Château Pichon Baron 2021

Complex, smoky-mineral maturation aromas; it has the vintage’s distinctive character with simultaneously peppery, refreshing tannins, a slender yet very dense style, remarkable tension, and a sinewy-fruity length.

This nicely rendered red unfurls nicely, offering notes of cassis, plum and black cherry puree gilded with violet and lilac hints. A long, sleek iron note stays embedded throughout, while late accents of black tea and warm earth help fill out the finish. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Best from 2026 through 2040. 8,504 cases made.

Inviting, fragrant nose with pink flowers and red berry fruit. Pure and elegant with a crystalline aspect to the fruit, juicy and lively balance. A super, classic take that I really love: firm and appealing mineral grip, a sense of power and drive but also delicacy and finesse. Reflecting the vintage, it's light and delicate but persistent from start to finish, with tension. Linear but well contained, a solid effort.

Black currant, violet, lemon blossom and blackberry aromas. Full-bodied, with chewy tannins and undertones of tobacco, black fruit and cedar. It’s tight and chewy, suggesting it needs some bottle age. Some iodine. Oyster shell. 88% cabernet sauvignon. Give this four to five years. Try after 2027.

88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot. Cask sample. Distinctive Cabernet nose (highest percentage ever in the blend) with graphite and cassis notes. Very pure and precise. Dense, tight and assertive on the palate, the tannins abundant but just a little wayward. Needs time to settle. Very long finish. Enough substance for ageing. (JL)

One of the wines of the vintage owes its character to having used the highest percentage of Cabernet in the history of the estate in the blend at 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, followed with 12% Merlot. Concentrated, rich, deep, fresh, and complex, the wine is packed with racy, energetic currants, cherries, plums, peppery spices, and lift. There is concentration and purity to the fruits that linger and expand. This is even better in the bottle than it was in the barrel, which is always the mark of a great wine. This is a perfect example of what a top, classically styled Pauillac should taste like. This is the final vintage produced by the incredibly talented, long-time technical director, Jean-Rene Matignon. With a few more years of age, this could score even higher. Drink from 2028–2060.

Dark ruby, purple reflections, subtle brightening on the rim. On the nose, subtle nuances of oak, a touch of blackberry, cassis, tobacco and then mineral notes. Medium complexity, sweet red cherries, well integrated, ripe tannins, fresh and lively with salty notes and red currants on the finish. An animating style. (9/1/2024, cellar, drink + 25)

The flagship 2021 Château Pichon-Longueville Baron lives up to the billing. A blend of 88% Cabernet Sauvignon and 12% Merlot brought up in 70% new oak, it has a pure, medium-bodied, concentrated, flawlessly balanced style as well as pure cassis and subtle blue fruits, some floral, graphite, and cedar pencil nuances, silky tannins, and a great finish. It's not going to rival recent vintages in terms of concentration or depth, but it's nevertheless a brilliant 2021 that has so much to love. It's approachable and offers pleasure even today yet will ideally be given 5-7 years and enjoyed over the following 15+.

Inky plum in colour, full of Pauillac character, cassis, fennel, pencil lead, liqourice and slate, bitter chocolate, creamy through the mid palate in a way that is unusual in 2021, with a foot on the break that gives a more understated, old school feel than recent vintages of Pichon Baron. Highest level of Cabernet Sauvignon to date (just a slice more than 2018), with 70% new oak for ageing. Harvest through to October 8.

The 2021 Pichon Baron has a deep garnet-purple color. It needs plenty of swirling to awaken scents of freshly crushed blackcurrants, juicy raspberries, and boysenberries, followed by nuances of lavender, cedar chest, and crushed rocks. The light- to medium-bodied palate has a fine-grained texture and loads of freshness supporting the youthful black and red berry layers, finishing with a floral lift.

The grand vin has admirably absorbed its élevage; it has a luminous, brilliant texture with lots of bouncing layers of flavor on the palate. The finish stretches on and on with notes of tangy red fruits.

A very delicate bouquet of floral and chocolate aromas, with the alluring elegance of a beautiful woman in her sixties. Lovely on the palate, pure and precise, it fills every nook and cranny of the mouth. Its delectable flavors, featuring notes of dark fruit and graphite, accompanied by a touch of vanilla sweetness, confirm the pedigree of this Pichon Baron. The finish is long and saline.

It’s no longer very common to talk about color… yet we should pay more attention to it! Take the robe of this Pichon Baron 2021, for example, defined by its dark hue, purplish highlights, and density. The bouquet stands out for its many facets, where the progression through appealing vegetal, fruity, and mineral notes is revealing. At times eucalyptus, then graphite, iris, dark chocolate, followed by licorice, Sichuan pepper, elderberry, and smoked bacon. I would hardly wish to conjure the idea of an olfactory jumble by listing my impressions haphazardly, but rather that of an organized plurality! On the palate, the wine is linear, powerful, and precise. Its vigor acts like a quiet force, with definition and character. Its greatness lies not in depth, but in the ability to marry verve with the many details present, thus lifting this wine to the unsuspected qualitative heights of the 2021 vintage.

Dark, purple, deep and beautiful color. Intense, fine, fruity, pure and subtle nose, developing smoky notes when the glass is swirled. Very meticulous texture right from the attack. Then the wine gains flesh after 3 seconds. It rises and rises—complex, savory, long, deep, with plenty of flavor. Fresh finish, with present, enveloped tannins. Blend: 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot. It’s a record for Cabernet Sauvignon. It was 87% in 2019. Alcohol: 12.9% - pH: 3.65. Yield: 20 hl/ha. Harvest from 09/27 to 10/07.

There has never been so much Cabernet Sauvignon: 88%! Finesse and firmness define its 2021 signature, with flavors of noble vegetal notes, a sense of purity, tension, fresh and crunchy fruit, sapidity, then an intense floral aftertaste. The classic profile that made Bordeaux. A great Pauillac for very long ageing.

95–97. Barrel Sample. This wine's fruitiness is its star quality. Rich black Cabernet Sauvignon fruits and dark tannins are lifted by the wine's vivid flavors. At the same time, dense structure gives power to the wine.