READ · COMPARE · EXPLAIN
Château Pichon Baron: Comparing Two Second Wines
Château Pichon Baron is a producer located in Pauillac on Bordeaux’s Left Bank. In addition to its grand vin, it produces two second wines: Les Tourelles and Les Griffons. Although their names are similar, Pichon Comtesse is a different producer; here, we focus on comparing the two Pichon Baron labels.
Place 2023 Tourelles and Griffons side by side. Identify differences between the two second wines in grape origin, varieties, and barrel aging.
Questions for this course
What differences are there between the second wines of the same château?
Before you start reading, briefly jot down your thoughts. You will rephrase them at the end.
To applied practice using the material ↓
To explanation task notes ↓Château Pichon Baron / Learn from the producer
France / Bordeaux / Pauillac
Synonym/Label: Château Pichon Baron / Château Pichon Baron / Château Pichon Baron / Pichon Baron
Update date: 2026-09-27
The name Tourel changes from 2023 onward
Les Tourelles de Longueville was renamed Les Tourelles de Pichon Baron in 2023. It mainly uses grapes from the Sainte-Anne parcel, which has a high proportion of Merlot. Treat the old and new names as the same wine across different years, not as separate producers.
Griffon comes from gravelly plots near the river mouth.
Les Griffons began in 2012 and mainly uses grapes from gravelly plots near the Gironde estuary. For 2023, the blend was 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 41% Merlot, and 2% Petit Verdot. Les Tourelles in the same year was 72% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 8% Cabernet Franc, so the main grape differs.
There are also differences in the maturation period and percentage of new barrels.
The official technical section for 2023 specifies 12 months and 30% new oak for Tourelles, and 15 months and 50% new oak for Griffons. Even though both are categorized as second wines, the grape material and aging conditions differ. Do not equate length and new oak proportion with a quality score—compare them as design choices for each label.
What to align and what to compare.
Raw material
- Conditions to standardize
- The same château 2023
- Conditions for comparison.
- Tourel is Merlot-based, Griffon is Cabernet-based.
- Additional points to confirm
- do you distinguish between the finished product's blend and the planting proportions?
Aging
- Conditions to standardize
- Two second wines from the same year.
- Conditions for comparison.
- 12 months, 30% new barrels and 15 months, 50% new barrels
- Additional points to confirm
- Can you also verify the usage history of barrels other than new oak?
Producer name
- Conditions to standardize
- Background of the Tourel label
- Conditions for comparison.
- Name changes from 2023
- Additional points to confirm
- Can you confirm the vintage on bottles with the old name?
Order of reading and key points to consider in each article
0 / 3 articles completed
Next article →Progress is recorded as the completion of reading articles. This does not include completion of explanatory assignments.
READ · HYPOTHESIZE · RECONSIDER
Château Pichon Baron Document Analysis: Comparing Two Second Wines
Compare the stated conditions in the documentation. Numbers specifying vintages should be treated as information for that specific year.
This summarizes materials published by producers, regional groups, and importers. Each source includes the publisher and the date the material was checked.
| Comparison items | What can be determined from the materials | Ability to distinguish by reading |
|---|---|---|
| Tourel 2023 | Merlot 72%, Cabernet Sauvignon 20%, Cabernet Franc 8% | 12 months, 30% new barrels. Name changed since 2023. |
| Griffon 2023 | Cabernet Sauvignon 57%, Merlot 41%, Petit Verdot 2% | 15 months, 50% new barrels |
| Ingredient Location | Tourel is mainly from Saint-Anne, Griffon mainly from sandy-gravel plots near the river mouth. | Both are second wines, but they do not share the same blend or production process. |
Each hypothesis or reflection can be up to 2,000 characters. You can save your answers even if you only select an option.
Manually save to this browser. When you reopen, you can continue from where you left off. This is a separate record from the course explanation task notes. If you save with all fields unselected or blank, this exercise record will be deleted.
Read the explanation for each question
By answering in the selection field, you can compare your answers and explanations using the top button. Freeform responses will not be automatically graded.
Which label was renamed in 2023?
Officially, Les Tourelles de Longueville changed its name to Les Tourelles de Pichon Baron from 2023. By recording the year with the name change, older bottles under the previous name can be traced as part of the same label’s history.
What is the main grape of Gryphon in 2023?
Griffon is based on 57% Cabernet Sauvignon. Tourelles, on the other hand, is 72% Merlot, so even second wines from the same vintage may have different compositions. These figures represent the composition of the finished wine, not the planting ratio in the whole vineyard.
What are the maturation details for Tourelle in 2023?
Tourel spends 12 months in oak (30% new barrels), while Griffon spends 15 months (50% new barrels). If you remember these two figures as a pair, you can avoid mixing up the specifics of different labels. Both refer to 2023 technical data; check again for other years.
Practice exercises in comparison
Please explain differences in raw materials and winemaking by reading the table and sources.
Read examples of organizing comparisons
| Conditions for Comparison | Comparison items | What can be determined from the materials | Ability to distinguish by reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tourel 2023 | Merlot 72%, Cabernet Sauvignon 20%, Cabernet Franc 8% | 12 months, 30% new barrels. Name changed since 2023. | |
| Griffon 2023 | Cabernet Sauvignon 57%, Merlot 41%, Petit Verdot 2% | 15 months, 50% new barrels | |
| Ingredient Location | Tourel is mainly from Saint-Anne, Griffon mainly from sandy-gravel plots near the river mouth. | Both are second wines, but they do not share the same blend or production process. |
Sources of materials used for comparison are listed in the text and exercises.
Explain in your own words
Divide and explain the two second wines in 2023 by name, variety, and barrel aging.
Check after writing
- Officially, Les Tourelles de Longueville changed its name to Les Tourelles de Pichon Baron from 2023. By recording the year with the name change, older bottles under the previous name can be traced as part of the same label’s history.
- Griffon is based on 57% Cabernet Sauvignon. Tourelles, on the other hand, is 72% Merlot, so even second wines from the same vintage may have different compositions. These figures represent the composition of the finished wine, not the planting ratio in the whole vineyard.
- Tourel spends 12 months in oak (30% new barrels), while Griffon spends 15 months (50% new barrels). If you remember these two figures as a pair, you can avoid mixing up the specifics of different labels. Both refer to 2023 technical data; check again for other years.
Save response to explanation task
Compare your initial thoughts with how they have changed after reading the article.
Maximum 5,000 characters. This is stored within this browser. Press "Save" to record your note. Saving a blank will delete this note.
View saved notes →