Château Pichon Baron - Pauillac (Grand Cru Classé) 2014 (750ml)

Sitting imposingly opposite Pichon Comtesse de Lalande, Pichon-Baron is nothing if not a stunning château.

Some 70 hectares, planted to 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc, with an average vine age of 30-35 years. The 40 distinct plots, all on the Pauillac/St.-Julien boundary, are now harvest and vinified separately, thanks to the impressive new cellar facilities.

The concept of lutte raisonée is practiced here, essentially a policy of minimal intervention, allowing nature to take its course, and they have achieved certification to ISO 1401. No sprays are utilised in the vineyard whatsoever, not even the ubiquitous (and permitted) Copper Sulphate. The initial triage or sorting is completed in the vineyard by the pickers.

From the 2012 vintage the name of Château Pichon Longueville Baron is formally changed to Château Pichon Baron. This has actually been what most people have called the chateau and the wine for a long time.

Château Pichon Baron 2016 has a beautiful, intense garnet red color. The nose reveals aromas of red and dark fruit such as blueberry, black cherry and blackcurrant, followed by very lightly toasted notes with a hint of vanilla and spices. The fleshy, powerful attack is balanced by richness and a certain fullness. The tannins are silky, opulent, and lengthy, with some crispness.

#8 Wine Spectator Top 100 of 2019

Château Pichon Baron 2016 has a beautiful, intense garnet red color. The nose reveals aromas of red and dark fruit such as blueberry, black cherry and blackcurrant, followed by very lightly toasted notes with a hint of vanilla and spices. The fleshy, powerful attack is balanced by richness and a certain fullness. The tannins are silky, opulent and lengthy, with some crispness. The finish is precise. Altogether it is dominated by the tipycity of the grapes and by tension, and is dense and full-bodied.
Blend: 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot

Critical Acclaim

D100
Decanter
Pichon Baron 2016 is a riveting, classy wine, richly aromatic and expressive from the start with a complex bouquet of black cherry, liquorice, graphite, menthol and subtle spices. The palate combines fleshy texture and linearity. The fine-grained tannins have the laser-like precision that Christian Seely likes so much, and contribute to the overall impression of crystalline purity so conducive to the terroir expression of this benchmark wine destined to reach new heights over the next 20 to 30 years. Magnificent wine.
JS99
James Suckling
The concentration and largesse of the 2016 Pichon Baron is apparent from the get-go with incredibly alluring, ripe and expansive fruit aromas in the blackberry, dark-cherry, mulberry and plum zone. Espresso and cedar, as well as a slate-like, stony mineral edge add complexity. The palate has incredible depth, drive and detail. Fine and plush tannins stretch the palate in every direction. So fresh and vivacious, this is the greatest Pichon Baron since 1989 and has a long future. Try from 2024.
RP97
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2016 Pichon-Longueville Baron offers a suave and seductive nose of warm red and black currants, black plum preserves, truffles, tapenade and rose hip tea with touches of sandalwood and Chinese five spice plus a waft of iron ore. Medium to full-bodied, firmly structured and packed with mineral and exotic spice-laced black fruits, it finishes very long with compelling herbal sparks.
WE97
Wine Enthusiast
As often with this estate, this wine combines opulent richness and an elegant structure. It is a bold wine, ripe and full of black fruits. But it holds together impressively, with nothing in excess. The wine will age well; drink from 2025.
Cellar Selection
JD97
Jeb Dunnuck
The 2016 Château Pichon-Longueville Baron is beauty and is a blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Merlot that was brought up in 80% new French oak. Tasting like a hypothetical mix of the 2009 and 2010, its deep purple color is followed by a powerful yet sensationally pure bouquet of crème de cassis, blackberries, lead pencil shavings, and graphite, and is just about as quintessentially Pauillac as it gets. Full-bodied, fleshy and even a touch flamboyant, it has sweet tannins and a monster texture that coats the palate. Count me in as a huge fan. This fabulous wine will be relatively approachable in just 3-5 years but will age for 30 years or more.
WS96
Wine Spectator
This gushes with dark fig and black currant compote flavors backed by lively sweet tobacco and singed alder edges. Very fleshy in feel, though there's ample grip to keep this red grounded, echoing with tar and humus accents through the finish. A thumper. Best from 2025 through 2040.