Château Pichon Baron Pauillac 2018

Château Pichon Baron, Second Grand Cru Classé in 1855 (2nd Growth), is one of the great historic vineyards of Bordeaux. A rigorous selection policy in the vineyard and in the cellars ensures the production of the Grand Vin, Château Pichon Baron, which is the purest expression of the unique terroir in their vineyards of Pauillac. This incredibly beautiful château, with its two emblematic turrets, has stood proudly at the vineyard's heart for centuries. We have visited this great estate on numerous occasions and found the quality and integrity to be impeccable.

The estate was founded in the late 17th Century. This period was known as the Grand Siècle, or "great century", in reference to Louis XIV's 1661 accession to the French throne. In 1689 Pierre Desmezures de Rauzan, an influential wine merchant and steward of the prestigious Latour and Margaux estates, bought plots of vines close to the Latour estate to create Enclos Rauzan. These vines were part of his daughter Thérèse's dowry when she married Baron Jacques Pichon de Longueville in 1694, the year in which the Pichon Baron estate was founded. An illustrious estate, with an enduring reputation, was born. It remained in the same family for generations.

In 1850 the property was divided in two. Baron Raoul Pichon de Longueville's section became the Pichon Baron estate. The second section, belonging to his three sisters, became Pichon Comtesse. Baron Raoul was proud of his prestigious property, and in 1851 he commissioned the imposing château inspired by Renaissance architecture that we know today at Château Pichon Baron. And then Château Pichon Comtesse is located directly across the street with its own beautiful Château.

During the Universal Exhibition of 1855, Pichon Baron classed as a Second Grand Cru Classé according to the ranking system requested by Emperor Napoleon III, who wished to showcase Bordeaux's great wines. In 1933 the Pichon de Longueville family sold the property to the Bouteiller family, who managed Château Pichon Baron for over 50 years. In 1987 the estate was bought by AXA Millésimes, whose aim is to enable great wines from vineyards with a glorious past to achieve ever more greatness in modern times. An architectural competition was launched in collaboration with the Paris Pompidou Centre to provide the estate with new operational buildings. The comprehensive reconstruction of the fermenting room and cellar, and renovation of the château, began in 1988.

Since then, the 19th century château's image has been reflected in an ornamental pool stretching majestically before it. And since 2008, its silvery expanse conceals an underground cellar, reminiscent of Jules Verne's Nautilus, with views of both the water and the sky. The barrel cellar complements a production process in which excellence is paramount, in the finest tradition of great Pauillac wines.

The Grand Vin Château Pichon Baron 2nd Growth in 1855 comes from the very oldest vines grown on the historic plots of the estate, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. This authentic Pauillac offers an amazing sensory experience with its black fruit flavors and spicy hints. Château Pichon Baron shows great elegance, intensity and exceptional length on the palate. It is a wine that improves year after year and can age for over 40 years in the cellar.

Château Pichon Baron 2018 reveals a dark garnet color. The precise and delicate nose offers notes of fresh fruit, black berries and spices. The attack is mellow, generous, rounded and juicy, developing powerful, well-blended tannins. The body is structured with silky, racy tannins. The flavor is carried by the structure, which preserves the mid-palate. The finish is tasty, full, fleshy, and harmonious. The richness is perfectly integrated and the style is highly characteristic, built to last through the decades, while retaining elegance and distinction.