Pichon Baron 2016

Pauillac, Second Growth

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Tasting Notes
The 2016 Pichon Baron has a powerful, menthol-scented bouquet that almost overwhelms the senses. This comes across richer than its peers, almost heady in style. The palate is medium-bodied with thick tannins, layers of rich black fruit laced with pencil lead and a dash of white pepper. An extravagant Pauillac with an uncharacteristically hedonistic finish. Superb, but I have had better bottles. Score: 93 Neal Martin, Vinous.com Maturity: 2023-2055 01 August 2020
The 2016 Pichon-Longueville Baron electrifies the olfactory sense with a stunning bouquet of intense blackberry, cedar and graphite aromas that are quintessential Pauillac. Over a few minutes, it blossoms in the glass, gaining more and more depth. The palate is medium-bodied with slightly tarry black fruit, cedar and truffle, dovetailing into a saline, peppery finish that leaves the tongue tingling. Christian Seely and his team have imbued recent vintages of this Pauillac with unerring symmetry, and the 2016 can be added to the canon of triumphs. Score: 96 Neal Martin, Vinous.com Maturity: 2023-2055 01 January 2019
The 2016 Pichon-Longueville Baron is a blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Merlot picked between 3 and 18 October at 39 hectoliters per hectare for estate (therefore the Grand Vin will be less). It is matured in 80% new oak and 20% one year old for 18 months. It has a very intense, extremely pure bouquet with blackberry, bilberry, cedar and graphite notes; it is a straight-down-the-fairway Pauillac. The palate is medium-bodied with a very tensile opening, that seam of graphite penetrating the black fruit. There is a wonderful structure here, unapologetically classic in style with just the right amount of austerity on the aristocratic finish. The aftertaste is incredibly long, lingering after two or three minutes in the mouth. This is a majestic Pichon-Baron and it may well to surpass both the 2009 or 2010. Score: 96 - 98 Neal Martin, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Maturity: 2026-2060 28 April 2017
The 2016 Pichon Baron is seamless and racy from start to finish. Sensual and super-expressive, with soft contours, silky tannins and exceptional finesse, Pichon Baron is one of the more accessible wines in its peer group today. Plum, mocha, leather, spice and chocolate all build effortlessly. As outstanding as Pichon Baron is, the 2016 gives the impression it is playing things safe. It would be nice to see a little more daring and risk. Score: 96 Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com Maturity: 2026-2041 01 January 2019
The 2016 Pichon-Longueville Baron is fabulous. In fact, the 2016 is one of the best recent Pichon-Barons I can remember tasting. Smoke, gravel, chocolate, graphite, licorice, leather, black cherry and grilled herbs open up first as the wine shows off its extraordinary aromatic palette. Like so many wines in this vintage, the 2016 delivers serious flavor intensity, but with no excess weight. The richness of the Cabernet, at 85% of the blend, is palpable, as is the quality level. Vivid and deep to the core, the wine finishes with notable density, yet retains its midweight structure. Score: 93 - 96 Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com 25 April 2017
Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2016 Pichon-Longueville Baron offers a suave and seductive nose of warm red and black currants, black plum preserves, truffles, tapenade and rose hip tea with touches of sandalwood and Chinese five spice plus a waft of iron ore. Medium to full-bodied, firmly structured and packed with mineral and exotic spice-laced black fruits, it finishes very long with compelling herbal sparks. Score: 97 Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Maturity: 2022-2057 30 November 2018
This has some rich liquorice and gingerbread flavours, drawing deeply on the cassis fruits of the 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Merlot. This is incredibly dense and yet feels almost light across the palate. It doesn't have the upfront sexiness of the 2009, this is a more cerebral vintage. Neither does it have the architecture of the 2010, although the technical numbers are quite similar with high tannins and a pH of 3.6. It floats and builds up power slowly, with slighly chalky tannins on the finish. Less of a 'wall' than some recent years, an excellent wine. 45% of the estate's production from 73ha. To be aged in 80% new oak for 18 months. Score: 96 Decanter, - Maturity: 2027-2050 20 April 2017
Impressively rich and dense, emphatic nose. Lovely weight of blackcurrant fruit with blueberries, a hint of tobacco and coffee roast. Intense in the middle with dark fruit and mocha, great structure and verve with high deft tannins and a long spiced finish. Score: 96 - 97 Albany Vintners, - 19 April 2017
85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot. 80% new oak. 45% of total production. Dense, dramatic, splashy wine with great balance and lift. Lots of energy and masses of old Cab in here. Really snazzy. Long. 13.3% Score: 18 - 19 Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com Maturity: 2026-2050 18 April 2017
Has the pure, fresh, racy feel of the vintage, which is even more admirable considering the depth of the red currant, plum and cherry preserve flavors at the core and the power of the structure on the back end, pulling in accents of graphite and loam. A thumper of a Pauillac. Score: 96 - 99 James Molesworth, Wine Spectator 06 April 2017
I have been waiting for this for a long time. It’s a remake of the legendary 1990 Pichon Baron. Full body, ultra-polished yet powerful tannins and a glorious finish. The will evolve beautifully. The core of fruit and tannins are great. A truly great Pichon Baron. Score: 98 - 99 James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com 24 March 2017

Tasting Notes

The 2016 Pichon Baron has a powerful, menthol-scented bouquet that almost overwhelms the senses. This comes across richer than its peers, almost heady in style. The palate is medium-bodied with thick tannins, layers of rich black fruit laced with pencil lead and a dash of white pepper. An extravagant Pauillac with an uncharacteristically hedonistic finish. Superb, but I have had better bottles.

