CHÂTEAU PICHON LONGUEVILLE BARON
2014 2ème Cru Classé Pauillac
Impressively, intense nose, darkly floral but with a rich cassis tang. 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Merlot - this stood up very proudly in a line-up of other Pauillac and then again impressed at the chateau in vertical tasting of several vintages. It is polished, quite broad and has a lovely rich dark core - black fruits and lovely spice are well balanced here. There is a great mineral dusting which with the slick line of acidity and a sophisticated level of cedar-wood toast keeps it on its toes. Huge amount of densely packed fruit, well underpinned - leaving a very satisfying feel. This has presence and depth. Rating: 93 L&S (Mar 2015)
* This is a pre-shipment/primeur offer. All orders are accepted under the TERMS of this offer which differ from the terms of the rest of the site.
The 2014 Pichon Baron has a lovely bouquet with blackberry, pencil shavings and touches of warm gravel, very well defined and focused, classic in style. The palate is medium-bodied with pliant tannins, fresh and vibrant, with a dash of white pepper and allspice leading to that slightly flinty finish. Maybe it becomes a little creamier than expected, but it's still just a lovely Pauillac drinking perfectly now and will continue to age for many years. N.B. The bottle poured blind at the Southwold tasting exhibited a metallic element on the finish, and I marked it down. Tasted at Bordeaux Index's 10-Year On tasting. Drinking range: 2024 - 2052 Rating: 92 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Mar 2024)
Stunning, this is just beginning to deliver the most deliciously taut and balanced Pauillac character, with crayon and bilberry, black truffle and black pepper, muscular and concentrated mint leaf and cigar box on the finish. Very impressive, at the beginning of its drinking window. 80% new oak. Drinking range: 2024 - 2042 Rating: 94 Jane Anson, Decanter (Feb 2024)
The 2014 Pichon Baron followed. This has moved little since my last note. Blackberry and briary scents are interlaced with graphite. The bouquet opens nicely over a couple of hours, youthful but not disconcertingly so. The palate is beautifully balanced with a sense of coolness and class, an aristocratic Pauillac with crunchy tannins, pure black fruit and that flintiness on the finish that feels focused and abundantly fresh. No harm in opening bottles now, though I would afford it another couple of years in the cellar. Drinking range: 2026 - 2055 Rating: 94 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Apr 2023)
Grilled cedar on the nose giving appellation signature right from the start, with smoky notes that ripple through the dense blackcurrant and bilberry fruit, along with cocoa bean, liquorice and smoked earth. This remains powerfully concentrated at seven years old, and will take its time to unwind. Give it another three or four years or a good long carafe, and expect it to last for another few decades without breaking a sweat. Enjoyable, this is a brilliance slice of what Pichon Baron can deliver so effortlessly. 80% new oak. Jean-René Matignon technical director. Drinking range: 2024 - 2040 Rating: 94 Jane Anson, Decanter (Dec 2021)
The 2014 Pichon-Baron repeats its performance of just a few weeks earlier, presenting blackberry, undergrowth and graphite on the detailed nose, though perhaps a little more black currant than the previous bottle. The palate is medium-bodied with very fine tannin, and extremely pure and precise. A tingle of cold stone, an almost flint-like sensation, appears toward the pixelated finish. Very fine. Tasted at the Pichon-Baron vertical at the château. Drinking range: 2022 - 2050 Rating: 93 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Jan 2019)
The 2014 Pichon Baron has a similar bouquet to the Pichon Lalande: very precise and classic Pauillac replete with black fruit, graphite and perhaps a little more undergrowth. Maybe there is a touch more Merlot here, suggesting Pichon Lalande (when in fact it is Pichon Baron!) The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, very well defined with great depth, mineral-driven towards the finish that possesses wonderful harmony and length. It is just a beautiful, quite delicious Pauillac. Wonderful. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting. Drinking range: 2022 - 2055 Rating: 93 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Mar 2018)
Suave and polished. Thick and rewarding with an inky spine. Big and bold. Very clean and understated. Very long. Drinking range: 2024 - 2044 Rating: 18 Jancis Robinson OBE MW - www.JancisRobinson.com (Feb 2018)
A wine of pure sophistication and class, the 2014 Pichon-Longueville Baron exudes depth and intensity from the very first taste. Super-ripe black cherry, plum, smoke, tobacco and licorice all flesh out in the glass. This is a surprisingly ripe style for the vintage. Readers should give the 2014 at least a few years in bottle to come together. Drinking range: 2020 - 2034 Rating: 94 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Feb 2017)
