Presentation
Our Grand Vin Château Pichon Baron 2nd Grand Cru Classé in 1855 comes from the very oldest vines grown on the historic plots of the estate.
This authentic Pauillac offers an amazing sensory experience with its black fruit flavours and spicy hints. Château Pichon Baron shows great elegance, intensity and exceptional length on the palate.
It is a wine that improves year after year and can age for over 40 years in the cellar.
The vintage
- A cold and dry winter, followed by a warm spring: a fairly early bud break.
- At the beginning of April: a severe episode of frost, but with limited consequences.
- May: flowering and fruit set took place in very good weather conditions.
- June: high temperatures allowed the grapes to develop rapidly, with a first heat wave in mid-June, followed by a rainy spell beneficial for the vines.
- A sunny summer, with generally high temperatures and rain-free heatwaves.
These conditions caused water constraints in our vines, however qualitative for our grapes, which gave a very promising tannic and anthocyanin richness.
- Mid-August was rainy and cool, which boosted photosynthetic activity.
- From 22nd August, a 4-week period of dry and very hot weather boosted ripening of seeds and polyphenols. This period without rainfall allowed the breakdown of the Cabernets’ varietal aromas.
Harvest
The harvest took place from 8th September to 3rd October:
- Merlot from 8th to 21st September,
- Cabernet Franc on 21st and 27th September,
- Petit Verdot on 19th September,
- Cabernet-Sauvignon from 19th September to 3rd October.
Winemaking
Our new installations are adapted for gravity loading, much appreciated among our technical teams, and for making a more precise plot selection thanks to our new wooden and stainless steel vats, which have smaller capacities.
We focused on the quality of the fruit by extending the cold pre-fermentation period before starting alcoholic fermentation with our vintage wild yeast. The fermentation process progressed quickly.
Maceration temperatures were maintained between 25 and 27°C. Extractions were mainly performed during mid-fermentation, and the duration of post-fermentation maceration was refined through daily tastings.
The Merlots were drawn off from 29th September to 11th October and the Cabernets from 10th to 24th October. Malolactic fermentation took place rapidly under pomace, allowing the wine to be transferred to barrels in separate batches. This was completed by 4th November.
Ageing
70% in new barrels,
30% from barrels of one vintage for 18 months
Varietals
Cabernet sauvignon : 81%
Merlot : 19%
Specifications
Alcohol content : 14 % vol.
Tasting
Intense black in colour, with purple highlights, Château Pichon Baron 2022 reveals an expressive, fine nose combining delicate aromas of flowers such as violets and roses, and red and black fruit. Notes of graphite and wood then appear. After a powerful attack, the palate is rich, velvety and deep. There are hints of red and black fruit, wood spice and the minerality of the terroir. The finish is intense, full-bodied and long.
In this exceptional vintage, Château Pichon Baron combines the classic power of the great Pauillac with a touch of elegance on the palate. This immense wine will age well but can be enjoyed from the age of 10 with decanting.
Pierre Montégut - Technical Director - July 2024
Bottling date: June 13th 2024