Blackberries and blueberries with stone and graphite. Flint and black licorice, too. So perfumed. Full-bodied, very long and linear with incredible length. The new 1990, but better crafted. Chewy, yet so tailored and wonderfully proportioned. Freshness and elegance. Wonderful depth. 87% cabernet sauvignon rest merlot. The highest ever proportion of cabernet. Try after 2026.

The flagship 2019 Château Pichon-Longueville Baron from this brilliant address is based on 87% Cabernet Sauvignon and 13% Merlot that will spend 18 months in 80% new French oak. The highest percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon ever for Pichon Baron, it has a beautiful bouquet of pure crème de cassis fruit intermixed with Pauillac-driven notes of lead pencil shavings, graphite, unsmoked tobacco, and damp earth. Dense, concentrated, backward, and tight on the palate, it's nevertheless flawlessly balanced, has a vibrant, pure texture, good acidity, and building tannins. The higher Cabernet percentage really gives this beauty a more focused, serious vibe, and the cellar is going to be your friend on this one. Regardless, it's a majestic, heavenly wine in the making.

“The 2019 Pichon-Longueville Baron is a blend of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon and 13% Merlot, harvested from the 18th of September to the 11th of October. It is being aged in French oak barrels, 80% new, for 18 months. This grand vin represents 49% of the harvest. Very deep purple-black in color, the nose skyrockets from the glass with vibrant scents of freshly crushed blackberries, black raspberries and blackcurrant pastilles followed by perfumed sparks of fragrant earth, clove oil, lilacs, crushed rocks, molten chocolate and cinnamon toast. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is packed with layer upon layer of black fruit, mineral and exotic spices, framed by beautifully ripe, finely-grained tannins and tons of freshness, finishing with a lingering soft-spoken whisper of floral and earth notions. This is an absolutely beguiling expression that is classic Pauillac and yet it is Pauillac like no other.” Lisa Perrotti-Brown, June 2020

The 2019 Pichon-Longueville Baron was picked from September 18 to October 11. It has a captivating bouquet of intense blackberry, cedar, Japanese nori and sea spray notes on the nose, all exquisitely defined and poised. The harmonious palate is medium-bodied and classic in style, with pencil-lead-infused black fruit, lovely poise and not a single hair out of place toward the finish. Christian Seely believes this vintage suited Pichon-Baron, and that is confirmed by the quality in bottle. Outstanding.

“Firm tannic grip lands you squarely in Pauillac from the first moment, with pencil lead and charcoal reinforcing the point. This is a serious Pichon Baron, carefully extracted black fruits that barely put a foot wrong, and a firm core of acidity. Takes its time to open in the glass, and will age for decades without breaking a sweat. 80% new oak. 49% of production in this wine.”