Château Pichon Longueville Baron

Château Pichon Longueville Baron takes its name from an act of marriage. In 1694, the vineyard plots near Château Latour, assembled by the merchant Pierre Desmezures de Rauzan, were included in the dowry of his daughter Thérèse when she wed Baron Jacques Pichon de Longueville, founding the estate. The property passed through generations until 1850, when Baron Joseph de Pichon Longueville divided it among his five children. His two sons received two-fifths, creating the future Pichon Baron, while his three daughters inherited the remaining three-fifths, creating Pichon Comtesse. Baron Raoul then commissioned the romantic, Renaissance-inspired château in 1851, with its two iconic turrets that remain the estate's visual emblem. Both estates were classified as Second Growths in 1855. In 1933, the Pichon de Longueville family sold Pichon Baron to the Bouteiller family, who held it for over 50 years before a period of underinvestment in the 1960s and 1970s eroded quality. AXA Millésimes acquired the estate in 1987 and immediately set about reversing that decline.

• Estate founded in 1694 through the marriage of Thérèse de Rauzan and Baron Jacques Pichon de Longueville
• 1850 division by Baron Joseph created two separate châteaux: Baron portion to his two sons, Comtesse portion to his three daughters
• Baron Raoul commissioned the present château, inspired by Renaissance architecture, in 1851
• Both Pichon estates retained their 2ème Cru Classé status in the 1855 Classification despite the division

The 73-hectare vineyard sits at the southern end of Pauillac, bordering Saint-Julien, directly across the road from Château Latour and Château Pichon Lalande. The estate's best plots occupy the Pauillac plateau, where deep Quaternary gravel soils over a clay-limestone subsoil provide excellent drainage while retaining enough moisture for even ripening. The proximity of the Gironde estuary moderates temperatures and reduces the risk of spring frost. The vineyard is divided into four main blocks and approximately 70 distinct parcels at a maximum elevation of around 13 metres. Only around 40 of the 73 hectares are dedicated to the Grand Vin, with the remaining parcels supplying the second wines. Planting density stands at 9,000 vines per hectare using double Guyot training, with an average vine age of approximately 35 years. The estate practices sustainable viticulture and has held accreditation in Sustainable Agriculture since 2003.

• 73 hectares planted with 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot
• Vineyard situated adjacent to Château Latour at the southern end of Pauillac, bordering Saint-Julien
• Deep Quaternary gravel soils with excellent drainage; maritime influence from the Gironde estuary moderates climate
• 9,000 vines per hectare with double Guyot training; average vine age approximately 35 years

Grapes are harvested exclusively by hand and sorted rigorously, with the most stringent selection reserved for the Grand Vin. The estate uses 44 stainless steel vats ranging from 64 to 220 hectoliters, enabling precise parcel-by-parcel vinification. The cellar also includes oak vats for selected lots. Maceration and fermentation last three to four weeks, with careful daily monitoring of each vat. Since 2022, Petit Verdot has also been vinified in amphorae, adding a further dimension to its maturation. After malolactic fermentation, the wine is aged in French oak barrels for 18 to 20 months, with approximately 80% new barrels and 20% one-vintage barrels. A famous underground barrel cellar, opened in 2008 beneath the ornamental reflecting pool in front of the château, provides natural climate control and has become one of the Médoc's most celebrated architectural statements. Stricter selection since 2001 has reduced Grand Vin production while increasing the volume of second wine.

