The 2020 Château Pichon Baron is a masterclass in Pauillac precision and power—an aristocratic expression led by 76% Cabernet Sauvignon. Aromatics of cassis, graphite, cedar, and violet glide seamlessly into a deep, structured palate, where velvety tannins wrap around ripe black fruit and a spine of crushed stone minerality. It's a wine of tension and elegance, showing less flamboyance than the 2019, but with even greater aging potential. With only 160,000 bottles produced and an élevage of 18 months in mostly new oak, this is Pichon Baron at its most focused and complete—built for the long haul yet already radiating class.

JamesSuckling.com | JS 99
Published: Dec 31, 2022

Fabulous aromas of blackcurrant, blueberry, crushed stone, graphite and lead pencil. Some violets and other flowers, too. Full-bodied with incredibly encompassing tannins that are like the finest velvet in texture. The structure is superb, with so much tension and focus. Seamless. This could be the new 1990 or better. Try after 2028.

Decanter | D 98
Published: Jan 3, 2023
Drink: 2029-2058

Gentle and delicately aromatic but rich too, full of coffee, mocha, dark chocolate, caramel and medicinal herbs - mint and aniseed with a combination of red, blue and black berry fruits. Lovely density and weight on the palate, really very tannic but wide with an aerated effect so it doesn't feel at all heavy with a bright juiciness and extremely long length. The tannins make the first impression with a velvet texture and chalky minerality but it’s clean and the fruit has a crystalline purity that gives a sleek and direct overall impression. Generous, elegant and refined yet still not showing its best.

The Wine Advocate | RP 97
Published: Apr 6, 2023
Drink: 2030-2065

The brilliant 2020 Pichon-Longueville Baron offers up inviting aromas of sweet berries and cassis mingled with pipe tobacco, loamy soil, pencil shavings and licorice. Medium to full-bodied, deep and layered, its velvety attack segues into a concentrated mid-palate that's framed by rich, powdery tannins, concluding with a long, vibrant finish. A blend of 76% Cabernet Sauvignon and 24% Merlot, it's a true classic that's a touch less demonstrative out of the gates than the sensual 2019, but which in the fullness of time will prove every bit as good.

The numbers speak for themselves: Until 2000, Pichon-Longueville Baron produced some 350,000 bottles per year, but since 2001, that figure has fallen to 160,000. Managing director Christian Seely's first decision on arriving at the property was to reduce production, focusing the grand vin on Cabernet Sauvignon growing on the deep gravel terraces opposite Château Latour that have always been the heart of this historic estate and which were the source of the great duo of 1989 and 1990 before being joined by other holdings after a series of acquisitions in the early 1990s. The results also speak for themselves in the form of a series of excellent vintages, and things improved further with the construction of a new barrel cellar in 2006, permitting better temperature control and more precision during élevage. In style, Pichon Baron these days has more in common stylistically with the depth and structure of Latour than it does with the perfumed sensuality of its sibling, Pichon Lalande, and in quality, it's clearly one of contemporary Bordeaux's greatest wines.

Jancisrobinson.com | JR 17.5
Published: May 10, 2021
Drink: 2025-2040

Cask sample. This has all the succulence and richness that is missing from their Griffons. Complete, balanced, smooth and perfumed to finish, with long floral fragrance. Lives up to its reputation.

Pichonbaron.com

Our Grand Vin Château Pichon Baron 2nd 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
2020 began with a historically rainy winter followed by a tropical spring. Vigilance was required in soil management and protecting the vines against mildew. Warm, dry weather then led to one of the earliest flowerings on record, two weeks ahead of the norm. The first flowers were observed between 9th and 10th May and flowering took place between 15th and 25th May.
Rainfall stopped at the end of June, giving way to cool, dry weather until the onset of ripening in mid-July.

Mid-veraison was reached between 23rd and 25th July on the earliest ripening Merlot plots and subsequently developed well in warm and dry conditions. Summer brought drought and sporadic heat waves until mid-August, when thunderstorms cooled down excessive temperatures and caused the Merlot grapes to swell. The later-ripening Cabernets remained small until the harvest.

Picking started about ten days ahead of the norm, mostly in sunshine for the Merlots and thundery showers for the Cabernets. The Merlots and Cabernets were tannic and colourful, with acidities and potential alcohol content within normal ranges.

Ripening took place in hot weather, apart from the second half of August.
Thunderstorms of varying intensity, with between 80 and 120 mm of rain, struck Pauillac between 12th and 16th August, in most cases counteracting the water stress observed in early August. The Merlots once again benefited from the rainfall, with the grapes growing swiftly, unlike the Cabernets.

Harvest
The harvest took place from 14th to 22nd September for the Merlot and from 22nd to 30th September for the Cabernet-Sauvignon.

Tasting note
Château Pichon Baron 2020 reveals a very beautiful, intense garnet colour. The fresh, precise and complex nose offers aromas of ripe red fruit, spices, cedar and pencil lead. The attack is ample with a powerful, creamy and elegant palate. The tannins are silky and racy. The finish is long, fruit-driven and peppery.

Pierre Montégut - Technical Director - September 2022
Bottling date: June 13th 2022

Blend
Cabernet sauvignon 76%, Merlot 24%

Ageing
70% in new barrels, 30% from barrels of one vintage for 18 months