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News

2019 Vintage conditions

2019 was marked by a rainy spring and start to June, followed by a hot, dry summer. Cool spring temperatures alleviated the virulence of the mildew, and the year's favourable weather conditions created an environment free from the threat of cryptogamic infection.
The rapid warming of the soil at the end of winter led to steady and even budburst, with slow growth. Unfortunately, these cool spring conditions were not favourable to flowering and caused moderate coulure, except in our earliest-ripening terroirs.
The last ten days of June gave way to hot and dry summer weather punctuated by some rain in late July and early August. The sunshine and heat stimulated the fruit aromas of the Cabernets and the concentration of polyphenols in the skins.

Limited water during ripening accelerated sugar concentration and the breakdown of acids, and increased the grapes' phenolic potential. These conditions were also favourable to the quality of the tannins. Mid-veraison was reached between 4th and 5th August on the early-ripening plots and ended quickly and evenly in mid-August.

The grapes became particularly rich in mid-September due to the hot, dry conditions, then the first rains in late September weakened the skins and accelerated the harvest. This very welcome moisture stabilised the sugar concentration and allowed us to continue the harvest more serenely. 2019 was characterised by high potential alcohol content and low total acidity (little malic acid).

The harvest took place from 18th September to 1st October for the Merlot and from 30th September to 11th October for the Cabernet-Sauvignon.

 

 

2014 Harvest in our properties: Conclusion

DECEMBER 5, 2014 CHRISTIAN SEELY

The report of Cédric at Mas Belles Eaux finishes our harvest reports of 2014: we have now heard from each property.

In Bordeaux some marvelous results for the reds, classic fresh and balanced, in the style of the 2008s and the 2010s, and closer to the 10s than to the 08s. At Suduiraut, some great wines in the style of the 2001s and the 2011s, even if the quantity of Sauternes is very small.

In Burgundy also an excellent quality, and yields a little more correct than in the past few years.

In Tokaj, a difficult year, with very reduced yields, but a small production of very good Aszú wines.

In the Languedoc, the deluge just before the harvest complicated matters considerably, and reduced yields, but a very strict selection enabled us to make some good wines, particularly Grenache (red and white) and Syrah.

Finally, at Quinta do Noval, even if we just missed a very great Vintage on account of a week of rain during the harvest, some exceptional grapes were harvested before the rain, and even afterwards there are some very good wines, both Port wines and unfortified.

Globally, a favourable verdict on the 2014 vintage.

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History

Château Pichon Longueville, or Pichon Baron as it is often called,  is known as "the male" part of the original Pichon Longueville property that got divided in 1850, not only due to the fact that the male heir inherited this part but also because it is a more "manly" wine in character than its sister, Pichon Lalande, across the road.

Pierre de Masures de Rauzan, known as the "Sorcier de la Vigne", a distinguished member of the Bordeaux Parliament had early realised the value of premium wine and started to aquire vineyard land during the second half of the 17th century. He bought the land near Château Margaux, where now Rauzan Ségla and Gassies lie in 1661. A few years later, knowing the quality of Château Latours wines, he acquired land nearby where now the two Pichons lie.

His daughter, Thérèse, married Jacques de Pichon Baron de Longueville in 1694 bringing these lands, that her father had now started planting with vines, into the marriage.

 

The reputation of the wines grew and by the middle of the 18th century it received prices similar to those of the wines from the châteaux now known as Mouton Rothschild, Gruaud Larose, Ducru Beaucaillou and Beychevelle.

The legendary Joseph de Pichon was born in 1755 and survived the terrors of the french revolution by hiding in the kitchen oven of the château for eight days and he remained to live to the ripe age of 95. He had five children, two sons and three daughters. Under the new Napoleonic inheritance laws any property had to be divided equally between all children and to avoid legal fights after his death Joseph divided the property between his children during his lifetime in the 1830s.

His son Raoul inherited two fifths, his and that of his brother who had earlier died unmarried. Three fifths went to his daughters Sophie who became a nun, Gabrielle and Marie-Laure who married the Comte Henri de Lalande to become the Comtesse de Lalande. Even though the ownership was legally divided the property was run as one and in the 1840s Marie-Laure built the present building of  Château Pichon Comtesse de Lalande (Pichon Lalande) for her and her sisters to live in and in 1851 Raoul started the constructing of the present Pichon Longueville (Pichon Baron) château.  Only on the death of Raoul in 1864 was the property physically divided and two separate wines made.

 

Pichon Baron was to remain with the Pichon-Longuevilles until 1933 when it was sold to the Bouteillier family. The Bouteilliers had interests in several wine properties amongst others Château Palmer, Grand Puy Ducasse and Lanessan which was also the home of Jean Bouteillier in whose hands now the future of Pichon Longueville rested.

 

The reputation of Pichon Baron until the 1960s was superior to that of Pichon Lalande across the road, it was also placed above Pichon Lalande in the Classification of 1855. But on the death of Jean Bouteillier in 1961 its reputation began to sink. His eldest son Bertrand was still young and inexperienced and there was a lack of money for necessary investments leading to a decline in quality of the wines during the 1960s and 1970s. During the 1980s there were signs of recovery but not at the same speed as with many other properties during this time and certainly nowhere near that of Pichon-Lalande that had prospered enormously under the care of May de Lencquesaing to become one of the first "Super-seconds". 

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Vineyards

The area under vines has more or less been doubled since the take-over from 33 to around 70 hectares and here close density of vines with a low yield per vine is practised. It is confusing to read that Pichon Baron now has around 35 % Merlot planted - about the same figure as for Pichon Lalande. This is however not the percentage that is represented in the cuvée of the Grand Vin which as a rule contain about 80 % Cabernet Sauvignon. The grapes for this comes mainly from the 40 hectares lying between the château and the border to St. Julien and westwards from there.

Here the soil is of gravel on a subsoil of sand and clay rich in iron. This iron is said to bring the finesse and fine perfume of the wine. The cooler vineyards containing more clay are better suited for Merlot and the major part of this goes into their very good second wine - Les Tourelles de Longueville.  The harvesting machines used by the old regime from 1983 onwards were sold and a strict selection of the grapes that go into the wine is made.

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Winemaking

The wine is spending between 16 to 18 months in an increasingly higher percent of new oak casks, up to 80% in an exceptional vintage and, sensibly, less in weaker vintages. The management of Château Pichon Longueville is, since the retirement of Jean-Michel Cazes in the year 2000, in the hands of Christian Seely and his wine-maker Jean-René Matignon.

All this has led to a great increase in quality of the wines and its reputation so that Pichon Baron now truly belongs to the small elite group of "Super-seconds" - these being wines not belonging to the established Premier Crus but having a greater reputation and achieving prices higher than those of the other classified growths.

The rivalry between the two Pichons is intense and not always neighbourly but it has certainly not harmed the quality of either wine. To me it is more a question of style rather than quality which one prefers. Pichon Lalande is more feminine and immediately charming, drinking well early, while still ageing well. This is partly due to the, for Pauillac, unusually large percentage of Merlot and maybe partly due to its St. Julien "terroir" (it has as a matter of fact a sizeable portion of its vineyards within the St. Julien commune). Pichon Baron used on the other hand to be a masculine, almost robust wine that needed long to come around. In recent years the  better care in vineyards and vinification has led to a more appoachable wine without it losing its classic Pauillac character.

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3 different wines with 84 vintages

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