Successful, the tannins are well pronounced and do a great job of showing off the fruit rather than closing it down. This is a big shouldered wine and no mistaking the Pauillac structure, well balanced by concentrated brambled fruits, rosemary spice and ripe but fresh aromatics. Not showing the enveloping feel of a 2010 and no need to wait too long to enjoy, but it will soften further over the next few years and should give a good decade or so of drinking from here. Optical sorting since 2010. Harvest 12 to 28 September. 80% new oak. Drinking Window 2021 - 2040
Blind tasted by Jane Anson (at Bordeaux, 19 Feb 2021)
Part of Bordeaux 2011: The top-rated wines tasted 10 years on

A blend of 82% Cabernet Sauvignon and 18% Merlot picked from 12th September until 28th or something (according to a vague Mr. Seely.) It sports a ripe, more extrovert nose than some of its neighbours, with lush blackberry, boysenberry, a touch of cherry liqueur and underneath, typical Pauillac traits of graphite and tobacco. Leaving the glass for five minutes it unwinds nicely and shows great purity. The palate is medium-bodied with firm tannins on the entry, good grip and weight, a 2011 with real substance and chutzpah. The more I leave this in my glass, the more I like it. Very harmonious with layers of ripe blackberry and a touch of white pepper, the finish forgetting it is 2011 and not 2009. This is an outstanding Pichon Baron for the vintage. Tasted three times with consistent notes. Tasted April 2012.

This has muscle, but is fleshy and almost creamy along the edges, with a very dense core of plum, blackberry and cassis waiting in reserve. A sleek iron edge cruises in on the finish and adds some serious length.-J.M.

Christian Seely seemed very pleased with their wines in 2011, if a little disappointed in the eventual amount of wine made (yields are a long way down due to the various challenges of the awkward growing season) and we too were very satisfied with a delicious, fruit-driven Pichon Baron. Perhaps more ‘obvious’ than the Comtesse, but no worse for that - this is a wine bursting with personality and that signature 2011 'crunch'. Top stuff.

[82CS/18M] Tight, mineral and black fruit cabernet nose, quite marked by its new oak; moderate proportions for the château, with a lively acidity and fine grained tannin, a lean and linear style; taut, brisk, slender, minerally, with delicate core fruit, complexity, refinement and excellent length. A lean, long distance runner just lacking a little flesh. Class yes, charm? 2025-40 [M.Schuster, Bordeaux Mar/Apr 2012]

Very pretty aromas of currants and blueberries with hints of flowers. Full body with silky tannins and a fruity finish. Refined. Very polished tannins.

Its bigger, more famous sibling, the 2011 Pichon Longueville Baron exhibits a dense ruby/purple color, an opulent mouthfeel for a 2011, silky tannins and no hard edges. Medium-bodied and well-endowed, it is a major success in this vintage. It should hit its stride in 3-4 years and last for 15+. Drink: 2017 - 2032
-Robert Parker, Wine Advocate #212 Apr 2014

(90-92+)
This splendid Pauillac estate’s 2011 exhibits an impressively saturated ruby/purple color as well as notes of spring flowers interwoven with creme de cassis, licorice and background incense and toasty oak. The tannins are firm and the wine is medium-bodied and rich with layers of fruit and extract as well as a long finish. An outstanding example of the vintage, it will need 3-4 years of cellaring and should drink well for 15-20 years.

Quality 809 | Brand 983 | Economics 783 |
Quality: Above the average quality score of its peer group for the 2011 vintage, 649 Brand: Strong restaurant presence, featuring on 28 of the world's top wine lists, including Marea Economics: Below its peer group average price of £72 for the 2011 vintage Production: Higher production than its peer group average of 151,058 bottles

- www.wine-lister.com June 2017