2016
This wine will be featured during Saturday’s Prodigious Pours Panel-Led Tasting.
Château Pichon-Longueville Baron, often referred to simply as “Pichon Baron”, is a well-regarded wine estate in the Pauillac appellation of Bordeaux’s Haut-Médoc wine region, on the so-called “left bank” of the Gironde estuary.
Producer’s Tasting Note: Our Grand Vin Château Pichon Baron 2nd Cru Classé in 1855 comes from the very oldest vines grown on the historic plots of the estate. This authentic Pauillac offers an amazing sensory experience with its black fruit flavours and spicy hints. Château Pichon Baron shows great elegance, intensity and exceptional length on the palate. It is a wine that improves yearly and can age over 40 years in the cellar.
Critic Tasting Note: “With a tannic, racy edge to all the fresh, ripe, sweet, fleshy, currants on the palate, the wine kicks off with espresso, tobacco leaf, currants, black cherries, cigar box, underbrush, red fruits, and chalk.”
Vintage Description:
The 2016 vintage was marked by widely varying weather conditions with a cold, wet winter, a damp spring and a hot, dry summer. A long, splendid Indian summer helped the grapes reach excellent ripeness levels. Flowering took place in excellent conditions. From mid-July, temperatures were close to seasonal averages. There was very little rain up until the veraison. These restrictive conditions favoured thickening of the skins and polyphenol concentration. Everything augured well for the harvest, with a reasonable yield, ideal weather, remarkable quality and no concerns with respect to the sanitary condition of the grapes. The balance between the polyphenols in the grapes resulted in powerful yet nicely-polished tannins, with plenty of personality. Stringent plot selection was carried out with the emphasis on slow extraction, tailored to each terroir. Temperatures were maintained at 27°C to 29°C. Maceration lasted between 19 and 27 days. Running off was completed at the end of November.
Producer Notes:
Château Pichon Baron 2016 has a beautiful, intense garnet red colour. The nose reveals aromas of red and dark fruit such as blueberry, black cherry and blackcurrant, followed by very lightly toasted notes with a hint of vanilla and spices. The fleshy, powerful attack is balanced by richness and a certain fullness. The tannins are silky, opulent, and lengthy, with some crispness. The finish is precise. Altogether it is dominated by the typicity of the grapes and by tension, and is dense and full-bodied. Jean-René Matignon – Technical Director – June 2018
