Château Pichon Baron 2009

Critic scores

• James Suckling96
• Jeb Dunnuck95
• Vinous94

The 2009 vintage in Pauillac

Vintage benchmark: 98/100 (appellation benchmark, not a score for this wine)

Vintage character: A sun-drenched season from start to finish gave opulent, fleshy wines, immediately appealing yet built for the cellar.

Overall reading of the year’s season across Pauillac. An estate can depart from it sharply, in frost or hail years, where two neighbours did not make the same vintage. What this particular wine actually gave is on its technical sheet and in the scores above.

Tasting

A deep robe, very dense and vivid. The aromas, of great aromatic freshness, are complex, fine, delicate, of the black-fruit, blackberry type, with nuances of sweet spice. A great sensation of fullness on the palate, of power, of richness, with concentrated, subtle, precise, mellow tannins. The finish is long, delectable and fleshy. A wine of great substance, marked by great amplitude, precise balance, reflecting fruit of great ripeness.

Blend of the 2009 vintage

Figures from the 2009 sheet

• 13 % vol.Alcohol
• 30 yrsVine age
• 180,000 bottlesProduction

Winemaking

Stable, cool weather allowed the fruit to be picked intact and preserved its freshness and tension. Sorting in the cellar was extremely meticulous, keeping only the finest grapes. Vinifications took place in the best conditions. The richness in sugars and anthocyanins was well above what had been estimated during ripeness checks. Polyphenol extraction was very rapid, a sign of very good tannin ripeness.

Ageing

15 months in French oak barrels (80% new).

Terroir

Overlooking the Latour vineyard, the 73 ha of Domaine de Pichon Baron extend over gravelly soils of very high quality. This unique land, low in nutrients and without excess water, sparingly feeds old vine stocks whose grape production is deliberately small but of exceptional nobility. This terroir is capable of producing extraordinary wines, which the property sets out to do with excellence and consistency, respecting the original history of this vineyard. Composed of 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot, the extensive Pichon Baron vineyard has been divided up into meticulously defined plots. The great 40 ha terroir of the Pichon Baron knoll is devoted solely to the production of the Grand Vin and today accounts for the greater part of its blend.