Château
Pichon Baron

Vintage conditions

Very cool temperatures delayed bud break until mid-April but also, and more significantly, disrupted flowering at the end of June. Development was slow and it was not until mid-July that we were able to benefit from optimum weather conditions. Summer pruning had to be even more thorough than usual: debudding, suckering, leaf and shoot thinning is all painstaking work but very necessary in these unusual circumstances. Although August was late for the onset of ripening, in September growth was fully back on track for harvest. Cold night temperatures with fine weather during the day held great promise.The keyword for the 2013 harvest could be "responsiveness", as we constantly had to adapt operations to the unstable weather conditions. The harvest began with the old Merlot vines, lasting until October 7th and lasted with the old Cabernet-sauvignon vines from October 11th to 14th. Unprecedented care was taken in parcellar selection, however small the terroir. Alcoholic fermentation started fast. The pace was then moderate, allowing for gentle, fractional extraction which was suited to the year's specific conditions. We attach great importance to the subtlety of the tannins and to maintaining the harmony of our great terroirs. Finally, polyphenols were mild with very satisfactory intensity and balance. Malolactic fermentation in vats took place rapidly, so the wine, with fine lees, could be steadily transferred to barrels.