Pichon Lalande's Danglade Says Summer Rain Helped 2015 Vintage

Young vines at Chateau Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande, a Pauillac wine estate, experienced some stress from drought during the summer of 2015, and the grapes benefited from August rain, according to cellar director Stephanie Danglade.

"It was moderate stress," she said in the chateau's tasting room overlooking the Gironde estuary. "The rain helped us. We could harvest when we wanted."

Pichon Lalande, which recently completed its new winery facilities, is now looking at experimenting with biodynamic methods on a small parcel of land, and will assess results before drawing any conclusions, she said. "We take a reasoned approach to everything."