Château Pichon Baron 2024

An immersive bouquet: plenty of spice, herbed bacon, blackberries, cassis, lots of florality; on the palate, pure finesse, a dancing lightness, almost harmless at first, yet the wine has depth, sensational tannin quality, the lively acidity adds support, great class, great length. Excellent.

One of my favourites. Cranberry, bramble fruit, vanilla cream and cool blueberries. Supple and totally charming from the first sip – rich and concentrated fruit, no doubt; ripeness is there but this is slick and well framed. Keeps focus all the way through, with well-defined, firm and supportive tannins, cool freshness and a lovely fruit texture. Graceful, with a definite hint of richness that is just great. Totally elegant. There’s sapidity and unctuosity. So much flavour – this isn’t a light wine, but it dances across the palate with power and length. This will be finished in an instant. Ageing 70% in new barrels and 30% in one-wine barrels for 18 months. Château Pichon Baron represents 52% of the production. 3.71 pH. Low yields, 20 hl/ha.

87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot. 52% of the production. Cask sample. Deep colour to the rim. Fine nose with dark-fruit, pencil-lead and spice notes. Well structured, the tannins firm but softened by the fruit. Powerful but has a certain charm. (JL)

Aromatically, the wine expresses its floral side, with violets and roses before moving to cocoa, black currants, licorice, smoke, and espresso notes. On the palate, it offers vibrant, soft, almost creamy red berries, mint leaf, tobacco, and sweet cherries, with hints of spearmint and chalk at the very end of the finish. Bright and refined, this modern, classically styled wine is elegant, approachable, and will be ready to enjoy after just a few years in bottle. It has the potential to age for 2–3 decades. The wine blends 87% Cabernet Sauvignon with 13% Merlot. 12.7% ABV, 3.7 pH. The harvest took place September 25–October 3 for the Merlot. The Cabernet was picked October 3–October 10. Yields were quite low at only 20 hectoliters per hectare. Drink from 2029–2055. 93–95 pts

A deep, contemplative nose of expressive red fruits and red licorice. On the palate, perfectly ripe fruit gains in intensity, wrapped in a sensual, caressing texture. A discreet salinity lightly brushes the inside of the cheeks, bringing lift and tension. The finish is long, supple, quite simply divine.

The nose is aromatic, elegant, and offers a fine velvety feel, complexity, good definition, and gentle sweet spices. It reveals notes of clove, wild blackberry and, more subtly, wild raspberry, combined with touches of small wild red berries, spices, floral nuances, hints of racy minerality, a hint of cornflower/flowers, and discreet hints of spice. The palate is finely crafted, fresh, mineral, beautifully elegant, melodious, well-defined, and delicately creamy (with freshness / an airy quality to its creaminess), offering lovely energy. A melodious character. On the palate, this wine expresses notes of pulpy blackberry, bright cherry and, more slightly, bright small red berries, combined with touches of violet, hints of star anise, a subtle hint of lily, smoke, tobacco, as well as a hint of toasted almond and a discreet hint of cardamom. A subtle iodized hint (in the background) and a very discreet, almost sappy hint (in the background). The tannins are elegant, supple, and gourmand.