2021 CH PICHON BARON 2ÈME CRU PAUILLAC - 6x75cl

Tasting Notes

• 

  Neal Martin, April 2022,
  Score: 93-95

  The 2021 Pichon-Longueville Baron (which, incidentally, has been the legal name since 2021!) is matured in 70% new oak. It opens up nicely in the glass, revealing a straight-down-the-line, floral bouquet of violets intermingled with graphite notes. There is a delicacy about the aromatics that distinguishes it from recent vintages. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, very pure and "athletic.” No extra fat here; instead, perhaps, slender like the Mouton-Rothschild, which is not a bad thing. Nimble might be a better word. Very fine. Drink 2026 - 2055

• 

  Wine Advocate, April 2022,
  Score: 94-96+

  A brilliant achievement, the 2021 Pichon-Longueville Baron opens in the glass with aromas of dark berries, blackcurrants, cigar wrapper, loamy soil, pencil shavings and licorice. Medium to full-bodied, deep and layered, it's concentrated and penetrating, with terrific concentration and a beautifully refined, classy profile. A blend of fully 89% Cabernet Sauvignon and 11% Merlot, it represents the wine this great estate could have produced in 1996. One of the real successes of the vintage, readers who overlook this wine will live to regret it.

• 

  Antonio Galloni, April 2022,
  Score: 95-97

  The 2021 Pichon-Baron is a dense, packed wine, its mid-weight structure notwithstanding. There is a lot of wine here, but readers have to be patient. Red-toned fruit, blood orange, mint, rose petal and cinnamon add layers of nuance, but more than anything else, the 2021 stands out for its persistence. Drink 2031-2061

• 

  Goedhuis, April 2022,
  Score: 94-96

  With 88% Cabernet Sauvignon in the finished blend, this fine second growth highlights the success of the variety in 2021. Powerful cassis, dark liquorice and bitter chocolate sit within a tense and muscular Pauillac frame. A superbly long and full finish.

• 

  Jane Anson, April 2022,
  Score: 94

  Gorgeous depth through the palate, plenty of character, enjoyable, clear power to the well structured tannins. There is less density than the past three vintages of Pichon Baron, but they focused instead savoury Cabernet-dominant fruits and added complexity by drawing out the fennel, rosemary and pencil lead character that keeps us firmly in Pauillac. Highest level of Cabernet Sauvignon ever (just more than 2018), with 70% new oak for ageing. Harvest through to October 8.

• 

  Matthew Jukes, April 2022,
  Score: 18

  Like many of the great estates on the Left Bank, Directeur Général Christian Seely used a considerable slice of Cabernet Sauvignon in his Grand Vin, making it more densely packed and also a composed style of wine. A dark, cool and deep-rooted sense of place forms the structure here, and yet the nose and finish seem relatively suave and elegant. Cassis-soaked and impressively concentrated but in no way heavy, there is a refreshing character on the finish that shows greenness or austerity, marking the way for a successful future.

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Producer

Château Pichon-Longueville Baron

Along with Pichon Lalande, this estate was only one of two Pauillacs to be classified as a secondgrowth in 1855. They have rivalled each other ever since. However, Pichon Baron has remained inthe shadow of its more illustrious neighbour often enabling it to provide good value for money.