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Well after all the merriment of
Chateau Batailley
we went off to
Chateau Pichon-Longueville .
The wines were quite different and we tasted many
vintages. As they got older they began to show what they
are really capable of in terms of wine pleasure. I have
to say the recent vintages were still far too tannic and
dry for my palate but as they got older they became
wonderful.
This is one
of those Chateau’s favoured by people who love to buy
their wines En Primeur (buying them before they are
released from the Chateau). They can then look forward
to drinking them in future years. In actual fact we
tasted the 1996′ and were reliably informed that it
should be ready to drink in about 2020 and for at least
another 30 years after that!
Now I
know patience is a virtue but this is like Philippe
Patek watches, you never actually own one you are
investing in your children and Grandchildren as they
will really gain the pleasure.
So what
can you do if you own one of these wines and it is
young. Like the one I sell currently. Well you can buy
and keep, or drink it anyway. If you are going to drink
I recommend, no in fact I insist you decant the wine.
Not just for an hour but for most of the day. open it in
the morning and it should be a little more drinkable in
the evening! Seriouly though if you drink this too early
you will miss out on the beautiful tastes and textures
that a wine of this magnificence can deliver.
We also
tasted the 2006′. This is a hotly tipped vintage for
greatness. It is very difficult to taste from tank
samples and to determine the future greatness for a wine
but that is what makes Robert Parker great I suppose.
The
Chateau was beautiful and the tasting room one of the
finest I have seen. Well worth a visit if you are in the
area.
A little
info on the Chateau……In the middle agesthe young Jacues
de Pichon who was influenced by his Father in Law,
Pierre de Rauzan, the ‘Magician of Vineyards’ began to
put together the vineyards of Pichon-Longueville. In
only a few years the reputation was established. The
existing property was divided in 1850 and in 1851 the
existing Chateau was designed by Charles Burguet.
The
Chateau was purchased in 1987 by Axa Millesimes who
entirely restored it to its former glory.
Today
under the direction of Christian Seely, the men of
Pichon-Longuevillecreate wines of great quality. The
vineyards cover some fine gravel soil in the south of
the Pauillac commune.
Chateau
Pichon-Longueville is made from older vines siuated
mainly on the historical terroir of the property. The
harvest is hand gathered and transported with great
care to the circulare winery where they are sorted
manually before and after de-stemming on vibrating
tables. This enables selection of only the highest
quality grapes.
The
wines produced are powerful, rich in tannins and
characterised for being both elegant and muscular. They
have an exceptional length in the mouth and as mentioned
previouly possess remarkable ageing potential. |
