From 375. Great drinking young Bordeaux. Ruby red color, red and black fruits, cherry, raspberry, rhubarb, blackberry. It has the amazing acidity that I find in many wines from this vintage.
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Just fantastic. Feel a bit bad drinking so early but couldn’t help it with the limited cellar space. Like drink velvet, so soft and comforting. Plenty of dark fruit, acidity with little grip for such a young wine.
Black and blue fruit aromas on opening. Red currant and coffee notes emerge with time in the glass. Elegant palate with medium persistence. Solid acidity. Very nice and enjoyable right now, but my palate preference is early maturity. This is not quite there but still lovely.
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Blueberries, blackberries, clear emphasis on fruit, some oak coming out mid nose. Medium bodied, hugely structured and very dry palate. Keep for several more years.
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Deep ruby colour. Pronounced and developing nose with blackcurrant, blackberry, cloves, cedar, chocolate, leather, tobacco, wet leaves and forest floor. Pronounced taste of blackcurrant, blackberry, cloves, cedar, leather, tobacco, wet leaves and forest floor. Long and dry finish. High acidity. High tannins. Full body. An outstanding Pauillac with great potential. Drink in ten to twenty five years. Goes well with beef or lamb.
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Tasted blind at a BBQ, only brief notes: Dark cherry fruit, smoke, earthy base, mineral accents and sweet spice. Great tension, firm tannic structure but finely grained. This is a complete wine, coming along nicely but still in its infancy. Didn’t have the proper nor time to delve into this as thoroughly as I should have.
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Opened for 2 hours. From 1/2 bottle. Color is deep opaque ruby. On the nose: Wow this is rich with plum, cassis , graphite and espresso . On the palate: Cassis, plum, graphite, dark chocolate and espresso. Sensuous and silky. This is really an exceptional Bordeaux.
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Pichon Baron is pure beauty, decanted 2 hours, firmly packed with ripe black & red fruit aromas like black cherry, blueberry, raspberry and stawberry, touches of espresso and sweet tobacco. So many layers going on, rich, fresh, energetic, velvety texture, well-structured, full-bodied, masculine in style but not tight, not heavy whatsoever. Finishing is endless with fine tannins and compelling sweet spices aftertaste. Love the delicate harmony and balance. This is an opulent, complex and exquisite wine. Very enjoyable now and will develop beautifully in just a few years ahead. Just fantastic!
En Primeur campaign for the 2022 vintage Day Four (Bordeaux): Medium minus intensity aromas of black hued fruits; a little plum and Ribena, a touch of savoury notes. Quite closed. Equally dark hued and closed on the palate, talc textured tannic burr persists with the fruit. Slight non-intrusive alcohol warmth helps create the illusion of density. Balanced and long this has a sense of elegant power but needs time and/or air to open to show it's true potential
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Spur of the moment. Popped it and the first five minutes were amazing and then it sort of shut down. However it kept on teasing during the evening popping out flowery aromas, coffee and menthol. The cassis backdrop, the actual core of the wine fruitwise, is simply astounding. Pure and no overextraction. This is the reason I drink wine.
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Matter of Taste 100 Point Master Class: During a MOT masterclass. In a closed phase, precise palate, oak present and otherwise not giving away much. Almost light for a Pauillac. Not before 2030. 95-96
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Tasting at Pichon Baron. Our tour guide Aude informed us the bottles were opened earlier in the day at 11:00am. It was fascinating and a wonderful experience to compare the three flights side by side. 2016 Les Tourelles de Longueville, 2016 Les Griffons de Pichon Baron and 2016 Pichon Baron.
Nose is more muted and closed vs Les Griffons. Once it opened there were notes of leather, liquorice and black fruit. Dark chocolate. Basically it’s Les Griffons, but at a more profound level and complexity. Afterall it is the older brother. Excellent and well made. I really like this one as well but it’s still so young. Definitely will be the best of the group in another 5+ years. And the wait will be well worth it knowing how great it tasted today. Again like the others, the wine kept evolving with time. Excellent. 95 with incredible potential.
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85 % Cabernet-Sauvignon, 15 % Merlot from deep gravel, sand clay soils on the Pauillac plateau with old vines of average age 65 yrs planted at 9,000/ha. Fermentation by parcel and by varietal in 44 tanks (64-220HL) plus 8 oak vats (80-135HL) specifically for Merlot. Temperature maintained at 27-29°C. 19-27 days maceration. Malolactic in tank. Aging 18 months in oak barrels (80% new, rest 1 vintage). 13.5% Abv. Ownership: AXA Millesimes (since 1987) Managing Director: Christian Seely (since 2000) Technical Director: Jean-René Matignon
A(ccuray)=2: Deep purple/ruby. Classic Pauillac bouquet. B(alance)=3: Refined components with firm structure. C(omplexity)=3: Dark berries, crème de cassis, toast, spices, cedar, tobacco, mineral. D(epth)=2: Suave mouthfeel. Full palate and long finish.
Wine Tally Score [2,3,3,2]= 10/10
Classic top-notch Pauillac. [Once again a reminder that 10/10 on the Wine Tally scale does not necessarily mean a "perfect", or so-called 100-point wine. Just one that is excellent in all A-B-C-D aspects.]
For story-telling label graphics, see: [https://www.instagram.com/p/CjxFxNuuqvU/] [https://www.facebook.com/WineTally/] For video explanation (in 8 languages), see Wine Tally on [https://www.youtube.com]
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. Simply put, this is fabulous! The tannins are perfectly ripe giving you the structure to show off all the layers of supple, textured, fresh, pure, racy fruits. The seamless finish grabs your palate and keeps it. This is in contention as the finest vintage of Pichon Baron produced by Jean Rene Matignon. Drink from 2022-2060.
As good as advertised . Really a full bottle of wine. I won’t bore you are recapping what others have written. I will offer my full, enthusiastic opinion that this a wine to have in the cellar.
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A rockstar virtuoso with a Hall & Oats soft soul (or perhaps One Republic – for you Gen Z’er hipsters out there), the Pichon-Longueville Baron presents lovely round edges that caress the black cherry core with Freudian-esque deliberation and Patrick Stewart intent. This is one cool kat (or ‘Gucci’ – again, for the Z crowd), and has quickly found an even smoother glide since my last having it in 2019. Potent enough to stand its ground but Dean Martin-swaying enough to talk you into staying the night, this ‘Baby, It’s Cold Outside’ elixir will tuck you in with all the cozy charm one could hope to hibernate with. (My English teacher said never end a sentence with a preposition, but she was boring, so, there’s that.. er, to which that’s about).
That said, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t miss some of the extra spunk and snap it exhibited a few years ago in its infancy. Here I am, caught somewhere in-between absolutely loving many of the not-hyper-traditionist (AKA: modern in purity and intensity, but not just modern by way of oak and ‘sweet-fruity’ ripeness) profiles of young-ish Bordeaux, but also not wanting to abandon the concentration and flex that can come from some of the Napa greats. I mean, I can’t afford to buy truckloads of Lafleur nor Harlan (the annual 3-pack makes my little heart weep a little as it is); so; I’m left hunting for these hybrids on both ends. Oh, the palate-searching trials and tribulations of the grape quest. (Incidentally, I did have a 2018 Kinsman Anjea which shared very similar bones with this Pichon-Longueville Baron, but with some dominance ratcheted-up a bit more. Win there!).