A solid rendering, with an ample core of cassis, cherry preserves and plum cake backed by energetic, brambly tannins. A singed apple wood accent on the finish adds range. Shows good cut throughout. Drinking range: 2020 - 2035 Rating: 94 James Molesworth, The Wine Spectator (Jan 2017)
The Château Pichon Baron 2014 is a blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Merlot, almost the same as 2010. It was picked between late September and 16 October. It has a tightly wound bouquet at the moment, very "contained" and not as flamboyant as say, the 2009 or the 2010 at this early juncture. But there is remarkable precision here - an aristocratic nose with fleeting glimpses of cedar and pencil lead. The palate is medium-bodied. The acidity is quite noticeable although the pH is 3.8, higher than you would have expected. There is certainly a lot of body and structure (IPT came in at 91) with a precise, almost stoic, graphite finish. If the disappearance of Château Latour from en primeur is getting you down then this will fill that gap nicely. Drinking range: 2020 - 2045 Rating: 92-94 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (May 2015)
Lots of depth and meaty grip from 80% Cabernet Sauvignon. Broad and powerful now with elegance to come. Very good future. (Highly Recommended Pauillac, Decanter.) Drinking range: 2020 - 2035 Rating: 92 Steven Spurrier (Apr 2015)
Dark red cherry, plum, cedar, smoke and cinnamon are some of the notes that meld together in the 2014 Pichon-Longueville Baron. One of the rounder, more supple wines from this sector of the Médoc, today, the 2014 appears to be a wine that will drink well with only a handful of years in the cellar. The soft, seamless finish is quite striking, but there is plenty of tannin lurking beneath, it is just buried by the fruit. Technical Director Jean-Renè Matignon adds that the tannin levels are the same as 2010, although that would be nearly impossible to ascertain on taste and feel alone. In 2014, the blend is 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Merlot. Overall, this is a very stylish Pichon-Baron distinguished by the great purity of its fruit. Tasted twice. Rating: 91-94 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Apr 2015)
There will be less new oak in the finished wine than there was in the en primeur sample, which is good news as I found Pichon a little too marked by notes of mocha and chocolate. The underlying wine is very smart indeed with good grip and structure and the density and fruit weight to age. Drinking range: 2022 - 2035 Rating: 94 Tim Atkin MW, www.timatkin.com (Apr 2015)
A fabulous young wine with superb depth of fruit and density that shows blueberries, blackberries, oyster shells and stones. Full-bodied, chewy yet with a laser-guided backbone of tannins. Goes on for minutes. Concentrated yet so fine and beautiful. The tannin content analysis is the same as 2009 and 2010 apparently from the winemakers, but the tannin quality is better. Amazing. This could be a remake of the 2010 but fresher. Rating: 95-96 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Apr 2015)
Features a solid core of dark plum and blackberry fruit, backed by judicious toast that allows tobacco and loam hints to emerge in end. This picks up steam through the finish, showing ample base notes. Rating: 92-95 James Molesworth, The Wine Spectator (Apr 2015)
Château Pichon Longueville Baron
Pauillac Deuxième cru 1855 Facing Château Latour across the road, at the southern end of Pauillac, are the twin Château Pichons. Originally one estate, the two were divided in 1850 on the death of Joseph Pichon. His daughters inherited the portion that became Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande, whilst his son Raoul inherited the title of Baron de Longueville and the vineyards of Château Pichon Longueville Baron de Longueville (usually more conveniently referred to as Pichon Baron). The two estates continued to be run as a single vineyard for another ten years, allowing them jointly to be awarded 2nd Growth status in 1855. Raoul built the present château in 1851 on his half of Pichon. At Raoul's death in 1860, the split was formalised and the two Pichons went their relatively seperate ways. By the time AXA Millésimes bought Pichon Baron in 1987, it had fallen a long way behind its sibling neighbour and was in dire need of investment. Investment has been forthcoming from AXA, and expertise from the involvement of Jean-Michel Cazes (of Château Lynch Bages) and, once again, the two Pichons can be seen on a par with one another. There are 73ha of vineyard at Pichon Baron, planted to 70% Cabernet Sauvignon 25% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc. Since the installation of the new chais, grapes are fermented in temperature-controlled stainless-steel before spending 18 months in oak (70% new, 30% one year old). The AXA take-over also saw the introduction of a second wine - Les Tourelles de Longueville - in order to tighten up the selection for the grand vin. Inevitably, there is the temptation to compare the two Pichons. With a slightly higher proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon in the cuvée, the Baron is a little more structured and masculine, dare one say offering a little of the feel of its illustrious neighbour Château Latour.
