Château Pichon Longueville Baron in Pauillac is one of the most stunning estates in Bordeaux. It is currently owned by the insurance company AXA Millésimes.
We toured the winery followed by a tasting. This year, we did not have lunch at Château Pichon Longueville Baron.
During the tour, we were welcomed by Jean-René Matignon, Technical Director.
Château Pichon Longueville Baron
Château Pichon Longueville Baron (often referred to as Pichon Baron) in Pauillac is one of 15 Deuxièmes Crus in the Classification of 1855. It was once part of a larger estate, owned by Pierre de Rauzan, along with Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande. In 1850 the estate was divided into the two current Pichon estates facing each other as one enters Pauillac along the D2 highway.
Château Pichon Baron stayed in the de Pichon Longueville family until 1933 when the last surviving family member sold it to Jean Bouteiller, member of a family well-known in the Bordeaux wine scene. His heirs did not manage to keep the quality of the wines and in 1987 the estate was bought by AXA Millésimes. With the new owner, reconstruction of the fermenting room and cellars, and renovation of the château itself, began in 1988.
Excellent terroir across from the 1st growth Latour property, stretching south bordering the Léoville estates in Saint-Julien gives the wines elegance, balance, and finesse. Château Pichon Baron's 73 hectares are planted with Cabernet Sauvignon (60%), Merlot (35%), Cabernet Franc (4%) and Petit Verdot (1%). The average age of the vines is 30 years.
Grapes are harvested and sorted by hand, and then macerated for 20-30 days, and fermented at 28-32 °C in temperature controlled stainless steel vats of varying sizes. The wine is transferred into oak barrels for aging after finishing its malolactic fermentation.
The estate also produces a second wine, Les Tourelles de Longueville. Les Griffons de Pichon Baron is the estate's latest addition.
The property is currently managed by Christian Seely.
The AXA Wine Portfolio
Château Pichon Baron, 2nd Cru Classé Pauillac, France
Château Suduiraut, 1er Cru Classé Sauternes, France
Château Petit-Village, Pomerol, France
Château Pibran, Pauillac, France
Domaine de l’Arlot, Nuits-Saint-Georges, France
Domaine Disznókö, Tokaj, Hongrie
Quinta do Noval, Douro, Portugal
AXA also owns one of the larger Bordeaux wine negociant companies, Compagnie Medocaine.
Tasting
We tasted 4 wines.
2016 Les Tourelles de Longueville US$42
Named after the turrets that embellish the château, Les Tourelles de Longueville embodies the charm of the estate. The grapes used in this wine’s blend are primarily from the Sainte Anne plot, mostly planted with Merlot, giving it a distinctive personality. Les Tourelles de Longueville is alluring, voluptuous, and a delight for the senses. It is an introduction to the Pichon Baron spirit. It can be enjoyed young, or cellared for 15 years or more.
2016 Les Griffons De Pichon Baron US$49
Les Griffons de Pichon Baron has a pure, direct character. The blend’s grapes come primarily from gravelly plots of land near the Gironde estuary, a beneficial environment for Cabernet Sauvignon. Les Griffons offers a vigorous, fresh tasting experience. It is full-bodied and bursting with energy. It can be cellared for over 20 years, or enjoyed right away.
2016 Château Pichon Longueville Baron US$161
96-98 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate - The 2016 Pichon-Longueville Baron is a blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Merlot picked between 3 and 18 October at 39 hectoliters per hectare for estate (therefore the Grand Vin will be less). It is matured in 80% new oak and 20% one year old for 18 months. It has a very intense, extremely pure bouquet with blackberry, bilberry, cedar and graphite notes; it is a straight-down-the-fairway Pauillac. The palate is medium-bodied with a very tensile opening, that seam of graphite penetrating the black fruit. There is a wonderful structure here, unapologetically classic in style with just the right amount of austerity on the aristocratic finish. The aftertaste is incredibly long, lingering after two or three minutes in the mouth. This is a majestic Pichon-Baron and it may well to surpass both the 2009 or 2010. (NM) (4/2017)
2010 Château Pichon Longueville Baron US$234
97 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate - Administrator Christian Seeley thinks the 2010 is the greatest Pichon Longueville Baron he has ever made, equaling some of the estate’s colossal wines from vintages such as 1989 and 1990. It was certainly showing well when I stopped by the chateau in January. Opaque purple, with loads of charcoal, licorice, incense and some exotic Asian spices along with abundant cassis liqueur, blackberry and hints of roasted coffee and spring flowers, it is full-bodied and opulent, with relatively high tannins, but they have sweetened up considerably and seem less aggressive than they did from barrel. The oak is clearly pushed to the background by the wine's wealth of fruit, glycerin and full-bodied texture. This sensational Pichon Longueville Baron needs 5-6 years of cellaring, and should keep 30+ years. (RP) 97+ (2/2013)
Lunch at Château Pichon Longueville Baron
On previous tours, we had lunch in the private dining quarters of the château. Not this time.
Bye-bye
Many thanks Jean-René Matignon for the tour and the tasting. It was wonderful.
At Hotel/Restaurant Le Vignoble-France et Angleterre in Pauillac
Following the tour and tasting at Château Pichon Longueville Baron, we went to Pauillac, where we had dinner and stayed for the night at Hotel Le Vignoble-France et Angleterre.
Hotel/Restaurant Le Vignoble-France et Angleterre in Pauillac is a very well equipped, privately owned 3 star hotel in the heart of the Médoc region, right on the waterfront of the Gironde estuary.
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