Château Pichon Baron and Château Pichon Comtesse were part of the same estate until 1850 when it was divided into the two current estates. They are both classified as 2ème Grand Cru Classé (Second Growth) of Pauillac in the original Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of Médoc and Sauternes made in 1855.
Now, Château Pichon Baron belongs to AXA, a French multinational insurance firm and Pichon Comtesse belongs to the Rouzaud family, which also owns the Champagne house Louis Roederer.
Both estates have modern cellars, and benefit from an excellent terroir. Pichon Baron comprises 73 hectares of soil planted with 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot.
Pichon Comtesse covers 92 hectares and it is planted with 65 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 25 % Merlot, 7 % Cabernet Franc and 3 % Petit Verdot.
Usually, the two Châteaux mature their wine 15 to 18 months before bottling.
Pichon Baron uses 80% new oak while Pichon Comtesse uses 50% to 60% new oak.
You can see below the evolution of the Cabernet Sauvignon proportion for each Château over 20 vintages.
As you can see above, apart from a few vintages, Pichon Baron use a greater proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon than Pichon Comtesse.
In 2003 and 2005 the Chateaux have used the same proportion, respectively 65% and 64% of this grape variety. In 2009 Pichon Comtesse used 75% of Cabernet Sauvignon while Pichon Baron used 70%. For the challenging 2013 vintage, Pichon Comtesse put only 33% in the crop in the grand vin and it was 100% Cabernet Sauvignon.
For all other vintages since 2000, Pichon Baron use a greater proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon than Pichon Baron.
The biggest proportion of Merlot in the final blend makes it more approachable in its youth thanks to the rounder tannins. The harsher tannins of the Cabernet Sauvignon need more time to smooth.
Although counterintuitive because of their respective names, after a few years of ageing you might find Pichon Baron more “feminine” than Pichon Comtesse thanks to the finesse of Cabernet Sauvignon.
Pichon Baron and Pichon Comtesse are both great wine and age very well whatever their final blend is. They are made in different style but rank among the 5 top wines of the Pauillac appellation just after Lafite, Latour and Mouton.
For more information on Château Pichon Baron and Château Pichon Comtesse,
Château Pichon Longueville Baron
Château Pichon Longueville Baron, commonly referred to as Pichon Baron is one of the 15 Châteaux ranked 2nd Growth in the Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855.
Among these 15 châteaux, only two have the Pauillac appellation: Pichon Longueville Baron and Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande. The estate covers 73 hectares and produces 2 other wines apart Pichon Baron: Les Tourelles de Longueville and Griffon de Pichon Baron.
On Friday 25 October 2019 a few private customers of Wine Gallery had the pleasure of visiting this estate and taste Les Griffons de Pichon Baron 2017 and 2016 as well as Pichon Baron 2017, 2016, 2010 and 1990.
Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande,
Deuxième Grand Cru Classé (2nd Growth), Pauillac
Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande, also called Château Pichon Comtesse is one of the fifteen Second Growths in the Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855.
The estate covers 92 hectares and is situated along the Gironde Estuary just next to Château Latour. It was once part of the larger Pichon estate, which was also including Château Pichon Longueville Baron. In 1850, the estate was divided into the two current Pichon estates. New winemaking facilities were built in 2013.
Château Pichon Comtesse produces an average of 15,000 cases per vintage as well as a second wine named Réserve de Pichon Comtesse (Réserve de la Comtesse before 2017).
Planted grape varieties are 65 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 25 % Merlot, 7 % Cabernet Franc and 3 % Petit Verdot.
Since 2007, the Château is the property of the Rouzaud family, which also owns the Champagne house Louis Roederer.
Photos courtesy of Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande
Photo credit: Gunther Vicente and François Poincet
