Château
Pichon Baron

Vintage conditions

The spring was marked by uneven temperatures. Vegetation growth was boosted by a warm spell in early April, and then slowed down by very cool conditions. A very changeable, stormy spell then set in, with hail on 11 May, in particular, although it spared Pauillac. Flowering started at the end of May, in hot weather conditions that boosted growth. To keep this in check, green harvesting work was carried out to remove shoots and tie the vines in. This was followed by leaf (June/July) and crop thinning (August) in hot, sunny, dry weather conditions. The end of the season enjoyed ideal ripening conditions: lots of light, little humidity, hot days and cold nights. As is often the case in dry years (1995, 2003), the polyphenols ripened slowly and progressively. Acidity remained stable, however, without showing any signs of weakness.Carried out in 3 phases, making for a bespoke grape-picking process: from 24 to 28 September for the young Merlot, the old vines from 29 September to 2 October, the Cabernet-sauvignon from 3 to 9 October. Stable, cool weather conditions kept the grapes in good condition, preserving all their freshness and firmness. Sorting in the vat-house was highly meticulous, keeping only the very best grapes. Enjoyed the best possible conditions. Rich levels of sugar and anthocyans turned out to be well above those that had been estimated in the pre-harvest ripeness analyses. The polyphenols were extracted very rapidly, which is a sign of good grape ripeness.