Château Pichon-Baron: Decline & Recovery
Raoul de Pichon-Longueville died in 1864 and despite having married Marie Marthe Armande Félicité Pétronille de Raymond de la Lande on May 26th 1819 he was without a direct heir, the marriage having been without issue. Thus responsibility for Château Pichon-Baron passed to a cousin of Raoul, confusingly also named Raoul. He ran the estate until his death in 1902, bequeathing the property to the next generation. The family thus maintained control of the vineyard but by 1933 they seem to have run out of potential heirs. The last surviving member of the family, Albert de Pichon-Longueville, sold the estate to Jean Bouteiller (born 1913), proprietor of Château Lanessan, this very year.
Under the management of Jean Bouteiller Château Pichon-Baron continued to enjoy a good reputation, the estate already having survived the succession of devastations that were mildew, phylloxera, war and depression, all of which blighted the vineyards of Europe during the early 20th century. But his death in 1961 marked the beginning of a decline in the fortunes of Château Pichon-Baron.
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