Château Pichon Baron - The Tourelles of Longueville 2001
Château Pichon Baron is located in Pauillac , in the Bordeaux region. It was classified Second Grand Cru Classé in the Bordeaux classification of 1855 . Originally, Pichon-Baron was part of a huge property formerly known as Château Pichon Longueville, owned by Baron Joseph de Pichon Longueville who died in 1850. On his death, his children Raoul and Virginie each inherited half of the property. Raoul's half becomes Château Pichon-Longueville Baron, while Virginie's half becomes Château Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande. The vineyard extends over 73 hectares, planted with the usual Bordeaux grape varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and smaller quantities of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Pichon Baron has been owned by AXA, a French insurance company, since 1987.
Les Tourelles de Longueville is the estate's second wine , mainly from the Sainte Anne plot , mainly planted with Merlot. It is a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc . The wine is aged in barrels for 12 months ; 50% in barrels of one wine and 50% in new barrels. The 2001 vintage experienced a growing season with unpredictable weather conditions, ranging from too cold to too hot with periods of intense rain followed by drought. The cold spring finally warmed up in May when a heat wave hit, but July was wet and August and September were dry.
Grapes: Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc
