The Wine Advocate | RP 96
Published: Mar 14, 2019

The 2009 Pichon-Longueville Baron has a medium to deep garnet color and a very meaty/savory nose over a core of sweaty leather, baked blackberries and plums with notions of creme de cassis, sauteed herbs and black olives coming through with coaxing. Full, rich, concentrated and decadently fruited in the mouth, the palate has beautifully plush tannins and an herbal lift on the long finish. 
Drink Date: 2020 - 2048

Jamessuckling.com | JS 95
Published: Mar 20, 2019

Bold, smoky and chocolatey, this is a concentrated and massive wine for the Medoc, the alcohol showing slightly at the bold warm finish. Where is that T-bone steak? Drink or hold. (Horizontal Tasting, London, 2019)

Decanter | D 98
Published: Feb 25, 2019

This is opulent with fleshy tannins and spiced dark fruit, again showing a restrained core of tannins that was so obvious at the Bordeaux 10 Years On tasting in London a few weeks ago. It’s just a brilliant wine, one that will age effortlessly from here, and is still not quite ready to give up its secrets. It’s concentrated and confident and hard not to fall in love with. The vines for the grand vin come from the plateau opposite Latour and were the heart of the original Pichon estate.

Pichonbaron.com

Our Grand Vin Château Pichon Baron 2nd Grand Cru Classé in 1855 comes from the very oldest vines grown on the historic plots of the estate. This authentic Pauillac offers an amazing sensory experience with its black fruit flavours and spicy hints. Château Pichon Baron shows great elegance, intensity and exceptional length on the palate. It is a wine that improves year after year and can age for over 40 years in the cellar.

Vintage conditions
The spring was marked by uneven temperatures. Vegetation growth was boosted by a warm spell in early April, and then slowed down by very cool conditions. A very changeable, stormy spell then set in, with hail on 11 May, in particular, although it spared Pauillac. Flowering started at the end of May, in hot weather conditions that boosted growth. To keep this in check, green harvesting work was carried out to remove shoots and tie the vines in. This was followed by leaf (June/July) and crop thinning (August) in hot, sunny, dry weather conditions. The end of the season enjoyed ideal ripening conditions: lots of light, little humidity, hot days and cold nights. As is often the case in dry years (1995, 2003), the polyphenols ripened slowly and progressively. Acidity remained stable, however, without showing any signs of weakness. Carried out in 3 phases, making for a bespoke grape-picking process: from 24 to 28 September for the young Merlot, the old vines from 29 September to 2 October, the Cabernet-sauvignon from 3 to 9 October. Stable, cool weather conditions kept the grapes in good condition, preserving all their freshness and firmness. Sorting in the vat-house was highly meticulous, keeping only the very best grapes. Enjoyed the best possible conditions. Rich levels of sugar and anthocyans turned out to be well above those that had been estimated in the pre-harvest ripeness analyses. The polyphenols were extracted very rapidly, which is a sign of good grape ripeness.

Tasting note
Château Pichon Baron 2009 presents a deep garnet red colour. It has a wide, powerful and deep aromatic range with notes of dark fruit such as blackberry. The tannins are fleshy, opulent and juicy. The palate progressively gains amplitude, becoming elegant, precise, complete to finish with a great complexity and charm. Château Pichon Baron 2009 is a very harmonious wine. It is built to last for several decades while remaining highly accessible.
Jean-René Matignon - Technical Director - May 2018

Blend
70% Cabernet-sauvignon ; 30% Merlot

Ageing
80 % in new barrels, 20 % from barrels of one vintage for 20 months