2022 Chateau Pichon-Baron - 2eme Cru Classe Pauillac

Decanter.com – 97 pts – GH: *Beautiful fragrance, lots of fresh and ripe black and red bramble fruit - so alive and expressive on the nose with liquorice, wet stones and cedar spicing. Smooth, ample and full in the mouth, but not overly textured or plush. There’s a real refinement to the tannic structure, clearly giving the frame to the wine but detailed and precise with edges of liquorice, slate, dark chocolate, cedar and tobacco. It balances richness, intensity and concentration with sleekness, bright acidity and a real charm to the juicy fruit. Rich and tense, just giving a hint of it’s potential, clearly powerful but totally seductive too. A sublime wine in the making. Ageing 18 months in French oak, 70% new, 600% one wine.* - 04/2023

Falstaff Magazin – 98 pts – PM: *Tiefdunkles Rubingranat, tintig, opaker Kern, violette Reflexe, zarte Randaufhellung. Reife dunkle Waldbeeren, ein Hauch von Edelholz, florale Nuancen, zart nach Erdbeeren, facettenreiches Bukett. Kräftig, reife dunkle Waldbeerfrucht, reife Kirschen, finessenreich strukturiert, präsente, integrierte Tannine, mineralisch, Nugat im Abgang, sehr gute Länge, salziger Touch im Nachhall, angelegt für viele kommende Jahre.* - 01/2023

WeinWisser – 18,5/20 pts – GL, TW: *81 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 19 % Merlot, 48 % Grand Vin. Sehr tiefgründiges Bouquet, dunkles Graphit, Wildkirsche, Oliven und Schlehengelee. Am komplexen Gaumen mit seidiger Textur, balancierter Rasse, engmaschigem Tanninkorsett, beruhigender maskuliner Körper. Im konzentrierten, langanhaltenden Finale schwarzbeerige Konturen, tiefschürfende Terroirwürze und feinkörnige Adstringenz mit einem Extraplus an Frische. Bleibt seinem Stil treu, mit mehr Finesse und Eleganz. Ist für Pierre viel besser als 2003, da viel präziser!* – 04/2023

JancisRobinson.com – 17,5/20pts – JL: *81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot. Cask sample. Dark fruit with an edge of char and toast. Smooth attack, the tannins plentiful but suave. Lovely texture. Restrained but plenty in reserve. Ageing potential.* - 04/2023

Vinous.com – (96-98) pts – AG: *The 2022 Pichon Baron is marvelous. It continues a series of vintages that have been absolutely compelling. Bright red-toned fruit, spice, rose petal and blood orange lend considerable brightness throughout. More than anything else, the 2022 impresses with its precision and magnificent balance.* - 04/2023

Vinous.com – (96-98) pts – NM: * The 2022 Pichon Baron was picked 8 September to 3 October and matured in 70% new oak. It has wonderful precision on the nose, with intense blackberry and bilberry fruit, crushed stone and graphite. The oak is seamlessly integrated. The palate is tensile right from the start. Taut and linear, fresh, quite saline with a nuanced touch of black pepper toward the finish. Real pedigree and sophistication here, this is a magnificent Pichon-Baron that achieves a new level of precision thanks to the more piecemeal Sauternes-inspired harvest in tandem with their new winery.* - 04/2023

Thewinecellarinsider.com – (97-99) pts – JL: *With a solid depth of color, the wine jumps from the glass with its show display of licorice, black fruits, lead pencil, currants, lavender, cocoa, and spice in the aromatics. The show-stopping palate is rich, intense, long, concentrated, spicy, and most importantly, concentrated and pure. While your palate bathes in the wine, the sensation is all about its freshness, purity and length. The first vintage produced with the efforts of the estates new Technical Director, Pierre Montegut is a resounding success. This is clearly one of the best vintages in the history of Pichon Baron! The wine blends 81% Cabernet Sauvignon and 19% Merlot. 14.3% ABV, 3.63 pH. The harvest took place September 8 - October 3. Yields were 34 hectoliters per hectare. 48% of the harvest went into the Grand Vin. Drink from 2028-2065.* - 05/2023