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Château Pichon Baron 2011

An amazing sensory experience
Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot
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Notes: Blackberries, Currant, Black Cherry Cinnamon Violets Oaky Tobacco, Leather

Body:

Dryness: Very Dry

Acidity: Medium

Tannin:

Alcohol (%):

Origin: Bordeaux, France

Maker: Château Pichon

Grape:

  • Cabernet Sauvignon
  • Merlot

Fermentation: Heavy Wood

Awards: >95 pts

Decanting:

Asian Food Pairing: Asian beef stew, Roast Duck, Tulang

Western Food Pairing: Pair with roasted, braised or grilled meat dishes.

Description

Château Pichon Baron 2014

Château Pichon Baron is a Grand Vin that offers an amazing sensory experience with its black fruit flavours and spicy hints. Intense ruby-red colour with purple glints. The nose reveals aromas of fresh red and dark fruit, followed by an aromatic range that leads into mild spices and notes of tobacco, leather, cedar and cocoa. Powerful and explosive on the palate, the tannins are intense yet refined and delicate. Lots of volume with fleshy flavour. Shows great elegance, intensity and exceptional length on the palate. Masculine and with massive concentration, this still remains a thing of beauty. 

79% Cabernet-sauvignon and 21% Merlot. This Grand Vin uses grapes from some of the very oldest vines grown on the estate's historic plots. The terroir's best land - the "Butte de Pichon Baron" - is devoted entirely to the production of the Grand Vin, making up the majority of the blend. The grapes are brought into the vat-house plot by plot, manually harvesting the young vines first and the older vines later. Highly meticulous optical sorting in the vat-house, keeping only the very best grapes. The must from each plot is vinified individually. Maceration lasts 18–25 days, depending on tasting results. Malolactic fermentation occurs in large vats with regular transfers of the wine into barrels, along the fine lees, to contribute to the roundness of the wine. Ageing 80% in new barrels, 20% from barrels of one vintage for 20 months. A wine that will improve year after year, with an excellent ageing potential of over 40 years in the cellar.

13.5%

AWARDS & ACCOLADES

Brace yourself, this is a long one...

   Administrator Christian Seeley thinks the 2010 is the greatest Pichon Longueville Baron he has ever made, equaling some of the estate's colossal wines from vintages such as 1989 and 1990. It was certainly showing well when I stopped by the chateau in January. Opaque purple, with loads of charcoal, licorice, incense and some exotic Asian spices along with abundant cassis liqueur, blackberry and hints of roasted coffee and spring flowers, it is full-bodied and opulent, with relatively high tannins, but they have sweetened up considerably and seem less aggressive than they did from barrel. The oak is clearly pushed to the background by the wine's wealth of fruit, glycerin and full-bodied texture. This sensational Pichon Longueville Baron needs 5-6 years of cellaring, and should keep 30+ years.

 A truly great vintage in Bordeaux, with wines replete with tannin, acidity, and an almost extreme ripeness. 2010 is often seen as level-pegging with the fleshier 2009s, but at this estate 2010 is ahead by more than a whisker. The nose is reserved, with blackcurrant and chocolate aromas, brooding but intensely ripe. The palate is very rich, opulent and full-bodied, with massive but ripe tannins. Pwerful, taut and muscular, it’s crackling with tension - the fruit is not yet fully expressive, but t’s just beneath the dense but velvety surface. Exceptional length. Drinking window 2022–2050. Tasted November 2017.  This is quintessential Pauillac, a great wine with its Cabernet proudly at the fore. It ranks with the 2009 and, with its tannins, is sure to age longer than that vintage. Solidly structured, powerful and dense, with fruit promised for the future, it succeeds with its weight and great concentration. Tasted February 2013.

- 96 POINTS  The 2010 Pichon-Baron is simply one of the greatest wines produced under Christian Seely's tenure. It has a stunning bouquet with penetrating black fruit, wilted violet and a touch of sea spray, a distinctive marine note verging on shucked oyster shells. The palate is very well balanced with fine grain tannins, layers pf graphite infused black fruit and a very detailed, captivating finish. Brilliant. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners 10-Year On Bordeaux horizontal. Drink: 2023-2055

This has wonderful purity of fruit with currants, blackberries and licorice on the nose and palate. Full body, with velvety yet poished tannins and a long, long finish. Roses and flowers at the end. Tar too! Reminds me of the 1990 PB.