Château Pichon Baron 2016

Critic scores

• Vinous100
• Wine Advocate97
• James Suckling97
• Wine Enthusiast97

The 2016 vintage in Pauillac

Vintage benchmark: 97/100 (appellation benchmark, not a score for this wine)

Vintage character: A very wet winter followed by a sun-drenched summer produced a rare balance, combining the depth of great years with genuine freshness.

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

Château Pichon Baron 2016 presents a very beautiful, intense garnet color. The nose reveals aromas of black and red fruit, such as blueberry, black cherry and blackcurrant, then very lightly toasted, vanilla and spiced notes. The fleshy, powerful attack is balanced by richness and a certain fullness. The tannins are silky, voluminous, with length and crunch. The finish is tight and precise. The whole, dominated by a fine tension, is dense, with richness.

Blend of the 2016 vintage

Figures from the 2016 sheet

• 13 % vol.Alcohol
• 31 hl/haYield
• 30 yrsVine age
• 180,000 bottlesProduction

Winemaking

In order to carry through the plot selection carried out in the vineyard, every small vat was used, and the larger ones were only partially filled. Alcoholic fermentations got underway quickly and proceeded at a moderate pace, allowing extractions mostly during the fermentation phase, gentle and fractioned, suited to each terroir. Priority was given to the finesse of the tannins as well as to the distinctive expression of the varieties according to the character of the soils. Maceration times ranged from 15 to 18 days for the young vines and 20 to 24 days for the older ones, with a daily tasting check on the extractions. Drawing off was completed by the end of November.

Ageing

80% in new barrels and 20% in one-wine barrels, for 20 months.

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.