Chateau Pichon-Longueville au Baron de Pichon-Longueville Bordeaux Wine Tasting back to the 1959 Vintage

“I love everything that is old; old friends, old times, old manners, old books, old wines. “

- Oliver Goldsmith, The Vicar of Wakefield

I am more a fan of middle aged in terms of wines but we like to experiment at Wine Watch to see when the optimum time is to enjoy certain wines.  We have done a lot of scientific work with Bordeaux this year and our course in vintage Pauillac continues with the other Pichon. 

We had a tasting on the Calendar for Chateau Pichon Lalande Comtesse de Lalande but had to reschedule that event which will take place in the month of May.  So, I thought it would be prudent to taste the chateau across the street with a similar name Chateau Pichon-Longueville au Baron de Pichon-Longueville.

We have a collection of similar vintages along with two of my favorite old vintages 1959 and 1961.  These two oldies are worth the price of admission alone but we will also have 1982 out of Magnum, 1986, 1989, 1990 and more!  

The fee for this tasting which includes dinner is $575 + tax, for reservations call 954-523-9463 or e-mail andy@winewatch.com. 

Chateau Pichon-Longueville au Baron de Pichon-Longueville
Bordeaux Wine Tasting back to 1959
Saturday, May 13th
7:30pm

1959 Chateau Pichon-Longueville au Baron de Pichon-Longueville Pauillac, France
1961 Chateau Pichon-Longueville au Baron de Pichon-Longueville Pauillac, France
1982 Chateau Pichon-Longueville au Baron de Pichon-Longueville Pauillac, France Magnum
1986 Chateau Pichon-Longueville au Baron de Pichon-Longueville Pauillac, France
1989 Chateau Pichon-Longueville au Baron de Pichon-Longueville Pauillac, France
1990 Chateau Pichon-Longueville au Baron de Pichon-Longueville Pauillac, France
1995 Chateau Pichon-Longueville au Baron de Pichon-Longueville Pauillac, France
2000 Chateau Pichon-Longueville au Baron de Pichon-Longueville Pauillac, France
2014 Chateau Pichon-Longueville au Baron de Pichon-Longueville Pauillac, France
2017 Chateau Pichon-Longueville au Baron de Pichon-Longueville Pauillac, France

Menu
Selection of Cheese and Charcuterie
Roasted Beet and Goat Cheese Salad with Balsamic Drizzle
Taglialini Pasta with Duck Foie Gras Sausage, Sundried Tomatoes, Pine Nuts and Goat Cheese
Sliced NY Sirloin with Truffle Steak Fries
Cannels De Bordeaux with Pineapple Rum Sauce

The fee for this tasting which includes Dinner is $575 + tax per person, for reservations call 954-523-9463 or e-mail andy@winewatch.com.  Please let us know when you make your reservations if you have any food allergies or special dietary needs and chefs Toni and Dani will be happy to accommodate you.

A bit about Chateau Pichon-Longueville au Baron de Pichon-Longueville:

The estate was founded in the late 17th Century. This period was known as the Grand Siècle, or "great century", in reference to Louis XIV's 1661 accession to the French throne.

In 1689 Pierre Desmezures de Rauzan, an influential wine merchant and steward of the prestigious Latour and Margaux estates, bought plots of vines close to the Latour estate to create Enclos Rauzan.

These vines were part of his daughter Thérèse's dowry when she married Baron Jacques Pichon de Longueville in 1694, the year in which the Pichon Baron estate was founded. An illustrious estate, with an enduring reputation, was born. It remained in the same family for generations.

In 1850 the property was divided in two. Baron Raoul Pichon de Longueville's section became the Pichon Baron estate. The second section, belonging to his three sisters, became Pichon Comtesse.

Baron Raoul was proud of his prestigious property, and in 1851 he commissioned the imposing château inspired by Renaissance architecture that we know today. This uniquely charming and romantic château, with its two emblematic turrets, has stood proudly at the vineyard's heart ever since.

During the Universal Exhibition of 1855, the wine was classed as a Second Grand Cru Classé according to the ranking system requested by Emperor Napoleon III, who wished to showcase Bordeaux's great wines.
In 1933 the Pichon de Longueville family sold the property to the Bouteiller family, who managed Château Pichon Baron for over 50 years.

In 1987 the estate was bought by AXA Millésimes, whose aim is to enable great wines from vineyards with a glorious past to achieve their full potential. An architectural competition was launched in collaboration with the Paris Pompidou Centre to provide the estate with new operational buildings. The comprehensive reconstruction of the fermenting room and cellar, and renovation of the château, began in 1988.

Since then, the 19th century château's image has been reflected in an ornamental pool stretching majestically before it. And since 2008, its silvery expanse conceals an underground cellar, reminiscent of Jules Verne's Nautilus, with views of both the water and the sky. The barrel cellar complements a production process in which excellence is paramount, in the finest tradition of great Pauillac wines.

Pauillac, a Médoc appellation, is located approximately 40 kilometres to the north of Bordeaux, on the left bank of the Gironde River.
The land, which features quaternary gravel deposits and the large pebbles and sand which are typical of the appellation, is a winemaking paradise. The subsoil composition allows the retention of water to feed the roots, while the undulating relief of the gravel soils is ideal for drainage.

This exceptional terroir has a maritime climate; its proximity to the Gironde estuary lends it an increased mildness. All the right conditions come together to make the Pauillac appellation the most prestigious of Bordeaux wines.

The Pichon Baron estate comprises 75 hectares of high quality gravelly soil. Low in nutrients and with little excess water, this unique soil sparingly nourishes the vines, whose average age is 35 years.

The estate is actively committed to protecting the environment to safeguard this exceptional legacy for future generations. The Pichon Baron team is dedicated to producing consistently exceptional wines that are faithful to the spirit of this great terroir. A very strict selection from the older vines on the noblest soils is dedicated to the production of Château Pichon Baron, the Grand Vin of the property, of which the number of bottles is limited in order to produce only the best.

Pichon Baron's vineyard is planted as follows: 66% Cabernet-Sauvignon, 28% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot, and is meticulously divided into separate plots. Each plot receives specific care and attention adapted to its particular profile.

The terroir's best land - the "Butte de Pichon Baron" - is devoted entirely to the production of the Grand Vin, making up the majority of the blend. It is among the estate's historic plots; it was already in use in 1694, when the wine was first produced.
Pichon Baron also produces two second wines, from other parcels of its vineyard: Les Tourelles de Longueville and Les Griffons de Pichon Baron.