Bordeaux wine | Postcards From Here and There

Chateau Pichon Baron Visit

Chateau Pichon Baron is a second growth located in the Pauillac appellation of the Medoc. It is very much a fairytale chateau in appearance complete with its two turrets. The estate itself dates back to the seventeenth century when vines were first established here. It was divided in half in 1850, one half became Pichon Baron and the other Pichon Comtesse. Both were designated as second growths in the 1855 classification of the wines of Bordeaux. Today the estate is owned by the insurance company AXA who purchased the property in 1987. They began a programme of restoration and development which culminated in the building of an underground cellar which is actually located underneath the ornamental pool in front of the chateau. The estate is currently managed by Christian Seely.

Pichon Baron consists of around 71 hectares. Planting density is 9000 vines per hectare and the composition of the property is 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 4% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot.

At the time of our visit in early October the 2018 harvest was well underway, with only Cabernet Sauvignon awaiting the arrival of the pickers. All fruit at Pichon Baron is hand harvested.

The vat room consists of 40 stainless steel tanks and six wooden tanks that are used for the best Merlot. Fermentation lasts between 6 and 10 days at 28 Celsius using a commercial inoculation. Experiments are currently being conducted using wild yeasts. Once fermentation is complete it is followed by 18-25 days maceration. Malolactic fermentation is undertaken in stainless steel.

In the 2017 vintage an experiment was begun to compare ageing Cabernet Sauvignon in wood compared with clay amphora.

Ageing is undertaken in French oak barrels sourced from eight different coopers. Toasting is medium to heavy. The first wine can spend up to eighteen months in 80% new oak.

Tourelles de Longueville. Pauillac. 2015.

55% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot. Aged for twelve months in 30% new French oak. Youthful red fruits with tobacco and a savoury edge to the finish. Rounded and medium bodied. A very nice wine.

Les Griffons de Pichon Baron. Pauillac. 2015

60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot aged for eighteen months in 60% new French oak. Lovely black fruits with some savoury spice. The palate has nice balance and has black fruits, plum, cherry, caramel and vanilla. Drinking very well but no hurry.

Pichon Baron. Pauillac. 2015.

77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot aged in 80% new French oak. A wine of great depth. Masses of dark berry fruit and plum, complex and rounded. It has smoothness and balance and finishes with lingering savoury leather and a touch of spice. Very good.

Pichon Baron. Pauillac. 2016.

85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot aged for 18 months in 80% new French oak. Great depth of colour and lots of blackcurrant fruit, the nose opens to give some spice and pencil shaving. A big wine that has the tannins to match. Give it a few more years. Very good.

Pichon Baron. Pauillac. 2010

79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot aged for 18 months in 80% new French oak. Great depth of colour and structure, just showing a little maturity in its appearance. Blackfruits with liquorice, leather and sandalwood. The palate is smooth and round. A great wine of depth and complexity. Superb.

Chateau Dauzac Visit

Chateau Dauzac is a fifth growth in the Margaux appellation of the Medoc, some 16 miles from Bordeaux and close to the village of Labarde. Dauzac is the most southerly property in Margaux and the closest to the river Garonne thus creating a unique microclimate for growing grapes.

The name Dauzac can be traced back to 1545 and wine has been made here for centuries resulting in the property being classed as a fifth growth in the 1855 classification. In 1988 it was purchased by the insurance company MAIF. In 1991 it was leased to the Lurton family who managed the estate until 2013. Since the purchase by MAIF a series of improvements have been undertaken with started with renovation of the chateau and the restoration and replanting of some of the vineyards. A new vat room was built in 2014.

The estate is is 120 hectares in size, of this 49 hectares is planted with vines. This includes 45 hectares in the Margaux appellation and 4 in Haut Medoc. The remainder of the state is planted to create a biodiversity reserve. Cabernet Sauvignon is planted on the gravel/sandy soils and Merlot on the gravel/clay. The averase age of vines is 35 years with the oldest vines in the region 60 to 80 years. Vineyard management is increasingly using organic/biodynamic practices.

Harvest of the merlot grapes for the 2018 began on September 17th and was completed in good weather. Harvesting of the cabernet was underway at the time of our visit and was expected to be completed by around October 10th weather permitting. All fruit is handpicked using a team of 70 pickers. On arrival in the vat room the fruit is sorted before and after desteming. The aim is to get fruit from vine to vat in one hour or less.

