2019 Château Pichon Baron, Pauillac, Bordeaux

The most famous red wine grape in the world and one of the most widely planted.

The aristocrat of the Médoc boasts 75 percent of the region’s First Growths, with Grand Cru Classés representing 84 percent of production. Pauillac's First Growths each have their own unique characteristics: Ch. Lafite Rothschild produces the region’s most aromatically-complex and subtly-flavoured wine, while – with its high percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon – Ch. Mouton Rothschild can produce a decadently rich, fleshy and exotic wine.

Château Pichon-Longueville Baron, a leading Pauillac 2éme Cru Classé estate, is one of Bordeaux's most illustrious "super seconds". In 1987 it was bought by the AXA Millésimes Group, who also own Cantenac-Brown, Petit-Village, Suduiraut. AXA built a state of the art cuverie and chai at Pichon-Longueville Baron, while, in 2000, Christian Seely took over from Jean-Michel Cazesas as general manager. Pichon-Longueville-Baron's 73-hectare vineyard (70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, and 5% Cabernet Franc, runs adjacent to that of Château Latour and lies on deep gravel beds. The Cabernet-dominated Pichon-Longueville Baron is a more muscular, tannic and full-bodied wine than that of its neighbour across the road, Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande. The grand vin is Chateau Longueville au Baron de Pichon-Longueville. The second wine is Les Tourelles de Longueville, introduced with the 1986 vintage. The best examples of Pichon-Longueville Baron have layer upon layer of unctuous, vanilla-scented, blackcurrant and cassis fruit, intermingled with cigar box and lead pencil shavings aromas. They require cellaring for at least 10 years.