75 cl, 13% Alc.

Pichon
Baron
1996

1996
  • 75 cl, 13% Alc.
  • Aging potential: 2035 y.
  • Red

Starting price

ÂŁ 249
Burgundy, France
The 1996 Château Pichon Baron offers a rare experience for the senses with its black fruit flavours and spicy hints. The generous, rounded, juicy flavour is supported by silky tannins and a fleshy finish. A unique wine, perfectly representing the high standards of Pauillac and will continue to evolve over the decades while retaining its elegance.
Aging potential: 2035 y.
  • 75 cl, 13% Alc.
  • Aging potential: 2035 y.
  • Red
RP 94/100
WS 90/100
JS 90/100
Robert Parker
The 1996 Pichon-Longueville Baron has a deep garnet core with some bricking on the rim. The nose is fragrant and generous with more red fruit than black, cedar and tobacco, fine definition, perhaps a little rustic in keeping with the winemaking at the time, but certainly giving lots of pleasure. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin — a cohesive Pauillac with plenty of depth and fine balance. The acidity lends this plenty of freshness and it does not shortchange you with plenty of tarry, cedary fruit. You come away with the impression that this Pichon Baron is going to continue to improve although I would not burn anyone at the stake for opening it now. If you cannot afford the First Growth then this (and Pichon Lalande) would be where I would come. Tasted July 2016.
Wine Spectator
Gorgeous aromas of crushed blackberries, currant and citrus fruit. Full-bodied, with silky tannins and a fruity, herbal aftertaste. A little hollow on the midpalate. Ready to go. –'95/'96 Bordeaux retrospective. Drink now. 25,000 cases made. James suckling, Wine Spectator, March, 2007

AXA Millésimes

History

Château Pichon Baron is a Second Grand Cru Classé of Pauillac. It has belonged to AXA Millésimes since 1987, and the aim has always been to help wines reach their full potential.

The Pichon Baron estate has 73 hectares of high quality gravelly soil. With a low nutrient content and plentiful water, the vines are nourished and have an average age of 35 years.

The estate grows multiple grape varieties: 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. All the vineyards are divided into separate plots and each received specific care, catered for its unique profile and makeup.

The best land, "Butte de Pichon Baron”, with its old vines, is dedicated to the production of the Grand Vin. It is the estate’s most historic plot and dates back to 1694, when the wine was first produced. Pichon Baron also has two second wines: Les Tourelles de Longueville and Les Griffons de Pichon Baron.

Technology

Harvesting is only done by hand, as this means the grapes are kept in the best condition. The bunches are selected according to the variety, age of the vines and the site. This selection process is extremely vigilant and is reflected in the quality of wine it produces.

When the grapes arrive at the winery, they are placed in vats. Vinification begins by macerating the skin and pulp of the grapes; as this is where the wine gets its deep colour, harmonious tannins and rich flavours. Maturation lasts three to four weeks.

Once removed from the vats, the best batches are selected for the next stage — to become Château Pichon Baron Grand Vin. Most are aged in new French oak barrels.

After three months the wine is tasted and the final blend is prepared. The wine is aged in barrels from 18 to 20 months.

Pauillac

Pauillac, a MĂ©doc appellation, is located 40 kilometers north of Bordeaux, on the left bank of the Gironde River.

Châteaus produce different results here, but each wine has similar characteristics - and this is what makes Pauillac so attractive to wine critics and collectors. Connoisseurs will note the classic combination of juicy blackcurrant and blackberry flavours, combined with iron tones and graphite minerals. The finest Pauillac wines are Bordeaux's longest-lived wines.

The land features quaternary gravel, large pebbles and sand. The subsoil composition allows the water to be retained and feed the roots, whilst the gravel soil encourages drainage. This type of soil forms mounds, called croupes, and can reach up to 100 feet above sea level.

This is the perfect landscape for Cabernet Sauvignon. It thrives on gravelly soils and produces powerful and concentrated wines. Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc are also incorporated into the blends.

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