2017 Chateau Pichon-Longueville Baron 2ème Cru, Pauillac

The grand vin represents 50% of production this year. A blend of 79% Cabernet Sauvignon and 21% Merlot, the 2017 Pichon-Longueville Baron is deep garnet-purple in color and simply sings of vibrant blackcurrants, black cherries and rose hip notes with nuances of potpourri, incense, licorice and pencil shavings plus touches of cigar box and fertile loam. Medium-bodied, super intense and possessing stunning poise, it has very firm, fine-grained tannins and a beautifully silken texture, with bags of freshness and a very long, perfumed finish.

95-97 points Lisa Perrotti-Brown for The Wine Advocate #236 April 2018

The saturated purple-colored 2017 Pichon-Longueville Baron will compete with the best of the best in 2017. Possessing full-bodied notes of ripe blackberry and cassis fruit intermixed with background graphite and oak, it hits the palate with beautiful purity of fruit, building tannin, and a great, great finish. Its oak is brilliantly integrated, it has a stacked mid-palate, and again, just incredible purity of fruit. It has the fruit/texture to drink nicely in its youth yet deserves 4-6 years and will keep for two decades or more. The 2017 is 79% Cabernet Sauvignon and 21% Merlot aging in 80% new French oak, which accounts for only 50% of the total production.

94-97 points Jeb Dunnuck

Pichon Baron is one of the sexiest Pauillacs I tasted in 2017. Silky, nuanced and finessed to the core, the 2017 hits all the right notes. In the glass, the 2017 possesses striking aromatic presence, vivid flavors, silky tannins and exceptional balance. In 2017, Pichon Baron is a wine of incomparable elegance and total finesse. I loved it.

93-96 points Antonio Galloni, Vinous

The currants, blackberries and spices are very pretty here on the nose. The palate is medium-to full-bodied with round, compact tannins and a fresh, linear finish. Cool and racy. Strong and focused. Drink after 2023.

95 points James Suckling Jan 2020

Among the great names of Pauillac, Château Pichon Longueville Baron has stood as a symbol of Left Bank excellence since the 17th century. Instantly recognisable by its fairy tale château, the estate is celebrated for Cabernet Sauvignon led wines that combine power, precision and aristocratic elegance. As a Second Growth in the historic 1855 Classification, Pichon Baron consistently produces wines that rank among the Médoc's finest and are prized by collectors around the world.

The 2017 vintage rewarded meticulous vineyard management, producing fruit of exceptional purity, freshness and balance. The estate's deep gravel soils yielded beautifully concentrated Cabernet Sauvignon with remarkable aromatic definition, while careful élevage has shaped a wine of structure, finesse and outstanding ageing potential.

Deep garnet with youthful ruby highlights, the bouquet unfolds with aromas of cassis, blackberry and black cherry layered with cedar, graphite and cigar box. As the wine evolves, notes of violets, pencil shavings, dark chocolate and subtle spice emerge, revealing the unmistakable character of great Pauillac. The palate is powerful yet beautifully refined, combining concentrated black fruits with polished tannins, vibrant acidity and a finely etched mineral backbone. Long, seamless and impeccably balanced, the finish lingers with savoury depth, cedar and exceptional persistence.

A magnificent partner for Chateaubriand, roast lamb, venison loin, duck with black truffle or mature Comté. Already immensely rewarding with extended decanting, this distinguished Pauillac has the pedigree and structure to evolve beautifully for decades.

Cellaring: Drink now to 2052.