Château Pichon Longueville Baron 2018

The history of this famous Second Growth estate dates back to the Grand Siecle - “Great Century” - of France during the reign of Louis XIV.  The first vineyard plots of this property were close to Château Latour in the left bank appellation of Pauillac.

Château Pichon de Longueville Baron (affectionately shortnamed Pichon Baron, vs its sister chateau Pichon Comtesse) is home to terroir that is considered a “winegrower’s paradise”.  Over the years, the vignerons at the estate have learned to nurture their precious vines, yielding highly concentrated and ripe fruit.  Production has been cut in half throughout the decades and the winemaking team at Pichon Baron has no qualms sacrificing quantity to ensure the quality of their wine.  Perhaps it is the close proximity to the terroir of the First Growth powerhouse, Château Latour, that lends these wines the perfect balance of strength and refinement that is so often associated with the gems of Pauillac.  Some of the best vintages are massively extracted, flamboyant wines -- with aromas of cassis, tobacco, and cedar.  Due to their incredible fortitude, these wines have the ageing potential to last for decades.

"The 2018 Pichon-Longueville Baron is made up of 78% Cabernet Sauvignon and 22% Merlot. The Merlot was harvested September 24-25, and the Cabernet Sauvignon was harvested October 3-10. The wine is to be aged 18 months in barriques, 80% new and 20% one year old, and production represents 50% of the harvest this year. Very deep purple-black colored, it begins a little coy, rolling slowly and languidly out of the glass with notions of baked raspberries, blueberry coulis, crème de cassis and incense plus nuances of lilacs, truffles, damp soil and garrigue with wafts of lavender and wild sage. Full-bodied, voluptuous and oh-so-seductive, the palate reveals layer upon layer of savory, earthy and black fruit preserves, framed by wonderfully ripe, velvety tannins and lovely freshness, finishing very long and perfumed. Beautiful." - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (4/23/2019, Bordeaux 2018 Issue), Ratings: 97-99