Château Pichon Baron

History

The history of Château Pichon Baron dates back to 1694, when Jacques de Pichon Baron de Longueville married the daughter of Pierre De Rauzan, the creator of the estate. Their descendants remained very attached to their property in Pauillac. Then, in 1850, the property was divided into two parts: the one belonging to Baron Raoul Pichon de Longueville gave birth to the Pichon Baron estate. The second part went to his three sisters, which gave rise to the Pichon Comtesse estate. Raoul de Pichon-Longueville had the present château built in 1851. It quickly became a 2nd Cru Classé in 1855.

Later on, the Pichon Baron estate was bought in 1987 by AXA Millésimes, whose objective is to allow great wines from vineyards with a glorious past to express their full potential. The complete reconstruction of the vat room and the cellar as well as the renovation of the château began in 1988. Since then, the 19th century château has been magnified by a mirror of water at its feet. And under its silver reflections, a buried cellar worthy of the Nautilus has been hidden since 2008, because of its openings towards the water and the sky.

The Pichon Baron estate also produces two second wines from the other plots of its vineyard: Les Tourelles de Longueville and Les Griffons de Pichon Baron.

Terroir

The chateau is located on a beautiful terroir of 73 hectares of quaternary gravel, south of the commune of Pauillac. Thus, half of the estate benefits from land identical to that of the famous Premier Cru, Château Latour.  The grape varieties are 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot.

The planting density is 9,000 vines per hectare and the yield per vine is defined according to the age of the vines and the grape variety. Then, the harvest is done entirely by hand, in order to preserve the grapes in good condition. The team selects the bunches according to the grape variety, the age of the vines and the plot. This sorting is an important operation that requires a trained staff, able to respect the different maturities of the vineyard.

In addition, the team of the property is committed to produce with constancy exceptional wines by respecting the characteristics of this great terroir. Thus, a very strict selection of the oldest vines is dedicated to the elaboration of Château Pichon Baron, the Grand Vin of the property, whose number of bottles is limited to produce only the best. An active commitment to the protection of the environment aims to preserve this unique heritage. The cultivation is carried out in a traditional way and with great care.

Vinification

Upon arrival at the winery, the grapes are placed in tanks. Fermentation lasts between three and four weeks. At the end of the malolactic fermentation, the wine is put into barrels, respecting the different selections of wine.
In the darkness of the cellars, the wine continues its maturation in barrels for 18 to 20 months. It is regularly racked every 3 to 4 months, in the traditional way with candles, in order to separate the wine from its deposits.

Tasting

When tasted, this wine presents an unparalleled elegance, a harmony of powerful tannins, and a long and persistent finish.

Their Team

• Manager: Christian Seely
• Chief Executive Officer: Xavier Sanchez
• Technical Director: Jean-René Matignon
• Assistant Technical Manager and Cellar Master: Alexandra Lebossé