Chateau Pichon Longueville Baron 2021

WEINWISSER: "88 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 12 % Merlot, 70 % in neuen Barriques, 23 hl/ha, 50 % Grand Vin (bei 73 ha Rebfläche), 12.9 Vol.-%, Menge: –38% Dicht verwobenes Bouquet, schwarzer tasmanischer Bergpfeffer, Wildkirsche und Brasiltabak, dahinter zarte Fliedernoten und helles Malz. Am sublimen Gaumen mit seidiger Textur, herrlicher Extraktfülle sowie beeindruckender Tiefe, balancierter Rasse und engmaschigem Körper. Im sehr konzentrierten Finale mit viel Energie, edler Cassiswürze und fein körniger Adstringenz. Spiegelt den Jahrgang perfekt wider. Dank des höchsten Anteils an Cabernet Sauvignon grandios strukturiert. Gehört in seiner Klasse zu den Besten."

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "One of the wines of the vintage owes its character to having used the highest percentage of Cabernet in the history of the estate in the blend at 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, followed with 12% Merlot. Concentrated, rich, deep, fresh, and complex, the wine is packed with racy, energetic currants, cherries, plums, peppery spices and lift. There is concentration, and purity to the fruits that linger and expand. This is even better in the bottle than it was in the barrel, which is always the mark of a great wine. This is a perfect example of what a top, classically styled Pauillac should taste like. This is the finial vintage produced by the incredibly talented, long-time technical director, Jean-Rene Matignon. With a few more years of age, this could score even higher. Drink from 2028-2060."

WINE ENTHUSIAST: "The wine has smoky aromas, is rich in tannins and packed with black currants. It is ripe and full of acidity that gives a juicy character. This is a great wine, its full structure promising great aging potential. Drink the wine from 2028."

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "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."

JAMES SUCKLING: "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."

DECANTER: "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."

JEB DUNNUCK: "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+."

FALSTAFF: "Dunkles Rubingranat, violette Reflexe, zarte Randaufhellung. Feine Edelholznuancen, etwas Brombeerkonfit, zartes Cassis, tabakige Noten, mineralischer Abklang. Mittlere Komplexität, feine rote Herzkirschen, integrierte, reife Tannine, frisch und lebendig, Rote Ribiseln im Abgang, salzig und animierend."

WINE SPECTATOR: "This nicely rendered red unfurls nicely, offering notes of cassis, plum and black cherry puree gilded with violet and lilac hints. A long, sleek iron note stays embedded throughout, while late accents of black tea and warm earth help fill out the finish. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Best from 2026 through 2040. 8,504 cases made."

LISA PERROTTI-BROWN: "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."

JANCIS ROBINSON: "Deep ruby colour. Bready with black coffee and blackcurrant fruit on the nose. The palate is focused and linear, a little hint of rosemary set against pure dark fruit. Vertical and firm, this is a relative vin de garde for the vintage, needing time for the persistent, mouth-coating but precise tannins to integrate into the fruit. An impressive wine for the vintage. One for those looking to lay down a 2021 for the longer haul."