Château Pichon-Longueville-Baron, 2ème Grand Cru Classé,
Pauillac
The insurance company AXA owns this wine chateau since 1987.
They have invested large sums of money both in the buildings and in the wine
production facilities. The quality of the wine has improved accordingly and it
is now regarded as one of the top chateaux in Bordeaux. A classic Pauillac wine.
And one of the most spectacular chateaux (the building itself) in Bordeaux, not
least at night when it is beautifully lit up (as you can see in another photo
gallery on the site).
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Next-door neighbour is Chateau Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande, often called "Pichon Lalande". Just across the
route nationale
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The barriques have to be maintained and cleaned. This is a 'pastille' (pill?) of sulphur. You light it over a candle so it starts burning. Then you but it on an iron wire hook that you suspend in the barrel. The released sulphur disinfects the barrique. The smell is not fantastic
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The wooden stoppers on the barriques hold the burning sulphur. To the right you can see the "normal" silicone bung hole stopper
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And once cleande you can refill the barrel with wine. Every once so
often the wine is "soutire" to remove the lees. Recently a new filling mechanism was invented that would avoid overfilling the barrique and remove the
foul sulphur vapours. Maybe this is a test at Pichon Baron?
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