2021 Pichon Baron
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Tasting notes
Competing for wine of the vintage, particularly on the Left Bank, Pichon Baron has pulled out all the stops to make an exceptional wine in the challenging 2021 vintage – but it came at a cost, with yields just 22hl/ha. The wine has the highest proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon to date in the blend (88%) and it has worked a treat. There is great clarity to the blackberry, cassis fruit, with moderate concentration and great precision, making the wine both elegant and complex. Briar fruit notes mingle with cassis and a salty mineral character that leaves the palate salivating. With a long finish this is excellent. 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot
Critic scores
Average Score
William Kelley, Wine Advocate
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
More reviews and scores
As to the Grand Vin, the 2021 Château Pichon-Longueville Baron is 88% Cabernet Sauvignon and 12% Merlot that's a selection of 50% of the total production and is resting in 70% new barrels. This straight, pure, incredibly focused and impressive 2021 has deep blue fruits as well as notes of cassis, graphite, chalky minerality, and hints of tobacco. It's elegant and balanced, with ripe tannins as well as good acidity and density.
The 2021 Pichon-Baron is a dense, packed wine, its mid-weight structure notwithstanding. There is a lot of wine here, but readers have to be patient. Red-toned fruit, blood orange, mint, rose petal and cinnamon add layers of nuance, but more than anything else, the 2021 stands out for its persistence.
The 2021 Pichon-Longueville Baron (which, incidentally, has been the legal name since 2021!) is matured in 70% new oak. It opens up nicely in the glass, revealing a straight-down-the-line, floral bouquet of violets intermingled with graphite notes. There is a delicacy about the aromatics that distinguishes it from recent vintages. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, very pure and "athletic.” No extra fat here; instead, perhaps, slender like the Mouton-Rothschild, which is not a bad thing. Nimble might be a better word. Very fine.
About the producer
Pauillac’s Ch. Pichon Baron, formerly known as Ch. Pichon-Longueville Baron, is ranked as one of the 15 Second Growths from the 1855 Classification and is considered one of the "Super Seconds".