2\u00e8me Grand Cru Class\u00e9 en 1855
\nPauillac<\/p>\n
\n
“Xavier Sanchez” by Xavier Sanchez\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n <\/p>\n
Gerda<\/span><\/strong>: <\/strong>Tell us about you …<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\nXavier Sanchez: <\/strong>I am a pure Latin from Spain. I speak and think fastly but always with a smile.\u00a0<\/span>I have an adventurous spirit and a very dynamic mindset. My career in the wine industry started in Spain in a Bodega where I had worked for 15 years.<\/p>\nGerda<\/span><\/strong>: What are the main challenges you personally face, in the practice of your work?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\nXavier Sanchez: <\/strong>The lack of time. A 70-hour a week is not enough for me since I am the Commercial and Marketing Director of 8 wine estates in the Axa group:<\/span><\/p>\n\n- Ch\u00e2teau Pichon Baron (Pauillac)<\/em><\/li>\n
- Ch\u00e2teau Pibran (Pauillac)<\/em><\/li>\n
- Ch\u00e2teau Suduiraut (Sauternes)<\/em><\/li>\n
- Domaine de l\u2019Arlot (Nuit Saint Georges \u2013 Bourgogne)<\/em><\/li>\n
- Disznoko (Tokaj – Hongrie)<\/em><\/li>\n
- Quinta do Noval (Douro \u2013 Portugal)<\/em><\/li>\n
- Quinta do Passadouro (Douro \u2013 Portugal)<\/em><\/li>\n
- Outpost Wines (Nap – USA)<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
<\/p>\n
\nHarvest 2021<\/strong><\/h3>\n <\/p>\n
Gerda<\/strong>: How did your harvest go?<\/em><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\nXavier Sanchez:\u00a0<\/strong><\/span>2021 has definitely not been easy. Every year, we must make great wines, it is an agricultural activity: vine growing is very dependent on climate. We are vinegrowers in an elitist world.<\/span><\/p>\nThe progress made at Pichon Baron is incredible. Thanks to the means we have put in place, we have harvested good grapes and even great Cabernets Sauvignon. Sadly, the yield is very low with only 21hl per hectares because we did a lot of sorting in the vineyard. It is worse at Suduiraut where we did\u2026 3,99hl per hectares! We decided that each berry entering the winery had to be ripe and for that, there is a price to pay. Quality before quantity.<\/p>\n
![](\"https:\/\/insidelaplace.rcassocies.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Vignobles-pichon-Baron.jpg\")
<\/strong>![](\"https:\/\/insidelaplace.rcassocies.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Vignobles-et-croix.jpg\")
<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n\u00ab\u00a0Pichon Baron only comes from the best terroir, a 31-hectare plateau with 4-hectare fallow land\u00a0\u00bb<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n
\nThe brand Pichon Baron today and tomorrow<\/strong><\/h3>\n <\/p>\n
Gerda<\/strong>: <\/strong>What positioning (s) do you want for your brand (s)?<\/em><\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\nXavier Sanchez:<\/strong> I want the quality of Pichon Baron to be as high and consistent as possible. It is the guideline decided by our shareholders. I also want Pichon Baron to be one day the leader of Second Grands Crus Class\u00e9s.<\/span><\/p>\nG<\/em><\/strong>: How do your wines stand out, and are unique?<\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\nXS<\/strong>: Pichon Baron is a wine with a typical Pauillac style because of its tannins. It has a strong personality. For 4 years we have made 100 % of pre-fermentation maceration for a natural extraction during one to several days. Since 2017 we have made amphoras aging. All of this brings more elegance and finesse to the wine by keeping this typical structure for Pichon Baron.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
G<\/em><\/span><\/span><\/strong>: Which of your recent accomplishments would you like to share with your customers<\/span>?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\nXS<\/strong>: It is not one of the latest realizations but one I would like to share with your BtoB clients: in 2012 we created another second wine: Les\u00a0Griffons de Pichon Baron<\/strong><\/em>. This year, I have released for the first time this wine during Primeur campaign and it was a success. The creation of this brand was a logical step in Pichon Baron’s drive for quality.<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/insidelaplace.rcassocies.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/etiquette_les-griffons-de-pichon-baron_2018.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