Well, whoever (whomever?) you may be and wherever your tastes may land, the Pichon-Longueville Baron is a solid performer. It's less of an earth shaker and more of a wave glider. If you like a little potency on your palate, you might want to consider playing around with these even now – though there is certainly nuanced complexity down the road to be had with some further cellaring. For fundamentalists who can’t wait for this to turn into orange rind and grandpa’s leather jowls, then hold with confidence.
For those spreadsheet types, I did not decant, as I felt it was extremely giving on the front end with just a bit of swirling in the glass. Score a point or two higher if intensity scares you and makes you cry.
The other vintage at the Lord's 2019 in bottle tasting. I've scored this 95 and 96 in the past so again at least I'm consistent. Some sous bois on the nose gives way to dark fruits and oak. Excellent all round and with huge length. Didn't notice the blockbuster style as much this time so maybe this is starting to settle down. Still not ready to drink for another few years.
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This is infanticide, of course, and yet we wanted to try the first bottle of our stash relatively early on so we could follow it through all of its stages.
Day one (decanted 6 hours): this is super tight and yet so densely stacked and promising, with very refreshing lemon and granny smith apple acidity. Beautifully dark purple color. The fruit is there but hiding in the background behind clay and creosote notes. Tannins are quite firm, but not unpleasant at all. Day two: Much more open now, with a fuller mouthfeel, silky finish, fruits are more identifiable (black currant, blueberry) as is that distinctive Pauillac combo of earth, cedar, creosote/tar, and graphite. The graphite ("pencil lead") note is what really stands out here. Also some hints of bell pepper, rose, and musk. Very "masculine" yet totally balanced and sure of itself. Acidity is perfect. (My meager experience with the 2016 vintage suggests that high acidity is the norm overall, which is probably why professional tasters went gaga over it.) One of those wines that just leaves you wanting to smell the empty glass for a long time, which to me is always the hallmark of a great wine. This is an uncompromising, classic style of Bordeaux which needs 20-30 more years of bottle time. It will last forever, and I love it, but hope I live long enough to be able to taste this wine at its peak! (P.S. This was a wine that showed dramatically differently in different glasses over the two days, from the Jancis glass to the Riedel Bordeaux to a small Spiegelau port/white wine glass ... It actually showed best (more focused aromas and smoother mouthfeel) in the smaller, cheaper glass for some strange reason ...)
Seemed a little shut down. Took alot of coaxing through swirling even after a five hour decant. Deep purple with a nearly black core. Nose of black plum, rosin and pine tar. Didnt find the fruit too powerful but in balance with the tobacco and cedar. Definitely a crushed/wet stone component to the texture from the tannins. The powerful tannins and acidity paired well with steak but this one needs years in the bottle at this point. Components are there for an excellent wine in the future. Rating the future potential at 95-97.
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Yet again, a tremendous wine, monumental in stature but perfectly balanced. Unending waves of perfectly ripe blackberry and cassis with coal and pencil. Richness, energy - this has it all. 97-100
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Special occasion with close friends from the 1980's (@ My place): Double decanted 6 hours before tasting. Concentrated bouquet with dark berries, coffee, cramel and luxurious oak. On the palate dark fruits, chocolate, graphite, herbs and spices, bell pepper, some pleasant sweetness, beautiful and fresh acidity and round, still very youthful tannin with a firm bite. Very youthful and luxurious wine with a great future. Around 2030 probably entering young maturity stage. Great already. 96+
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This wine is has incredibly massive fruit, but in a good way. Deep blueberry/blackberry/cassis jump out immediately. The tannins are incredibly soft and round. The wine is very drinkable now. It reminds me of American blends that are meant to be drunk young. This is a great wine. It sells for around $200/bottle, but the 2016 Smith-Haut Lafite sells for around $115. The two wines are very comparable. Is the Pichon Baron better than the SHL? Probably not. If you had to spend the money, buy the Smith-Haut-Lafite for a comparable wine experience.
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Nose: Fresh new oak with a spiced earth, heavy depth of stems and branches, some pencil shavings, a classroom chalkboard.. I couldn't initially pick up any fruit but with some time, a little bit of red fruits (like slightly tart cherries) appear along with some green vegetal notes.
Palate: Dark red fruits and cool blue fruits, similar strong flavors of spiced earth, clean new oak, a little bit of sour tobacco leaves, pencil shavings, heavily steeped tea and a little bit of crushed rocks.
Really dark clear ruby, maybe a little bit of purpling. Dry with medium to medium-plus amounts of fine, chewy tannin. Medium-minus body with medium-minus to medium acidity. Good finish of about 16-18 seconds. Good after some time in the glass so definitely decant for at least an hour and more if it doesn't open up yet. With more time, it becomes more earthy on the nose and fruits show better. There was some elevated alcohol (surprisingly) for 13.5% but it goes away after some air time. Lots of intense flavor once it opens up and delivers them well. Maybe a few more years before it really starts striding, estimating around 2-3 years. I didn't get to taste the fruits as well as others have mentioned and I can't really tell why. 93-94
Other notes: No decant, time in glass only (you should though). Bordeaux glass. Served ~62° and consumed over 2 hours.
Youthful purple, dense core; very Cabernet on the nose, some lifted herbal nuances and a strong element of spice from new Fr oak; very promising; medium bodied, quite dense and tannins are integrating well - real intensity of concentrated fruit interwoven with oak. Long - alcohol seems a little elevated, perhaps? Very intense and with the structure to age for a very long time, perhaps 20-30 years
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This Pichon Baron really packs a punch with an incredibly alluring fruit. Stunning bouquet of ripe blackberries and cassis backed by cedar and graphite notes. Great depth and complexity. Obviously a very serious wine judging by the nose. Some liquorice hidden under that expressive fruit giving a certain freshness. Textbook Pauillac.
On the palate ripe, alluring and expressive fruit. Dense, but at the same time very «sensual». Shows incredible balance and wonderful structure with silky, but present tannins.. and lots of energy. Slightly chalky texture and a tiny peppery finish. Exceptional finesse and surprisingly forgiving now. Good weight and a very long finish.
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1 hour decant at total wine tasting. Nose of black fruit. Taste of blackberry, blueberry, cedar finish. Young fruit. This definitely needs more time, but great potential. 94+
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85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Merlot. 13.5% alcohol.
Great classic and almost majestic power plug on on the aromas with all you can crave from Pauillac. Darker red berries, dark woods, pencil sharpener, pipe, stables, almost a bit tar-like, sweet wood and clear leather. Delightful touch on the full-bodied wine with great structure and outstanding fresh fruit. Really classic tones with blackberries, blackberries, coffee, flint-stone touches and light licorice. Perfect tannin structure that provides good resistance. Everything is present for a long life in the cellar. Fabulous wine that impresses. 97 points.
