Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande - Pauillac (Grand Cru Classé) 2006 (750ml)

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Producer	Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande
Country	France
Region	Bordeaux
Subregion	Pauillac
Varietal	Merlot,  Cabernet Sauvignon,  Cabernet Franc
Vintage	2006
Sku	111624
Size	750ml
ABV	13.00%

 

MT

Pierre de Mazure de Rauzan, a wealthy bourgeois trader from Bordeaux, bought some vineyards near the Latour fiefdom and established a wine-growing estate, L’Enclos Rauzan.

A little later his daughter, Thérèse, received it as a dowry for her marriage to Jacques François de Pichon Longueville, President of the Bordeaux Parliament. And so began the history of one of the greatest Bordeaux vineyards, which stayed in the same family for over 250 years.

As early as the eighteenth century, this great wine was already benefiting from a significant feminine touch. The Pichon Longueville baronesses – Thérèse de Rauzan, Germaine de Lajus and Marie Branda de Terrefort – were a strong guiding influence, managing the vineyard until the eve of the French Revolution.

The young Baron Joseph de Pichon Longueville inherited the vineyard from his mother, Marie de Terrefort, when he was just 19. He died at the age of 90, having lived through three revolutions, the reign of five kings, two republics and an empire. In spite of the difficult times he doggedly sought to improve the quality of the wine. His efforts were rewarded in 1855, in the rankings carried out under Napoleon III, when the château was classed as a Second Cru.
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In 2007, Madame de Lencquesaing decided to pass on her vineyard, in order to secure its future. She chose Louis Roederer to take over from her. This family business headed up by Frédéric Rouzaud already owned two other Bordeaux crus, Château de Pez and Chateau Haut Beauséjour, in addition to other high quality wines in Provence, Portugal and the United States.
For three whole centuries, just two families did their work to make the château and its wines famous. Today, a third family now oversees the destiny of this cru, with the aim of building on the work accomplished so far – and raising the level of quality and prestige still further.

At the tasting, this wine reveals all its prestige and its class through a complexity and an aromatic richness that few wines are able to produce. Its length and its melted tannins are worthy of the greatest Pauillac.

It is great to see Pichon-Lalande back on superb form in 2006 with a wine whose purity and linear cassis fruit is reminiscent of their cracking 1996. General Manager Gildas d'Ollone and his team have produced a cerebral yet beguiling Pichon-Lalande full of sensual, exotic aromatics and pure supple flavours. This is a massive Pichon softened by a silky texture and velvety finish.

A genuine, rich and well balanced Pauillac, of good definition that can be qualified as classic. An unctuous, elegant and well crafted wine.

Critical Acclaim

RP95
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2006 Pichon Lalande, which blows away the 2005, represents a return to the velvety-textured, rich, sexy style most readers would associate with Pichon Lalande. This blend of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon and 36% Merlot no Petit Verdot was included in the final blend exhibits a dense purple color as well as abundant aromas of chocolate, coffee, cedar, black currants, and a subtle touch of smoke, a rich, savory, full-bodied mouthfeel, plump, fleshy fruit, and a superb finish. This is a 21st century version of the brilliant 1996. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2030.
WE94
Wine Enthusiast
The success of this wine owes as much to Merlot as to Cabernet. The Merlot has created the ripeness and smoothness of the wine. While the Cabernet keeps it firm and closed up, there is a base of rich, sweet fruit here that will show over the next two years. The style of the wine is moving away from elegance to power under the new regime of owners, Champagne Roederer.
WS92
Wine Spectator
Displays currant and blackberry, with hints of licorice. Full-bodied, with round, chewy tannins and lots of fruit under the structure. A rich wine for the vintage, needing plenty of bottle age. Best after 2014.