1996 Château Pichon-Longueville Baron, 3-bottle Lot

Château Pichon-Longueville Baron is a Second Growth wine of the Pauillac appellation. In the 19th century the impressive-looking chateau with multiple turrets and grand grounds was part of a larger estate that included Chateau Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande. But in 1850 the estate was divided. More than a century later Pichon-Longueville Baron was bought by the French insurance company AXA, which hired Jean-Michel Cazes of Lynch-Bages to supervise the vineyards and winemaking. The 168 acres of vineyards produce about 35,000 cases a year. The blend is usually about 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc.

Pauillac is Bordeaux’s most famous appellation, thanks to the fact that it is home to three of the region’s fabled first-growth châteaux, Lafite-Rothschild, Mouton-Rothschild and Latour. Perched on the left bank of the Gironde River north of the city of Bordeaux, Pauillac is centered around the commune of Pauillac and includes about 3,000 acres of vineyards. The Bordeaux classification of 1855 named 18 classified growths, including the three above mentioned First Growths. Cabernet Sauvignon is the principal grape grown, followed by Merlot. The soil is mostly sandy gravel mixed with marl and iron. Robert M. Parker Jr. has written that “the textbook Pauillac would tend to have a rich, full-bodied texture, a distinctive bouquet of black currants, licorice and cedary scents, and excellent aging potential.”