Black currant, licorice, and earthy spice start out on the front end on the initial attack, with dark black cherry, cassis, espresso foam, pencil lead, tobacco, embers, and scorched earth emerging with a bit of additional air. Beautiful mid-palate depth, with also a racy push of energy and intensity that move the flavors perfectly though the back end with a noteworthy pop of flavor. Stays deep and dark while also holding necessary tension. Finishes with beautiful vivacity.
Even in its youth, this wine has a multi-tiered stacking that it more than hints will continue come a few more years in bottle. It certainly displays a slow burning and brooding-attention-grabbing factor. I was actually pretty surprised by this wine...but not in that gross eyebrow-raising startled-surprised way like seeing Jeffrey Epstein at a Zendaya concert (what...? ...too soon??).
Epic wine, and if you can manage to acquire enough to save some for your kids and grandkids (or great-grandkids, or your own cryogenically frozen head, this ain't cracking up anytime soon), they (or your defrosted future self) will thank you. Interestingly, for many years, the Comtesse was the more classically styled of the Pichons, but for at least the last couple vintages I've found the Baron markedly more old-school, at least if you are measuring that in terms of youthful austerity. This starts out very clenched with a serious bite (not just from tannin), but it isn't closed because it is expressive of a huge array of stuff on both nose and palate, from blackberry to cedar and sandalwood, gravel, and even a savory, succulent element reminiscent of crisp, browned chicken skin. All classic Pauillac, as the Comtesse was, but altogether more muscle-bound than the more loose-knit Comtesse and while both are in very dark tones fruitwise, here it comes across closer to the bleeding edge of ripeness with a nice snap and bite. And yet a couple hours later, it somehow turns cashmere-soft, so if the only thing holding it short of having it all was a shortage of first-growth refinement, somehow it manages to pull that out of its pocket too.
Much better than my last encounter 2 years ago En Primeur, when it was already excellent. Classic great Pauillac nose. Deep, just ripe blackd fruits infused with sophicticated mineral, graphite, earthy core. So concentrate and focus with just right amount of creamy, spicy oak adding complexitiy. Linear and lingering. Already outstanding now, hard to resist. 97+
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Aroma image as we know it with great classic and almost majestic fruit aromas of darker red berries, dark forest, pencil tip, sweet wood and clear leather.
Wonderful body on the wine with its great fullness. Really great texture and with outstanding fruit of classic slightly tight blackberries, blackberries, coffee, flintstones and light licorice. Perfect tannin structure that provides good resistance. Everything is present for a long life in the cellar. Great balanced Pichon-Baron. 97 points.
Deep in color, the nose entices you with tobacco, smoke, crème de cassis, forest floor and burnt wood. The wine offers depth, concentration and richness, with length and character. The wine is full bodied, rich, multi-layered and multi faceted. This is a cellar worthy stunner that demands 10-15 years of age before you want to pull a cork, but patience is going to be a virtue here.
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Vanilla nose, relatively similar nose to the 2015. Dark purple in colour. Tannins were fine and velvety. Red fruit dominates with background of Pauillac typicite, tobacco, cedar, pencil shavings. Ends with a hint of tea leaves, very pleasant, more bold compared to the 2015 Baron.
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Tasting at Chateau Pichon. A big powerful wine. Concentrated, loads of fruit. Fine tannins. Nice balance. Not as voluptuous as the 2009s that I recently tasted but more structured.
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A powerhouse with a lot of development ahead. Wait until at least 2031. This was much tighter and tannic than the Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande.
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Beautifully pure, perfumed and elegant. With notes of blacberries, blue berries, violets, some smoke, dark chocolate and also some graphitey mineral notes, as well as some cedar. It‘s medium-full bodied, dense and with excellent persistence, it has medium-high acidity and pretty high but perfect tannin. Very good length. An elegant, finessed but dense Pichon Baron that was very impressive.
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Arvi Bordeaux 2016 Arrivage (Park Hyatt, Zurich): Earthy and leathery notes complement a classic fruit profile. Tannins clearly present and in the foreground on the palate. Leaves a lasting impression even on an already tired palate having taste a dozen 2016s already.
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Incredible - simply jumps from the glass. Monumentally huge, focused, balanced nose of pure Pichon Baron notes - cassis, tremendously coal, cedar, and pencil focused. Such focus, depth, and purity. Brilliantly done.
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Tasted blind. Nose of blue fruit, toast, well structure with polished tannins, good freshness and drinkability. No doubt, a top Pichon once mature (2030). Outshined by the 2016 Montrose next to it, which was even more impressive. I really like how these 2016 Medoc have a freshness and moderation to them without any shortcomings on the palate presence.
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With an incredibly dark hue, the wine is as expected, concentrated, full bodied, rich, multi-layered and multi faceted. Once the wine is in the glass, your met with waves of ripe, dark, red fruits and a wall of tannin. But everything is perfectly ripe and falls exactly into place. The finish sticks with you for close to 60 seconds. This is a cellar worthy stunner that demands 10-15 years of age before you want to pull a cork, but patience is going to be a virtue here.
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UGC SF - Medium rich, deeper red fruit, medium fine tannins, medium finish, tasty, slightly reserved medium depth. Classic Baron, though I found the 2014 actually more interesting.
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UNION DES GRANDS CRUS DE BORDEAUX 2016 VINTAGE SAN FRANCISCO. (Metreon, San Francisco, Ca.): UNION DES GRANDS CRUS DE BORDEAUX 2016 VINTAGE SAN FRANCISCO. Nose of black berry, black cherry, lack currants, plum, tobacco, and allspice, same on the palate, big body, small amount of soft tannins, lovely fruit, rich fruit, very tasty, slightly harsh tannins on finish, needs 6 years to peak enjoyment, and a long finish.
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UGC San Francisco: the 2016 Bordeaux: My WOTN, this had it all: power, poise, refinement, freshness, while eschewing any overripe aromas. Classic with graphite, cassis. Long. Terrific.
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Selective Sampling of the UGC Tasting of 2016 Bordeaux (Metreon, San Francisco): Well, for me, this just leaped out as one of the 2 best wines of the tasting, along with the Pichon Comtesse. Spectacular and classic Pauillac. Deep, rich, round, and superbly balanced, again with that lively citric acidity and waves of perfectly ripe tannins. Phenomenally impressive now, but this will clearly make old bones. Top quality.
As powerful as it can get without being heavy, this producer has grown up and is now consistently producing first growth quality wines of the old at the old price. In a great vintage, you are getting something truly special. That being said, it will require time and patience.This wine is very old school with its earthy perfume, and massive depth of fruit and oak spice.The tannic frame keeps all the heaviness in check and punctuates the power of the wine along the thrilling long finish. HOLD 7 years plus for reward
Far and away my favorite at the UGC Tasting in LA. This was real old school aristocratic claret -- all that sous bois and Bordeaux forest tang, powered along by deep fruit and dark chocolate. I've had the Baron a couple of times and found overpriced and a bit overrated, but this was the year I converted. It's a wine built for the long haul, but if it ages as well as it promises to, this will be ethereally good when I'm in my wheelchair.
