The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, very pure and "athletic.” No extra fat here instead, perhaps, slender like the Mouton-Rothschild, which is not a bad thing. There is a delicacy about the aromatics that distinguishes it from recent vintages. It opens up nicely in the glass, revealing a straight-down-the-line, floral bouquet of violets intermingled with graphite notes. The 2021 Pichon-Longueville Baron (which, incidentally, has been the legal name since 2021!) is matured in 70% new oak. Red-toned fruit, blood orange, mint, rose petal and cinnamon add layers of nuance, but more than anything else, the 2021 stands out for its persistence. There is a lot of wine here, but readers have to be patient. The 2021 Pichon-Baron is a dense, packed wine, its mid-weight structure notwithstanding. William Kelley - Wine Advocate (Apr 2022) One of the real successes of the vintage, readers who overlook this wine will live to regret it. A blend of fully 89% Cabernet Sauvignon and 11% Merlot, it represents the wine this great estate could have produced in 1996. Medium to full-bodied, deep and layered, it's concentrated and penetrating, with terrific concentration and a beautifully refined, classy profile. Annual production is around 18,000 cases.Ī brilliant achievement, the 2021 Pichon-Longueville Baron opens in the glass with aromas of dark berries, blackcurrants, cigar wrapper, loamy soil, pencil shavings and licorice. While the 73 hectare estate is planted to 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot, the last two varietals are used exclusively on the second wine Les Tourelles de Longueville. Two fifths of the estate went to his two sons and became Pichon Baron as we know it today, while three fifths went to his three daughters and became Chateau Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande.
Chateau Pichon-Longueville Baron was formed when Baron Joseph de Pichon Longueville finally passed in 1850 after managing the large estate for 70 years, dividing it amongst his children.