CHÂTEAU PICHON LALANDE
2012 2ème Cru Classé Pauillac
New director here - Nicolas Glumineau who was at Montrose. He was interesting about how the direction at Pichon is different to many Pauillacs. "Many properties are looking for more and more Cabernet, but for us there are great 'feminine' Merlots, which are an important part of Pichon Lalande. We have great terroirs for great Merlot." And yes, it is true that they do have Merlot planted on some very good terroirs, while many properties have relegated Merlot to the secondary, cooler, or later-ripening plots, as Merlot normally ripens earlier. Initially quiet nose, then spice, attack intense, there's a real core here, saline with fine tannins, nearly dries but the salinity gives appetising freshness. Tight and quite lean, pencil notes, the fruit more savoury than it is fruity. Sweet with blackcurrant tart notes even though the fruit is closed. It has the shape of a classic Pichon Comtesse of the eighties - a welcome return - supple and elegant but with underlying power. Rating: 93+ L&S (Apr 2013)
* This is a pre-shipment/primeur offer. All orders are accepted under the TERMS of this offer which differ from the terms of the rest of the site.
Medium ruby in colour, less intense towards the edge of the rim, suggesting a touch of evolution. This shows vanilla and sage spice, crushed dark cherries, with a mid palate dominated by velvety but still firm and present tannins. A wave of fresh acidity comes in on the finish and supports a rolling out of vanilla and sweet spices. The vintage profile is identifiable in the weight of the body, and the sweeter, drinkable style of the wine. 55% new oak, first year with Nicolas Glumineau as director (overseeing blending but not viticulture), with 50% 1st wine in production, harvest October 1-18. Drinking range: 2022 - 2040 Rating: 94 Jane Anson, Decanter (Nov 2022)
The 2012 Pichon-Lalande has a rather musky bouquet at first, juniper and mint infusing the black fruit, not quite translating the essence of Pauillac as well as others, though still attractive. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, fleshy and silky smooth. There is a veneer of high quality oak here, quite plush on the finish yet at the same time, nicely controlled. Good potential, though I would like to see improvement aromatically. Tasted twice at Bordeaux Index's Ten Year-On tasting and blind at the Southwold Ten-Year On tasting. Drinking range: 2022 - 2038 Rating: 91 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Sept 2022)
Ruby red, with sweet fruit on the nose, both enticing and fragrant. Grilled cedar and smoked caramel, this is expertly judged in its use of oak, balanced but with a richness that runs right through the palate. Grip and flecks of cocoa bean, graphite, cracked pepper, saline crackers make this is welcoming and gourmet. Can begin drinking with a carafe, will not outlive the most concentrated vintages of Comtesse, but absolutely no rush to get going. One of the wines of the tasting. Today's director Nicolas Glumineau did the blend of this vintage but didn't follow the vines through the growing season. Rating: 96 Jane Anson, www.janeanson.com (Mar 2022)
As it always is, the 2012 Pichon Lalande is a wine of pure and total seduction. The 2012 is neither the biggest nor most complex Pichon Lalande, but it is among the most pleasurable wine in this tasting, especially for near and medium-term drinking. Silky and medium in body, with lovely brightness, the 2012 has so much to offer. Drinking range: 2020 - 2042 Rating: 93 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Oct 2017)
There is a lot of concentrated black cherry on the nose and depth on the palate lots of brooding black fruits. Liquorice and dark chocolate add to the mid richness but towards the back there are some fresher flavours with some spicy pepper on the finish. 2020-35 Rating: 92-94 Derek Smedley MW, www.dereksmedleymw.co.uk (Dec 2013)
Good dark red. Dark plum, raspberry, graphite and violet on the nose. Smooth, fine-grained and sweet, with a floral quality to the plummy fruit. Has the middle to support its tannins and acids, and finishes with good length. Despite the difficult vintage, this struck me as a slightly more concentrated Pichon than the 2011. Talented Nicolas Glumineau was called over from Montrose to be the new technical director in the wake of Sylvie Cazes's departure. Rating: 88-91 Ian d'Agata, www.vinousmedia.com (May 2013)
Coming in at a lofty 13.2% natural alcohol, it offers up scents of black currants, white chocolate, berries, cedar and forest floor. Sweet tannin, a round opulence and medium body result in a classic, supple-textured Pauillac that should drink well young and keep for 12-15 years. It is very much in keeping with what most readers would consider the “house style” of Pichon Lalande, despite the fact that they are moving toward more Cabernet Sauvignon and less Petit Verdot in the final blend. Fifty percent of the crop made it into the final blend of 2012 Pichon Lalande, which includes more and more Cabernet Sauvignon under the new ownership of the Roederer Champagne firm. The 2012 is a blend of 59% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot. 2013 - 2028 Rating: 91-93 Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate, www.RobertParker.com (Apr 2013)
Round, relaxed and easy though without massive concentration. Gentle and not the most ambitious, but fresh and lively and good punch. Attractive finish. Hums along… Very dry on the finish. 2020 - 2030. Rating: 16.5 Jancis Robinson OBE MW - www.JancisRobinson.com (Apr 2013)
Newly appointed from Château Montrose, Nicolas Glumineau said the team at Pichon took particular care to avoid over-extraction in 2012. The higher percentage of Merlot certainly helped, as this is a polished, assured performance from the Louis Roederer-owned property, with a combination of concentration and freshness on the palate and the backbone to age. Drink: 2020-35 Rating: 94 Tim Atkin MW, www.timatkin.com (Apr 2013)
Slightly meaty and slighty spicy ripe fruit, with Merlot to the fore, good middle sweetness and a succulence that will impress over time. Drink: 2016 - 2032 Rating: 17.75 Steven Spurrier (Apr 2013)
Rating: 18 Matthew Jukes www.matthewjukes.com (Apr 2013)
