Château Pichon Baron 2019
• Domaine: Château Pichon Longueville Baron
• Appellation: Pauillac
• Classification: Second Growth, 2ème Grand Cru Classé
• Origin: Left Bank, Bordeaux, France
With its gothic spires and sapphire-blue reflecting pool, Château Pichon Longueville Baron looks like a fairytale castle come to life. The stunning grounds are easily identifiable, and some of the most photographed in the Médoc. One would never assume that such an idyllic, picturesque structure would be a producer of the highly powerful and muscular wines that are the stylistic signature of this Pauillac powerhouse of a producer.
The history of this famous Second Growth estate dates back to the Grand Siecle - “Great Century” - of France during the reign of Louis XIV. The first vineyard plots of this property were close to Château Latour in the left bank appellation of Pauillac. It was the typical fashion of the day for estates to be passed amongst the noble families through marriage or inheritance, and the story of Château Pichon Longueville is no different. After the marriage of Therese de Rauazan to Baron Jacques Pichon de Longueville in 1697, the estate was created. Eventually the property was passed to Baron Joseph de Pichon Longueville who managed the property at just 19 years old. He divided the large estate in two before his death. He gave Château Pichon Baron to his two sons and what would later be known as the illustrious “Super Second,” Château Pichon Comtesse de Lalande, to his three daughters. Interestingly enough, wine critics believe that Château Pichon Baron has a more masculine style and Château Pichon Comtesse de Lalande has a more feminine one. The estate was ranked a Second Growth under the famous 1855 Classification.
After a period of neglect in the mid 20th Century, AXA Millésimes, the vineyard investment arm of a global insurance company, purchased the estate and vowed to restore it to its former glory. The legendary Jean Michel Cazes of Château Lynch Bages took over management of Château Pichon Longueville Baron and turned things around. The legendary wine critic, Robert Parker, used to bemoan the bottles of grand vin at the estate roasting in the sun during the 1960s and 1970s. This is not the case under the watchful eye of Jean Michel Cazes. Now the cellar is located underground, underneath the pool that is the focal point of the frontyard. The estate’s 73-hectares of vineyards consisting of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc are diligently harvested grape by grape and parcel by parcel.
Château Pichon de Longueville Baron is home to terroir that is considered a “winegrower’s paradise.” Over the years, the vignerons at the estate have learned to nurture their precious vines, yielding highly concentrated and ripe fruit. Production has been cut in half throughout the decades and the winemaking team at Château Pichon de Longueville Baron has no qualms sacrificing quantity to ensure the quality of their wine. Perhaps it is the close proximity to the terroir of the First Growth powerhouse, Château Latour, that lends these wines the perfect balance of strength and refinement that is so often associated with the gems of Pauillac. Some of the best vintages are massively extracted, flamboyant wines -- with aromas of cassis, tobacco, and cedar. Current style is less emphasis on extraction, allowing the fruit to shine through, while presenting nature's true stories of the terroir. Due to their incredible fortitude, these wines have the ageing potential to last for decades.
Two second wines are produced at Pichon Baron: Les Griffons de Pichon Baron, and Les Tourelles de Longueville. Les Griffons is closer to the grand vin, with a balanced blend of Cabernet-Sauvignon and Merlot. Les Tourelles is dominated by Merlot, made to be enjoyed young.
Tasting Notes
"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." - Jeb Dunnuck, (04/12/2022), Ratings: 98
"The 2019 Pichon-Longueville Baron will go down as one of this château's great wines of the modern era, along with 2016, 2010 and 1989. Unfurling in the glass with aromas of cassis and plums mingled with notions of cigar wrapper, sweet loamy soil and violets, it's full-bodied, velvety and layered, with superb concentration, lively acids and rich, powdery tannins. Perfumed and resonant, this is a profound young Pauillac that bears more of a resemblance to its neighbor Château Latour than to Pichon Lalande this year. Pichon Baron was one of the great deals of the en primeur campaign, and readers who purchased futures are to be congratulated on their foresight." - William Kelley, The Wine Advocate, (04/07/2022), Ratings: 97+
"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." - Antonio Galloni, Vinous, (02/28/2022), Ratings: 97
"Best Pauillac 2019 wines tasted en primeur : 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." - Jane Anson, (06/04/2020), Ratings: 97, Drink 2029 - 2048
LWIN | 1014163 |
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Stock Status | In Stock |
Appellation | Pauillac |
Vintage | 2019 |
Brand | Chateau Pichon Baron |
Shipping Weight | 3.000000 |