An exceptional vintage meets one of Pauillac’s most esteemed estates. The 2005 Château Pichon Baron is a bold, structured wine with layers of blackcurrant, cedar, dark chocolate, and fine toasty oak, backed by firm yet refined tannins. Now entering its prime, this wine is beginning to soften and reveal the opulence and complexity that make 2005 one of the most celebrated Bordeaux vintages in recent decades.
Now drinking beautifully with decanting, or cellar through 2035+. A must-have for collectors and lovers of age-worthy Pauillac.

Decanter | D 95
Published: Nov 12, 2017
Drink: 2020-2038

Weeks of sunshine preceded an entirely healthy harvest, leading to high expectations that have been fulfilled. This is still opaque red in colour, the resplendent black-fruit nose accompanied by toasty oak, though still a bit reserved. Very rich and velvety, it is highly concentrated with lavish tannins. Broad-shouldered and chocolatey, it has moderate acidity and is now beginning to open up, though it remains imposing and a bit monumental. Textured and long.

The Wine Advocate | RP 93
Published: Jun 29, 2015
Drink: 2015-2035

The 2005 Pichon Baron has a dense ruby/purple color, sweet creme de cassis fruit, lots of cedar wood and forest floor, medium to full body, ripe tannin, and a long finish of a good 30 seconds. This is a beauty and one of the most successful Pauillacs of this vintage. Drink it now through 2035. 

Jancis Robinson | JR 17.5
Published: Mar 27, 2023
Drink: 2018-2035

64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc. Aged 15 months in oak barrels (80% new).
Garnet with brick at the rim. Lovely depth of fruit on the nose – luscious and full. Smoke and cedar as it opens. Round and gourmand on attack with a touch of sweetness but still very fresh. Tannins solid and firm but wrapped in generous fruit. Long, persistent finish. A lot going on. 

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 

Still young and feisty, Château Pichon Baron 2005 expresses both reserve and distinction. Dark, almost black, in colour; the fruit bursts onto the palate, enhanced by gentle aging. The impressive structure becomes more refined after breathing, an essential stage for this wine which needs time to reveal its character. 
Jean-René Matignon - Technical Director - July 2015

Technical Specs

Alcohol: 13.5%
Closure: Natural Cork
Vintage: 2005
Oak: French oak barrels; 80% new oak
Varietals: 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc
Vineyard: Château Pichon Longueville Baron estate, Pauillac; deep Garonne gravel soils over clay subsoil
Harvest: Merlot: 19–29 September; Cabernet Sauvignon: 3–11 October 2005
Vinification: Hand-harvested and carefully sorted grapes; traditional fermentation in temperature-controlled stainless-steel vats, with maceration lasting approximately 20–30 days
Ageing: 15 months in French oak barrels, 80% new oak and 20% one-year-old barrels
Winemaker: Jean-René Matignon (Technical Director)
Region: Pauillac, Bordeaux, France
Classification: 2ème Grand Cru Classé (Second Growth), 1855 Classification

Serving Temperature: 17–18°C
Decanting: Decant for approximately 1–2 hours before serving. This powerful, structured vintage benefits from aeration
Food Pairing: Roast beef, rack of lamb, venison, duck, beef tenderloin, game birds, braised short ribs, mushrooms, truffle dishes and mature hard cheeses