The two Pichon Chateaux stand guard at the entrance to Pauillac from St Julien. These two formidable structures on opposite sides of the D2 are two of the most iconic building of the Medoc and two of the most iconic wines. Until recently, Madame de Lencquesaing along with her nephew, Gildas d’Ollone ran this estate with great success. The estate’s vineyards, bordering those of Chateau Latour at the south of the commune have produced many outstanding wines; this is classic Pauillac terroir ideally suited to producing great Cabernet Sauvignon. In 2007, Madame de Lencquesaing sold to Monsieur Rouzaud of the Champagne House, Louis Roederer. The appointment of Nicolas Glumineau, formally of another high flying second growth, Chateau Montrose has really transformed the fortunes of this superb estate. Nicolas has a Midas touch – he has managed to retain all the feminine charms of the Comtesse vineyard, but has added a polish and poise to the wines that is very impressive. It is now consistently amongst our favourite wines of the primeur tastings and one of the most sought after brands of Bordeaux.
There are currently 89 hectares under vine, 11 of which are actually in St Julien! The dominant varietal is unsurprisingly Cabernet Sauvignon (45%), but there is a slightly unusual 35% of Merlot planted in this region where Cabernet is king. This is a legacy of the previous owners, the Miailhe brothers. Replanting programs are addressing this balance and over time we will see more Cabernet in both wines.The estate was created by Pierre de Mazur de Rauzan at the end of the XVIIth century. The 80-hectare land (which included the Château Pichon Longueville Baron) originally extended from Pauillac and Saint-Julien. In 1694, de Rauzan's daughter married the Bordeaux politician Jacques Pichon Longueville, and the estate took the name Pichon. One of Pichon's daughters, the Comtesse de Lalande, became the next-generation owner of the estate.[2]
In 1850, the estate was divided into the two current Pichon estates.[3]
In 1925, Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande was bought by Edouard Miailhe and Louis Miailhe. The daughter of Edouard Miailhe, May Eliane de Lencquesaing (born in 1926) later became the owner and manager of the property.[4]
In 2006, de Lencquesaing sold a majority interest in the Château to the Rouzaud family, which also owns the Champagne house Louis Roederer.[3] In 2009, the Roederer Group invested 30 million dollars in a replanting plan and a new wine cellar, in a move to turn the whole operation into a biodynamic farm.[2]
