Château Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 2025

Tasting notes and characteristics of Château Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 2025

Tasting

Appearance
This wine reveals a deep hue, an intense purple-violet shading towards dark garnet, underlined by a beautiful brilliance and great density.

Nose
The aromatic bouquet is particularly complex and evolving. It opens with intense aromas of blackberry and blackcurrant, before revealing delicate floral notes reminiscent of violet, rose and peony. With aeration, elegant touches of dark tobacco, black tea leaves and cedar come to enrich the whole.

Palate
The attack is vibrant and full, offering a texture that is at once soft, ample and fleshy. The palate unfolds with elegance, supported by silky, powdery tannins of great finesse. The whole perfectly combines the characteristic depth of its terroir with a persistent and energetic finish.

Food and wine pairings
This great red wine pairs wonderfully with characterful meats such as a rack of lamb, a beef fillet or a roasted duck breast. It also accompanies game, braised poultry, as well as vegetarian dishes rich in mushrooms or truffles very well.

Serving and cellaring
To fully appreciate Château Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 2025 in its youth, it is recommended to decant it two to four hours before tasting and to serve it at a temperature of around 15.5°C. Endowed with exceptional ageing potential, this vintage can be enjoyed until around 2065.

The elegance and balance of a great Pauillac

The estate
Created in 1850 following the division of a vast historic estate, Château Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande is an emblematic property of the Bordeaux region. Acquired in 2007 by the Rouzaud family, also owner of the famous champagne brand Louis Roederer, this estate extends over 114 hectares, of which 92 hectares are currently in production. Recognised as a Deuxième Grand Cru Classé, it stands out for its exceptional terroir and its strong commitment to environmentally respectful practices, producing wines that combine power and great sensuality.

The vineyard
Located in the prestigious Pauillac appellation, the vineyard rests on deep mounds of Garonne gravel, overlooking clay-sandy subsoils. The vines, with an average age of 28 years, are planted at a high density of 9,000 vines per hectare. Benefiting from the regulating proximity of the Gironde estuary, the estate is engaged in a demanding environmental approach. The entire vineyard is now farmed organically, with the application of biodynamic preparations on a large majority of the plots, thus encouraging the pure expression of the terroir.

The vintage
The year was marked by extreme weather conditions, with a historic drought. After budburst in early April and flowering in late May, the dry spring gave way to a particularly hot and arid summer. Veraison took place at the end of July, leading to rapid ripening of the berries. These conditions resulted in low yields and very early harvests, beginning on 28 August and ending on 24 September. Despite some rainfall in September, the sanitary state of the grapes remained absolutely impeccable.

Vinification and ageing
The crafting of Château Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 2025 is based on highly precise plot-by-plot vinification. The harvest is vatted by gravity into double-walled, temperature-controlled truncated conical stainless steel vats. The teams favoured a gentle infusion method rather than strong extraction in order to preserve the elegance of the berries. The wine then benefits from 18 months of ageing in oak barrels, 65% of which are new, with a long, medium toast. Traditional practices are maintained, including gentle racking and fining with egg whites. Alcohol content: 13% vol.

Grape varieties
81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot and 4% Cabernet Franc.