Pichon Baron 2016 (1.5L)

"96-98 Poins, Neal Martin, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: ""The 2016 Pichon-Longueville Baron is a blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Merlot picked between 3 and 18 October at 39 hectoliters per hectare for estate (therefore the Grand Vin will be less). It is matured in 80% new oak and 20% one year old for 18 months. It has a very intense, extremely pure bouquet with blackberry, bilberry, cedar and graphite notes; it is a straight-down-the-fairway Pauillac. The palate is medium-bodied with a very tensile opening, that seam of graphite penetrating the black fruit. There is a wonderful structure here, unapologetically classic in style with just the right amount of austerity on the aristocratic finish. The aftertaste is incredibly long, lingering after two or three minutes in the mouth. This is a majestic Pichon-Baron and it may well to surpass both the 2009 or 2010."" 4/17 #230"

96 Points, Neal Martin, Vinous: "The 2016 Pichon-Longueville Baron electrifies the olfactory sense with a stunning bouquet of intense blackberry, cedar and graphite aromas that are quintessential Pauillac. Over a few minutes, it blossoms in the glass, gaining more and more depth. The palate is medium-bodied with slightly tarry black fruit, cedar and truffle, dovetailing into a saline, peppery finish that leaves the tongue tingling. Christian Seely and his team have imbued recent vintages of this Pauillac with unerring symmetry, and the 2016 can be added to the canon of triumphs." 1/19

96 Points, Antonio Galloni, Vinous: "The 2016 Pichon Baron is seamless and racy from start to finish. Sensual and super-expressive, with soft contours, silky tannins and exceptional finesse, Pichon Baron is one of the more accessible wines in its peer group today. Plum, mocha, leather, spice and chocolate all build effortlessly. As outstanding as Pichon Baron is, the 2016 gives the impression it is playing things safe. It would be nice to see a little more daring and risk." 1/19

99 Points, James Suckling: "The concentration and largesse of the 2016 Pichon Baron is apparent from the get-go with incredibly alluring, ripe and expansive fruit aromas in the blackberry, dark-cherry, mulberry and plum zone. Espresso and cedar, as well as a slate-like, stony mineral edge add complexity. The palate has incredible depth, drive and detail. Fine and plush tannins stretch the palate in every direction. So fresh and vivacious, this is the greatest Pichon Baron since 1989 and has a long future. Try from 2024." 2/19

"96-99 Points, Wine Spectator: ""Has the pure, fresh, racy feel of the vintage, which is even more admirable considering the depth of the red currant, plum and cherry preserve flavors at the core and the power of the structure on the back end, pulling in accents of graphite and loam. A thumper of a Pauillac."" 4/17"