Please make sure that you have read the terms of this offer which are different from those of the main website. If you are unclear as to what is involved in primeur purchases please do call us, but see the 'practical notes' below.
Ordering
Prices are per case as listed 'in bond London'.
Pre-Orders are a firm commitment from you to buy the wines you order on release, subject to the price being below the upper price of the estimated band on our website. You may also set your own upper price limit, lower or higher than ours. Pre-orders will be fulfilled subject to availability. Providing this firm commitment to us effectively gives you priority.
Wines listed on the website (after any pre-orders and allocations have been fulfilled) can be ordered in the usual way via the website order form or by email or telephone 020 7221 1982, always subject to stock remaining.
Confirmation
All orders will be confirmed by email and are contractually binding unless written cancellation is received within seven days of the confirmation date, apart from pre-orders which are binding if the release price is below the top estimate or other price you have set.
Invoices are raised at the In Bond price, excluding any duty and VAT which will become payable at the prevailing rates on arrival of the wine if required duty paid.
Payment is required on sight of invoice, by cash, cheque, debit card or credit transfer. We reserve the right to charge 2% per month on invoices unpaid after 30 days.
Delivery
- Shipment to our bond (LCB Creek Road) and insurance are included in the in bond price.
- Delivery is free to Lea and Sandeman / Elephant storage accounts, both duty paid and in bond.
- Other deliveries (In Bond and Duty Paid) are also free subject to a minimum order from the offer of £1000, orders below this total will be charged £16.50+ VAT when the wine invoices are issued. We will group deliveries and this is a charge for your entire purchases, not a per-case charge.
- Delivery for 2016 Bordeaux primeurs will probably be completed by October 2019, but we make no guarantee as to specific delivery times, and some of the Sauternes may be later.
Practical notes - how it works
We start a sale in each customer's name and add all their primeur orders to one sale which is invoiced at the end of the campaign (or when the customer wishes) for immediate payment. We and our customers find that having a single invoice for the vintage is the simpler option, but do please note that confirmed orders are still binding as above even if the final invoice has not been issued.
When the wine is shipped, unless previously specified we will assume that delivery is to be to bonded storage with Elephant Storage, but in any case, we will contact you requesting any alternative instructions. If you have another bonded delivery address you would like the wine to go to, please tell us at the time of ordering. If the wines are required duty-paid we will issue invoices at the rates prevailing at the time for the excise duty (currently £25.98 per case) and the VAT (currently at 20%) on the total of the wine cost and the duty.
Half-bottles, Magnums and larger bottles.
One of the additional advantages of buying en primeur is being able to order the wine in the bottle size you want. Even if a wine is only listed in one size, you can order any bottle or case size you want if the property supplies it, but you must order the case/bottle size you require and check that the correct size has been invoiced.
Additional charges are as follows:-
- +£15 per case of 24 half-bottles
- +£15 per case of 6 Magnums (2 bottles equivalent, 1.5 litres each)
- +£35 per individually boxed Double Magnum (4 bottles equivalent, 3 litres)
- +£45 per individually boxed Imperial (8 bottles equivalent, 6 litres) for Salmanazars, Balthazars, Nebuchadnezzars and Melchiors please enquire for availability and price.