Saturated deep ruby-red. Pungent, brooding, very ripe aromas and flavors of cassis, blueberry, licorice, bitter chocolate, espresso and minerals, along with hints of spices and underbrush. Large-scaled, rich and deep, with superb chewy ripeness and terrific mineral lift. At once plush and powerful, boasting the texture of a first growth, with a near-perfect sugar/acid balance. The palate-staining finish features substantial ripe, chewy tannins and rising length. This should evolve gracefully in bottle for two or three decades.

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Blackish crimson. Scented with some putty notes. Lots of chewy mineral notes. But enough fruit too. Definitely playing the mineral card! Nothing lush about this.

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Revealing incredible quality and performing better than it did from barrel, the 2009 appears to be the greatest Pichon Longueville Baron since the 1990 and 1989. An amazing opaque blue/purple color is followed by scents of spring flowers, graphite, smoky charcoal, incense, blackberries, blueberries and hints of coffee and chocolate. Incredibly intense, pure and flawlessly constructed with extravagant layers of fruit and richness, this offering has developed beautifully under the management of Christian Seeley. It is a voluptuous, opulent Pichon Longueville Baron that may eclipse anything they have made in the past. This brilliant wine should be at its peak between 2018 and 2045.

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This delivers a massive core of black Mission fig, black currant paste and roasted fig fruit, backed by alder wood, bay leaf, singed cedar and maduro tobacco. The finish lets a racy iron note take over. Long and authoritative, with gorgeous acidity giving the balance for long-term cellaring.

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