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UGC Bordeaux (Drake Hotel - Chicago IL): Tasting, brief note. Alluring aromatic start with black plum, spice, vanilla and cigar wrapper. Charming start with so much fresh black fruit, then picking up weight and power towards very long finish. 93-95 point potential.
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Zachys Grands Crus de Bordeaux 2016 (New York City, NY): One of the great wines tonight and in a great class. You can sense the quality differences with lead pencil shavings, cassis, and slightly rotted mulberry fruit. So sweet and approachable right now.
The Pauillac's dominated tonight. Among the Pauillac wines this was #3 tonight.
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2016 Union Des Grand Crus de Bordeaux (NYC): Spicy, blackberry nose. Like a lot of Pauillac's in 2016, this is a bruiser with heavy tannins. Give it another couple decades. Incredible savory finish.
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At a tasting last month where we compared over 40 2016s. Tasted a year ago en primeur when I gave 96. Impenetrable colour. Nose quite closed. Huge weight of fruit and tannins without being over extracted. Very long finish. Will come good in time but lacks the charm of the vintage. Great if you like the blockbuster style. Even more clearly the better of the two Pichons this time.
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Matter of taste (London): Lots of cassis and relatively closed. Dark fruit and a bit dusty to start with. 80% new oak and therefore a bit more tannic impression. Dark deep fruit and a beautiful balance. I may sound a bit negative but just wait until it all comes together! 95-96p
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Inky black in color, the level of concentration is equally dense. The depth of fruit and flavor impresses and entertains your palate with all its finesse, freshness and purity. There is a definite wall of tannins, but they are so refined and ripe, its easy to enjoy the layers of dark, perfectly, deep red fruits. The finish seems endless. This is so good, even at 9 in the morning, I took a sip!
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BBR 2016 Bordeaux tasting (London): Sour cherries domniate the aromas at this very early stage. This is a big structured wine in the making. Very good stuffing and length but it needs time. Even though in absolute terms a great wine it's maybe in relative terms not up there with the best. 93-95p
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Tasted next to the 2016 Pichon Lalande. Lots of depth to the nose, dark fruit in abundance, crushed stones, smoke. Very powerful on the palate, brooding, generous fruit, mineral, fresh, grippy tannins. Very long and promising. Certainly the more "masculine" of the two. 95-96+
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First tasting at a vineyard in Bordeaux - Pichon Baron. Out of the barrel tasting so a real test of a a forward view of a wine. Ripe purple/red color and soft fruity floral notes. First taste was a burst of fruit, but big full body structure and soft tannins on finish with a long endless linger with all sorts of tastes - earth, barn, hint of meats coming through. Given it has another year or so in oak barrels, it should be given a rating range (96-98) but the signs are for an excellent wine in an excellent vintage.
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Lords en primeur tasting. A tannin monster of a wine, very dark, hugely concentrated fruit without any of the usual Baron over extraction. I normally prefer Lalande but this year Baron has done it. Lacks the balance typical of the vintage but a top wine nonetheless. Superb in the blockbuster style.
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Astounding color, it's impossible to see though the wine in the glass. Rich, concentrated, multi-layered and multi-faceted, this is a powerful attention grabber. But it's also a wine of finesse, freshness and purity. There is a force of flavor and meticulousness that has not been produced in previous vintages. This is one of those wines that coats your palate with precision, fruit and flavor. The tannins are there but they are so ripe and there is such a wealth of fruit, you just do not notice it. The finish, with opulently textured boysenberry, tobacco, dark chocolate, cigar and plum, lasts for a full minute or more! Blended from 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Merlot, this wine reached 13.3% alcohol with a pH of 3.8. The Grand Vin represents only 45% of the harvest, which took place between October 3 and October 18.
2/4/2024 - Le Monty wrote:
From 375. Great drinking young Bordeaux. Ruby red color, red and black fruits, cherry, raspberry, rhubarb, blackberry. It has the amazing acidity that I find in many wines from this vintage.
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12/10/2023 - hadukla Likes this wine: 97 Points
Just fantastic. Feel a bit bad drinking so early but couldn’t help it with the limited cellar space. Like drink velvet, so soft and comforting. Plenty of dark fruit, acidity with little grip for such a young wine.
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11/14/2023 - Raizes Likes this wine: 93 Points
黑醋栗、黑莓的成熟果味，香草、甘草、泥土、皮革和烟丝的气息，拘谨与严肃的展开方式。良好的酸度与强壮的单宁搭建了清晰挺拔的结构，只是还过于年轻，不够宽广和舒展。随着醒酒，出现更多利口酒和雪茄的香气变化，复杂度的提升拉开了酒在口中的层次格局，展现出良好的陈年潜力。92-93
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10/18/2023 - Shugs_Claret wrote: 94 Points
Black and blue fruit aromas on opening. Red currant and coffee notes emerge with time in the glass. Elegant palate with medium persistence. Solid acidity. Very nice and enjoyable right now, but my palate preference is early maturity. This is not quite there but still lovely.
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9/5/2023 - HenrikJ wrote: 93 Points
Blueberries, blackberries, clear emphasis on fruit, some oak coming out mid nose. Medium bodied, hugely structured and very dry palate. Keep for several more years.
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8/28/2023 - Philolesen Likes this wine: 94 Points
Plum, cassis, black berries, tobacco, smoke. Monster of a wine. Wait 5 years..minimum..
Tasted at the Chateau in August 2023.
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7/29/2023 - SuperSomm Likes this wine:
Deep ruby colour. Pronounced and developing nose with blackcurrant, blackberry, cloves, cedar, chocolate, leather, tobacco, wet leaves and forest floor. Pronounced taste of blackcurrant, blackberry, cloves, cedar, leather, tobacco, wet leaves and forest floor. Long and dry finish. High acidity. High tannins. Full body. An outstanding Pauillac with great potential. Drink in ten to twenty five years. Goes well with beef or lamb.
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7/7/2023 - sirpat00 wrote: 95 Points
Tasted blind at a BBQ, only brief notes: Dark cherry fruit, smoke, earthy base, mineral accents and sweet spice. Great tension, firm tannic structure but finely grained. This is a complete wine, coming along nicely but still in its infancy. Didn’t have the proper nor time to delve into this as thoroughly as I should have.
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6/24/2023 - Brian of Mull Likes this wine: 96 Points
Opened for 2 hours. From 1/2 bottle. Color is deep opaque ruby. On the nose: Wow this is rich with plum, cassis , graphite and espresso . On the palate: Cassis, plum, graphite, dark chocolate and espresso. Sensuous and silky. This is really an exceptional Bordeaux.
