Pichon Baron 2019

Highest proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon on record, a reflection of how exceptionally well this grape did in 2019 in the gravel-heavy soils of Pauillac. The aromatics are all-enveloping, powerful and naunced and totally delicious, drawing you in and refusing to let go. Slate, pencil lead, charcoal, cassis, damson, layer upon layer of brilliance. Rivalling the incredible concentration and enveloping character of the 2016, this is a Pichon Baron that is full of confidence, and should not be missed. 80% new oak, 49% of total production. Drink 2029-2048.

Tasted blind. Dark, brooding colour. High-toned perfume. Concentration and drama. Lots of tannin. Needs lots of time but should be rewarding eventually. A little bitter on the end. Neat and tight. Polished tea leaves with freshness on the end. Long and subtle with savoury notes. Impressive and well composed. 14.5%Drink 2028– 2042

87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot.Black almost to the rim. Rich, dark and charry on the nose. Really charry. And yet still has a cassis fragrance. So dark and compact yet it has that lovely stony/rocky finesse, also dark, to bring elegance and finesse. Very dry, finely textured. Elegance in embryo. (JH) 14.5%Drink 2030 – 2050

Based on 87% Cabernet Sauvignon and 13% Merlot raised in 80% new French oak, the 2019 Château Pichon-Longueville Baron is pure class and just a beautiful, seamless Pauillac that does everything right. Revealing a deep purple hue as well textbook notes of blackcurrants, smoked tobacco, freshly sharpened pencils, and liquid violets, it shows the more medium to full-bodied, elegant style of the vintage yet is brilliantly concentrated, has a supple, layered mouthfeel, ripe yet building tannins, and a great, great finish. It's more open and expressive than Mouton and shares plenty of similarities with Comtesse with its layered, supple, just perfectly balanced and classy style. It unquestionably already offers pleasure today (and it's a good time to try a bottle, as I wouldn't be surprised to see it close down), but it will need a decade to hit maturity and it will be a 50-year wine.

87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot. Barrel sample.Deep purple-black to the rim. Powerful but less obviously muscular this year. Pure, precise and fragrant, the tannins plentiful but really refined. Lovely fruit and texture with a pervading freshness that persists. Length on the finish. Up with the best from this estate (2010, 2016). (JL)Drink 2030 – 2050

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. 2025 - 2060

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. 2025 - 2060

Very polished with creamy, lightly chewy tannins and layers of texture. Real cabernet sauvignon here. It’s full-bodied with pretty blackberry and blueberry character. Chocolate, too. Long, intense finish of fine, lightly dusty tannins. Tight and focused. Such finesse and class. 87% cabernet sauvignon and 13% merlot.

The 2019 Pichon Baron is a blend of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon and 13% Merlot. Deep garnet-purple colored, it needs a little swirling to unlock notions of warm cassis, black cherry preserves, blueberry compote, and violets with touches of licorice, mossy tree bark, tar, and cedar. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is firm and very finely grained with a fantastic, racy backbone, finishing long, lively, and fantastically pure.

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.

Firm tannic grip lands you squarely in Pauillac from the first moment, with pencil lead and charcoal reinforcing the point. This is a serious Pichon Baron, carefully extracted black fruits that barely put a foot wrong, and a firm core of acidity. Takes its time to open in the glass, and will age for decades without breaking a sweat. 80% new oak. 49% of production in this wine. Drinking Window 2029 - 2048