Château Pichon Baron 2016: a Pauillac with superb structure
Château Pichon Baron is a 2nd Classified Growth produced in the Pauillac appellation. The vineyard, with a total area of 73 hectares, is planted on Quaternary gravel, which is made up of pebbles and sand. The wine is matured in barrels for 18 months, with a proportion of 80% new barrels and 20% barrels of one previous wine. The Château Pichon Baron 2016 blends 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Merlot.
The 2016 vintage at Château Pichon Baron was characterized by a cold and humid winter, a spring with plenty of rainfall (the flowering unfolded miraculously under excellent conditions) and a summer marked by heat and drought. The beautiful Indian summer allowed for an optimal ripening of the grapes. The harvest took place from the 3rd to the 18th of October.
At tasting, the Château Pichon Baron 2016 reveals an intense nose of great purity, combining fragrances of black fruits (blackberries, blueberries) with woody (cedar) and mineral (graphite) notes. This medium-bodied wine is structured with refinement even if the tannic pattern seems very tight. But the creamy and docile character of the tannin at the finish is masterful. The length is fantastic with a beautiful aromatic persistence.
Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2016 Pichon-Longueville Baron offers a suave and seductive nose of warm red and black currants, black plum preserves, truffles, tapenade and rose hip tea with touches of sandalwood and Chinese five spice plus a waft of iron ore. Medium to full-bodied, firmly structured and packed with mineral and exotic spice-laced black fruits, it finishes very long with compelling herbal sparks.