Score: 93

Neal Martin, Vinous.com Maturity: 2023-2055 01 August 2020

The 2016 Pichon-Longueville Baron electrifies the olfactory sense with a stunning bouquet of intense blackberry, cedar and graphite aromas that are quintessential Pauillac. Over a few minutes, it blossoms in the glass, gaining more and more depth. The palate is medium-bodied with slightly tarry black fruit, cedar and truffle, dovetailing into a saline, peppery finish that leaves the tongue tingling. Christian Seely and his team have imbued recent vintages of this Pauillac with unerring symmetry, and the 2016 can be added to the canon of triumphs.

Score: 96

Neal Martin, Vinous.com Maturity: 2023-2055 01 January 2019

The 2016 Pichon-Longueville Baron is a blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Merlot picked between 3 and 18 October at 39 hectoliters per hectare for estate (therefore the Grand Vin will be less). It is matured in 80% new oak and 20% one year old for 18 months. It has a very intense, extremely pure bouquet with blackberry, bilberry, cedar and graphite notes; it is a straight-down-the-fairway Pauillac. The palate is medium-bodied with a very tensile opening, that seam of graphite penetrating the black fruit. There is a wonderful structure here, unapologetically classic in style with just the right amount of austerity on the aristocratic finish. The aftertaste is incredibly long, lingering after two or three minutes in the mouth. This is a majestic Pichon-Baron and it may well to surpass both the 2009 or 2010.

Score: 96 - 98

Neal Martin, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Maturity: 2026-2060 28 April 2017

The 2016 Pichon Baron is seamless and racy from start to finish. Sensual and super-expressive, with soft contours, silky tannins and exceptional finesse, Pichon Baron is one of the more accessible wines in its peer group today. Plum, mocha, leather, spice and chocolate all build effortlessly. As outstanding as Pichon Baron is, the 2016 gives the impression it is playing things safe. It would be nice to see a little more daring and risk.

Score: 96

Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com Maturity: 2026-2041 01 January 2019

The 2016 Pichon-Longueville Baron is fabulous. In fact, the 2016 is one of the best recent Pichon-Barons I can remember tasting. Smoke, gravel, chocolate, graphite, licorice, leather, black cherry and grilled herbs open up first as the wine shows off its extraordinary aromatic palette. Like so many wines in this vintage, the 2016 delivers serious flavor intensity, but with no excess weight. The richness of the Cabernet, at 85% of the blend, is palpable, as is the quality level. Vivid and deep to the core, the wine finishes with notable density, yet retains its midweight structure.

Score: 93 - 96

Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com 25 April 2017

Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2016 Pichon-Longueville Baron offers a suave and seductive nose of warm red and black currants, black plum preserves, truffles, tapenade and rose hip tea with touches of sandalwood and Chinese five spice plus a waft of iron ore. Medium to full-bodied, firmly structured and packed with mineral and exotic spice-laced black fruits, it finishes very long with compelling herbal sparks.

Score: 97

Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Maturity: 2022-2057 30 November 2018

This has some rich liquorice and gingerbread flavours, drawing deeply on the cassis fruits of the 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Merlot. This is incredibly dense and yet feels almost light across the palate. It doesn't have the upfront sexiness of the 2009, this is a more cerebral vintage. Neither does it have the architecture of the 2010, although the technical numbers are quite similar with high tannins and a pH of 3.6. It floats and builds up power slowly, with slighly chalky tannins on the finish. Less of a 'wall' than some recent years, an excellent wine. 45% of the estate's production from 73ha. To be aged in 80% new oak for 18 months.

Score: 96

Decanter, - Maturity: 2027-2050 20 April 2017

Impressively rich and dense, emphatic nose. Lovely weight of blackcurrant fruit with blueberries, a hint of tobacco and coffee roast. Intense in the middle with dark fruit and mocha, great structure and verve with high deft tannins and a long spiced finish.

Score: 96 - 97

Albany Vintners, - 19 April 2017

85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot. 80% new oak. 45% of total production. Dense, dramatic, splashy wine with great balance and lift. Lots of energy and masses of old Cab in here. Really snazzy. Long. 13.3%

Score: 18 - 19

Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com Maturity: 2026-2050 18 April 2017

Has the pure, fresh, racy feel of the vintage, which is even more admirable considering the depth of the red currant, plum and cherry preserve flavors at the core and the power of the structure on the back end, pulling in accents of graphite and loam. A thumper of a Pauillac.

Score: 96 - 99

James Molesworth, Wine Spectator 06 April 2017

I have been waiting for this for a long time. It’s a remake of the legendary 1990 Pichon Baron. Full body, ultra-polished yet powerful tannins and a glorious finish. The will evolve beautifully. The core of fruit and tannins are great. A truly great Pichon Baron.

Score: 98 - 99

James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com 24 March 2017

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