![]() The vineyards are located on two gravel-rich plateaux, one to the northwest of the town of Pauillac and the other to the south, with the vines reaching a greater depth than anywhere else in the Médoc. ![]() Bordering St Estèphe to the north and St Julien to the south, Pauillac has fine, deep gravel soils with important iron and marl deposits, and a subtle, softly-rolling landscape, cut by a series of small streams running into the Gironde. Yet outside the town,, there is arguably the greatest concentration of fabulous vineyards throughout all Bordeaux, including three of the five First Growths. There are no grand hotels or restaurants – with the honourable exception of the establishments owned by Jean-Michel Cazes – rather a small port and yacht harbour, and a dominant petrochemical plant. Pauillac is the aristocrat of the Médoc boasting boasting 75 percent of the region’s First Growths and with Grand Cru Classés representing 84 percent of Pauillac's production.įor a small town, surrounded by so many familiar and regal names, Pauillac imparts a slightly seedy impression. They require cellaring for at least 10 years. The best examples of Pichon-Longueville Baron have layer upon layer of unctuous, vanilla-scented, blackcurrant and cassis fruit, intermingled with cigar box and lead pencil shavings aromas. ![]() The second wine is Les Tourelles de Longueville, introduced with the 1986 vintage. The grand vin is Chateau Longueville au Baron de Pichon-Longueville. The Cabernet-dominated Pichon-Longueville Baron is a more muscular, tannic and full-bodied wine than that of its neighbour across the road, Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande. Pichon-Longueville-Baron's 73-hectare vineyard (70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, and 5% Cabernet Franc, runs adjacent to that of Château Latour and lies on deep gravel beds. In 1987 it was bought by the AXA Millésimes Group, who also own Cantenac-Brown, Petit-Village, Suduiraut.ĪXA built a state of the art cuverie and chai at Pichon-Longueville Baron, while, in 2000, Christian Seely took over from Jean-Michel Cazesas as general manager. Stunningly pure and unctuously textured with high but sweet, well-integrated tannins, this superstar of the vintage is definitely a wine to purchase as a future.Ĭhâteau Pichon-Longueville Baron, a leading Pauillac 2éme Cru Classé estate, is one of Bordeaux's most illustrious "super seconds". Black/purple-colored with super concentration and richness as well as full body, it offers an awesome display of creme de cassis, blackberry liqueur, licorice, camphor and spring flowers. It was absolutely compelling on each of the three times I tasted it. Kudos to proprietor AXA and general director Christian Seeley. This sensational Pichon Longueville Baron needs 5-6 years of cellaring, and should keep 30+ years.Ī prodigious, blockbuster effort from Pichon Longueville Baron, the 2010 is reminiscent of this estate’s titanic offerings in 19, but may be even greater with 30 years of longevity. The oak is clearly pushed to the background by the wine’s wealth of fruit, glycerin and full-bodied texture. Opaque purple, with loads of charcoal, licorice, incense and some exotic Asian spices along with abundant cassis liqueur, blackberry and hints of roasted coffee and spring flowers, it is full-bodied and opulent, with relatively high tannins, but they have sweetened up considerably and seem less aggressive than they did from barrel. It was certainly showing well when I stopped by the chateau in January. ![]() Administrator Christian Seeley thinks the 2010 is the greatest Pichon Longueville Baron he has ever made, equaling some of the estate’s colossal wines from vintages such as 19.
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