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5/23/2023 - merlotsmile wrote:
Bordeaux 23-05-23 (Left Bank): X
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5/11/2023 - Winsip Likes this wine: 98 Points
Pichon Baron is pure beauty, decanted 2 hours, firmly packed with ripe black & red fruit aromas like black cherry, blueberry, raspberry and stawberry, touches of espresso and sweet tobacco. So many layers going on, rich, fresh, energetic, velvety texture, well-structured, full-bodied, masculine in style but not tight, not heavy whatsoever. Finishing is endless with fine tannins and compelling sweet spices aftertaste. Love the delicate harmony and balance. This is an opulent, complex and exquisite wine. Very enjoyable now and will develop beautifully in just a few years ahead. Just fantastic!
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4/25/2023 - chatters wrote:
En Primeur campaign for the 2022 vintage Day Four (Bordeaux): Medium minus intensity aromas of black hued fruits; a little plum and Ribena, a touch of savoury notes. Quite closed. Equally dark hued and closed on the palate, talc textured tannic burr persists with the fruit. Slight non-intrusive alcohol warmth helps create the illusion of density. Balanced and long this has a sense of elegant power but needs time and/or air to open to show it's true potential
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4/2/2023 - Eriklainen wrote:
Spur of the moment. Popped it and the first five minutes were amazing and then it sort of shut down. However it kept on teasing during the evening popping out flowery aromas, coffee and menthol. The cassis backdrop, the actual core of the wine fruitwise, is simply astounding. Pure and no overextraction. This is the reason I drink wine.
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3/11/2023 - Collector1855 wrote: 95 Points
Matter of Taste 100 Point Master Class: During a MOT masterclass. In a closed phase, precise palate, oak present and otherwise not giving away much. Almost light for a Pauillac. Not before 2030. 95-96
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1/16/2023 - winemanintheden Likes this wine: 95 Points
Tasting at Pichon Baron. Our tour guide Aude informed us the bottles were opened earlier in the day at 11:00am. It was fascinating and a wonderful experience to compare the three flights side by side. 2016 Les Tourelles de Longueville, 2016 Les Griffons de Pichon Baron and 2016 Pichon Baron.
Nose is more muted and closed vs Les Griffons. Once it opened there were notes of leather, liquorice and black fruit. Dark chocolate. Basically it’s Les Griffons, but at a more profound level and complexity. Afterall it is the older brother. Excellent and well made. I really like this one as well but it’s still so young. Definitely will be the best of the group in another 5+ years. And the wait will be well worth it knowing how great it tasted today. Again like the others, the wine kept evolving with time. Excellent. 95 with incredible potential.
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10/6/2022 - WineTally Likes this wine:
85 % Cabernet-Sauvignon, 15 % Merlot
from deep gravel, sand clay soils on the Pauillac plateau with old vines
of average age 65 yrs planted at 9,000/ha.
Fermentation by parcel and by varietal in 44 tanks (64-220HL) plus
8 oak vats (80-135HL) specifically for Merlot.
Temperature maintained at 27-29°C.
19-27 days maceration. Malolactic in tank.
Aging 18 months in oak barrels (80% new, rest 1 vintage).
13.5% Abv.
Ownership: AXA Millesimes (since 1987)
Managing Director: Christian Seely (since 2000)
Technical Director: Jean-René Matignon
A(ccuray)=2: Deep purple/ruby. Classic Pauillac bouquet.
B(alance)=3: Refined components with firm structure.
C(omplexity)=3: Dark berries, crème de cassis, toast, spices, cedar, tobacco, mineral.
D(epth)=2: Suave mouthfeel. Full palate and long finish.
Wine Tally Score [2,3,3,2]= 10/10
Classic top-notch Pauillac.
[Once again a reminder that 10/10 on the Wine Tally scale does not necessarily
mean a "perfect", or so-called 100-point wine. Just one that is excellent in all A-B-C-D aspects.]
For story-telling label graphics, see:
[https://www.instagram.com/p/CjxFxNuuqvU/]
[https://www.facebook.com/WineTally/]
For video explanation (in 8 languages), see
Wine Tally on [https://www.youtube.com]
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10/5/2022 - wineappellation Likes this wine: 95 Points
Creamy and savoury. Full of graphite. Intense but layered and well defined. Very long.
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8/21/2022 - havana4 🍾🍇 Likes this wine: 94 Points
3 hour decant. Spectacular at even this stage.
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7/8/2022 - Jeff Leve wrote: 99 Points
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. Simply put, this is fabulous! The tannins are perfectly ripe giving you the structure to show off all the layers of supple, textured, fresh, pure, racy fruits. The seamless finish grabs your palate and keeps it. This is in contention as the finest vintage of Pichon Baron produced by Jean Rene Matignon. Drink from 2022-2060.
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6/25/2022 - KAT9 wrote: 98 Points
The best pichon baron young! Nothing else needed to be said.
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6/19/2022 - BradA Likes this wine: 95 Points
As good as advertised . Really a full bottle of wine. I won’t bore you are recapping what others have written. I will offer my full, enthusiastic opinion that this a wine to have in the cellar.
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5/2/2022 - csimm wrote: 96 Points
A rockstar virtuoso with a Hall & Oats soft soul (or perhaps One Republic – for you Gen Z’er hipsters out there), the Pichon-Longueville Baron presents lovely round edges that caress the black cherry core with Freudian-esque deliberation and Patrick Stewart intent. This is one cool kat (or ‘Gucci’ – again, for the Z crowd), and has quickly found an even smoother glide since my last having it in 2019. Potent enough to stand its ground but Dean Martin-swaying enough to talk you into staying the night, this ‘Baby, It’s Cold Outside’ elixir will tuck you in with all the cozy charm one could hope to hibernate with. (My English teacher said never end a sentence with a preposition, but she was boring, so, there’s that.. er, to which that’s about).
That said, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t miss some of the extra spunk and snap it exhibited a few years ago in its infancy. Here I am, caught somewhere in-between absolutely loving many of the not-hyper-traditionist (AKA: modern in purity and intensity, but not just modern by way of oak and ‘sweet-fruity’ ripeness) profiles of young-ish Bordeaux, but also not wanting to abandon the concentration and flex that can come from some of the Napa greats. I mean, I can’t afford to buy truckloads of Lafleur nor Harlan (the annual 3-pack makes my little heart weep a little as it is); so; I’m left hunting for these hybrids on both ends. Oh, the palate-searching trials and tribulations of the grape quest. (Incidentally, I did have a 2018 Kinsman Anjea which shared very similar bones with this Pichon-Longueville Baron, but with some dominance ratcheted-up a bit more. Win there!).
Well, whoever (whomever?) you may be and wherever your tastes may land, the Pichon-Longueville Baron is a solid performer. It's less of an earth shaker and more of a wave glider. If you like a little potency on your palate, you might want to consider playing around with these even now – though there is certainly nuanced complexity down the road to be had with some further cellaring. For fundamentalists who can’t wait for this to turn into orange rind and grandpa’s leather jowls, then hold with confidence.
For those spreadsheet types, I did not decant, as I felt it was extremely giving on the front end with just a bit of swirling in the glass. Score a point or two higher if intensity scares you and makes you cry.
