Château Pichon-Longueville Baron 2009 - Grand Cru Classé

Bettane & Desseauve

About the estate:

The estate’s flagship wine is produced right across from Château Latour, on perfectly drained gravel soils that benefit from the microclimate of the Gironde riverbanks. Pichon possesses the vigor and power of the greatest Médoc wines, in a very pure style lovingly overseen by Jean-René Matignon, one of the most experienced technical directors in the Bordeaux region. All recent vintages are remarkable, sharing the same classic character derived from the dominant Cabernet Sauvignon and the mineral and graphite notes of the terroir. The second wine, Tourelles, has improved significantly, but the real novelty is the introduction in 2012 of another wine, Griffons, made from young vines in the estate’s premier terroirs—and it is a great success.

Guide Hachette des vins

About the estate:

The original vineyard was established in the 17th century by Jacques de Pichon, Baron de Longueville. Divided into two parts in 1850, one portion of the estate went to Raoul de Pichon-Longueville (the other becoming Pichon Comtesse), who had the current château built there. Inspired by the château at Azay-le-Rideau, the building contrasts with the horizontal lines of the winery, which was built after Axa Millésimes acquired the estate in 1987. The insurance company undertook major renovation work there, led first by Jean-Michel Cazes and then by Christian Seely, with Jean-René Matignon serving as technical director. Since 2001, the selection policy has been tightened: only 40 hectares of the 73 that make up this exceptional terroir—composed of fine Garonne gravel and located immediately adjacent to Latour—are now used for the grand vin.

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate

RVF - La Revue du Vin de France / Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France

About the estate:

This magnificent Second Growth has produced a series of truly stunning wines and has established itself at the very top of the Médoc hierarchy. Impossible to miss from the Château Route, the sumptuous “Pichon Baron” estate has been completely renovated from top to bottom in less than two decades, and the team led by Christian Seely is doing exemplary work that has propelled Pichon Baron to the pinnacle of the Médoc’s grands crus. The winemaking facilities and aging cellar, along with the vineyard—which has been extensively replanted—have enabled the estate to achieve a historic level of quality in recent vintages. It is worth noting that the second wine is now called Les Griffons de Pichon Baron, as Les Tourelles has become a separate brand with its own independent vineyard.