Château Pichon Baron Pauillac 2020 - 2nd Grand Cru Classé

Bettane & Desseauve

About the domain :

The estate's grand vin is produced directly opposite Château Latour, on perfectly drained gravel soils benefiting from the microclimate of the Gironde banks. Pichon possesses the vigor and power of the greatest Médocs, in a very pure style lovingly overseen by Jean-René Matignon, one of Bordeaux's most experienced technical directors. All recent vintages have been remarkable, with the same classicism of character linked to the dominant Cabernet Sauvignon and the mineral and graphite notes of the terroir. The second wine, tourelles, has made great progress, but the novelty is the appearance of another wine, griffons, in 2012, from young vines on the great terroirs, and very successful.

Decanter

About the wine:

Smooth and delicately aromatic but also rich, full of coffee, mocha, dark chocolate, caramel and medicinal herbs - mint and anise - with a combination of red, blue and black berries. The palate is beautifully dense and weighty, really very tannic but broad with an airy effect that means it's not heavy at all, with brilliant juiciness and great length. The tannins form the first impression with a velvety texture and chalky minerality, but they're clean and the fruit has a crystalline purity that gives an overall impression of elegance and directness. Generous, elegant and refined, but not yet at its best. 2029 - 2058

Guide Hachette des vins

About the domain :

The original vineyard was created in the 17th century by Jacques de Pichon, Baron de Longueville. Divided in two in 1850, part of the vineyard reverted to Raoul de Pichon-Longueville (the other part became Pichon Comtesse), who had the present château built. Inspired by Azay-le-Rideau, the building contrasts with the horizontal lines of the winery built after Axa Millésimes bought the estate in 1987. The insurer undertook major renovations under the leadership of Jean-Michel Cazes, then Christian Seely, with Jean-René Matignon in charge of technical management. Since 2001, the selection policy has been intensified: only 40 ha of the 73 ha of this exceptional terroir, made up of fine Garonne gravel and immediately adjacent to Latour, are now used for the grand vin.

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate

RVF - La Revue du Vin de France / Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France

About the domain :

This very fine second growth has produced a series of truly astonishing wines, and has established itself at the top of the Médoc hierarchy. Impossible to miss from the Route des Châteaux, the sumptuous home of "Pichon Baron" has been refurbished from top to bottom in less than two decades, and the team around Christian Seely is doing an exemplary job of bringing Pichon Baron to the top of the Médoc crus. The winemaking facilities and ageing cellar, as well as the vineyard, which has been extensively replanted, have enabled it to achieve historic levels of quality in recent vintages. The second wine is now called Les Griffons de Pichon Baron, Les Tourelles having become a subsidiary brand with its own vineyard.

Wine Enthusiast

About the wine:

With an intensity of color that matches the intensity of taste and sensation, this wine lines your palate with its multiple layers of rich, dark, deep, black and dark red fruit, combined with smoke, tobacco, Cuban cigars, spices, dark chocolate and burning oak embers. This incredible wine is perfectly balanced between power and intensity, with an almost infinite, seamless, regal and refined finish. This is clearly one of the greatest Pichon Baron vintages of all time. Drink between 2028 and 2065.

Vinous A. Galloni

About the wine:

Pichon Baron 2020 is just as magnificent as it was en primeur. A wine of vertical intensity and explosive power, the 2020 offers an exotic blend of red and black fruits, espresso, licorice, menthol, gravel and dried herbs. This powerful, dynamic Pauillac needs time to blossom. It combines the fruity intensity of a warm year with the driving energy of a cool year. The 2020 is a magnificent Pichon Baron. 2028 - 2050

James Suckling

About the wine:

Fabulous aromas of blackcurrant, blueberry, crushed stone, graphite and pencil lead. Some violets and other flowers too. A full-bodied wine with incredibly enveloping tannins and a texture reminiscent of the finest velvet. The structure is superb, with great tension and concentration. Flawless. This wine could be the new 1990, or even better. Try it after 2028.

Yves Beck

About the wine:

Pichon Baron's 2020 was aged in 70% new barrels and 30% one-wine barrels for 18 months. Production represents 48% of the vineyard's 73ha. A personality's mission is to meet expectations. Of course, this is a double-edged sword, especially when one is a wine product, and climatic and human vagaries are only to a lesser extent predictable. Pichon Baron presents itself with its usual serenity. The woodiness is there, but only as an accompaniment, while classic graphite and dark berry nuances quickly take over. The precision displayed is breathtaking, almost disconcerting, so much so that we find the markers that have made this wine one of Bordeaux's greatest! Perhaps even in the universe and beyond, but you have to stay on earth, and since it's here too, you might as well stay here. A dazzling wine in its outcome, its relevance and, finally, its persistence, ideally enhanced by a refreshing, structuring acidity. A great wine for laying down! 2027-2055