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3/16/2022 - wineforth Likes this wine: 96 Points
The other vintage at the Lord's 2019 in bottle tasting. I've scored this 95 and 96 in the past so again at least I'm consistent. Some sous bois on the nose gives way to dark fruits and oak. Excellent all round and with huge length. Didn't notice the blockbuster style as much this time so maybe this is starting to settle down. Still not ready to drink for another few years.
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2/18/2022 - Everything Ahead wrote: 97 Points
This is infanticide, of course, and yet we wanted to try the first bottle of our stash relatively early on so we could follow it through all of its stages.
Day one (decanted 6 hours): this is super tight and yet so densely stacked and promising, with very refreshing lemon and granny smith apple acidity. Beautifully dark purple color. The fruit is there but hiding in the background behind clay and creosote notes. Tannins are quite firm, but not unpleasant at all.
Day two: Much more open now, with a fuller mouthfeel, silky finish, fruits are more identifiable (black currant, blueberry) as is that distinctive Pauillac combo of earth, cedar, creosote/tar, and graphite. The graphite ("pencil lead") note is what really stands out here. Also some hints of bell pepper, rose, and musk. Very "masculine" yet totally balanced and sure of itself. Acidity is perfect. (My meager experience with the 2016 vintage suggests that high acidity is the norm overall, which is probably why professional tasters went gaga over it.) One of those wines that just leaves you wanting to smell the empty glass for a long time, which to me is always the hallmark of a great wine.
This is an uncompromising, classic style of Bordeaux which needs 20-30 more years of bottle time. It will last forever, and I love it, but hope I live long enough to be able to taste this wine at its peak!
(P.S. This was a wine that showed dramatically differently in different glasses over the two days, from the Jancis glass to the Riedel Bordeaux to a small Spiegelau port/white wine glass ... It actually showed best (more focused aromas and smoother mouthfeel) in the smaller, cheaper glass for some strange reason ...)
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2/13/2022 - PghMike Likes this wine: 95 Points
Seemed a little shut down. Took alot of coaxing through swirling even after a five hour decant. Deep purple with a nearly black core. Nose of black plum, rosin and pine tar. Didnt find the fruit too powerful but in balance with the tobacco and cedar. Definitely a crushed/wet stone component to the texture from the tannins.
The powerful tannins and acidity paired well with steak but this one needs years in the bottle at this point. Components are there for an excellent wine in the future. Rating the future potential at 95-97.
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9/14/2021 - englishman's claret wrote: 98 Points
Yet again, a tremendous wine, monumental in stature but perfectly balanced. Unending waves of perfectly ripe blackberry and cassis with coal and pencil. Richness, energy - this has it all. 97-100
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6/12/2021 - Zweder wrote: 96 Points
Special occasion with close friends from the 1980's (@ My place): Double decanted 6 hours before tasting. Concentrated bouquet with dark berries, coffee, cramel and luxurious oak. On the palate dark fruits, chocolate, graphite, herbs and spices, bell pepper, some pleasant sweetness, beautiful and fresh acidity and round, still very youthful tannin with a firm bite. Very youthful and luxurious wine with a great future. Around 2030 probably entering young maturity stage. Great already. 96+
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9/19/2020 - Sfflyer123 wrote: 95 Points
This wine is has incredibly massive fruit, but in a good way. Deep blueberry/blackberry/cassis jump out immediately. The tannins are incredibly soft and round. The wine is very drinkable now. It reminds me of American blends that are meant to be drunk young. This is a great wine. It sells for around $200/bottle, but the 2016 Smith-Haut Lafite sells for around $115. The two wines are very comparable. Is the Pichon Baron better than the SHL? Probably not. If you had to spend the money, buy the Smith-Haut-Lafite for a comparable wine experience.
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2/8/2020 - WineBurrowingWombat Likes this wine: 93 Points
Nose: Fresh new oak with a spiced earth, heavy depth of stems and branches, some pencil shavings, a classroom chalkboard.. I couldn't initially pick up any fruit but with some time, a little bit of red fruits (like slightly tart cherries) appear along with some green vegetal notes.
Palate: Dark red fruits and cool blue fruits, similar strong flavors of spiced earth, clean new oak, a little bit of sour tobacco leaves, pencil shavings, heavily steeped tea and a little bit of crushed rocks.
Really dark clear ruby, maybe a little bit of purpling. Dry with medium to medium-plus amounts of fine, chewy tannin. Medium-minus body with medium-minus to medium acidity. Good finish of about 16-18 seconds. Good after some time in the glass so definitely decant for at least an hour and more if it doesn't open up yet. With more time, it becomes more earthy on the nose and fruits show better. There was some elevated alcohol (surprisingly) for 13.5% but it goes away after some air time. Lots of intense flavor once it opens up and delivers them well. Maybe a few more years before it really starts striding, estimating around 2-3 years. I didn't get to taste the fruits as well as others have mentioned and I can't really tell why. 93-94
Other notes: No decant, time in glass only (you should though). Bordeaux glass. Served ~62° and consumed over 2 hours.
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1/15/2020 - vespasian wrote:
Youthful purple, dense core; very Cabernet on the nose, some lifted herbal nuances and a strong element of spice from new Fr oak; very promising; medium bodied, quite dense and tannins are integrating well - real intensity of concentrated fruit interwoven with oak. Long - alcohol seems a little elevated, perhaps? Very intense and with the structure to age for a very long time, perhaps 20-30 years
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1/4/2020 - evold89 wrote: 96 Points
This Pichon Baron really packs a punch with an incredibly alluring fruit. Stunning bouquet of ripe blackberries and cassis backed by cedar and graphite notes. Great depth and complexity. Obviously a very serious wine judging by the nose. Some liquorice hidden under that expressive fruit giving a certain freshness. Textbook Pauillac.
On the palate ripe, alluring and expressive fruit. Dense, but at the same time very «sensual». Shows incredible balance and wonderful structure with silky, but present tannins.. and lots of energy. Slightly chalky texture and a tiny peppery finish. Exceptional finesse and surprisingly forgiving now. Good weight and a very long finish.
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11/30/2019 - novocane Likes this wine: 94 Points
1 hour decant at total wine tasting. Nose of black fruit. Taste of blackberry, blueberry, cedar finish. Young fruit. This definitely needs more time, but great potential. 94+
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11/27/2019 - Andre Brattland wrote: 97 Points
85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Merlot. 13.5% alcohol.
Great classic and almost majestic power plug on on the aromas with all you can crave from Pauillac. Darker red berries, dark woods, pencil sharpener, pipe, stables, almost a bit tar-like, sweet wood and clear leather. Delightful touch on the full-bodied wine with great structure and outstanding fresh fruit. Really classic tones with blackberries, blackberries, coffee, flint-stone touches and light licorice. Perfect tannin structure that provides good resistance. Everything is present for a long life in the cellar. Fabulous wine that impresses. 97 points.
