EP23 Release: Château Pichon Baron 2023 "the quintessential example of a classic, modern Bordeaux" 96-98pts JL

One of Pauillac’s great estate’s, the inestimable Pichon Baron, releases their 2023 today.

One of the most compelling stories of the 2023 growing season is the remarkable quality of the Cabernet Sauvignon that ripened late into early October. The finest, old-vine plots in the centre of Cabernet Sauvignon’s heartland of Pauillac produced exceptional character of fruit, translating into some of the purest, most archetypal Left Bank clarets of the decade.

“a terrific effort from this estate… Medium to full-bodied, layered and textural, it's deep and concentrated, with sweet structuring tannins and a long, resonant finish” WK

“This is the quintessential example of a classic, modern Bordeaux” JL

And if you were to ask anyone to pick an estate, outside of the First Growths, where Cabernet is King, you would be hard pressed to find a better address than Christian Seely’s home-from-home, Chateau Pichon Baron. With vineyards overlooking Chateaux Latour and Leoville Las Cases, their old vine Cabernets, dating back to the mid-1950s, are the source of some of Pauillac’s most revered examples of their variety and in 2023 make up 80% of the blend.

“The 2023 is a quintessential Pauillac that will age gracefully over the next 30 or 40 years… Classic ‘P.B.’” NM

2023 Pichon Baron is a stately Pauillac of intensity, power yet elegant refinement – a statuesque wine of balance and nobility that demands a place in every self-respecting Bordeaux-lovers’ cellar. It comes very highly recommended.

“The 2023 Pichon Baron is stellar… this Grand Vin is so expressive… an understated, wonderfully refined Pichon Baron” AG

Add Pichon Baron 2023 to my cellar

2023 Pichon Baron

96-98pts JL Wine Cellar Insider “If you like a great cigar, you came to the right place as the first thing you notice is the cigar box, and tobacco wrapper nuances before moving to the smoke, leafy herb, creme de cassis, blackberries, spice, flowers, and forest floor in the perfume. The palate is even better with its multiple layers of black, with red fruits, mouthfuls of fresh, ripe, chewy, red berries, Indian spice, and a lingering finish that holds your focus for at least 50 seconds. The key to the vintage was patience during harvesting to achieve phenolic ripeness. This is the quintessential example of a classic, modern Bordeaux. The wine blends 80% Cabernet Sauvignon with 20% Merlot. 13.2% ABV, 3.7 pH. The harvest took place September 17 for the Merlot, ending October 4 with the Cabernet. 44% of the harvest went into the Grand Vin. Drink from 2030-2065.”

96-97pts JS James Suckling “The freshness and brightness of the blackcurrant and orange-peel fruit give a real al-dente feel. Some stone and spice underneath. Medium-bodied with very fine tannins and a refined finish. A PB with tight, linear tannins. 80% cabernet sauvignon and 20% merlot.”

95-97pts WK The Wine Advocate “A blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Merlot, the 2023 Pichon-Longueville Baron is a terrific effort from this estate, unwinding in the glass with aromas of crème de cassis, dark berries, pencil shavings, cigar wrapper, violets and burning embers. Medium to full-bodied, layered and textural, it's deep and concentrated, with sweet structuring tannins and a long, resonant finish. The charm and vibrancy of the vintage lends this considerable appeal, without effacing Pichon Baron's more serious, Cabernet-driven personality.”

95-97pts AG Vinous “The 2023 Pichon Baron is stellar. It is another wine in this lineup that impresses with its finesse and nobility. Dark and enveloping, with terrific freshness, this Grand Vin is so expressive. The 2023 is an understated, wonderfully refined Pichon Baron. Dark fruit, violet and mocha build into the resonant finish.”

95-97pts JD Jeb Dunnuck “The Grand Vin 2023 Château Pichon-Longueville Baron checks in as a blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Merlot, raised in 70% new French oak, with the balance in once-used oak. Cassis, black raspberries, spice oak, graphite, and almost a bloody, salty, incredibly mineral character are followed by a medium to full-bodied, beautifully textured, and concentrated red, with a deep purple hue, nicely integrated acidity, and beautiful yet building tannins.”

95-97pts LPB The Wine Independent “The 2023 Pichon Baron is deep garnet-purple in color. After a swirl or two, the nose erupts with classic scents of cassis, juicy plums, and redcurrant jelly followed by fragrant nuances of lilacs, camphor, and crushed rock plus a waft of wild thyme. The medium-bodied palate is tightly knit, with impressive tension and fine-grained tannins framing the black berry flavors accented by fragrant herbs and floral notes, finishing long and mineral-laced. The blend is 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Merlot, with pH 3.70. It is aging in oak barriques, 70% new.”

94-96pts NM Vinous “The 2023 Pichon Baron was picked September 12 until October 4 and matured in 70% new oak. Now, this is a conspicuous level up over the Les Griffons. Perhaps the quality of the Cabernet Sauvignon, comprising 80% of the blend, exaggerates the difference between the two cuvées. It seems to gain intensity with each swirl of the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-boned tannins that frame the graphite-infused black fruit. It’s very focused, fresh and quite sapid in the mouth, with a subtle strictness that codifies this as Pichon Baron. The 2023 is a quintessential Pauillac that will age gracefully over the next 30 or 40 years. It reminds me a little of the 2019. Classic "P.B."”