CHÂTEAU PICHON LALANDE
2013 2ème Cru Classé Pauillac
All about silky harmony. Not a big wine - may even be rather slight, but it is precise and all elegance. Rating: 90-91 L&S (Apr 2014)
* 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.
A rarity in terms of the final blend for a Pichon Lalande, the 2013 is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, which is an historic first at this estate. Only 33% of the crop made it into the final blend. New manager Nicolas Glumineau worked at Montrose until hired away by the owners, the Roederer Champagne house. Yields were absurdly low at 13 hectoliters per hectare. This hasn’t translated into a blockbuster, massive wine by any means. The vintage wouldn’t permit that. However, the 2013 Pichon Lalande shows attractive red and black currant fruit, hints of bay leaf and underbrush, soft tannins, medium body and a supple, charming, seductive character. I’d be hard-pressed to guess that this is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon based on how it smells and tastes, but it is. Drink it over the next 10-12 years. 2014-2026 Rating: 87-89 Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate, www.RobertParker.com (Aug 2014)
Bright red-ruby. Perfumed blackcurrant, raspberry, gunflint and minerals on the precise nose. Juicy, pure and minerally, with a floral flavor and some oaky torrefaction notes nicely complementing the red berry and mineral flavors. Not hugely sweet or fleshy, but quite finely delineated and long and pure on the finish. This is the first ever Pichon Lalande to be 100% cabernet sauvignon, as the merlot was judged not good enough to use in 2013. Rating: 88-91 Ian d'Agata - Stephen Tanzer website (May 2014)
Cabernet Sauvignon 100%. It is very unusual to make from only Cabernet but very successful. The black fruited nose is fresh light brambly with some bilberry but the palate has more depth a strong cassis character the fruit supported by fine tannins. The freshness on the back palate brings out fragrances lots of charm. 2018-30 Rating: 91-94 Derek Smedley MW, www.dereksmedleymw.co.uk (May 2014)
Made with 100% Cabernet Sauvignon for the first time, such was the poor quality of the Merlot, this is an atypical but still brilliant Pichon. Essence of mid-weight Médoc Cabernet: focused, refreshing and aromatic, with good underlying structure. 2018-30 Rating: 95 Tim Atkin MW, www.timatkin.com (May 2014)
76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Petit Verdot, 8% Cabernet Franc, 6% Merlot. Blackcurrant, herbs, lovely tannic softness. Not a hint of bitterness. Weightless, yet substantial. Excellent, lively, entrancing wine. 2020-2033 Rating: 18 Richard Hemming MW - www.JancisRobinson.com (Apr 2014)
(100 Cabernet Sauvignon) It’s no secret that I haven’t really enjoyed Pichon-Lalande for a long while. Granted occasional old bottles are impressive but in recent vintages the wines have lost focus. Not so in 2013. Because of the peculiarities of the vintage they decided to ditch the Merlot in favour of an incredible, mono-varietal wine. In spite of this it is still layered and fine. There is pencil lead and cassis throughout with gorgeous aromatic lift and well-judged balance. Clean, long and lithe and cleverly only utilising only 50% new oak this is a wine that kept me going back to the glass. At only 13% alcohol this is a fascinating and (surely?) collectible wine! Rating: 17.5 Matthew Jukes www.matthewjukes.com (Apr 2014)
Shows a juicy edge, with plum, black currant and cherry notes mixed together. A hint of charcoal adds range and texture on the finish. Reveals an elegant feel overall, accented by a distinct echo of savory. Rating: 89–92 James Molesworth, The Wine Spectator (Apr 2014)
The headline is that the Grand Vin is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon since the Merlot was affected by coulure and the quality and quantity was such that it was deemed unworthy of the name. As expected, it has a classic Cabernet nose with that graphite character coming through very strongly. The palate is medium-bodied with quite tough tannins. There is a good level of acidity although it must be said...I miss that Merlot towards the finish to smooth out the texture, soften the hard edges of what is some very decent Cabernet. Its uncompromising Cabernet character has its charms but that severity on the finish takes some getting used to. Rating: 90-92 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Apr 2014)
The 2013 Pichon-Lalande is quite unusual in that for the first time, it is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. Direct, expressive and beautifully layered in the glass, the 2013 is alive from the very first taste. Black cherry, dark raspberry, mint, violets and cloves all meld together in an absolutely exquisite wine. The 2013 finishes with outstanding depth, vibrancy and pure nuance. This is one of the standouts of the vintage. Rating: 90-93 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Apr 2014)
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.