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11/5/2019 - csimm wrote: 99 Points
Black currant, licorice, and earthy spice start out on the front end on the initial attack, with dark black cherry, cassis, espresso foam, pencil lead, tobacco, embers, and scorched earth emerging with a bit of additional air. Beautiful mid-palate depth, with also a racy push of energy and intensity that move the flavors perfectly though the back end with a noteworthy pop of flavor. Stays deep and dark while also holding necessary tension. Finishes with beautiful vivacity.
Even in its youth, this wine has a multi-tiered stacking that it more than hints will continue come a few more years in bottle. It certainly displays a slow burning and brooding-attention-grabbing factor. I was actually pretty surprised by this wine...but not in that gross eyebrow-raising startled-surprised way like seeing Jeffrey Epstein at a Zendaya concert (what...? ...too soon??).
97-99 points. Hold for another few years.
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10/27/2019 - Keith Levenberg Likes this wine: 99 Points
Epic wine, and if you can manage to acquire enough to save some for your kids and grandkids (or great-grandkids, or your own cryogenically frozen head, this ain't cracking up anytime soon), they (or your defrosted future self) will thank you. Interestingly, for many years, the Comtesse was the more classically styled of the Pichons, but for at least the last couple vintages I've found the Baron markedly more old-school, at least if you are measuring that in terms of youthful austerity. This starts out very clenched with a serious bite (not just from tannin), but it isn't closed because it is expressive of a huge array of stuff on both nose and palate, from blackberry to cedar and sandalwood, gravel, and even a savory, succulent element reminiscent of crisp, browned chicken skin. All classic Pauillac, as the Comtesse was, but altogether more muscle-bound than the more loose-knit Comtesse and while both are in very dark tones fruitwise, here it comes across closer to the bleeding edge of ripeness with a nice snap and bite. And yet a couple hours later, it somehow turns cashmere-soft, so if the only thing holding it short of having it all was a shortage of first-growth refinement, somehow it manages to pull that out of its pocket too.
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10/17/2019 - wineappellation Likes this wine: 97 Points
Much better than my last encounter 2 years ago En Primeur, when it was already excellent. Classic great Pauillac nose. Deep, just ripe blackd fruits infused with sophicticated mineral, graphite, earthy core. So concentrate and focus with just right amount of creamy, spicy oak adding complexitiy. Linear and lingering. Already outstanding now, hard to resist. 97+
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9/22/2019 - Andre Brattland wrote: 97 Points
Aroma image as we know it with great classic and almost majestic fruit aromas of darker red berries, dark forest, pencil tip, sweet wood and clear leather.
Wonderful body on the wine with its great fullness. Really great texture and with outstanding fruit of classic slightly tight blackberries, blackberries, coffee, flintstones and light licorice. Perfect tannin structure that provides good resistance. Everything is present for a long life in the cellar. Great balanced Pichon-Baron. 97 points.
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9/21/2019 - Jeff Leve wrote: 99 Points
Deep in color, the nose entices you with tobacco, smoke, crème de cassis, forest floor and burnt wood. The wine offers depth, concentration and richness, with length and character. The wine is full bodied, rich, multi-layered and multi faceted. This is a cellar worthy stunner that demands 10-15 years of age before you want to pull a cork, but patience is going to be a virtue here.
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9/10/2019 - "Rhône Rider" Likes this wine: 97 Points
Lukket toastpreget nese. Mineraler, kaffe, sjokolade, parfyme, blåbær, sigarkasse. Kompakt, men balansert. Ekstremt lang. 96-97
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6/9/2019 - Saint B Likes this wine:
Vanilla nose, relatively similar nose to the 2015. Dark purple in colour. Tannins were fine and velvety. Red fruit dominates with background of Pauillac typicite, tobacco, cedar, pencil shavings. Ends with a hint of tea leaves, very pleasant, more bold compared to the 2015 Baron.
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3/25/2019 - SGoenophile Likes this wine: 95 Points
Tasting at Chateau Pichon. A big powerful wine. Concentrated, loads of fruit. Fine tannins. Nice balance. Not as voluptuous as the 2009s that I recently tasted but more structured.
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3/20/2019 - curtr Likes this wine: 95 Points
A powerhouse with a lot of development ahead. Wait until at least 2031. This was much tighter and tannic than the Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande.
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3/9/2019 - NostraBacchus Likes this wine: 96 Points
Tasted @ bigger Bordeaux 2016 arrivage tasting.
Beautifully pure, perfumed and elegant. With notes of blacberries, blue berries, violets, some smoke, dark chocolate and also some graphitey mineral notes, as well as some cedar. It‘s medium-full bodied, dense and with excellent persistence, it has medium-high acidity and pretty high but perfect tannin. Very good length. An elegant, finessed but dense Pichon Baron that was very impressive.
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3/9/2019 - sirpat00 Likes this wine: 97 Points
Arvi Bordeaux 2016 Arrivage (Park Hyatt, Zurich): Earthy and leathery notes complement a classic fruit profile. Tannins clearly present and in the foreground on the palate. Leaves a lasting impression even on an already tired palate having taste a dozen 2016s already.
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3/8/2019 - englishman's claret wrote: 98 Points
Incredible - simply jumps from the glass. Monumentally huge, focused, balanced nose of pure Pichon Baron notes - cassis, tremendously coal, cedar, and pencil focused. Such focus, depth, and purity. Brilliantly done.
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2/17/2019 - Collector1855 wrote: 97 Points
Tasted blind. Nose of blue fruit, toast, well structure with polished tannins, good freshness and drinkability. No doubt, a top Pichon once mature (2030). Outshined by the 2016 Montrose next to it, which was even more impressive. I really like how these 2016 Medoc have a freshness and moderation to them without any shortcomings on the palate presence.
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2/10/2019 - Jeff Leve wrote: 99 Points
With an incredibly dark hue, the wine is as expected, concentrated, full bodied, rich, multi-layered and multi faceted. Once the wine is in the glass, your met with waves of ripe, dark, red fruits and a wall of tannin. But everything is perfectly ripe and falls exactly into place. The finish sticks with you for close to 60 seconds. This is a cellar worthy stunner that demands 10-15 years of age before you want to pull a cork, but patience is going to be a virtue here.
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1/28/2019 - alanr wrote: 92 Points
UGC SF - Medium rich, deeper red fruit, medium fine tannins, medium finish, tasty, slightly reserved medium depth. Classic Baron, though I found the 2014 actually more interesting.
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1/25/2019 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 94 Points
UNION DES GRANDS CRUS DE BORDEAUX 2016 VINTAGE SAN FRANCISCO. (Metreon, San Francisco, Ca.): UNION DES GRANDS CRUS DE BORDEAUX 2016 VINTAGE SAN FRANCISCO. Nose of black berry, black cherry, lack currants, plum, tobacco, and allspice, same on the palate, big body, small amount of soft tannins, lovely fruit, rich fruit, very tasty, slightly harsh tannins on finish, needs 6 years to peak enjoyment, and a long finish.
