CHÂTEAU PICHON LONGUEVILLE BARON
2019 2ème Cru Classé Pauillac
The 2019 Pichon Baron is quite closed on the nose, blackberry, bilberry and incense, with graphite and cedar developing with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, not quite as finessed as Pichon Lalande, but with great structure and density on the close. It needs a little more precision to develop on the finish but just give it time. Tasted blind at the Southwold annual tasting. Drinking range: 2026 - 2060 Rating: 97 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Feb 2023)
* 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.
Blackberries and blueberries with stone and graphite. Flint and black licorice, too. So perfumed. Full-bodied, very long and linear with incredible length. The new 1990, but better crafted. Chewy, yet so tailored and wonderfully proportioned. Freshness and elegance. Wonderful depth. 87% cabernet sauvignon rest merlot. The highest ever proportion of cabernet. Drinking range: 2026 - Rating: 99 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Feb 2022)
The 2019 Pichon-Baron is magnificent. In fact, the 2019 is one of the very finest recent vintages I can remember tasting. Cabernet Sauvignon is the highest ever in the Grand Vin at 87%. That comes through in the wine's vibrancy, explosive power and overall profile. Dark cherry, plum, gravel, licorice and incense infuse the 2019 with tremendous depth to match its virile personality. Pichon-Baron was impressive from barrel and it is again today from bottle. Superb. Drinking range: 2034 - 2059 Rating: 97 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Feb 2022)
The 2019 Pichon-Longueville Baron was picked from September 18 to October 11. It has a captivating bouquet of intense blackberry, cedar, Japanese nori and sea spray notes on the nose, all exquisitely defined and poised. The harmonious palate is medium-bodied and classic in style, with pencil-lead-infused black fruit, lovely poise and not a single hair out of place toward the finish. Christian Seely believes this vintage suited Pichon-Baron, and that is confirmed by the quality in bottle. Outstanding. Drinking range: 2025 - 2060 Rating: 97 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Feb 2022)
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)
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 on the main website. If you are unclear as to what is involved in primeur purchases please do contact our private client team via email or on 020 7018 0187.
Ordering
Prices are all in bond by the case size stated.
Pre-Orders are a firm commitment to buy wines on release, as long as the release price is within the upper and lower price bands set by you on the pre-order form. Pre-orders will be fulfilled subject to availability but providing this firm commitment to buy effectively gives you priority and is a good idea for the most desirable wines.
Wines listed on the website can be ordered in the usual way via the website wishlist order form. You can also send orders directly to our private client team via email. Please note that, for the most sought-after wines, priority will be given to those who ordered the same wines last year and to those that have pre-ordered.
Confirmation
All orders will be confirmed by email and are binding unless written cancellation is received within seven days of email confirmation. Pre-orders are not binding if the release price is above your upper price band.
Invoices are all raised at the in bond price (excluding any duty and VAT) which will become payable at the prevailing rates when the wines arrive in the UK, should you wish to take duty paid delivery.
Payment is required on sight of invoice, by cash, cheque, debit card or bank transfer. We regret we cannot accept credit cards for en primeur orders. We reserve the right to apply a dunning charge of 2% per month on invoices unpaid after 30 days.
Delivery
- Shipment to our bond (at 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 £500. Orders below this total will be charged an administration and handling fee of £16.50+ VAT when invoices are issued. We will group deliveries and this is a charge for your entire purchases, not a per-case charge.
- Delivery of 2023 Bordeaux bought en primeur is expected during 2026. Delivery dates may vary as wines are shipped from Bordeaux at different times.
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). Immediate payment of invoices is then required by cash, cheque, debit card or bank transfer. We and our customers find that having a single invoice for the vintage is the simpler option but please note that confirmed orders are still binding even if the final invoice has not yet been issued.
Please specify on your wishlist order form where you would like the wines shipped on arrival in the UK. If this is to a third-party bonded warehouse, please specify the relevant account details. If the wines are required duty-paid we will issue a second invoice for duty and VAT at the prevailing rate when the wines are available for delivery.
Half-bottles, Magnums and larger bottles.
One of the additional advantages of buying en primeur is being able to order the wine in the format you want. While most of our listings are for 75cl bottles, we can source wines in any format that is offered by the Château. Please note that format requests cannot be changed once wines have been invoiced. Additional charges for special formats do apply and are as follows:-
- +£18.00 per case of 12 half-bottles
- +£30.00 per case of 24 half-bottles
- +£7.50 per case of 3 Magnums (2 bottles equivalent, 1.5 litres each)
- +£11.00 per case of 6 Magnums
- +£45.00 per individually boxed Double Magnum (4 bottles equivalent, 3 litres)
- +£60.00 per individually boxed Imperial (8 bottles equivalent, 6 litres) for Salmanazars, Balthazars, Nebuchadnezzars and Melchiors please enquire for availability and price.
Storage Options:
Wines bought en primeur won't arrive in the UK until 2026. If you do not wish to take home delivery at that point, you may wish to consider where you would like the wines shipped. Lea & Sandeman offers duty paid and in bond storage through a dedicated storage company called Elephant Storage. For more details on the terms and fees associated with storage please go to our Storage Homepage or contact our private client team for more information.