Château Pichon Baron 2020

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.

Château Pichon de Longueville Baron (affectionately shortnamed Pichon Baron, vs its sister chateau Pichon Comtesse) 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 Pichon 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.  Due to their incredible fortitude, these wines have the ageing potential to last for decades.

"The 2020 Pichon-Longueville Baron is a blend of 76% Cabernet Sauvignon and 24% Merlot aging for an estimated 18 months in French oak barrels, 70% new. The production of the grand vin represents 48% of the harvest this year. Opaque purple-black in color, it comes bounding out of the glass with exuberant notions of blackberry pie, preserved plums and crème de cassis, plus suggestions of Chinese five spice, chocolate mint, graphite and cedar chest with a touch of violets. The medium-bodied palate is built like a brick house, featuring firm, ripe, grainy tannins and bold freshness to support the taut, muscular black fruits, finishing long and spicy." Lisa Perotti-Brown, May 2021 Week 3: The Wine Advocate (05/20/2021) Rating: 95-97 Drink: 2027-2052

"Intense, concentrated, rippling with power while still delivering finesse. A muscular Pichon Baron, layered with liquorice and chocolate shavings. Unmistakably Pauillac, and hugely Cabernet dominant, with savoury spice notes of grilled cumin and the same muscular, saline-backed tannins that you find in Les Griffons, just here with more definition and depth. 70% new oak for 18 months, 48% of overall production. Harvest September 14 to 30. Yields on the old vines here just above 30hl/ha."Jane Anson, Bordeaux Primeur Week (04/30/2021) Rating: 96 Drink: 2029-2048

"The inky hued 2020 Château Pichon-Longueville Baron checks in as a blend of 76% Cabernet Sauvignon and 24% Merlot that spent 18 months in 70% new barrels. It's a dense, rich, powerful 2020 offering loads of pure cassis and almost blue fruits as well as full-bodied richness, a round, lush, incredibly sexy texture, sweet tannins, and ample classic Pauillac lead pencil, tobacco, and violet aromas and flavors. It's unquestionably in the same ballpark as the 2015, 2016, and 2018, and given its sweet tannins and beautifully integrated acidity, it should have some up-front appeal as well, yet still age at a glacier pace." Jeb Dunnuck, Bordeaux 2020 En Primeur - Part 1 (05/23/2021), Rating 96-98

"The 2020 Pichon Baron underwent an early picking with relatively low yields. A blend of 76% Cabernet Sauvignon and 24% Merlot, it has a very tight nose at first that demands 15–20 minute coaxing in the glass. It eventually reveals enticing blackberries, blueberries and hints of balsamic and undergrowth, all very precise; crushed rock scents surface with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy black fruit, fine-grained tannins and touches of hoisin toward a dense but structured finish of unerring symmetry. Tasted from test tube sample and regular 75cl bottle." Neal Martin, Vinous (June, 2021) Rating: 95-97