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1/25/2019 - blanquito wrote:
UGC San Francisco: the 2016 Bordeaux: My WOTN, this had it all: power, poise, refinement, freshness, while eschewing any overripe aromas. Classic with graphite, cassis. Long. Terrific.
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1/25/2019 - Woodbridge Brad wrote: 92 Points
Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux Tasting of the 2016 Vintage (Metreon San Francisco): Dense briar nose round but tannic in the mouth, most of the tannins are structural that will age to but there is a percentage of hard tannins that could diminish the balance as it ages. Still very nice wine.
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1/25/2019 - drwine2001 wrote:
Selective Sampling of the UGC Tasting of 2016 Bordeaux (Metreon, San Francisco): Well, for me, this just leaped out as one of the 2 best wines of the tasting, along with the Pichon Comtesse. Spectacular and classic Pauillac. Deep, rich, round, and superbly balanced, again with that lively citric acidity and waves of perfectly ripe tannins. Phenomenally impressive now, but this will clearly make old bones. Top quality.
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1/25/2019 - Purple Tooth wrote: 95 Points
As powerful as it can get without being heavy, this producer has grown up and is now consistently producing first growth quality wines of the old at the old price. In a great vintage, you are getting something truly special. That being said, it will require time and patience.This wine is very old school with its earthy perfume, and massive depth of fruit and oak spice.The tannic frame keeps all the heaviness in check and punctuates the power of the wine along the thrilling long finish. HOLD 7 years plus for reward
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1/24/2019 - macmac007 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Far and away my favorite at the UGC Tasting in LA. This was real old school aristocratic claret -- all that sous bois and Bordeaux forest tang, powered along by deep fruit and dark chocolate. I've had the Baron a couple of times and found overpriced and a bit overrated, but this was the year I converted. It's a wine built for the long haul, but if it ages as well as it promises to, this will be ethereally good when I'm in my wheelchair.
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1/23/2019 - Burgundy Al wrote:
UGC Bordeaux (Drake Hotel - Chicago IL): Tasting, brief note. Alluring aromatic start with black plum, spice, vanilla and cigar wrapper. Charming start with so much fresh black fruit, then picking up weight and power towards very long finish. 93-95 point potential.
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1/21/2019 - tomoem Likes this wine: 95 Points
Zachys Grands Crus de Bordeaux 2016 (New York City, NY): One of the great wines tonight and in a great class. You can sense the quality differences with lead pencil shavings, cassis, and slightly rotted mulberry fruit. So sweet and approachable right now.
The Pauillac's dominated tonight. Among the Pauillac wines this was #3 tonight.
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1/21/2019 - jgreco Likes this wine: 93 Points
2016 Union Des Grand Crus de Bordeaux (NYC): Spicy, blackberry nose. Like a lot of Pauillac's in 2016, this is a bruiser with heavy tannins. Give it another couple decades. Incredible savory finish.
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1/16/2019 - TannicBeast Likes this wine: 95 Points
Awesome blend of 77% Cabernet Sauvignon and 23% Merlot, aged in 80% new oak.
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11/23/2018 - wineforth Likes this wine: 95 Points
At a tasting last month where we compared over 40 2016s.
Tasted a year ago en primeur when I gave 96. Impenetrable colour. Nose quite closed. Huge weight of fruit and tannins without being over extracted. Very long finish. Will come good in time but lacks the charm of the vintage. Great if you like the blockbuster style. Even more clearly the better of the two Pichons this time.
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10/27/2018 - Mascarello59 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Matter of taste (London): Lots of cassis and relatively closed. Dark fruit and a bit dusty to start with. 80% new oak and therefore a bit more tannic impression. Dark deep fruit and a beautiful balance. I may sound a bit negative but just wait until it all comes together! 95-96p
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5/13/2018 - Jeff Leve wrote: 99 Points
Inky black in color, the level of concentration is equally dense. The depth of fruit and flavor impresses and entertains your palate with all its finesse, freshness and purity. There is a definite wall of tannins, but they are so refined and ripe, its easy to enjoy the layers of dark, perfectly, deep red fruits. The finish seems endless. This is so good, even at 9 in the morning, I took a sip!
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12/14/2017 - "Rhône Rider" Likes this wine: 96 Points
Lukket. Moreller, plommer, kirsebær, parfymert,kaffe. Blyantspiss og fat i avslutningen. Laang, dyp. Trenger 15-35 år
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7/5/2017 - Mascarello59 Likes this wine: 93 Points
BBR 2016 Bordeaux tasting (London): Sour cherries domniate the aromas at this very early stage. This is a big structured wine in the making. Very good stuffing and length but it needs time. Even though in absolute terms a great wine it's maybe in relative terms not up there with the best. 93-95p
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7/5/2017 - rossi.wine wrote: 96 Points
Tasted next to the 2016 Pichon Lalande. Lots of depth to the nose, dark fruit in abundance, crushed stones, smoke. Very powerful on the palate, brooding, generous fruit, mineral, fresh, grippy tannins. Very long and promising. Certainly the more "masculine" of the two. 95-96+
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6/9/2017 - ShangGuy Likes this wine: 96 Points
First tasting at a vineyard in Bordeaux - Pichon Baron. Out of the barrel tasting so a real test of a a forward view of a wine. Ripe purple/red color and soft fruity floral notes. First taste was a burst of fruit, but big full body structure and soft tannins on finish with a long endless linger with all sorts of tastes - earth, barn, hint of meats coming through. Given it has another year or so in oak barrels, it should be given a rating range (96-98) but the signs are for an excellent wine in an excellent vintage.
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6/8/2017 - Baltap wrote: 98 Points
Tasted at Lords - my favourite wine of the tasting! Absolutely wonderful wine
with a real licorice aroma. Just fantastic!
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5/28/2017 - wineappellation Likes this wine: 94 Points
2016 En Primeur (tasted 26 May 2017) - Earthy, graphite, quite deep, dark black fruits, herbaceous, lingering and fine.
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5/20/2017 - wineforth Likes this wine: 96 Points
Lords en primeur tasting. A tannin monster of a wine, very dark, hugely concentrated fruit without any of the usual Baron over extraction. I normally prefer Lalande but this year Baron has done it. Lacks the balance typical of the vintage but a top wine nonetheless. Superb in the blockbuster style.
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4/29/2017 - Jeff Leve wrote: 99 Points
Astounding color, it's impossible to see though the wine in the glass. Rich, concentrated, multi-layered and multi-faceted, this is a powerful attention grabber. But it's also a wine of finesse, freshness and purity. There is a force of flavor and meticulousness that has not been produced in previous vintages. This is one of those wines that coats your palate with precision, fruit and flavor. The tannins are there but they are so ripe and there is such a wealth of fruit, you just do not notice it. The finish, with opulently textured boysenberry, tobacco, dark chocolate, cigar and plum, lasts for a full minute or more! Blended from 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Merlot, this wine reached 13.3% alcohol with a pH of 3.8. The Grand Vin represents only 45% of the harvest, which took place between October 3 and October 18.
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