The Tb points given to this wine are the world’s most valid and most up-to-date evaluation of the quality of the wine. Tastingbook points are formed by the Tastingbook algorithm which takes into account the wine ratings of the world's 50 best-known professional wine critics, wine ratings by thousands of tastingbook’s professionals and users, the generally recognised vintage quality and reputation of the vineyard and winery. Wine needs at least five professional ratings to get the Tb score. Tastingbook.com is the world's largest wine information service which is an unbiased, non-commercial and free for everyone.
Viinin Kuvailu
The Story
Our Grand Vin Château Pichon Baron, classified as a 2nd Grand Cru Classé in 1855, is made with grapes from the oldest vines on the estate’s historic plots.This quintessential Pauillac offers an intense and profound sensory experience of great complexity. Château Pichon Baron exhibits elegance, intensity and exceptional length on the palate. It is a wine that improves year after year and can age for over 40 years in the cellar.
The reputation of Pichon Baron until the 1960s was superior to that of Pichon Lalande across the road, it was also placed above Pichon Lalande in the Classification of 1855. But on the death of Jean Bouteillier in 1961 its reputation began to sink. His eldest son Bertrand was still young and inexperienced and there was a lack of money for necessary investments leading to a decline in quality of the wines during the 1960s and 1970s. During the 1980s there were signs of recovery but not at the same speed as with many other properties during this time and certainly nowhere near that of Pichon-Lalande that had prospered enormously under the care of May de Lencquesaing to become one of the first "Super-seconds".
Wine Information
Vintage conditions
2019 was marked by a rainy spring and start to June, followed by a hot, dry summer. Cool spring temperatures alleviated the virulence of the mildew, and the year's favourable weather conditions created an environment free from the threat of cryptogamic infection.
The rapid warming of the soil at the end of winter led to steady and even budburst, with slow growth. Unfortunately, these cool spring conditions were not favourable to flowering and caused moderate coulure, except in our earliest-ripening terroirs.
The last ten days of June gave way to hot and dry summer weather punctuated by some rain in late July and early August. The sunshine and heat stimulated the fruit aromas of the Cabernets and the concentration of polyphenols in the skins.
Limited water during ripening accelerated sugar concentration and the breakdown of acids, and increased the grapes' phenolic potential. These conditions were also favourable to the quality of the tannins. Mid-veraison was reached between 4th and 5th August on the early-ripening plots and ended quickly and evenly in mid-August.
The grapes became particularly rich in mid-September due to the hot, dry conditions, then the first rains in late September weakened the skins and accelerated the harvest. This very welcome moisture stabilised the sugar concentration and allowed us to continue the harvest more serenely. 2019 was characterised by high potential alcohol content and low total acidity (little malic acid).
The harvest took place from 18th September to 1st October for the Merlot and from 30th September to 11th October for the Cabernet-Sauvignon.