Château Pichon Baron 2014

If it weren’t for the wine’s distinctive character—this blend of pedigree and elegance, of noble restraint and refined seduction—you would almost have to speak of a precision and stylistic fidelity that borders on unsettling.

A solid rendering, with an ample core of cassis, cherry preserves and plum cake backed by energetic, brambly tannins. A singed apple wood accent on the finish adds range. Shows good cut throughout. Best from 2020 through 2035. 13,335 cases made.

A deep red colour leads into a voluptuous blackcurrant nose, poised, seductive and showing stylish oak. Rich but not overbearing, highly concentrated with explosive fruit and tannins. This has depth and structure without undue extraction. Spicy, lively, and very long.

Irony and smoky intensity on the very youthful nose. Really rich and tannic, but as it flows over your palate it becomes more and more suave and complex. This is a concentrated, long-term wine that demands some patience but should richly reward it. Try in 2022.

The 2014 Pichon Baron has a lovely bouquet with blackberry, pencil shavings and touches of warm gravel, very well defined and focused, classic in style. The palate is medium-bodied with pliant tannins, fresh and vibrant, with a dash of white pepper and allspice leading to that slightly flinty finish. Maybe it becomes a little creamier than expected, but it's still just a lovely Pauillac drinking perfectly now and will continue to age for many years. N.B. The bottle poured blind at the Southwold tasting exhibited a metallic element on the finish, and I marked it down. Tasted at Bordeaux Index's 10-Year On tasting.

Already delicious! What more needs to be said? The wine is full-bodied, concentrated, and offers length, persistence, and energy, with a long blast of sweet, juicy cassis, blackberry, earth, and tobacco. There is a polish to the tannins and a volume that allows this wine to get noticed. This will be even better with 5–10 more years.

More reserved and classically styled than the 2015, the 2014 Pichon-Longueville Baron is nevertheless a beautiful wine and up with the top wines of the vintage. Showing a deep ruby/plum color along with terrific notes of blackberries, smoky tobacco, graphite, chocolate, and hints of cedar, it has a regal, understated yet concentrated style that builds with time in the glass. Medium to full-bodied, ripe, layered, and beautifully textured, it’s a classy wine from this estate that will benefit from 3–4 years of bottle age and keep for two decades.

Stunning, this is just beginning to deliver the most deliciously taut and balanced Pauillac character, with crayon and bilberry, black truffle and black pepper, muscular and concentrated, with mint leaf and cigar box on the finish. Very impressive, at the beginning of its drinking window. 80% new oak.

Medium to deep garnet-brick in color, the 2014 Pichon Baron offers up serious, straight-laced notes of blackcurrant cordial, cedar chest, and tobacco leaf leading to hints of cardamom, pencil lead, and truffle. The medium-bodied palate is gracefully styled, with lovely tension and ripe, fine-grained tannins, finishing long and minerally. Tasted blind with the Southwold Group in London in February 2024.

Here it is once again at the very top, with extraordinary substance, density and depth. A vibrant wine with tremendous length. A must-have of the vintage!

A fresh, perfumed bouquet of pink flowers and dark red fruit, with a noble touch of Chinese lacquer, typical of Pichon-Longueville Baron. Balanced on the palate, succulent, it quivers with power, yet it’s a restrained, streamlined power that peaks in a brushed-silk finish.

This 2014 surprises with its intensity and power… and is a reminder that the closer you get to the north of the Médoc, the greater the vintage in Bordeaux. It clearly expresses its terroir with notes of cedar and graphite, followed by hints of coffee and cassis aromas. On the palate, the wine stands out for its power, density, and character. The latter comes from a lively acid structure, while the tannins provide the power. The whole still needs to come together, but what the wine shows today is already convincing!

Since last year, this wine has been performing admirably. A great nose, typical of the Médoc. A touch of ink and smoke. A deep, dense palate with a positive austerity. It will meld together. Lovers of power can taste it now. For silkiness, you still need to wait.