PICHON BARON VERTICAL (01, 00, 98, 95, 90, 89, 88, 86, 82, 66) - (1/25/2012)
Brad England invited me to be his guest at a local Commanderie de Bordeaux tasting dinner held last night at La Belle Vie in Minneapolis. This proved to be a great event and a nice way to get to meet some fellow local wine lovers. Steve Sigmond was also there and sat at our table. We started with some champagne in the bar and then moved to the dining room for a single white Bordeaux followed by 10 vintages of Pichon Baron. The Pichon Baron was served in three flights (95, 98, 00, 01 first; 88, 89, 90 second; 66, 82, 86 third). The first two flights were thrilling; unfortunately, the last flight was marred by mostly off bottles. C’est la vie.
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2005 Château Carbonnieux Blanc - France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
This had been opened and loosely recorked prior to the tasting. I didn’t catch how long it had been open but it was ready to go from the moment poured. The nose gives super ripe, tropic fruit along with a smell I linked with anise/black licorice (others had different descriptors). Regardless, it was beautiful and had me thinking ripe Loire (say Cotat) more than Bordeaux. Totally different on the palate, showing ripe fruit with good flavor intensity but really nice acidity that takes over from mid-palate through the long, lingering finish – almost Chablis-like in its weight and cut. Analytically it seemed like two wines (ripe Loire/solid Chablis), but for me the two halves worked together seamlessly to produce a gorgeous result that paired very well with the first course (skate with white beans). (93 pts.) -
1995 Château Pichon-Longueville Baron - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
The nose gives stern red and black fruit and not much else. Equally austere on the palate with compact red fruit flavors that don’t build/change from attack to finish. Still showing quite a bit of tannin. I called this “pretty” which drew some disagreement; by this I meant that it’s pleasant throughout – nothing to dislike, just pure simplicity in a glass. This bottle is perfectly consistent with previous bottles I’ve had and reaffirms why I have no regrets with selling off the better part of a case. (90 pts.) -
1998 Château Pichon-Longueville Baron - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
One whiff is all it took to get excited about this one – it’s soaring nose of red fruit and tobacco/coffee/graphite was probably the best of the night. Just so intense yet elusive. Pretty good on the palate, too, with expansive flavors dominated by red fruit. The attack is barely mid-weight and the wine seems to fade and thin as the taste progresses (of course, almost anything is going to seem thin by comparison to the 2000 in the very next glass). The finish is pleasant, but probably the shortest of the night. Tannins seem mostly resolved. I would guess this is at or near peak and will drink well for, say, 3-5 years before starting to decline. (92 pts.) -
2000 Château Pichon-Longueville Baron - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
The color is a deep, opaque red. The nose gives stern aromas of dark fruit and caramel/oak along with espresso. Seems much more youthful/primary, and with much more overt oak, than the bottle I had a few months ago. On the palate this is packed with fruit, but carries plenty of structure too yielding a wine that is big and burly character yet with great intensity, great balance and tons of dark fruit flavors. Still extremely tannic but enjoyable. Great long finish. This is obviously a wine of very high quality, but I found it hard to enjoy fully right now due to the oak. (94 pts.) -
2001 Château Pichon-Longueville Baron - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
The nose is strikingly similar to the '98. Maybe not quite as intense, but with beautiful aromas of red fruit and coffee. In time it added some iron/minerality (that also eventually appeared in the '00 too). I liked this better than the '98 on the palate. It had good clean red fruit with good flavor intensity from the attack through the finish. The balance is very nice, and there is good tannic structure. I suspect that given some time this will develop along the same lines as the '88 and turn into an excellent example of Pichon Baron. (92 pts.) -
1988 Château Pichon-Longueville Baron - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
Wow, what an awesome nose on this wine. Intense yet complex and nuanced, with mature notes of coffee and tobacco to go with the elegant red fruit. Equally impressive on the palate with perfect balance, beautiful texture, and a big explosion of flavors. Tannin seems totally resolved. The finish is long and satisfying. I suspect this is drinking at peak right now – certainly a wine to seek out for near-term consumption if the price is right. (93 pts.) -
1989 Château Pichon-Longueville Baron - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
Another wow. This is a big, structured, powerful wine. The nose is dominated by black fruit and tobacco. Maybe a touch stern at this moment, but most enjoyable. Showing pure power on the palate. It’s packed with dark fruit that has great flavor intensity that expands nicely across the palate, but there’s just so much structure to balance out that fruit. Has a long, lingering finish. Both delicious and satisfying. In an early drinking window, but likely to improve in the cellar for at least a few more years. For this flight, if the '88 is too little, and the '90 is too much, then this is the one that is just right. (95 pts.) -
1990 Château Pichon-Longueville Baron - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
Another impressive wine. This has a lovely nose dominated by candied red fruit. On the palate this has a luxurious texture, more reminiscent of a liquor than wine. Seems to be just packed with fruit and still showing some oak (or at least has a heft I associate with unintegrated oak). Possesses good flavor intensity, good balance, and a long satisfying finish. I would guess this is still 3-5 years from its early drinking window and years away from its peak. (94 pts.) -
1966 Château Pichon-Longueville Baron - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
My pour (from the red bottle) was badly maderized and a horrible mess. Steve’s pour (from the blue bottle) was at least drinkable but more of a generic old wine than anything you could associate with Pichon Baron. Considering the two bottles came from the same cellar I’m going to assume they were both flawed in some way. NR (flawed) -
1982 Château Pichon-Longueville Baron - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
Both bottles of this were swampy and maderized. I suspect the red bottle may have been corked, too, although it was really hard to tell due to all the other unappealing smells present. NR (flawed) -
1986 Château Pichon-Longueville Baron - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
The worst of the flight. The nose is a swampy, weedy unappealing mess. I rated this DNPIM. NR (flawed) -
1983 Château Suduiraut - France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes
I only took a small pour. The color is a deep, rusty yellow. The nose gives some exotic fruit (apricot) and is very enjoyable. There’s plenty of flavor on the palate, with good weight but not quite enough acidity. Certainly good, but not the wow aged Sauternes can be. (88 pts.)
My WOTN was the '89, an opinion shared by most of those in attendance. The '88 was a surprise and certainly one of the best wines of the night. The '00 and '90 need more time in the cellar, but were also enjoyable to taste. Thanks to Brad for the invite, and to the entire Commanderie for a most enjoyable evening.
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