G<\/em><\/span><\/strong>: What future project are you currently working on?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\nXS<\/strong>: We are currently redoing the whole technical part of the winery with a new vat room. In this vat room, there will be three types of containers: wooden vats, stainless steel vats, and terracotta amphoras. We will only work by gravity. The new vat room will be ready for Harvest 2022. We are also redoing the reception area, all the work will be finished by 2023.<\/p>\nG<\/em><\/span><\/strong>: How far along are your property(ies) in the “green transition”?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\nXS<\/strong>: We are doing biocontrol. It means we put everything in place so that the plant can defend itself naturally. We are not yet certified organic because we want to keep certain flexibility of intervention in vine protection. This is just common sense.<\/span><\/p>\nWe are certified HVE (High Environmental Value) Level 3 and the aim is to be Carbon neutral in 3 to 5 years. Our philosophy is: you live, you produce, but you don\u2019t damage anything for the next generation.<\/p>\n
![](\"https:\/\/insidelaplace.rcassocies.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/chateau-pichon-baron.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
<\/h3>\n
\nThe business<\/strong><\/h3>\n <\/p>\n
Gerda<\/span><\/strong>:<\/span><\/strong> What are your priorities in terms of business development?\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\nXavier Sanchez: <\/strong><\/span>To atomize our distribution. I want to sell all around the world. I remain faithful to La Place de Bordeaux for Pichon Baron. It has enormous visibility and distribution power. This is the reason why strangers are coming to Bordeaux. This distribution power is unique in the world.<\/span><\/p>\nHistorically, Pichon Baron is a powerful brand in the USA and the UK. However, the brand is not fully implanted in the Asian market yet.<\/span><\/p>\nGerda<\/span><\/strong>:<\/span><\/strong> Which vintage should the market be interested in? and why?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\nXS<\/strong>: 2017: It is a very criticized vintage because of the frost and hail. These two weather elements impact quantity but not quality especially because of the huge teamwork done here at Pichon Baron. It is a more discreet vintage but very good and it will give us pleasure instantly.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nG<\/span><\/strong>: What sales support materials are available to distributors to promote your wines?<\/em>\u00a0<\/em><\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\nXS:<\/strong><\/span> You can find a lot of information on our website and we are also active on social networks, but I have staff members who are only working on our wine promotion.<\/p>\nSite internet et R\u00e9seaux sociaux<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/insidelaplace.rcassocies.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Instagram.png\")
<\/a>![](\"https:\/\/insidelaplace.rcassocies.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/website.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\n
\nThe favourite bottle of Xavier Sanchez<\/strong><\/h3>\n <\/p>\n
Xavier Sanchez: <\/strong>I am a pure Latin from Spain. I speak and think fastly but always with a smile.\u00a0<\/span>I have an adventurous spirit and a very dynamic mindset. My career in the wine industry started in Spain in a Bodega where I had worked for 15 years.<\/p>\n Gerda<\/span><\/strong>: What are the main challenges you personally face, in the practice of your work?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n Xavier Sanchez: <\/strong>The lack of time. A 70-hour a week is not enough for me since I am the Commercial and Marketing Director of 8 wine estates in the Axa group:<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Gerda<\/strong>: How did your harvest go?<\/em><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n Xavier Sanchez:\u00a0<\/strong><\/span>2021 has definitely not been easy. Every year, we must make great wines, it is an agricultural activity: vine growing is very dependent on climate. We are vinegrowers in an elitist world.<\/span><\/p>\n The progress made at Pichon Baron is incredible. Thanks to the means we have put in place, we have harvested good grapes and even great Cabernets Sauvignon. Sadly, the yield is very low with only 21hl per hectares because we did a lot of sorting in the vineyard. It is worse at Suduiraut where we did\u2026 3,99hl per hectares! We decided that each berry entering the winery had to be ripe and for that, there is a price to pay. Quality before quantity.<\/p>\n \u00ab\u00a0Pichon Baron only comes from the best terroir, a 31-hectare plateau with 4-hectare fallow land\u00a0\u00bb<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Gerda<\/strong>: <\/strong>What positioning (s) do you want for your brand (s)?