• Hand harvesting with rigorous selection; plot-by-plot vinification in 44 stainless steel vats of 64 to 220 hectoliters
• Fermentation and maceration lasting three to four weeks; Petit Verdot vinified in amphorae since 2022
• 18 to 20 months aging in French oak barrels: 80% new, 20% one-vintage
• Iconic underground barrel cellar opened in 2008, concealed beneath the reflecting pool in front of the château

When AXA Millésimes purchased Pichon Baron in 1987, the estate was producing well below its classified potential. Only 33 hectares of vines were under cultivation, and the facilities were in need of complete renewal. AXA immediately appointed Jean-Michel Cazes of Château Lynch-Bages as administrator, and in 1988, a comprehensive architectural overhaul began, designed in collaboration with the Pompidou Centre in Paris. The first vintage to signal the turnaround was the 1989, followed by the equally celebrated 1990. Jean-René Matignon, who had joined the estate in 1985, served as Technical Director for 36 years and presided over the property's ascent back to greatness. Christian Seely, managing director of AXA Millésimes, took over overall stewardship from Jean-Michel Cazes around 2000 and has continued to push quality ever higher. In May 2022, Pierre Montégut, formerly Technical Director at Château Suduiraut since 2004, joined as the new Technical Director following Matignon's retirement.

• 1987 purchase by AXA Millésimes, with Jean-Michel Cazes of Lynch-Bages appointed administrator; renovation began in 1988
• 1989 and 1990 vintages marked the estate's return to form under the new ownership
• Jean-René Matignon served as Technical Director for 36 years (1985 to 2022), overseeing the estate's quality renaissance
• Pierre Montégut became Technical Director in May 2022, also holding the same role at Château Suduiraut and Château Pibran

Pichon Baron produces three wines from its 73-hectare estate. The Grand Vin, Château Pichon Longueville Baron, is made exclusively from the oldest vines on the estate's finest plots, representing a rigorous selection with volumes deliberately kept limited. Les Tourelles de Longueville, the original second wine, takes its name from the turrets of the château. It debuted with the 1983 vintage under the name Baronet de Pichon, but was renamed in 1986 after a copyright conflict with Mouton Rothschild over the original name. Les Tourelles is sourced principally from the Sainte-Anne plot, planted predominantly to Merlot, and is designed for earlier drinking. Les Griffons de Pichon Baron was introduced with the 2012 vintage as a higher-tier second wine, sourced from gravelly plots near the Gironde estuary and blended to average approximately 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Merlot. Starting from the 2020 vintage, Les Griffons undergoes six months of aging in amphora.

• Grand Vin sourced from oldest vines on the finest 40 hectares of the estate's 73 hectares total
• Les Tourelles de Longueville: debuted as Baronet de Pichon with the 1983 vintage; renamed in 1986 due to copyright conflict with Mouton Rothschild
• Les Griffons de Pichon Baron: introduced with the 2012 vintage; averages 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Merlot; aged partly in amphora since 2020
• Strict selection policy has progressively reduced Grand Vin volumes while increasing second wine production

Pichon Baron and Pichon Lalande, situated directly across the road from one another in southern Pauillac, both carry 2ème Grand Cru Classé status and descend from the same pre-1850 estate. Their ownership, style, and blend philosophy have diverged considerably. Pichon Baron has been owned by AXA Millésimes since 1987, with Christian Seely as managing director. Pichon Lalande was sold by May-Eliane de Lencquesaing in January 2007 to the Rouzaud family, owners of Champagne Louis Roederer. Stylistically, Pichon Baron is widely regarded as the more structured and Cabernet-driven wine, built for long aging. Its vineyard is planted to 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, versus Pichon Lalande, which has historically incorporated a higher proportion of Merlot, lending a rounder and more immediately approachable texture. Critics have long described Pichon Baron as the more masculine expression of Pauillac, while Pichon Lalande tends toward finesse and early complexity.

• Pichon Baron owned by AXA Millésimes since 1987; Pichon Lalande acquired by the Rouzaud family of Louis Roederer in January 2007
• Both classified as Deuxièmes Crus in 1855, having originated as a single unified estate divided in 1850
• Pichon Baron: 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, structured and age-worthy; Pichon Lalande: higher Merlot proportion, rounder and more approachable younger
• Pichon Baron's vineyard of 73 hectares borders Saint-Julien; Pichon Lalande's 85-hectare vineyard straddles Pauillac and Saint-Julien