In 1850 the Pauillac estate of Baron Joseph de Pichon Longueville was divided between his five children; two-fifths to his two sons, and three-fifths so his three daughters. The former portion became the estate of Pichon-Baron. Neglect in the mid-20th Century saw the estate dwindle in both quality and vineyard area until it was purchased in 1987 by the AXA Millesimes Group, which made significant investments, and by 1989 the estate was again producing world-class wines, its return heralded by the two exceptional vintages in 1989 and 1990. The 73-hectare vineyard runs adjacent to that of Chateau Latour, on deep gravel soils which imbue the wines with an inexorable puissance tempered by extraordinary aromatic complexity.

A brooding, tannic, reserved beast in this vintage; the oldest of their Cabernet Sauvignon vines have set the tone for this wine, which will not open up until 2017, and will drink superbly for the next 3 decades. Flattering comparisons have been made to Latour in reviews of this vintage, which would make this wine exceptionally good value.

Perfect with beef ragout and tagliatelle or pepper steak.

Opulence and complexity makes this a great hedonistic experience.