Chateau Pichon Baron 2eme Cru Classe, Pauillac 2021

Dark and brooding in bearing, the 2021 Pichon Baron is a somber, mysterious wine. It is every bit as impressive as it was en primeur. Graphite, leather, spice, mocha and dried herbs meld together in a wine of power, precision and contemporary classicism. It's one of my early favorites in this vintage. I won't be too surprised if it turns out even better than this note suggests.

Black currant, violet, lemon blossom and black berry aromas. Full-bodied, with chewy tannins and tobacco, black fruit and cedar undertones. It’s tight and chewy, suggesting it needs some bottle age. Some iodine. Oyster shell. 88% cabernet sauvignon. Give this four to five years. Try after 2027.

The 2021 Pichon-Longueville Baron is showing very well in bottle, unwinding in the glass with notes of cassis, sweet berries and violets mingled with subtle hints of orange zest and cigar wrapper. Medium to full-bodied, fleshy and layered, with good depth at the core, bright acids and sweet tannins that assert themselves on the gently structured finish, its serious, slightly reserved profile reflects the unusually high (89%) percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon. The 2021 concluded its élevage in large wooden vats for a month and a half, saw a touch less racking than normal, and was only fined with a small amount of gelatin, not egg white, as has been the rule at this address for several years now.

Inviting, fragrant nose with pink flowers and red berry fruit. Pure and elegant with a crystalline aspect to the fruit, juicy and lively balance. A super, classic take that I really love: firm and appealing mineral grip, a sense of power and drive but also delicacy and finesse. Reflecting the vintage, it's light and delicate but persistent from start to finish, with tension. Linear but well contained, a solid effort.

The flagship 2021 Château Pichon-Longueville Baron lives up to the billing. A blend of 88% Cabernet Sauvignon and 12% Merlot brought up in 70% new oak, it has a pure, medium-bodied, concentrated, flawlessly balanced style as well as pure cassis and subtle blue fruits, some floral, graphite, and cedar pencil nuances, silky tannins, and a great finish. It's not going to rival recent vintages in terms of concentration or depth, but it's nevertheless a brilliant 2021 that has so much to love. It's approachable and offers pleasure even today yet will ideally be given 5-7 years and enjoyed over the following 15+.

Gorgeous depth through the palate, plenty of character, enjoyable, clear power to the well structured tannins. There is less density than the past three vintages of Pichon Baron, but they focused instead savoury Cabernet-dominant fruits and added complexity by drawing out the fennel, rosemary and pencil lead character that keeps us firmly in Pauillac. Highest level of Cabernet Sauvignon ever (just more than 2018), with 70% new oak for ageing. Harvest through to October 8.

The 2021 Pichon Baron has a deep garnet-purple color. It needs lots of shaking to wake up scents of freshly crushed blackcurrants, juicy raspberries, and boysenberries, followed by nuances of lavender, cedar chest, and crushed rocks. The light to medium-bodied palate has a fine-grained texture and bags of freshness supporting the youthful black and red berry layers, finishing with a floral lift.

The 2021 Pichon-Longueville Baron (which, incidentally, has been the legal name since 2021!) is matured in 70% new oak. It opens up nicely in the glass, revealing a straight-down-the-line, floral bouquet of violets intermingled with graphite notes. There is a delicacy about the aromatics that distinguishes it from recent vintages. 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. Nimble might be a better word. Very fine.