CHÂTEAU PICHON LONGUEVILLE BARON

Expressive and vibrant, with a cassis bush aroma that leaps to the forefront, followed quickly by sleek and dense black currant, black Mission fig and black cherry preserve flavors flanked by a racy graphite note. Shows a burst of sweet bay leaf and savory accents through the finish, as the fruit takes an encore before zooming off. A serious wine with a hint of bling. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Best from 2025 through 2045. From France.—J.M. Rating: 97 James Molesworth, The Wine Spectator (Jan 2022)

Highest proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon on record, a reflection of how exceptionally well this grape did in 2019. The aromatics are all-enveloping, powerful and nuanced and totally delicious, drawing you in and refusing to let go. Slate, pencil lead, cassis, damson, layer upon layer of brilliance, if not quite the over-aweing concentration and enveloping character of the 2016. 80% new oak. Drinking range: 2029 - 2048 Rating: 98 Jane Anson, Decanter (Dec 2021)

The 2019 Pichon-Longueville Baron is a blend of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon and 13% Merlot, harvested from the 18th of September to the 11th of October. It is being aged in French oak barrels, 80% new, for 18 months. This grand vin represents 49% of the harvest. Very deep purple-black in color, the nose skyrockets from the glass with vibrant scents of freshly crushed blackberries, black raspberries and blackcurrant pastilles followed by perfumed sparks of fragrant earth, clove oil, lilacs, crushed rocks, molten chocolate and cinnamon toast. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is packed with layer upon layer of black fruit, mineral and exotic spices, framed by beautifully ripe, finely-grained tannins and tons of freshness, finishing with a lingering soft-spoken whisper of floral and earth notions. This is an absolutely beguiling expression that is classic Pauillac and yet it is Pauillac like no other.

Pichon Baron is different this year. Very different. So different, I had to check the bottle. Same label. Different wine. Better wine.

“I think that it is different,” Christian Seely, managing director of AXA Millésimes, which owns Château Pichon Longueville-Baron, told me when I asked him what was going on over there. “I’ve just done a vertical, and it does stand out as different. What particularly showed well this year was the Cabernet. Now, we are only sourcing the Cabernet from our best terroirs, our deepest gravels on the plateau. We were tasting these and they were so impressive. So, this is the highest proportion of Cabernet ever in Pichon Baron. And there was one parcel of Merlot that did very well—also planted on the plateau. It is the most delicate and fine. What’s amazing is the freshness in the wine is almost paradoxical—it was a year when the grapes got extremely ripe. 2019 was a year for the great terroirs to shine. The freshness is almost counterintuitive.”

Politically speaking, I’m not entirely sure what is happening behind the scenes at Pichon Baron, but last year’s 2018 offering was a considerable step up from anything I have ever tasted before at this estate, and this year is, astonishingly, even better. Selection, selection, selection no doubt plays a part. According to Seely, only 49% of the crop made it into this grand vin—just slightly stricter than last year. Frankly, I’m in awe of what Seely and his team have been doing. Keep doing it! Rating: 97-100+ Lisa Perrotti-Brown, RobertParker.com (Jun 2020)

The 2019 Pichon-Longueville Baron was picked from 18 September to 11 October, fermented between 25-29°C and aged in 80% new oak for a planned 18 months. This year it represents just under half the production from their 73 hectares of vine. It has a very refined bouquet, perhaps a little more understated than the 2018, a more cerebral nose with predominantly black fruit laced with cedar, tobacco and a beguiling estuarine scent that becomes more prominent with time. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy black fruit framed by super-fine tannins that lend this a silky smooth, creamy texture. Certainly this is a rich Pichon-Baron, though it retains all the classicism you could ask for. Very fine salinity comes through on the finish with a persistent spice; after tasted that beckons you back for more. This is an outstanding Pauillac. Tasted twice with consistent notes. Drinking range: 2025 - 2060 Rating: 96-98 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Jun 2020)