Château Pichon Baron 2024

The refinement and structure of a Second Grand Cru Classé from Pauillac

The property

Founded in 1694 in Pauillac, the Château Pichon Baron has been a Second Grand Cru Classé since 1855. Today under the management of AXA Millésimes, the estate has experienced a qualitative renaissance since its acquisition in 1987. The wine, a classic blend of cabernet sauvignon and merlot, is renowned for its elegance and exceptional aging potential.

The vineyard

The Grand Vin of Château Pichon Baron is produced from the oldest vines of the historic terroir of Pauillac. These plots benefit from a deep gravelly soil providing optimal drainage, an essential characteristic of the great Médoc terroirs. This privileged location, close to the Gironde estuary, gives the grapes optimal maturity while preserving their freshness, a fundamental element for the balance of the wine.

The vintage

The mild and very wet winter (900 mm by the end of March) was followed by an early bud break in early April. The cool and rainy spring gave way to a heterogeneous flowering in June, marked by shatter and millerandage, as well as high mildew pressure. July and August proved to be hot and very dry, with slow veraison beginning at the end of July. The end of August provided conditions favorable to maturation, while September saw a slowdown due to poor weather conditions, despite high maturity levels.

Vinification and aging

Careful selection in the vineyards and in the vat room to retain only healthy and perfectly ripe berries. Vinification took place with gravity loading, light sulfiting with yeast-based bioprotection, and seeding with indigenous yeasts. Low-temperature fermentations and gentle extractions by light pumping over and racking preserved the aromatic finesse. Aging continues for 18 months in barrels, 70% of which are new and 30% of which have held one wine.

Blend

The blend of Château Pichon Baron 2024 is predominantly cabernet sauvignon (87%), complemented by merlot (13%).