Chateau Pichon-Longueville

While many people refer to Pichon-Baron, the full title of this wine is Chateau Longueville au Baron de Pichon-Longueville. The history started in the 17^th century, when Jacques de Pichon-Longueville married Theresa de Rauzan, daughter of Pierre des Mesures de Rauzan.

Jacques’ father Bernard was ennobled with the Barony of Longueville, when he married Anne Daffis de Longueville in 1646. The Rauzan family had vineyards in Margaux, but had purchased several plots further north in Pauillac, later forming the dowry for Theresa, which became the original Pichon vineyard.

The wines are of excellent reputation, second only to its neighbor like Latour. Jacques died in 1731 and passed the property to his son, also named Jacques, and subsequently to two more generations, to Joseph. Joseph held tenure during the French Revolution and was the last member of the Pichon family who held control over all the vines.

Upon his death the estate was divided among his five children, with the only remaining son Raoul assuming the title of Baron, and inherited two shares according to the Napoleonic laws, including the portion of his late brother Louis, thus forming Pichon-Baron. The remaining three shares were passed to the daughters forming the current Pichon-Lalande.

Raoul had the old manor house demolished, building a new chateau in 1851. The two portions were both recognized as second growth in the 1855 classification. Upon Raoul’s death in 1860, the separation was final with one of the sisters taking the helm at Lalande, while Pichon-Baron was passed to Raoul’s cousin, also called Raoul.

By 1933 the family ran out of potential heirs and sold the estate to the Bouteillier family, and despite the successive devastation of mildew, phylloxera, war and depression, continued to produce good wines. But when Jean Bouteillier died in 1961, the decline was started as his children were young and inexperienced.

Then AXA Millesimes and Jean-Michel Cazes became involved, purchasing the property in 1987, providing the much needed investment to change the fortune. The chai was completely rebuilt, and two new buildings were erected facing each other across the pool in front, yet not distracting the grand chateau.

Today it is managed by Christian Seely, adopting stricter selection at the 40 hectares vineyard at the heart of the estate, and using smaller fermentation vats to allow plot-by-plot vinification. Total vineyards now cover 73 hectares, with typical gravel planted with 65% Cabernet Sauvignon and 35% Merlot, with the Cabernet Franc now totally taken out.

Harvesting is manual, with the fruit de-stemmed before fermenting in temperature controlled stainless steel vats. Malolactic fermentation occurs in the vat, after which the wine is transferred into French oak barrels to age for up to 18 months, using 80% new and 20% one-year old oak, with racking every three months.

The grand vin is Chateau Longueville au Baron de Pichon-Longueville, with typical production of 24000 cases. The second wine is Les Tourelles de Longueville, introduced since 1986, typically with 12000 cases produced.

A groundbreaking practice happened in 2007, with those second wines which were sold to trade, was bottled under a screwcap rather than the traditional cork, unheard of for a deuxieme cru. The wine is now more focused on Cabernet Sauvignon, usually more than 70% of the blend.

I have recently tasted the 2004 vintage and below is my tasting note:

Appearance

Bright and clear, the wine is of deep intensity ruby color, with legs.

Nose

Clean, with medium (+) intensity, showing black fruit such as blackcurrant, blackberry and dark cherry, maturity notes of savory and tobacco, oak notes of cedar and smoke, sweet spice of nutmeg, mineral notes of graphite, kernel notes of chocolate. The wine is developing.

Palate

Dry with medium acidity, the wine has medium (+) tannin but is ripe and smooth, with medium alcohol, medium (+) body and medium (+) intensity flavors of black fruit such as blackberry and plum, oak notes of vanilla and cedar, kernel notes of milk chocolate, mineral notes of earth. The wine has a long finish.

Conclusion

Very good quality Bordeaux with an intense nose, showing high complexity with a wide range of different characters, the wine has a well-defined structure, elegant and with expressive freshness. The palate is equally amazing with good concentration and an exceptional finish, this wine really demonstrates how a good Bordeaux can be, and why it mesmerizes so many drinkers. Ready to drink now, the wine can benefit from further ageing of another 5-7 years.