Château
Pichon Baron
2nd Grand Cru Classé en 1855
- 2021
- 2020
- 2019
- 2018
- 2017
- 2016
- 2015
- 2014
- 2013
- 2012
- 2011
- 2010
- 2009
- 2008
- 2007
- 2006
- 2005
- 2004
- 2003
- 2002
- 2001
- 2000
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
2021 began with a very mild but extremely wet winter, followed by dry weather from mid-February onwards.
An almost summery period in the last week of March hastened bud break, which became widespread from 25th to 26th March, 5 to 6 days earlier than usual. Periods of severe frost then occurred during the first half of April. Flowering then took place in very good weather conditions.
In June, stormy weather caused mildew pressure, requiring great vigilance. July and early August were rainy and cool. Veraison progressed slowly and was completed at the end of August.
From mid-August to mid-September, a 4-week period of dry weather boosted ripening of seeds and polyphenols. This period without rainfall allowed the Cabernets to ripen well.Harvest
The vintage was harvested at the end of September with low yields. The harvest took place from 27th September to 1st October for the Merlot and from 30th September to 7th October for the Cabernet-Sauvignon.
Tasting note
Château Pichon Baron 2021 features a gorgeous and sustained ruby-red colour with a nice density. The bouquet is still a little restrained, beginning with the notes of fresh blackcurrant, herbs and berries that are typical of its primary grape variety. After aerating, notes of flowers, fresh cherry and raspberry develop alongside aromas of barrel ageing. This combination forms a deep, complex and elegant whole. The attack is smooth yet ample. On the palate, this wine is velvety and creamy with flavours of vanilla and spice. The finish is long, dominated by minerality and distinctive, luscious and licoricey tannins. The whole experience is an exercise in tension, subtlety and persistence.
Pierre Montégut - Technical Director - October 2023
Bottling date: June 6th 2023Vinification
Plot-by-plot selection is fully controlled in our wooden and stainless-steel vats, designed to adapt vinification to each parcel. This year, we have placed even more emphasis on the quality of the fruit by extending the cold pre-fermentation period before starting fermentation with our vintage wild yeast from grapes grown in the old Cabernet-Sauvignon plots of the Plateau.
Maceration temperatures ranged from 24 to 29°C. Extractions were preferably performed during mid-fermentation, and the duration of post-fermentation maceration was refined through daily tastings.
We drew off the Merlots from 14th to 24th October and the Cabernets from 26th October to 2nd November. Malolactic fermentation continued apace in vats, allowing regular racking in separate batches. The wine was transferred to barrels in mid-November.Blend
Cabernet sauvignon 88%, Merlot 12%
Ageing
70% in new barrels, 30% from barrels of one vintage for 18 months
Wine Analyse
Alcohol content
13% vol.
pH
3.6