<\/em><\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Xavier Sanchez:<\/strong> I want the quality of Pichon Baron to be as high and consistent as possible. It is the guideline decided by our shareholders. I also want Pichon Baron to be one day the leader of Second Grands Crus Class\u00e9s.<\/span><\/p>\n G<\/em><\/strong>: How do your wines stand out, and are unique?<\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n XS<\/strong>: Pichon Baron is a wine with a typical Pauillac style because of its tannins. It has a strong personality. For 4 years we have made 100 % of pre-fermentation maceration for a natural extraction during one to several days. Since 2017 we have made amphoras aging. All of this brings more elegance and finesse to the wine by keeping this typical structure for Pichon Baron.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n G<\/em><\/span><\/span><\/strong>: Which of your recent accomplishments would you like to share with your customers<\/span>?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n XS<\/strong>: It is not one of the latest realizations but one I would like to share with your BtoB clients: in 2012 we created another second wine: Les\u00a0Griffons de Pichon Baron<\/strong><\/em>. This year, I have released for the first time this wine during Primeur campaign and it was a success. The creation of this brand was a logical step in Pichon Baron’s drive for quality.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n G<\/em><\/span><\/strong>: What future project are you currently working on?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n XS<\/strong>: We are currently redoing the whole technical part of the winery with a new vat room. In this vat room, there will be three types of containers: wooden vats, stainless steel vats, and terracotta amphoras. We will only work by gravity. The new vat room will be ready for Harvest 2022. We are also redoing the reception area, all the work will be finished by 2023.<\/p>\n G<\/em><\/span><\/strong>: How far along are your property(ies) in the “green transition”?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n XS<\/strong>: We are doing biocontrol. It means we put everything in place so that the plant can defend itself naturally. We are not yet certified organic because we want to keep certain flexibility of intervention in vine protection. This is just common sense.<\/span><\/p>\n We are certified HVE (High Environmental Value) Level 3 and the aim is to be Carbon neutral in 3 to 5 years. Our philosophy is: you live, you produce, but you don\u2019t damage anything for the next generation.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Gerda<\/span><\/strong>:<\/span><\/strong> What are your priorities in terms of business development?\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n Xavier Sanchez: <\/strong><\/span>To atomize our distribution. I want to sell all around the world. I remain faithful to La Place de Bordeaux for Pichon Baron. It has enormous visibility and distribution power. This is the reason why strangers are coming to Bordeaux. This distribution power is unique in the world.<\/span><\/p>\n Historically, Pichon Baron is a powerful brand in the USA and the UK. However, the brand is not fully implanted in the Asian market yet.<\/span><\/p>\n Gerda<\/span><\/strong>:<\/span><\/strong> Which vintage should the market be interested in? and why?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n XS<\/strong>: 2017: It is a very criticized vintage because of the frost and hail. These two weather elements impact quantity but not quality especially because of the huge teamwork done here at Pichon Baron. It is a more discreet vintage but very good and it will give us pleasure instantly.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n G<\/span><\/strong>: What sales support materials are available to distributors to promote your wines?<\/em>\u00a0<\/em><\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n XS:<\/strong><\/span> You can find a lot of information on our website and we are also active on social networks, but I have staff members who are only working on our wine promotion.<\/p>\n Site internet et R\u00e9seaux sociaux<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n\n
\nHarvest 2021<\/strong><\/h3>\n
<\/strong><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n
\nThe brand Pichon Baron today and tomorrow<\/strong><\/h3>\n
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n
\nThe business<\/strong><\/h3>\n
<\/a><\/a><\/p>\n
\nThe favourite bottle of Xavier Sanchez<\/strong><\/h3>\n
![](\"https:\/\/insidelaplace.rcassocies.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Bts-Pichon-Baron.png\")
<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/insidelaplace.rcassocies.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Gerda-miniature.png\")
<\/p>\n