Vineyard plots are linefeed separately, the premier wine in wooden vats and the second and third wines in stainless steel. Fermentation is with cultured wild yeasts and is usually completed in 10-15 days. This is followed by 3-4 week maceration before separation from the skins and then natural malolactic fermentation.

See through panels in the oak vats enables the winemaker to see what is actually happening as fermentation progresses.

Ageing is in French oak barrels which are sourced from seven different coopers. A light to medium toasting is used on the barrels. Chateau Dauzac is usually aged for 16-18 months in 70% new oak while other wines receive about 12 months barrel ageing in 20% new oak.

Labastide Dauzac. Margaux. 2015

58% Merlot, 42% Cabernet Sauvignon and aged for 15 months. A youthful red/purple in appearance. Very fruit driven, raspberry, strawberry and some cherry. Has a nice spice finish. An easy drinking style of wine.

Aurore de Dauzac. Margaux. 2014

61% Cabernet Sauvignon, 39% Merlot and aged for 12 months. The second wine of Chateau Dauzac. Aromas of blackcurrant, cherry and some nice savoury character. Palate is medium with nice freshness. Very good.

Chateau Dauzac. Margaux. 2014

68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot. Aged for 16 months in 68% new French oak. Deep colour with blackcurrant, cherry and plum. The palate shows lovely balance and complexity. Round and soft with some nice savoury liquorice. Excellent.

Saint Emilion

The medieval town of Saint Émilion is an absolute gem and is a must do destination for anyone visiting the Bordeaux region. It is a UNESCO world heritage site and its location is wonderful, completely surrounded by vineyards. It is one of the major wine growing appelations of the Bordeaux region, producing red wines and is an appellation where the merlot grape reigns supreme.

I have been lucky enough to visit Bordeaux on three separate occasions. In August it was hot and very crowded. Parking is limited in the town, it is surrounded by vineyards, and is therefore very hard to come by if its busy. In December the town is very quiet and ideal for great photo opportunities but some businesses were closed as it was out of season. My most recent visit was in October and it was ideal. Not too busy, parking readily available even arriving late morning, everything open and pleasantly warm. I would guess visiting in spring would be pretty similar

Saint Emilion makes an excellent day trip from Bordeaux. The journey by car is around 50Km and takes about an hour depending on the traffic in Bordeaux when you leave. If you have planned a vineyard visit do allow plenty of time in case the traffic out of the city is bad. It is possible to catch a train from Bordeaux’s Gare St. Jean. There are 14 trains per day however not all of them are direct, the four trains during the main part of the day require a change at Libourne. At the time of writing the 9.11 from Bordeaux is the last direct train until the 17.09. The station at Saint Emilion is located about a 20 minute walk from the town, the walk is very pleasant but it is worth bearing in mind. It is also possible to join a tour from Bordeaux to the town. Costs here very much depend on the type of tour and its duration.

There is no getting away from the fact that Saint Emilion is a tourist town and wine is its most important business. Over the years I have seen that the number of shops selling wine has increased considerably. Many will allow you a tasting and there is no obligation to buy. There are some great wines for sale but you are unlikely to find any bargains amongst the more renown chateau on offer.

There is however much more to the town than wine. It is a town built for wandering, discovering the streets, alleyways and yards. As its small you don’t need a map but do bear in mind that its hilly. As you wander there are lots of little shops and not all of them sell wine.

There are art galleries and craft shops which are well worth a visit and a stop for the local delicacy is a must. Macarons de Saint Émilion are not the brightly coloured creations that many may be familiar with. These are thin, crisp almond biscuits and they have been made here for centuries.

There are also plenty of restaurants to choose from and the terrace area in the lower part of the town is very popular and it is easy to see why. It is a superb location.

Cordeliers Cloister can be found in the eastern part of town and is a listed monument dating back to the 15th century. It was abandoned in the late 18th century but then the caves beneath were subsequently used for the production of sparking wine. The wine goes by the name of Les Cordeliers and its production is very rare in the local region. Tours of the cellars are available as is a tasting of the wines. A glass, or two, is very pleasant on a warm afternoon.

Saint Emilion never disappoints and I always seem to be able to find something new in this medieval town. A visit is a day well spent.