Les Griffons de Pichon Baron 2022

The 2022 Les Griffons de Pichon Baron is more Cabernet-driven, echoing the style of the grand vin, as opposed to the more supple, forward Tourelles. Offering up aromas of sweet dark berries and espresso roast, it's medium to full-bodied, velvety and layered, built around powdery structuring tannins.

A solid version, with a packed core of blackberry, black currant and black cherry reduction notes wrapped in licorice root, bay leaf and violet. A growl of cast iron emerges through the finish, giving this a burly, earth-driven feel. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot. Best from 2025 through 2036. 5,568 cases made.

A touch of opulence to the nose in the aromatically expressive floral and dark fruit scents. Alive and open, this starts with a burst of acidity and pure strawberry flavour but the texture is the most appealing with density and richness — almost plush — yet the momentum keeps it from being too heavy. Lovely structure, it feels well constructed with muscle and power beneath the lively fruit. Still more compact than Les Tourelles, which would be great to enjoy now; this needs a little longer but will be worth the wait.

The 2022 Les Griffons de Pichon Baron is super-refined from start to finish. Everything speaks to balance. Dark red/purplish fruit, spice, new leather, mocha, dried flowers and blood orange infuse the 2022 with notable character and class. Silky, polished tannins wrap it all together in grand style. The 2022 spent 18 months in French oak, 40% new, an approach that worked beautifully.

Black fruits, flowers, and crème de cassis aromatics are all over the place. On the palate, the wine is juicy, fresh, lifted, elegant, round, and long. There is sweetness and a vibrancy that makes you want to take another sip before the finish is over. The wine blends 50% Merlot, 46% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 4% Petit Verdot. Drink from 2027–2047.

Dark ruby, opaque core, purple reflections. Nuances of clove and cassis, fine dark wild berry fruit, mandarin zest. Good complexity, ripe cherries, some nougat, fine acidity, integrated tannins, mineral, pronounced fruit, shows length, a multi-faceted food wine, good ageing potential.

Also brilliant, the 2022 Les Griffons De Pichon Baron brings a touch more structure and density than the Tourelles. Cassis, graphite, leather, and cedar pencil notes, as well as a beautiful violet note, define the aromatics, and it's medium to full-bodied, has a focused, pure, precise mouthfeel, and a great finish. It’s another impeccably made, pure, flawlessly balanced wine from this château that I’d be happy to drink any time over the coming 15+ years.

Medium to full intensity ruby red, intense and concentrated, this is muscular and fully charged, with a good slate-like texture; smoked caramel and mocha show the fingerprint of the vintage. 40% new oak, Pierre Montégut director.

An alluring nose of sweet red fruits with vanilla and spice. Complex and intense on the palate, driven by piercing acidity and fine tannins. The finish, impressively long, reveals a refined, indulgent hint of tobacco.

The oak and the Cabernet blend well, creating a convincing symbiosis. The bouquet reveals inviting notes of caramel and sweet spices, complemented by nuances of blueberries, ripe elderberry, and mint. Smooth on the attack, the wine is linear, inviting, and supported by vigorous tannins that set the tone and drive the wine forward. A determined, confident, charming, ambitious, and energetic Griffon! A fine success.

The nose is elegant, supple and precise, offering indulgence, purity and a fine grain. It reveals notes of violet and black cherry, with subtler hints of wild red berries, along with fine sappy nuances, fresh blond tobacco and a discreet touch of pepper. The palate is beautifully juicy, fruity, mineral and balanced, with a fresh backbone, accuracy and tension. On the palate, this wine shows notes of juicy/pulpy cherry, fresh plum and, more subtly, rhubarb, joined by touches of small red berries as well as fine hints of toast, almond and discreet notes of chocolate. Lovely juiciness, purity and brilliance.

Dark, purple color. Highly aromatic nose, fruity, subtle, ripe and yet fresh. Refined on the attack, perfumed mid-palate, with a plush body and an unprecedented finesse of texture; the wine finishes flavorful, long and deep. It's superb. Blend: 50% Merlot, 46% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Petit Verdot. Alcohol: 14.5% - pH: 3.57.

A firmly structured wine with solid tannins from the Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend. It is concentrated and full of black coffee aromas, black currant fruit flavors and a juicy aftertaste. Drink from 2028.