When something is described as “silky, voluptuous and elegant”, you would be forgiven if red wine was not the first thing that sprung to mind! And yet, it is indeed a famous Bordeaux red that we are talking about. And not just any red either, the superb Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande is the epitome of the Super Seconds typical of Bordeaux wines. In the (unlikely) event of a modernisation of the 1855 table, classification here would undoubtedly be first-growth; meaning investing in a potential first growth wine at second growth prices makes a lot of sense.

Much of Pichon Lalande’s sensuality is because this is a wine with a strong female background. The estate was managed by three strong, independent women in the 18th century before it was passed down to Baron Joseph de Pichon-Longueville in 1760. The death of Baron Joseph regrettably divided the domain into two (appropriately the daughters inheriting a larger share at 3/5 to the sons’ 2/5), and the vineyard operated as two separate entities, producing two very different styles of the red wine for many years. As recently as 1959 Château Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande produced under both the labels of St. Julien and Pauillac. The Château was sold to the owner of Louis Roederer in 2006, yet the wine still retains the feminine touch, apparent in its soft tannic structure, very different from others in the region.

The relative obscurity of Pichon Lalande has kept recent vintages moderate in price, despite relative proximity with First Growth powerhouses Château Latour and Lynch Bages. The benefit of sharing similar soil as one of the world’s most famous wines is apparent when considering vintages such as the 1982 (a Parker perfect pointer). A single bottle of this same vintage can reach close to the €813 mark (in Q2 2019), which is excellent value, considering 1982’s pricing benchmark for all growths in Pauillac.

2008 saw the Château begin massive renovations, and unsurprisingly an increase in both quality and price followed. However, with new parcels of land added in the recent past, it is difficult to say what has been the cause of the hike in point-average. Nevertheless, Pichon Lalande remains a firm favourite for drinkers and makes a good choice for red wine investors.