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Viinin Kuvailu
The Story
In the Bordeaux region the classified crus have mixed soils, but large enough tracts of land to make very rigorous selections. It is only the quest for excellence during the XVIIIth century that led the owners to elaborate several wines of different quality. Severe selecting is the guarantee of quality of a great wine, but also of a second wine.
Today, the second wines represent between 20 and 50 % of the total production of the Chateau. From the same soil, the second wine benefits from the same technology as the great wine, and also its reputation. They are generally excellent wines, though less robust and long lasting than their elders.
The archives kept at Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande mention the existence of a second wine as early as the XIXth century:
27 April 1890, shipping of four bottles of the vintage 1874 second wine to the Moscow exhibition.
In addition, the accounts book for the year 1874, that details the production of the year confirms that the second wine was rigorously selected.
The second wine of Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande, The Réserve de la Comtesse, was created and sold for the first time in 1973.
Vuosikerta 2022
Bordeaux 2022 vintage will stay in the memory of the world of wine as the exceptional vintage which kept a lot of surprises. The year started well with bud break at a normal date, so the frost in early April did not too much damage. The flowering started in mid-May and in optimal conditions. June brought stormy rains which were able to partially reconstitute de water reserves of the soil, however hail fell locally with sometimes very important damages. The fruit set took place a hydric limited context, which determines the small size of the berries. Veraison begun in mid-July in hot and dry conditions. August was hot however it kept a contrast of day and night temperatures, therefore the conditions for ripening the grapes were perfect. The white wines were harvested at a historically early date already in August. Also the reds were harvested very early at the beginning of September. Good news for the noble sweet wines: botrytis developed thanks to rain in early October and resulted in wines of great purity.