689 by Pierre de Mazure de Rauzan; Pichon Longueville family connection established through marriage in 1694
• Estate split in 1850; Virginie de Pichon Longueville, Comtesse de Lalande, took three-fifths of the original property
• Classified as a Second Growth (Deuxième Cru) in the 1855 Bordeaux Classification under Napoleon III
• Three families in three centuries: the Pichon Longuvilles, the Miailhes (from 1925), and the Rouzauds of Louis Roederer (from 2007)

Pichon Comtesse is defined by a remarkable tradition of female leadership. During the 18th century the property was run entirely by three women: Thérèse de Rauzan, Germaine de Lajus, and Marie Branda de Terrefort. Virginie de Pichon Longueville, the first Comtesse de Lalande, shaped its modern identity after 1850. In the 20th century, May-Eliane de Lencquesaing, daughter of Edouard Miailhe, took over in 1978 and ran the estate until 2007, more than doubling its vineyard size from 40 to around 89 hectares, championing Bordeaux internationally, and firmly establishing Pichon Comtesse among the elite classified growths.

• May-Eliane de Lencquesaing inherited the estate in 1978 and managed it for nearly three decades, overseeing major quality improvements
• Under her direction, the vineyard expanded from roughly 40 hectares to approximately 89 hectares, with significant Merlot planting
• Nicolas Glumineau, previously of Château Montrose, became Director in 2012 and has overseen the estate's most recent quality leap
• The estate's feminine history is honoured in the second wine's name: Pichon Comtesse Réserve, formerly Réserve de la Comtesse

Pichon Comtesse's 102-hectare vineyard sits in the southern part of the Pauillac appellation, directly adjacent to Château Latour, with approximately 11 hectares extending into the Saint-Julien commune. The terroir is characterised by gravelly outcrops on clay subsoils, moderated by the proximity of both the Gironde Estuary and the Atlantic Ocean. Under Roederer ownership, a targeted replanting program has steadily raised the proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon, with recent vintages reaching 70 to 75%. The harvest is entirely by hand, parcel by parcel, and vinification takes place in a gravity-flow vat room completed for the 2013 vintage. The grand vin ages for approximately 18 months in French oak barrels, around 50% new.

• 102 hectares under vine, including approximately 11 hectares in Saint-Julien, divided into roughly 65 individual parcels across six main blocks
• Gravel-dominant soils over clay and sandy-clay subsoils; microclimate tempered by the Gironde Estuary
• Blend evolving toward 70 to 75% Cabernet Sauvignon with replanting; historically known for higher Merlot than typical Pauillac peers
• Demeter biodynamic certification achieved in 2021 following conversion that began in 2014; vines average around 40 years in age

Pichon Comtesse is one of the most celebrated Super Seconds in Bordeaux, a designation earned through decades of performance that frequently exceeds its Second Growth classification. Critic Antonio Galloni has described it as the single hottest château on Bordeaux's Left Bank. Since 2010, the estate has earned four perfect 100-point scores from major critics, driven by the transformative investment and replanting program under Roederer ownership. The best recent vintages, including 2016, 2019, and 2022, are widely considered among the finest in the estate's history, rivalling first growths in blind tastings.

• Recognised as a Super Second, consistently competing with and sometimes outperforming Pauillac first growths in critical assessments
• Four perfect 100-point scores received from major critics since 2010, reflecting a sustained quality leap
• Top vintages include 1982, 1989, 1995, 1996, 2009, 2010, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2020, and 2022
• James Laube of Wine Spectator has called it a Second Cru of First Class quality

Pichon Comtesse is classically identified by an elegant, refined character often described as more approachable and complex than the more austere Pichon Baron across the road. The wines display a hallmark silky texture, blackcurrant and plum fruit, tobacco and cedar aromatics, and a fine-grained tannic structure. While the estate was historically known for its higher Merlot percentage relative to other Pauillacs, the ongoing replanting program is increasing Cabernet Sauvignon's dominance in the vineyard and recent blends. This is giving modern vintages greater definition and longevity while maintaining the estate's signature polish.

• Aromatic profile: blackcurrant, plum, violet, cedar, tobacco, and graphite, with earthy and leather notes emerging with age
• Textural hallmark: silky, fine-grained tannins providing early approachability without sacrificing age-worthiness
• Blend evolution: historically around 45% Cabernet Sauvignon and 35% Merlot; recent vintages moving to 70 to 75% Cabernet Sauvignon
• Drinking window typically 10 to 25 years for top vintages; earlier-drinking than Latour but benefiting greatly from cellaring

Pichon Comtesse and its neighbour Pichon Baron were once a single estate and today sit facing one another on either side of the main road through Pauillac. Their contrasting styles, both historically and today, make them a compelling comparative study for wine students. Pichon Baron (owned by AXA Millésimes) is typically described as more austere and masculine; Pichon Comtesse has long been characterised as more supple and elegant. Both were classified as Second Growths in 1855 and both are considered Super Seconds today. Their shared origin and divergent evolution make them an ideal lens for understanding how ownership, winemaking philosophy, and Merlot-to-Cabernet ratio shape Pauillac's stylistic spectrum.

• Pichon Baron and Pichon Comtesse share a common origin in the original Pichon Longueville estate, divided in 1850
• Pichon Baron (AXA Millésimes) tends toward more tannic, structured wines; Pichon Comtesse is associated with more textural elegance
• Both classified as Second Growths in 1855; both regarded today as Super Seconds alongside Léoville Las Cases and Cos d'Estournel
• The estate's plots in Saint-Julien, bordering Léoville Las Cases and Léoville Poyferré, contribute to its distinctive aromatic finesse