2018 Chateau Pichon-Baron - 2eme Cru Classe Pauillac

Decanter.com – 99 pts – YC: *Generous aromatics of dark berry fruit, caramel, and spice are clear indicators of a warm vintage, but there are also floral notes and no heaviness whatsoever. There is juicy, savoury substance on the palate, sustained by gossamer tannins of surprising delicacy, but lurking underneath is the power so characteristic of this vintage. A few years of cellaring will be needed for the terroir expression to hit its stride.* - 12/2021

Falstaff Magazin – 95 pts – PM: *Sehr dunkles Rubingranat, opaker Kern, violette Reflexe, zarte Randaufhellung. Mit anegenehmer Edelholzwürze unterlegte dunkle Beerenfrucht, reife Kirschen, ein Hauch von Röstkaramell im Hintergrund. Komplex, süße Herzkirschen, zartes Cassis, feine, tragende Tannine, gute Frische und Länge, verfügt über sicheres Entwicklungspotenzial. (2025–2045)* - 02/2021

*The 2018 Pichon-Longueville Baron is made up of 78% Cabernet Sauvignon and 22% Merlot. The Merlot was harvested September 24-25, and the Cabernet Sauvignon was harvested October 3-10. The wine is to be aged 18 months in barriques, 80% new and 20% one year old, and production represents 50% of the harvest this year. Very deep purple-black colored, it begins a little coy, rolling slowly and languidly out of the glass with notions of baked raspberries, blueberry coulis, crème de cassis and incense plus nuances of lilacs, truffles, damp soil and garrigue with wafts of lavender and wild sage. Full-bodied, voluptuous and oh-so-seductive, the palate reveals layer upon layer of savory, earthy and black fruit preserves, framed by wonderfully ripe, velvety tannins and lovely freshness, finishing very long and perfumed. Beautiful.* (97-99/100)

Vinum Magazin – 18/20pts: *Besonders zurückhaltende, raffinierte, rauchige Aromatik von perfekt dosierter Eiche; voller Ansatz, gemächliche Entwicklung, Klassetannin, grosse Rasse trotz der Fülle, des spürbaren Feuers; Wucht und Tiefe.* - 09/2021

WeinWisser – 19/20 pts – GL, TW: *Tiefes Purpur mit opaker Mitte und rubinrotem Rand. Was für ein edles Bouquet, noble Cassiswürze, schwarze Johannisbeeren und dunkle Waldbeeren. Im zweiten Ansatz Holundergelee, heller Tabak und Schokopralinen. Am mächtigen Gaumen mit butterweicher Textur, engmaschiges Tanninkorsett, fein körniges Extrakt und durchtrainierter Körper. Im konzentrierten Finale schwarzbeerige Konturen, tiefschürfende dunkle Mineralik und eine volle Ladung Szechuanpfeffer. Klingt sehr lange nach – unbedingt Geduld bewahren!* – 04/2021

*Warm, dense and fleshy in feel, featuring cassis, plum and cherry compote flavors infused with tobacco and worn cedar details. Seriously long, with a well-buried iron note, though the purity of the fruit is the dominating feature overall. This cuts a pretty broad swath as it moves along. A big wine.—J.M.* (95-98/100)

JancisRobinson.com – 18/20pts – JL: *78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot. Aged 18 months in oak barrels (80% new). Deep crimson hue. Big and intense on the nose – bit of a bottomless pit. Enormous weight and volume on the palate. Layers of fruit with powerful but polished tannins. Persistence on the finish. Overwhelming at present but clearly for the long haul.* - 03/2023

*Deep and dark young wine that takes you down, deep down to its center palate of blackberries and blueberries, firm and very silky tannins and a vivid finish. Wonderful palate and depth in this with such class and finesse. So many layers of polished, fine tannins. Great wine.* (97-98/100)

Vinous.com – 97 pts – AG: *Suave and sophisticated, the 2018 Pichon Baron is a real head-turner. Silky, polished tannins wrap around a core of inky dark red/purplish berry fruit. More than anything else, the 2018 impresses for its exceptional balance. All the elements are so impeccably balanced. That will make the 2018 easy to drink relatively early, although my preference would be to leave it in the cellar for the better part of the next decade. Rose petal, spice, blood orange and mint add brightness and perfume on the long, finely-knit finish.* - 03/2021

Vinous.com – 94 pts – NM: *The 2018 Pichon-Baron is matured for 18 months in 80% new oak. It has retained its quite extroverted, almost audacious bouquet featuring copious scents of blackberry, blueberry and mint, though I might contend that it still needs to show more Pichon Baron DNA. The palate is medium-bodied with ripe tannins and firm grip, quite assertive and perhaps more austere than I expected in the mouth. Plenty of graphite here, much more than in barrel, and a foursquare finish. This 2018 Pichon-Baron will require 5–8 years in bottle because it is one of the more tannic Pauillacs of the vintage, but could also be one of the most rewarding for those with patience and a cool, damp cellar.* - 01/2021

Thewinecellarinsider.com – 98 pts – JL: *Incredibly dark in color, the wine pops with Cuban cigar, cedar, herbs, tobacco leaf, red and black currants, forest floor and peppery spice box aromas. This could be the most concentrated, powerful vintage of Pichon Baron ever produced. The wine is very concentrated, full and deep. Yet, with all this depth of flavor, everything remains perfectly balanced. The tannins are ripe. Full-bodied and lush on the palate, with layers of sweet, ripe, dark red fruits in the finish, the wine really sticks with you. Jean-Rene Matignon feels this is his best vintage. I am not sure I agree. But if it is not, it is damn close to it! The wine blends 78% Cabernet Sauvignon and 22% Merlot. Due to its immense power, this is the only vintage of Pichon Baron aged in 100% new oak, however, the oak is already fully integrated into the wine.* - 07/2021