Juicy and forward in feel, with a core of red currant and cherry paste, backed by notes of savory, plum skin and roasted vanilla bean that steadily emerge through the finish. Gains weight with aeration, displaying a more rounded feel than most of this vintage's Pauillacs. Rating: 89-92 James Molesworth, The Wine Spectator (Apr 2013)
Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande
Pauillac Deuxième cru 1855 Facing Château Latour across the road, at the southern end of Pauillac, are the twin Château Pichons. Originally one estate, the two were divided in 1850 on the death of Joseph Pichon. His son Raoul inherited the title of Baron de Longueville and the vineyards of Château Pichon Longueville Baron de Longueville, whilst his daughters inherited the portion that became Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande. The only daughter to produce off-spring was Marie-Laure who had married Comte Henri de Lalande in 1818 and it was her descendents, therefore, who shaped the future of Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande (or Pichon Comtesse as it is often more conveniently known). The two estates continued to be run as a single vineyard for another ten years, allowing them jointly to be awarded 2nd Growth status in 1855. Pichon Comtesse is now owned by the Rouzard family, owners of the Champagne house of Louis Roederer. Under the ownership of May de Lencquesaing in the final quarter of the 20th Century, the vineyard area of Pichon Comtesse grew from around 40ha to today's 75ha. The vines are 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc and 8% Petit Verdot. Fermentation takes place in stainless steel, with the wine spending 18 months in wood (50% new). Pichon Comtesse produce one of the most highly regarded second wines - Réserve de la Comtesse (recently renamed Pichon Comtesse La Réserve') - which rivals many other estate's grand vins. The healthy reputation that Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande enjoys puts it clearly in the mould of a "super second" - those 2nd Growth estates who's wines merit comparison with the Premier Grand Cru Classés. Pichon Comtesse has had the better of comparisons with its sibling Pichon Baron whose fortunes waned during the 20th Century even if, today, they are on a more equal footing. It is inevitable that the two Pichons will be compared with one another, with Comtesse being a more subtle seductive wine than its slightly foresquare namesake.
Please make sure that you have read the terms of this offer which are different from those of the main website. If you are unclear as to what is involved in primeur purchases please do call us, but see the 'practical notes' below.
Ordering
Prices are per case as listed 'in bond London'.
Pre-Orders are a firm commitment from you to buy the wines you order on release, subject to the price being below the upper price of the estimated band on our website. You may also set your own upper price limit, lower or higher than ours. Pre-orders will be fulfilled subject to availability. Providing this firm commitment to us effectively gives you priority.
Wines listed on the website (after any pre-orders and allocations have been fulfilled) can be ordered in the usual way via the website order form or by email or telephone 020 7221 1982, always subject to stock remaining.
Confirmation
All orders will be confirmed by email and are contractually binding unless written cancellation is received within seven days of the confirmation date, apart from pre-orders which are binding if the release price is below the top estimate or other price you have set.
Invoices are raised at the In Bond price, excluding any duty and VAT which will become payable at the prevailing rates on arrival of the wine if required duty paid.
Payment is required on sight of invoice, by cash, cheque, debit card or credit transfer. We reserve the right to charge 2% per month on invoices unpaid after 30 days.
Delivery
- Shipment to our bond (LCB Creek Road) and insurance are included in the in bond price.
- Delivery is free to Lea and Sandeman / Elephant storage accounts, both duty paid and in bond.
- Other deliveries (In Bond and Duty Paid) are also free subject to a minimum order from the offer of £1000, orders below this total will be charged £16.50+ VAT when the wine invoices are issued. We will group deliveries and this is a charge for your entire purchases, not a per-case charge.
- Delivery for 2016 Bordeaux primeurs will probably be completed by October 2019, but we make no guarantee as to specific delivery times, and some of the Sauternes may be later.
Practical notes - how it works
We start a sale in each customer's name and add all their primeur orders to one sale which is invoiced at the end of the campaign (or when the customer wishes) for immediate payment. We and our customers find that having a single invoice for the vintage is the simpler option, but do please note that confirmed orders are still binding as above even if the final invoice has not been issued.
When the wine is shipped, unless previously specified we will assume that delivery is to be to bonded storage with Elephant Storage, but in any case, we will contact you requesting any alternative instructions. If you have another bonded delivery address you would like the wine to go to, please tell us at the time of ordering. If the wines are required duty-paid we will issue invoices at the rates prevailing at the time for the excise duty (currently £25.98 per case) and the VAT (currently at 20%) on the total of the wine cost and the duty.
Half-bottles, Magnums and larger bottles.
One of the additional advantages of buying en primeur is being able to order the wine in the bottle size you want. Even if a wine is only listed in one size, you can order any bottle or case size you want if the property supplies it, but you must order the case/bottle size you require and check that the correct size has been invoiced.
Additional charges are as follows:-
- +£15 per case of 24 half-bottles
- +£15 per case of 6 Magnums (2 bottles equivalent, 1.5 litres each)
- +£35 per individually boxed Double Magnum (4 bottles equivalent, 3 litres)
- +£45 per individually boxed Imperial (8 bottles equivalent, 6 litres) for Salmanazars, Balthazars, Nebuchadnezzars and Melchiors please enquire for availability and price.