This one’s really having a moment. After a slow start in its youth, it’s stepped into its prime with classic Pauillac swagger. Expect all the good stuff—grilled cedar, tobacco leaf, pencil shavings, and a core of cassis and brambly dark fruit. Still got structure, but the tannins are silky and inviting now. There’s a quiet power here, subtle and refined, like a tailored suit rather than something flashy. It might not have been the instant showstopper like the '89 or '90, but it’s aging like a pro. If you've got a bottle, this is a perfect time to enjoy its depth and poise. One for the patient collectors.

Decanter | D 96
Published: Jan 4, 2021
Drink: 2023-2036

Jean-Rene Matignon had been the winemaker for 10 years at this point and has made a brilliant wine that took its time to come around but is tasting delicious right now, exceptionally enjoyable and enticing. Supple tannins, plenty of grilled cedar and tobacco leaf, plump-textured cassis and blackberry brambled fruits, still fairly backward and young, just very much a classic Pauillac that has poise and lift. A dark horse, not seen as impressive as Comtesse in its youth, but now flexing its muscles.

The Wine Advocate | RP 92
Published: Feb 28, 2022
Drink: 2016-2040

The 1996 Pichon-Longueville Baron is beginning to drink beautifully. Unwinding in the decanter and glass with aromas of cassis, pencil shavings, black truffles, burning embers and loamy soil, it's medium to full-bodied, deep and seamless, with an attractive core of fruit that's framed by powdery tannins and succulent acids, concluding with a long, blood orange-inflected finish. While it can't match what this château achieved in 1989 and 1990, it's showing very well today.

Jancis Robinson | JR 17
Published: Aug 4, 2015
Drink: 2010-2025

Served with Pichon Lalande 1996 at the Vintners' Company's International Wine Trade Dinner. The wines kept changing in the glass – as did my preference. But here's what I wrote initially. Lead-pencil nose but very slightly scrawny and taut initially. Not especially sweet nor generous but fine-boned and correct. A medium-weight classic that fell away slightly on the finish.

Vivino | Vivino 4.4

A wine of great personality with fresh red-fruit and blackberry scents. It is quick to express itself on the palate, rolling out its assertive, powerful character and rich flesh. The finish is very long-lasting, with dense, precise tannins. A finely-balanced wine of substance with firm structure and body.

Pichonbaron.com 

Our Grand Vin Chateau Pichon Baron 2nd Grand Cru Classe 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. Chateau 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.

Technical Specs

Alcohol: 13.0%
Closure: Natural Cork
Vintage: 1996
Oak: French oak barrels; 80% new oak and 20% one-year-old barrels
Varietals: 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc
Vineyard: Château Pichon Longueville Baron estate, Pauillac; deep Garonne gravel soils over clay subsoil
Harvest: 26 September–10 October 1996
Vinification: Hand-harvested and sorted grapes, parcel-by-parcel fermentation in temperature-controlled stainless-steel vats, followed by approximately 25 days of maceration and malolactic fermentation in tank
Ageing: 18 months in French oak barrels, 80% new oak
Winemaker: Jean-René Matignon
Region: Pauillac, Bordeaux, France
Classification: 2ème Grand Cru Classé (Second Growth), 1855 Classification

Serving Temperature: 16–18°C
Decanting: Stand upright for 24 hours before opening. Decant gently for approximately 30–60 minutes to separate sediment; avoid excessive aeration
Food Pairing: Roast beef, lamb, venison, duck, game birds, braised beef, mushrooms, truffle dishes and mature hard cheeses