Chateau Baron Pichon Longueville 2015

What unparalleled beauty is this powerhouse from Pauillac—we're talking, of course, about Château Baron Pichon Longueville. The estate is classified as a 2nd Grand Cru Classe, a distinction reserved only for the very best wines in the world. Château Pichon Baron boasts a long history, as records show that in 1689 the estate was purchased by Pierre Desmezures de Rauzan, an influential wine merchant. He represented the wines of Latour and Margaux and knew full well that he had a golden opportunity with the estate. His daughter inherited these vineyards when she married Baron Jacques Pichon de Longueville in 1694, thus creating an illustrious estate that remained in the family for generations and gained an exceptional reputation.

The old vineyard of Baron Pichon Longueville

The vineyard is located north of Bordeaux in the commune of Pauillac, where the influence of the Gironde estuary is intense. The maritime climate in the vineyards gives the harvest fantastic ripeness. A slow and steady flow is essential for this type of grand wine. The vines have an average age of 35 years, and new ones are planted each year to maintain a balanced flow. The soil, which is incredibly important, features a high proportion of gravel, pebbles, and sand, ensuring excellent drainage. The harvest is carried out entirely by hand to ensure the quality of the grapes, and careful selection is made based on grape variety, vine age, and plot.

Wood storage for the Chateau Baron Pichon Longueville

Each grape variety and plot is harvested separately to create the ultimate blend of the resulting wines. Once the wine is ready, it is aged for at least twenty months in small wooden barrels, eighty percent of which are new and unused. This blend consists of approximately eighty percent Cabernet Sauvignon with Merlot. Château Pichon Baron displays great elegance, intensity, and exceptional length on the palate. It is a wine that improves year after year and can age in the cellar for over 40 years. Château Pichon Baron has an intense, deep garnet red color. The nose is expressive and delicate, offering a wonderful aromatic array of summer berries, black cherries, and blueberries, gently supported by a toasted spice. The attack is soft, and the palate, like the nose, is precise and refined. Well-integrated woodiness and delicate, velvety tannins are supported by ripe black fruit. The finish is a gem! Soft and incredibly long!